Page 175 of Conveniently Wed
Finally, he got to the part where he could raise the gun and shoot, and the familiar feel of the solid wood frame soothed his fraying nerves. One shot…two…three…all right on target.
Lowering the rifle, he released a breath, his emotions now firmly in hand. “You wanna try?”
She reached for the gun, her eyes sparkling like the mossy rocks in the creek. She held the rifle against her shoulder, high enough that it tucked into her collar bone. That would never do. The kick of the gun would likely dislocate or crack the bone. He took a deep breath, then moved into her space to help position the shooter.
He was careful not to touch her, but from the corner of his vision he could see her wide eyes on his face. He didn’t glance up, just kept his focus on the rifle. The steam from her breath warmed his icy hands.
As soon as he’d moved the gun to the right place, he almost jumped backward, putting a good pace between them.
“Go ahead and aim for that same tree.” The breathless feeling in his chest surely came from the frigid air.
She squinted down the barrel for several seconds, her hands quivering from the weight of the piece. When the boom came, it shook her entire body, knocking her backwards. He lunged forward, although he didn’t have to move far to catch her.
For a long moment he held her, soft and warm in his arms as she leaned against him. His body clasped her tight even though his brain screamed at him to let her go. His mind finally won, and he stepped back, keeping his hands on her shoulders until he was sure she was steady. “You all right?”
“Yeah.” Her voice sounded breathless. Was she hurt? Or were her insides doing flips the way his were?
She turned those wide doe eyes on him again. “I guess I wasn’t quite ready for that.”
The wonder in her gaze sent a falling sensation through his chest. He blinked, forcing his focus back on the rifle. “I should have warned you—it kicks pretty hard.”
She raised one corner of her perfectly-shaped mouth. “Now you tell me.”
The next time Leah raised the rifle to her shoulder, her hands were steady and she braced one foot slightly behind. When the gun fired, she swayed a bit but kept both feet planted. Without looking at him, she ratcheted the lever and fired again, repeating the process until the gun would shoot no more.
She reloaded the gun the same way he had, although not quite as fluidly. By the time she’d emptied it again, she’d hit the tree five times. After the last shot, she lowered the rifle and swiveled to face him, triumph brightening her face.
“Good work.” He couldn’t keep the pride from his voice.
Gideon worked the oil through the bridle in his hand as he watched Leah out of the corner of his eye. She’d been standing at that window for half an hour now, staring at the snow falling in the darkness outside. What was she thinking behind those bewitching eyes?
Ever since that day two weeks ago when he’d taught her to shoot, he’d been warring with his emotions toward this woman. The respect and admiration that had grown in him the last few months was fast becoming more. He’d been fighting the feelings, but watching her now, he was tired of the battle. She was beautiful and kind and strong in ways he’d never imagined. What was so wrong with getting to know her better?
“Is everything all right, Leah?”
At the sound of Miri’s voice, he glanced at his sister. She’d dropped the quilt squares she’d been sewing and was looking at her friend expectantly.
Leah continued to stare out the window as if she hadn’t heard. His chest squeezed at the tension that radiated from her shoulders.
Finally she sighed, a long mournful sound. When she spoke, her voice was almost swallowed by the glass pane in front of her and the sea of darkness beyond. “I was just thinking now that my leg is healed, it’s time for me to move on.”
All of his muscles tensed, as if fending off an attack. Before he could stop himself, words spilled out. “You can’t leave.”
She turned, an unspoken question in her gaze.
He realized what he’d said, and his mind paddled quickly toward clearer waters. “The snow is too deep in the pass that goes to town. You won’t make it through, even on horseback.” Miriam’s gaze heated his neck, but he ignored her. He didn’t need to mention that she could go the long way around through the valley. It was more than twice the distance, but probably navigable. Still, it wasn’t worth the risk.
Leah didn’t answer, but her face paled before she turned back to the window.
Did she hate it so much here? Was she so desperate to leave? Or was she afraid of the harsh winter? Montana weather in these mountains could be something to fear, and this was looking to be a rough one. He’d watched fear kill Jane, and he’d be bound and gagged before he’d let the same thing happen to this woman.
He carefully chose his next words, watching her closely as he spoke. “If you really want to leave, we could probably hike out on snowshoes. It’d take at least a day, prob’ly two. It’s up to you.”
She didn’t turn, and after a while he wondered if she’d heard him.
Her voice was small when she spoke. “No, I’d rather wait.”
He didn’t question too strongly the relief that flooded through him.
