“I’m not letting you sleep outside, Eliza.” He gave a defeated sigh. “Take the tent.”
Her head tilted to the side. “But it’s your tent.”
“Are you offering to share now?” He quirked an eyebrow.
“I have nothing to give you in exchange. This arrangement brings you no benefit.”
Yep. Definitely sleeping outside tonight.
“You’re my wife. The benefit is that you won’t be frozen to death in the morning.”
“But won’t you freeze to death, then?”
He waved her concern aside with a bright smile. “My warm, cheery personality will keep me alive.”
The firelight danced over her face, making her expression hard to read. He thought he saw a flash of concern in her eyes, and he softened his expression. “I’ll keep the fire going. Just let me grab a blanket from inside, and then it’s all yours.”
Her murmured thanks were barely audible as he held the tent flap open for her to duck under, and then Freddy was left alone under the stars. He added a few large logs to the fire and dug out a small divot in the ground to keep himself from rolling into the fire while he slept. He wrapped his blanket around his shoulders and lowered himself to the cold earth. The sound of shifting and turning inside the tent told him that Lizzie was having just as much trouble finding a comfortable spot as he was. He sighed.
Married life so far was not at all like he had thought it would be. Freddy had been left on his wedding day, chased his wife across the continent, and now was sleeping outside on the cold, hard dirt.
Alone.
But then her words from earlier replayed in his mind.
“This arrangement brings you no benefit.”
He didn’t have to wonder how often she had been told growing up that her only value lay in what others were willing to give for her. He had often heard about it from Lizzie firsthand, and it made his blood boil. Lizzie deserved better than a father who saw her as nothing more than a bargaining tool. She deserved to know that she could be loved—wasloved—without being expected to offer anything in exchange.
I suppose this is the same as smiling, isn’t it? She just needs someone to show her how it’s done.
The sounds of stirring behind him had stopped. Freddy turned over, putting his back to the fire and facing the tent.
His whispered words melted into the darkness. “Sweet dreams, Lizzie.” After a moment he added, “I love you.”
Freddy nearly regretted his decision the next morning when he awoke with cold, stiff limbs. A headache pounded behind his eyes, as if someone were repeatedly banging against his skull with a hammer.
For the first time in a long while, he found it very hard to smile.
What I wouldn’t give for Shea’s ability to sleep on the ground right about now.
Lizzie greeted him with an emotionless, “Good morning,” as she stepped out of the tent. She sat down in front of the fire, which he had just coaxed back to life, and looked up at him expectantly. “What are we having for breakfast?”
He had thought no further ahead than the fire, and it took him a moment to process her question.
“Kai?”
He gave his head a small shake, then immediately regretted it as the pounding intensified. He closed one eye against the pain. “Breakfast. Right.” He blew out a long breath. “I think we have some of Norva’s pie left.”
Freddy retrieved the basket, smiling a little when he spied the embroidery on the cloth napkin. Norva had stitched Mormor’s words of wisdom on more than just a pillow. The smile disappeared when he lifted the napkin and discovered that he had overestimated the amount of pie left. There was enough for one.
Though the travel bread that Mormor and Norva sent with us isn’t bad…it’s just not pie.
He handed the basket over to Lizzie. “Here you are, my fair lady.”
“Aren’t you going to have any?” She looked from him to the basket and back again.
“I’m not hungry.” The lie was sour in his mouth, but Freddy had no energy for arguing, especially if they were going to be spending the day on the road and on foot once again. His initial plan of securing horses after the ferry had been foiled when the only man with two to part with had asked for more than double the price of what Freddy had left.
