"Good thinking." Gil's words slurred a bit as his eye closed.
“All right then. Sleep for now. Food should be ready when you wake up.” Jude pushed to his feet and moved to the pile of packs.
She let her eyes drift shut.
She should release Gil’s hand so he could rest better. Settle into her own space on the blanket and sleep.
But she couldn't make herself let go of him. Not now, and maybe not ever.
CHAPTER 22
The next day, the sun hung low in the western sky, casting the woods they traveled through in shadows. Jude had said they were nearing the ranch.
The steeper terrain kept Jess clinging to his coat to hold on, fighting the exhaustion that pressed constantly. The gentle rocking of the horse had lulled her into a doze several times in the night and this morning, her head resting on Jude’s back. But she never let herself fully surrender to sleep. She couldn’t risk tumbling from the saddle.
Their trail opened into a clearing, where she spied a sturdy barn directly ahead and a house up the hill. Jude loosed a piercing whistle, and moments later, the front door swung open.
A woman stood on the stoop, studying them for a moment. It didn’t take her long to recognize the men, for she hurried down the steps, and four other women followed close behind. A young girl skipped along with the group.
As they approached the horses, it was easy to see the moment each of them made out the disfiguring bruises and swelling on Gil’s face. All approached Gil and Miles first, except one dark-haired woman who went straight to Jude.
His wife, no doubt. Angela.
Jude bent down from the saddle to press a quick kiss to her lips. Jess looked away to give them privacy, but not before she caught the utter joy on Angela’s face to see her husband again. How long had the men been gone?
Jude straightened and motioned to Jess. "This is Jess McPharland. She rescued Gil and brought him back to us. Jess, this is my wife, Angela." He pointed to the other women gathered around Gil. "And this is Dinah, Naomi, Patsy, and my niece Lillian. The little one in Naomi’s arms is Mary Ellen, and that young lady next to her is Anna."
Angela sent a welcoming smile. “Don’t worry about remembering names. There are a lot of us. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Jess.” She reached up a hand, and Jess placed hers in it. Was that what she’d wanted her to do?
Angela’s smile warmed, and she squeezed Jess’s fingers. “I’m so glad you’ve come. Let’s get you inside. You must be hungry and exhausted.”
Angela helped Jess dismount, then guided her toward the house with a gentle hand on her back. Her touch felt almost motherly. Hadn’t Gil said Angela was expecting too? She slid a glance to the woman’s middle. Her dress was full enough that it was impossible to discern a sign of her condition.
Should Jess have expanded her dresses to conceal her growing waist? She’d not thought to. She could now, though, if one of these women would allow her the use of needle and thread.
A pang pressed in her chest. She didn’t even have her own sewing supplies. She needed to start earning money soon so she could buy the things she’d left behind.
That worry could wait until morning, at least.
Lillian trailed them while the other women assisted Gil. He’d said his oldest brother's wife, Dinah, was a doctor. That must beher, the woman with the lightest blond hair, judging by the way she took charge of Gil's care.
As they entered the log cabin, the warmth and bustle of the others enveloped her. The women moved about with purpose, their chatter filling the air—a far cry from the solitude she was accustomed to, but there was a comfort in their presence, a sense of belonging that Jess had never experienced before, not even before her mother died.
She stayed in the main room while the women settled Gil in one of the bed chambers, the one Patsy had been occupying, apparently. The red-haired woman gathered her belongings and slipped out with them, then climbed a ladder attached to the wall up to a loft.
None of the men entered the house except Gil, and through one of the windows, she could see Jude and Two Stones lead their horses into the barn. Was Miles already inside the building with his mount?
“Let’s get food for you both.” Angela’s voice sounded behind her, and Jess turned to see her and the young woman, Lillian, working together near the cookstove.
As she watched them work, she gripped her hands together. She was usually the one doing the work. But she didn’t want to force her help on them—or her presence in their kitchen.
Angela glanced up, her dark eyes meeting Jess's with warmth. "Why don't you have a seat at the table? You must be exhausted."
Jess slowly lowered herself onto one of the wooden chairs around the long oval table. The ache in her muscles eased as she settled. Lillian set a steaming mug of tea in front of her, the delicate floral scent wafting up to her nose.
"Thank you." She wrapped her hands around the warm cup, letting its heat ease her tension.
Angela brought over a bowl of steaming soup. "I’m sure you’re famished after your journey."
