Page 187 of Conveniently Wed
He sighed. He really didn’t have much choice. His body was weak as a babe. And the animals couldn’t wait…
“All right, but feed them hay and crack the ice, then come right back. Do you understand? And take Drifter with you.”
Leah had been all smiles until his last statement, but now she wouldn’t meet his gaze. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
Now he was the one to raise an eyebrow. “Why not?”
“He has a wound on his side and leg. He’ll heal, but he needs to rest for a few days, at least.”
His chest tightened. His old friend…and he hadn’t even thought about the dog being hurt. “Where is he?”
One edge of Leah’s mouth lifted in a sad smile. “In my room actually. We made a bed for him by the cook stove, but he seems to like mine better. He’s comfortable, so I haven’t moved him.”
Gideon fought his own grin. That dog always had been a smart one.
28
Leah trudged through the snow with another huge mound of hay in her arms. The animals always showed such obvious appreciation as they tore into the fodder with enthusiasm.
But this working in the snow was hard. She would never admit such a thing, but it wasn’t nearly as much fun without Gideon there, either. Still, she was doing what needed to be done, and that in itself was rewarding.
After the hay was out, she finally made a decent size hole in the ice at the creek. Now she should doctor the animals the way Gideon had showed her.
She wandered around the herd, applying the black salve on injuries. The cow with the oversized calf appeared to have gained a little weight since she’d seen it last. Gideon’s strategy seemed to be working.
She got the black cream on the cow’s udder without much trouble. The calf had a gash on the side of its nose, though, and that would need some medicine too.
The little guy was in an energetic mood. When she first approached, it bolted away, lunging through the high snow and stirring a few other calves to escape with him.
Leah tried again, edging in his direction with her clean glove outstretched. When she neared him, she crooned, “Come on, little fellow. I just need to put some medicine on you. It won’t hurt, I promise.”
He let her come close, but when she reached to grab his neck, the calf twisted away. With her upper body leaning forward but no calf there to catch her, she toppled into the icy snow. The frozen crystals covered her coat and snuck in under her collar, snatching her breath with its icy blast.
That little brat. She struggled to her feet and forced herself to creep toward the animal’s new location. Was he sticking his tongue out at her?
After two more tries, she succeeded in swiping the black goo across the obstinate calf’s wet muzzle. She dragged herself back toward the little barn, removed the glove she’d used for the medicine, and closed the door, barring it in place.
When she turned to the spot where she’d tied her mare by the tree line, she stopped and stared. Surely her eyes were deceiving her. There, where she’d tied one horse, now stood two—both wearing saddle and bridle and nuzzling each other affectionately.
Leah stepped forward. The second horse was Gideon’s gelding, the one that had been missing since his attack. She approached the animal with her hand out and let him sniff her until he seemed satisfied. Then she ran her hands down his neck and over his body on both sides. Both the reins were torn near the bit, and the saddle was covered with snow and scratches, but the horse seemed to have escaped injury.
She attached a rope to the gelding’s bridle and mounted her own mare, then began the long trek home. By the time they arrived, Leah was wet, frozen, and starved. Why hadn’t she packed food to sustain her under the hard work? Is this what Gideon went through every day? And on top of caring for theherds, he did all the hunting, splitting wood, repairs on the house and barn, and who knew what else.
Miriam met her in the yard, and her face lit up at the sight of the weary threesome. She motioned for Leah to dismount, then took the reins and rope, stroking the gelding’s wooly neck. “Where did you find him?”
“I’ll tell you inside. I’m frozen.”
Miriam gave her a sympathetic look. “Of course. You go in and warm up. I’ll take care of these two.”
Leah didn’t have the strength or desire to object. She nodded numbly and trudged toward the house.
When she opened the door, a wave of warmth hit her like a beautiful melody, bringing with it the aroma of stew. Her attention pulled toward the pallet in front of the fire, searching out Gideon’s face. He was where she’d left him, propped up on pillows and a sort of roguish half-smile on his face. She removed her jacket and gloves, then moved toward the fire.
“How did it go?” His warm voice did as much as the fire to thaw her aching body.
She turned from the flame to look at him. He’d changed into a clean shirt, the green one that always illuminated the emerald in his eyes.
“Everyone’s good. I found your saddle horse too.”
