Heidi couldn't even see the town now that she and Two Stones had crested a slope and were descending the far side. Clusters of lodgepole pines dotted this side of the mountain, but she could see through gaps to the long valley below.
Other than the clop of the horse's hooves and the squeak of the saddles, the only sounds of life were the occasional cries of a hawk circling overhead. Probably searching for rodents among the trees.
Two Stones hadn't spoken since they rode past the last mine outside of Virginia City. Was he lost in his thoughts, or did he always ride in complete silence? She didn't like much talking either, but she couldn’t stand days of this.
Also, she needed to know more about what lay ahead in their journey. She could no longer follow a man blindly. That had become the only way to survive life with Winston, but she had control of her path now. If she chose to set out on her own, she needed to know more details.
When the trail leveled off a little, she ventured a question. "How far until we reach your village?" It was several days at least, but she didn't know exactly.
He eyed the skyline ahead. "A week." Then he slid a look at her. "My people measure time in sleeps. We should reach my parents in six sleeps." He turned forward again. "If the weather doesn't slow us. The sky speaks of snow. I do not know how much."
She jerked her gaze upward, pulling her coat flaps closer together. Already, the thick wool wasn't keeping out the cold as well as she'd hoped. She and Papa had planned to get her a fur coat from the trading post in Virginia City. She should have thought to do that yesterday. In truth, she'd not been able to think of much, not with her father’s burial and then her impending marriage to a Salish brave. Even now, thinking those words made her situation—and her decisions—seem too ridiculous to even contemplate.
But as she glanced over at the strong, steady profile of the man riding beside her, a peace eased her spirit. She'd taken a step of trust with him. Of every man she'd ever met, he was one of the few who just might not fail her.
His voice interrupted her thoughts. "Before we reach the village, we'll stop at the ranch of my friends. The Coulters are brothers to me. Jericho has married a doctor, and she asked me to bring medicine from Virginia City."
She studied Two Stones as a flurry of questions whipped through her. The names sounded like they belonged to white people. A bond as close as brothers…how had he come to know them? And a woman doctor? That was even more unusual. Had she set up practice in the wilds of the Montana Territory? Apparently so, if she had sent for medicine.
Two Stones looked her way, drawing her from her thoughts once again. "We'll reach them just before Christmas. We can staya few days if you wish. Dinah and her sister will be happy to meet you."
Christmas. How could it only be a week away? She'd been relieved to reach her father in time to celebrate with him. She'd planned to cook his favorite foods.
Two Stones still watched her, his expression a little hopeful as he waited for an answer.
She nodded. "Christmas with your friends will be nice, if that's what you want. Will your parents want you home? Or…do they celebrate Christmas?" Two Stones had made it clear in various comments that he shared her father's faith, so that was likely why he observed the holiday.
But if his parents weren't Christians, they might want nothing to do with it.
He shrugged. "They do, but it is not the feast the white men have on that day. They are used to me sharing the meal with my brothers."
“That’s good.” She wasn’t sure what else to say. Clearly, his faith meant a great deal to him, and familiar Christmas traditions would be nice.
The terrain steepened again, and she had to rein her mount behind his to maneuver the slope. Two Stones continued talking, though, speaking of the Coulter family. Six brothers, he said. Jericho was the oldest, the one who'd recently married the doctor. The doctor's sister and her young babe also lived with them, as well as the Coulter brothers' niece and nephew, who sounded like they must be school-aged. She did her best to memorize all the names, but Two Stones said little about what each was like.
Would the two of them be expected to share a room in that house? She could perhaps manage that, but what about the same bed?
The numbing thought stopped her breath. He would introduce her as his wife, no doubt. Would he also explain they slept separately?
Her heart hammered, but she breathed a slow breath in. As long as Two Stones honored his promise and didn't try to touch her, she could manage. And if he did cross the line, she would have her father's pistol ready. She tapped her coat pocket, where she'd tucked it so she could reach it easily.
If he indulged in strong drink or some other vile thing that made him less trustworthy, she would be ready to defend herself.
The first flakes drifted down an hour after they left camp the following morning. Heidi scrunched her nose as another crystal pricked her skin with an icy poke.
Two Stones had said he expected snow this day before the sun reached its zenith. Those were some of the only words he'd said during their quick meal before they’d packed their bedding that morning.
He’d been a gentleman through the entire experience of camping with him. He managed the animals and bore the brunt of the work to unload their supplies. She’d cooked a simple meal over the fire he made, but he’d carried the water for her, along with load after load of firewood.
Bedding down had been awkward, at least for her. He’d not shown signs of feeling the same. Because of the lay of the land, their blankets couldn’t be on opposite sides of the fire as she’d hoped. But they’d been positioned end to end with enough space between them that she couldn’t have touched him if she’d tried.
Once he lay down in his furs, he never rose again until the first gray of dawn lightened the eastern sky. She’d lain awake several hours, listening for any rustle that might signal he was coming to her. But that sound never came, and at last, her weary body succumbed to the call of sleep.
She kept her gaze on him now, riding ahead and a little downhill. Already, the flakes were thickening to a curtain, though each was still small. He'd not said anything about stopping when the snow came, so he must intend to continue despite the weather.
As they left the shelter of the mountain they’d descended to ride through a pass between two peaks, the wind picked up, swirling the ice pellets and sliding them into all the openings of her coat. She shivered as another gust crept down her neck, seeping into her bones.
Ahead of her, Two Stones raised his hand for a halt. He reached around to the bundle of bedding he'd fastened behind his saddle. He must need to retrieve something.
