He handed over the container, his gaze holding hers for a moment, concern marking his eyes. There was something else, too, but she didn't look deep enough to identify it. The fact thathe would put himself out for her well-being was unusual enough in her experience. She still couldn't quite trust it.
As he turned away and strode toward the horses, she remembered what she’d meant to ask. “Could you bring my satchel, the one with the gold clasp?” It held her two extra skirts and some hairpins, along with the gift she still couldn’t bring herself to wear.
The sapphire necklace.
It had seemed so important to her father. Probably because it reminded him of her mother and that former life before their family was torn apart.
She’d done her best to forget that time completely though. To focus on the present and the life she wanted to build.
Maybe she would wear the necklace in time, but for now, it stayed safely tucked in the satchel.
As Two Stones nodded, then continued through the falling snow, she allowed herself to watch him another moment. He moved with an intentional stride, a man who knew his way around animals. His actions weren't rough, just deliberate, and thoughtful, the way he'd treated her since the moment she'd opened her father's shanty door to find Two Stones on the other side.
He'd proven himself dependable. A man of his word, there when she needed him every time. And that alone made her heart melt a little as she watched him disappear with the string of horses around the bend in the trail.
CHAPTER 6
Heidi was warming her hands in front of the small blaze she'd built by the time Two Stones returned with the supplies they would need that night.
He dropped his load against the rock wall. "I'll gather more wood now." He turned and strode back into the swirling snow.
Now that she had their supplies, she could ready a meal and warm drink for his return.
A quarter hour later when she handed him the cup of hot water, the smile he flashed as he dipped his face into the steam was enough to warm her insides.
"Thank you." He took a long draught, holding the cup with both hands to absorb the heat. "The warmth is good."
She turned to finish loading their plates. "Sit by the fire and warm yourself."
He obeyed, and when she handed him the plate, he patted the fur beside him. "Sit and warm yourself."
Those were nearly her own words. She glanced at the spot—far closer to him than she would have chosen. But this overhang would be tight. And she would have to sit close to stay on the fur. She didn't relish the idea of sitting on icy stone.
So she eased down beside him with her plate, keeping the soft fur he’d given her earlier tight around her like a cloak. As she ate, shivers coursed through her, and she leaned toward the fire. The icy wind still found its way under the rocky overhang, chilling her to the bone.
She glanced at Two Stones from the corner of her eye. His frame blocked some of the wind. If she scooted closer, he could protect that full side and she could glean some of his warmth. She shouldn't be so forward, though.
Yet when another gust swept through their makeshift shelter, she pushed aside her qualms. She might freeze to death before this night was over if she allowed her pride and propriety to choose.
As she leaned against his arm, he didn't seem surprised at all, just eased closer, shifting his shoulder so his hand rested behind her. Not wrapped around her waist as a suitor might, but propped on the ground, allowing her to shelter nearer his side.
The howl of the wind kept their silence from turning awkward. They were both still eating, too, and she took small bites to make the meal last longer.
When the food was gone, she pulled her fur tighter around her, closing off any gap at her neck as she snuggled deeper against his side. "Are the horses out in the weather?"
"I found trees near a cliff wall, so they will not feel much wind." The deep timbre of his voice rumbled near her ear. A delicious sound that made her feel protected.
She'd not felt protected in the arms of a man in so very long.
And hadn’t actually been protected even then.
She’d need to remember to guard her heart. She might be married to this man in the eyes of God and in the town of Virginia City, but she would keep a wall around her emotions. She wouldn't let him hurt her—in body or spirit.
As they sat a little longer, the combination of his nearness, the fire crackling, the falling snow…they tightened her nerves until she could barely sit still.
Maybe talking would help.
"Tell me about your village. What was it like growing up there?"
