He had to get her back to the cabin. He scanned the length of her, checking for signs of broken bones. Her hands were still tied behind her back, so he sliced the cord quickly, then took more care as he adjusted her arms. Did he dare turn her?
Warmth was what she needed more than anything.
He turned to check on Jericho, and his friend was straightening from the man on the ground. His face wore a grim expression as he shook his head. "He landed on a rock. He's bleeding from his head, but I think it might have snapped his neck. He's gone."
Two Stones's belly twisted. He should feel relief. He did, for Heidi no longer had to fear the man. But to die in such a way…there was no honor in it. And he’d lost his chance to come to Creator Father.
He needed to focus on Heidi now. "I have to get her back to the cabin. She's cold and not waking."
Jericho surveyed the scene, then started toward the side of the ravine they'd descended. "I'll bring the horses down."
While he waited for his friend to find a place where the animals could descend, Two Stones removed his fur coat and lifted Heidi enough to wrap it around her. Her own coat was soaked through, and her dress beneath too. This would have to do until he could get her back to the warm house and dry clothes.
When Jericho reached them with the horses, Two Stones mounted his gelding and Jericho lifted Heidi up to him. He tucked her close in front of him. Her body had begun to shiver now—a good sign. She was coming back to life, though she still hadn't opened her eyes.
"Ride on." Jericho stepped away. "I'll load the body on his horse if I can. If not, we'll come back for him later. Either way, I won't be far behind."
Two Stones paused long enough to meet his friend's gaze. "Be careful."
Jericho dipped a small nod. "Get your wife home."
Two Stones spun his gelding and urged him as fast as the ground would allow, the words echoing through his thoughts.
Yes. Heidiwashis wife, and wherever she was would be home for him. From this day forward. What would it be like to have a real marriage with her?
Even as the question seeped in, reality pushed through the picture. He lived on the trail, and he couldn’t force that life on her. Not only would she never feel at home, but the dangers he faced would be so much more treacherous for her—a woman in such a wild land full of even wilder men.
She would be safer with his family. Could he stay there with her? Not when he’d promised to leave her alone. His chest clenched. Was there a way to keep his word and still make a life for her?
Only if she changed her mind about their marriage, and only Creator Father could accomplish such a feat.Lord, if it be Your will…
CHAPTER 12
Heidi awoke to a throbbing ache in her feet and legs. The soft mattress cradled her weary body, so different from the frozen ground where Two Stones had found her the day before.
That awful day.
She’d bounced and fought with every step the horse took, though she was bound and gagged, laying over the mount’s shoulders with all the blood pooling in her head.
Fitz had grown tired of her struggling and dumped her on the ground so he could shoot her. She’d squeezed her eyes shut and waited for the slam of the bullet in her body.
That blast of gunfire echoed through the snowy landscape and through her head.
But she’d not been shot.
Her body had already passed the point of shivering, her hands and legs nearly numb as she lay in the snow. Then strong arms had lifted her, out of the snow and onto another horse.
Two Stones. His warmth had wrapped around her, cradling her in his strength. Not even the miserable cold could steal away her relief at being in his arms.
When he’d carried her into the cabin, Dinah had insisted he bring her into the room she and Jericho shared. Two Stones had laid Heidi on this bed, and Dinah changed her to dry clothes, then piled blankets on her, tucking them around her shivering form.
Again and again, Two Stones had come with heated stones wrapped in cloth, placing them at Heidi's feet and hands. The heat seeped into her skin, burning as it melted away the chill in her bones.
Each time she'd opened her eyes, his dark gaze searched her face, relief flooding his features when she managed a weak smile. At last, he had sat on the bed, holding her close. Finally, she had stopped shivering, and blessed sleep claimed her.
Now, as daylight shone through the window, the warmth under the covers was almost too much, the tingling in her extremities bordering on pain as feeling returned.
Beyond the bedroom door, voices murmured, the clanking of pans and the thump of boots indicating the others must be gathering for the missed Christmas meal. The scents of roasted meat and warm bread wafted in, Heidi's stomach rumbling in anticipation.
