For now, she needed to allow him a moment alone to care for his foot. She shifted to her knees so she could work up to standing. "I'm going to the water for a minute."
And when she came back, she would ignore the call of the blankets no longer.
CHAPTER5
The salve had worked a miracle.
Aaron stared at his foot as he sat on the creek's bank in the early morning light. Raised red patches still outlined the open sores, but the foot was no longer swollen. The tightness had left his skin, though the flesh still burned.
Not as fiery as the night before, even when he'd walked on the limb. Whatever was in that salve, he needed to get his own tin of it. The container wasn't labeled, so he'd have to ask the name so he could order it in the spring. Could he wait that long? Maybe she had an extra container he could purchase from her.
After applying a fresh dose and pulling on the stocking she'd given him, he eased his foot into the boot. The fit was tight, but at least he could manage it now.
After working himself to his feet, he scooped up the full kettle and his own clean but hole-ridden stocking and started back toward camp. Barney trotted nearby, out of reach as usual.
When he reached their fire, tucked back behind the wagon, Mrs. Barlow sat upright on her pallet, blankets pulled around her. Her hair was mussed, and her eyes squinted as though she'd just awakened, or maybe hadn't yet fully reached that state. Her face looked a little puffy too. Was that normal for her when awakening, or perhaps it had to do with her condition?
She studied him as he approached. "Is your foot improved?"
"It is." He reached for two more logs to add to the fire. "That salve you gave seems to be working better than I'd expected. Can you tell me where you ordered it? And mayhap I could buy this tin from you?"
"You can have it. I make the cream from several different barks and roots that are known for their healing properties." She sucked in a breath between gritted teeth and straightened, her hand moving to her back.
His own belly clenched. "Is something wrong?" Surely this wasn't her time. She had a month left.
But maybe something else was paining her.
She shook her head. "Just the baby moving a lot this morning. That's why I didn't get much sleep."
No wonder she looked so weary.
"Would you like coffee or tea? I can cook up corn mush too. Something warm might make you and the baby both happy."
She looked hesitant. "Maybe tea. Thank you."
He eased himself to the ground and started the water heating as he prepared the pot for the tea. Mrs. Barlow lay back on her bed pallet, looking like she didn’t have the strength to stay upright. He tried not to stare, but her face had lost most of its color. Would she be well enough to travel today?
Sitting up on the bench for so many long hours at a time was hard on anyone, but it was too much to ask a woman so near her term, especially as weary as she looked now. He could move the load around a little, maybe strap a few crates beside him on the bench, and make a little bed for her in the back. That way she could rest or sit up as she wanted.
When the mush and tea were ready, she still lay in her blankets. He brought a cup and bowl over to her, and she pushed her covers aside. "I'm sorry. I should have prepared the food. You don't have to serve me." As she sat up, her face pinched in tight lines.
"It's the least I could do after how you helped me last night. I didn't realize you made the salve. Do you have training as an apothecary?"
Her face brightened a tiny bit. "No, but when I was a girl, our housekeeper knew a great deal about herbal remedies. She taught me, then gave me some of her books that identify plants and which parts are good for healing."
Though the weariness marking her features didn’t fade, her eyes and voice lit as she spoke.
"You've proven yourself an apt student."
As she took a sip of tea, her body jerked a little. Her hand moved to her belly, and her lips pressed together.
His own gut tightened. "Is the baby moving again?"
She gave a single nod, then she breathed out a slow exhale. "I suppose she's ready to come out."
Panic surged up his throat. "Not for a month yet, right?"
She gave a tight smile. "I hope so."
