She only had ten days with this man, though, then he'd be shed of her. She had sufficient funds to pay for lodging in Settler’s Fort for the winter. Mr. Long wouldn't have to see her again.
After attending to matters, she searched for logs she could manage. The dog stayed close as she moved about, yet never near enough for her to pet him. "Are you hungry, fella?" Maybe a bit of food when they were back at camp would encourage him. She still had smoked meat from Mr. Driscoll's pack.
She crept back to the fire as quietly as she could manage, but even though she laid each log gently on the stack, they shifted and clattered as they settled. She had to work to catch her breath as she straightened. This baby pulled so heavily on her shoulders, her lungs barely had room to draw a deep breath.
She'd surely awakened Mr. Long again, but he lay with his eyes closed. She moved to kneel beside the crate of foodstuffs and other necessities she'd pulled from Mr. Driscoll's wagon and riffled around inside until she found the pouch of meat.
The dog sat about three armlengths away, watching her.
She eased down to a sitting position to make herself more comfortable. This could take patience. After breaking off a piece, she tossed it midway between her and the animal. He studied the scrap, then eyed her. At last, he seemed to decide accepting the bribe wouldn't endanger him. He crept forward, took the meat in his jaw, then eased back to his original spot.
Good. He clearly didn't plan to make this easy, but at least he was susceptible to the treat.
The next bite, she dropped a little closer, only an armlength away from herself. He didn't hesitate as long this time but moved in and took the meat, then retreated—not as far away.
Only the fact that Mr. Long was trying to sleep kept her from talking to the dog, but silence might be best. She hadn't been around long enough for her voice to reassure him.
After dropping a third piece closer to herself, she kept her hand outstretched partway while he came forward to take it.
She made the fourth bite long enough that she could grip the end and hold it out to him. As it hovered just above the ground, the dog eyed the situation carefully.
Come on, boy. You can trust me.
She kept herself as still as she could manage, though her arm began to tremble. Why did her entire body feel so weak these days?
At last, the mutt crept forward, gingerly took the piece, then dropped to its belly to gnaw on it.
Ever so slowly, she pulled her hand back as she smiled. The first time she’d smiled in months. He'd not even walked away to eat the meat. She'd been hoping for a chance to pet the animal, but this seemed such a victory, such a show of trust, she had no need to press for more.
If only she could succeed so well in the rest of her life. But the obstacles that constantly rose up to thwart her were far less pleasant than a skittish dog.
As she crawled back to her blankets, her mind began to conjure what might arise tomorrow. She forced the thoughts away. She’d never get to sleep if she allowed her free rein in that direction.
After pulling the blankets around her, she stared into the fire, then through the flames to the man lying on the other side. She was placing her life in his hands.
So far, he'd not given her cause for concern, but they'd only spent a few hours together. What might happen over the course of ten days?
Whatever came, she would have to face it. She was alone in this journey, able to make up her own mind as she'd always wanted to.
If only the freedom didn't come with so much risk of failure.
CHAPTER4
Aaron eyed the woman on the bench beside him. She kept shifting around, sometimes straightening and gripping her belly, other times rubbing her back. She’d done those things yesterday after he’d found her at the wrecked wagon, but not as often as today.
Had he pushed her too hard? In truth, he'd been delaying stopping for the night because his foot ached so much, he wasn't altogether sure he could walk on it. The blisters must be festering.
But he'd be a cad if he let his own aches cause her trouble from too much time bouncing on this hard bench as the wagon maneuvered rocks and ruts in the trail.
He sent another glance her way. "Are you ready to stop for the night?"
"Any time you are." Her voice came out tight. He should've stopped an hour ago.
He reined the team to the edge of the road, then pulled back on the leathers. "Whoa, Cain. Whoa, Abel."
The mules obliged, Abel dropping his head as he breathed out a long sigh. Cain bobbed his nose, chewing at the bit.
Aaron set the brake, then motioned to the area between the wagon and the cliff that rose up beside them. "There’s a good spot to camp out of the wind."
