Jude pushed a satchel toward her. “This has food. I’ll get the blankets next, then start a fire.”
As she opened the clasp and pulled out a leather-wrapped bundle, Gil spoke from where he still sat on the log, his head in his hands. “Jude, if I fall asleep, make sure Jess eats plenty and rests. She's eating for two."
Jess's heart stuttered.
She didn’t have the nerve to look at Jude’s expression, but he’d stopped walking and was surely staring at her.
Why did Gil tell him? That was her news to share if she chose.
“Will do.” Jude’s footsteps sounded until they muffled on the dirt outside.
She turned a glare on Gil. He’d lifted his head, not a trace of apology on his face.
He raised a hand before she could speak. “I’m sorry to tell private details like that, but Jude had to know so he can see that you have everything you need.” The uninjured side of his face pulled up in a lopsided smile. "His wife, Angela, is expecting too. He'll know how to help."
As much as she wanted to vent her frustration, how could she rail at Gil for wanting to care for her? And the thought that there was another woman in her condition at the ranch where they were headed… If she already had one thing in common with one of the inhabitants, maybe she wouldn’t feel like such an outsider.
The leather bundle held strips of smoked meat—the same as what Jude had shared with them on the trail. The aroma made her stomach twist and release a hungry gurgle. She handed two pieces to Gil and bit into her own. She’d not realized how very hungry she was.
When Jude returned with a load of rolled blankets, she laid out one while he spread the other. Then she helped Gil shift to his hands and knees, then lower onto his back.
He released a long slow breath, his eyes closing. “That’s better.” Then he lifted one lid to look at her. “You should lie down too. It feels awfully good.”
“He’s right.” Jude had moved to the fireplace and knelt to gather the burnt scraps of wood. “There’s nothing else to do. Miles is feeding the horses, and Two Stones already caught our dinner. He’s skinning it now.”
She lowered herself onto the blanket she’d placed beside Gil’s. Was it improper to lie so close to him now that they weren’t pretending to be married? His brothers and friend had asked very few questions, but they had to be curious.
Probably, this would be the time they’d want answers.
As Jude built a fire, Gil's fingers found hers, his rough palm sliding against her own. The simple touch felt so intimate, maybe because they were both lying down. Yet she couldn’t make herself pull away. The warmth of him, the solid strength in his grip, felt like an anchor in the chaos.
The flames seeped warmth into her bones and chased away the chill that had settled deep within her. She’d had Jude’s solid form to shield her from most of the wind as they’d traveled up and down mountains, but the weather seemed much colder in these parts than around their cave home.
Miles and Two Stones entered together, the younger Coulter brother rubbing his hands against the cold. Two Stones carried something to the fire. She couldn’t see what he was doing, but that must be the dinner he’d caught.
She’d always purchased their food in Canvas Creek, so she’d rarely eaten fresh game and had only seen it cooked once. One of the miners had been broiling a hare in the bunkhouse last yearwhen she was there stitching a cut closed on another fellow’s face.
Gil squeezed her hand, and his good eye opened to look at her. She must have tensed with the memory.
She forced her hand to loosen. He tightened his grip though. “What’s wrong?”
A rush of tears sprang to her eyes, but she forced them back. When would she stop being assaulted by emotion at the most inconvenient moments? She worked for a serene tone. “Nothing’s wrong.”
He stroked the back of her hand with his thumb. Gentle. Patient. “You don’t have to pretend, Jess.” He kept his voice quiet enough that its low rumble probably didn’t reach the others. “Not with me.”
To not have to pretend—to be strong, to be unmoved by the horror of the world.
Once more the tears surged, and she sniffed to hold them back. “I was thinking about the only other time I’ve seen wild game cooked over an open fire. I was stitching a gash on a man who’d been beaten by Jedidiah’s guards.” She glanced up at his face, letting herself take in the awful bruising. The wound she’d stitched on him just yesterday. “His injuries weren’t nearly as bad as yours.”
That one corner of his mouth tipped up again. Surely it hurt him to move even that part of his face. Yet it was the only sign that showed he was trying to smile. “Mine aren’t so bad. At least I have an excuse to keep you close.”
She couldn’t hide her own smile, but thankfully, the dim cabin hid the way her cheeks must have turned pink. “You don’t have to get beat up for that.”
She’d meant it in a teasing way. But in truth, the idea of leaving Gil’s side made her heart race. Staying with Gil meant safety.
Was that the only reason she wanted to cling to Gil? Safety? If she didn’t have to worry about her father or Jedidiah finding her—if she could travel anywhere in the world—would she still want to stay near the Coulter Ranch, close to Gil? She did need to worry about them though. Her father would send someone after her. Surely. He’d done it before.
But even if her safety weren’t in question, she couldn’t imagine leaving Gil. She couldn’t imagine a life that didn’t include him. She couldn’t imagine ever feeling complete apart from him. He’d become her safe haven, yes. But he’d also become…a friend.
