Page 169 of Conveniently Wed
“Thank you.” She held his gaze for a moment longer, then he dropped his to the chicken and began eating again.
“So, Gid, how many cows are left to calve?” Miriam spoke up.
“Five.” His response was quick and certain. He’d obviously been keeping a tally.
“Do you have any new calves right now?” News about the stock always fascinated Leah. Maybe one day she would get to see the animals.
“A couple that are a few weeks old. Both females.”
“Is that good or bad?” The fact he’d called out the gender must be important.
“Good. We keep the females to grow the herd. Bull calves have to be sold off eventually.”
Interesting. In a world where women were considered not as important as men, the females of the cattle species were more desired than males.
The meal finished soon after, and Leah rose to stack the dirty dishes. Miriam combined the food scraps into a plate for Drifter. She whistled as she carried the plate across the room to his usual corner, and the dog jumped up from his perch beside Gideon’s chair, padding eagerly toward his dinner.
Instead of heading to finish the chores in the barn, Gideon remained seated, sipping coffee thoughtfully.
Leah kept an eye on him as she worked. This was certainly unusual behavior for him. “Can I refill your cup?”
Her question seemed to break through his trance, and he set the mug on the table. “Sure.”
Leah went to the stove for the pot, his stare followed her as she hobbled. The hard boards still strapped to her leg kept her gait stiff.
She didn’t use the crutch in the kitchen anymore. She could limp around in the small space without wearing out her leg too quickly. As she poured the steamy liquid into Gideon’s mug, he watched the dark brew rise up the sides of the light brown pottery.
“I think it’s about time to take the splint off your leg.”
Her gaze flew to his face. He didn’t meet her eyes, but something tugged at the pot in her hands. She looked down asGideon took the handle from her, coffee overflowing from his mug to form a wide black circle on the wood table.
She sucked in a breath. “I’m so sorry.”
He took the coffee pot while she wiped the mess with a rag from the table. Heat crawled up her neck, but she kept her attention on her work.
When she’d cleaned the spill, she reached to take the pot from him, still not quite brave enough to look at him. He didn’t release it. Was he angry? Reluctantly, she raised her gaze.
It wasn’t anger that darkened his face, but amusement. His dark green eyes danced and his lips pursed, rising on his left side to create the most gorgeous dimple. Her insides melted just a bit. Goodness, he was handsome.
Before she lost herself, she took a step back. She needed to say something. Her mind finally remembered the words that had brought on this little mess to begin with. She blinked, trying to clear away the fog. “You think I should remove the splint, then?”
“Yep.” Gideon kept the dimple in his left cheek, as if he knew she was struggling to keep herself composed.
She released a slow breath. “All right, I’ll do it tonight.”
He shook his head, raising the full mug to his lips. “I need to take a look at it before we cut all the bandages, make sure the bones have joined the way they should.”
The thought of his attentions sent a skitter of apprehension through her. Slowly, she nodded. He seemed to know what he was doing, and Miriam had said he was the next best thing to a doctor when it came to broken bones.
Gideon nodded as well, then set his mug on the table and rose from his chair. The matter seemed to be settled in his mind.
21
After the chores were complete, Leah found herself seated on the floor of the main room, the hem of her dress pulled up just enough to reveal the splint on her right leg. Miriam crouched on one side and Gideon’s large form kneeled on the other. If Emily could see her now, she would be appalled. A man allowed to see not only Leah’s ankle, but her entire lower leg.
There didn’t seem to be another option though. She would have to think of him as a doctor. That wasn’t too hard to do as he removed a large knife from the pouch at his hip and carefully sliced through the outer strips of fabric. When the wood fell away from her leg, relief flooded the area where the sticks had rubbed.
Then he began to unwrap the bandage that covered her skin, and her eyes drifted to Gideon’s face. His focus was intense as he studied her leg where the cloth had been. Twin lines formed between his dark brows, and her fingers itched to smooth the pucker. A shadow of stubble had grown on his face. The distinct line across his cheeks had softened, the pale skin across his jaw having turned golden.
