Eric shook his head. He'd not really been looking though. Mostly, he'd had his chin tucked in his collar, curled up tight to stay warm.
"Keep your eyes open."
The cabin door opened before Gil could pull the latch, and a rush of warmth spilled out. Naomi smiled at him. "Hurry. You must be frozen solid."
Eric stepped across the threshold, the heat of the cabin embracing him like a long-lost friend. His bones seemed to sigh in relief. As blessed as the warmth was, it was Naomi he’d longed for most. He stood there, his gaze lingering on her beautiful face. She wore a smile that warmed his insides as much as the fire did his outside.
The cabin was quieter than it had been the day before, with fewer bodies inside. Mostly the women, it seemed. Dinah worked over at the cookstove, and Angela and Lillian sat by the hearth. Angela peeled potatoes and Lillian mended a pair of well-worn trousers.
"Pa!" The squeal drew his attention toward the little figure toddling from one of the back rooms.
A fresh flood of warmth washed through him. He strode toward his daughter. "Hello, princess."
He scooped her up, ignoring the bite in his ribs. The pain didn't feel like searing fire anymore, just an insistent knife poke when he used those muscles. He spun her around, earning a giggle, a sound he would never tire of. She flashed tiny teeth. He cuddled her close, breathing in her sweet scent. It was moments like these that made every hardship worth enduring.
When she pushed away, he loosened his hold, and she looked at him with her mother's bright eyes. He kissed her forehead, then turned to meet the more mature version of those eyes.
Naomi wore a tender smile that made him want to do whatever it took to keepit there always.
“She’s missed you.” Naomi reached to brush back a red curl that was so long it draped in one of Mary Ellen’s eyes.
Eric let a smile tug his mouth, but he kept his voice low for Naomi alone. “And I’ve missed you both.”
A blush tinged her cheeks. She grinned and looked away.
"How about some warm tea?" Dinah approached with a mug in hand. "Let him sit by the fire, Naomi. He needs to warm himself."
As Eric took the cup from Dinah, she examined his hands. "Can you feel all your fingers and toes?" She eyed him, waiting for an answer. Apparently, it wasn’t an offhand question. She was quite serious.
He offered a tight grin. "Every one of them." They all burned like he was holding them in the fire, but he'd live.
Besides, any amount of pain was worth it if it meant he got to spend these precious hours with his girls.
CHAPTER 15
Days later, Naomi stood near the barn, clutched tightly to her daughter so they could keep each other warm. "Say goodbye. Goodbye, Papa."
Eric’s grin filled her insides as he waved from atop his horse. "Goodbye, my girls. I'll be back tomorrow."
"Pa." Mary Ellen offered the sound, but it came out quietly, likely because she was getting too cold. Even with the sun finally warm enough to begin melting snow, it was too much for the baby.
And they were nearing nap time.
As Eric turned his horse and rode down the hill toward the trail through the trees, a bittersweet pang twisted Naomi's heart. Hopefully soon, he wouldn’t have to ride to Two Stones’s village every day. He would stay here with her and Mary Ellen.
Yet perhaps she shouldn't assume he planned to marry her. They were basically courting now, but they hadn't had any time when they could talk about the future. She would need to wait until he was ready to declare himself. In some ways, they had picked up where they’d left off before. But in other ways, they were starting from the beginning again.
Well, except that this time, they had a child together.
Would Eric want to build a cabin in one of the clearings on the ranch? Surely he would, especially if she told him that was what she wanted. She'd been so looking forward to having her home just a few minutes’ walk from Dinah's. The clearing where Jonah was building had been the perfect spot.
Jonah wouldn't, perchance, consider...?
No, that was his own project. He'd taken such pride in every part of it, worked to cut each tree and notch each log. It was his home, and he would find the woman one day to share it with him.
Lillian rode through the barn door, pushing it wide so Sean could ride out behind her. She waved to Naomi. "We're leaving."
"Please be careful," Naomi called back. "You're going to the east pasture, right?" Jericho said he'd be watching for them after noon.
