He didn't miss the way Jonah's brows rose, and a glance at Dinah showed she didn't look exactly pleased either. Maybe better to move on again.
He turned back to his brother. "How's the rest? Did Jude finish what he was working on?"
Jonah frowned. "Oh, you mean the s—" He caught himself just before saying the wrong word, but he managed to change it into their code word. "...strawberries?"
Jericho's gaze flicked to Dinah before he could stop himself. She was frowning at them, her focus a bit too intense. She'd definitely caught the misstep. But did she have any idea what they were really talking about?
She couldn't. Not unless she'd seen the sapphires somewhere and recognized what they were.
Jonah finally answered. "I think so. He hasn't said much. I think they're making progress on the road down toward the Mullan Road too."
He'd forgotten about the vote and how his brothers were practically inviting danger onto the ranch. He'd had about enough frustrating conversation for one day.
He pushed up to his feet and stood until his head stopped swimming. Maybe it was best he stay in bed and leave the others to their plans.
But then again, maybe he'd better rest up so he could be ready to protect his family. And the legacy they'd worked so hard to build.
CHAPTER19
Should she ask Jericho about the stones? Or one of the other brothers instead? Jude might be the one she would have questioned, but he'd said to ask Jericho.
She sat beside Jericho's bed now, peeling potatoes and watching him sleep. He'd worn himself out by spending so much time in the main room.
If asking him about what she'd found in the shed upset him, it might set back his recovery.
The strawberries he and Jonah were talking about must be those stones. Some kind of gemstone most likely. Perhaps several different kinds, since there were so many colors.
But where had they come from? As far as she knew, not even gold had been discovered in this area. Certainly not gemstones either. She would have heard of it, surely.
Did the brothers act as a distributor? Somehow using this ranch as a holding place for gemstones bought in bulk from another country and shipped to jewelers in the States? This seemed an awfully challenging place to work from, with all the mountains that made freighting difficult.
Had the crates in that shed been collected over a lifetime of saving and investing? Maybe even a legacy from their parents or an ancestor farther back?
That seemed the most likely explanation. And asking about a family legacy was impertinent for sure. Still, the brothers were actively doing something with them.
If she asked and he refused to tell her, perhaps there wouldn't be any harm done. At least she could be honest about what she'd discovered. Jude would likely tell him what she’d seen anyway, and she'd rather Jericho hear the news from her.
His regular breathing slowed, and she glanced up in time to see him open his eyes. He gazed ahead first, then eased his focus around. A high fever for long periods could rattle a mind. His seemed to be still working to steady himself.
The very fact that he lived was a miracle. In less than three days, his postules had scabbed, and some scabs were already falling off. Only God could bring about a transformation like that.
When his gaze caught on her, she smiled. "Hello."
He blinked. Not used to awakening to a woman watching him sleep, no doubt.
She added, "I hope you don't mind me sitting in here while I peel potatoes. Naomi's reading a book to Jonah and Lillian, but I wanted thinking time while I work." She could have just as easily taken her task outside, but then she would have missed these quiet moments watching him.
He opened his mouth and started to speak, but his voice rasped so much, he cleared his throat and tried again. "I don't mind." He seemed a more subdued version of himself, probably still lacking strength. And maybe his mind was still struggling.
She focused on the potato in her hands. "We're making potatoes au gratin to celebrate you feeling better."
"That sounds good. Everything you make is good."
She couldn't help looking up at him. He so rarely complimented. Maybe he hadn't meant that the way it sounded.
But his eyes held warmth, his head still resting against the pillow.
"Thank you." Even as she tried to be confident, heat rose up her neck. With him in such a good mood, maybe this was the time to ask him.
