Page 163 of Conveniently Wed
Leah reached for the basket, and Miriam passed it to her. “Biddies?”
“Baby chicks.” Miriam hoisted the bucket of milk and moved over to the work table. “While I get this milk strained, can you fry up extra ham for lunch? Gideon and I will be out with the cattle today.”
“Of course.” Leah shifted her things to make room for Miriam. “Are you doing something special with them?”
Miriam shot her a rueful look. “It’s branding time. Gideon hired a boy from one of the other ranches to help us.”
“Branding time?”
“Yes, I hate this part. We catch all the new calves and put our brand on them so folks know which ranch they belong to.”
“That sounds like work, but not so bad.”
Miriam wrinkled her nose. “I didn’t tell youhowwe put our brand on them. The boys have a metal poker in the shape of our brand. They heat it real hot over a fire, then press it into the cow’s hide.” She shivered, distaste souring her expression. “It’s hard to watch and smells awful.”
Leah felt the blood leave her face as she listened to the description. “That does sound terrible.”
The sound of the door opening interrupted their conversation. Miriam called out her usual welcome. “Hey, big brother.”
Leah turned to offer her own greeting, but froze at the sight before her. Gideon had just turned from the hat rack and was moving toward his chair at the table.
At least, she thought it was Gideon. The man before her had the same tall, muscled frame and the same piercing green eyes. But his face didnotwear the mountain man beard she’d become so accustomed to. He was clean-shaven, with a square jaw, and his chiseled features intensified the emerald of his eyes.
A jab in her ribs pulled Leah’s attention from him, and she turned to find Miriam covering a snicker. In fact, her own jaw was hanging slack. She snapped it closed and turned toward theskillet of ham, mortification floating up her neck.Lord, don’t let Gideon have seen me gawking.
As she forked the fried ham onto a plate and placed freshly sliced chunks in the pan, the image of Gideon slipped back into her mind. Nice features was an understatement. Without the bushy beard, his face came alive. If only the picture of him in her memory was sharper.
Throughout breakfast, she had trouble focusing on Miriam’s usual chatter. She stole regular glances at Gideon, taking in the finer details of his features. His jaw was square but his chin came to a strong point. His skin held a distinct difference in color between the tan around his eyes and the creamier shade of his lower face and neck. Her fingers itched to stroke his cheeks and see if there was a difference in the texture of the two colors.
But when she glanced at him and found his piercing gaze watching her, she dropped her focus and pushed away from the table. “More coffee, anyone?”
She slipped the crutch under her arm and hobbled to the stove, returning with the coffee pot and making sure to keep her gaze far away from Gideon’s face.
“Thanks, Leah, but I could have got that for you.” Miriam offered a sweet smile as she refilled the cup in front of her.
“It’s no problem.”
When she turned to pour the hot liquid in Gideon’s cup, he placed a hand on top. “None for me. Gotta head out.” He wiped his mouth and rose from the chair. She couldn’t stop her gaze from rising with him. “Miri, make sure you bring a rifle. I’ll pick up Jim and meet you at the overlook.”
When the cabin door closed and the latch clicked, a giggle sounded behind her. She turned to find laughter dancing across Miriam’s face. “What’s so funny?”
“He looks a lot better with a shave, doesn’t he?”
Leah shot her a disapproving look to stop any further teasing. She stacked dishes from the table while Miriam carried them over to the wash bucket.
“I’m still waiting for an answer, Leah, dear.”
Leah found her most innocent voice. “And what was the question again?”
“He looks a lot better with a shave, doesn’t he? Gideon shaves about once a year when summer starts to get hot. I tell him every year he should get rid of that beard for good, but he won’t listen.” Her voice took on a suggestive tone. “Maybe he needs to hear it from someone other than me.”
“Well it’s certainly none of my concern.” Hopefully, she didn’t sound like she was trying to convince herself. It was definitely time to change the subject. “Miriam, would you mind if I come out to watch you saddle your horse? I’d like to learn how.”
Miriam’s head snapped up from where she scraped a plate over the compost bucket. “You don’t know how to saddle a horse?”
Leah shrugged. “The groom always cared for my mare in Richmond. No one ever showed me to do it myself. Ol’ Mose taught me how to harness his mules, but that’s all I know.”
Miriam gave her a sympathetic look. “You poor dear. We’ll have to fix that now.”
