Page 174 of Conveniently Wed
He headed her direction, so she stood waiting for him, soaking in the sight of him as he approached. It wasn’t until he reined in that she saw the bulky object sitting behind his saddle.
She glanced at his face. “What do you have?”
The corners of his mouth played as he dismounted, not answering her question.
She tried again. “What is it?”
He turned to her, a hint of pride playing across his features. “I brought you fresh elk meat. That’s why I was late for dinner. This fellow came across my path, and I couldn’t pass him up.”
Her eyes widened as she followed Gideon around to the other side of the horse. Draped behind the saddle was a large leather-wrapped bundle with a rack of antlers poking out one end. Good thing the rest of the animal was covered. A wave of sadness washed over her at the thought of the majestic animal dead. This was the pattern of life, though, God providing for their needs.
Gideon seemed to notice her reticence and touched her arm as he spoke. “I’d better get this guy to the barn, then I’ll be in the house.”
Leah inhaled a breath and turned to face him, forcing a bright smile on her face. “It will be wonderful to have fresh meat.”
Gideon’s eyes flickered and the corners of his mouth pulled upward, as if he understood her struggle. “I’ll see you in the house then.”
Something about his understanding left her disappointed with herself. She needed to be stronger if she was going to live in these rugged mountains. Shewouldbe stronger.
The next morning, Gideon split wood at the stump beside the cabin before he headed out to check the stock for the day.
Swing.Thwak!The wood flew from the block, landing with the other pieces that had already collected in two piles. He reached for another round log and placed it upright on the stump.
Swing.Thwak!The steady effort kept his blood pumping and his muscles warm, despite the freeze that had come upon them during the last week.
Swing.Thwak!This time, he allowed the ax to rest on the stump as he straightened and wiped a buckskin-clad arm across his forehead.
“Are you ready for a cup of coffee?”
The sweet voice caught him off guard. He turned to Leah, who stood at the corner of the house looking like a real live angel. The steam wafting from the mug in her hand circled around her head in a halo, and her smile was soft, like a morning fog.
It wasn’t until she stepped forward, offering the mug in both hands like the gift of the magi, that he realized he was staring.Closing his gaping jaw, he reached to receive the gift, his eyes sneaking back up for one more glimpse of her face. His gaze brushed hers, and he was pretty sure he mumbled “Thank you.”
She turned to survey the wood chunks piled on the ground. “You’ve been working hard this morning.”
What should he say to that? She hadn’t asked a question, but she seemed to expect an answer. He’d always hated small talk.
Finally, he shrugged. “A little.”
She turned back to him as if she could read his thoughts. “Would you teach me how to shoot a gun?”
The surprise of her question made him sway, and he braced his right foot for balance. “Teachyouto shoot?”
“Miriam said you taught her, and you’re the best shot in the area.”
“No.” He turned back to the stump and reached for his ax.
“Gideon…” The sound of his name on her lips stopped his retreat, and he pivoted slowly back toward her. He made the mistake of looking in her doe eyes, full of hope. There was no way he could resist their pull.
“All right. Can you be ready in half an hour?”
The look of joy that flowed over her face sent a thrill through his chest. He would have fought a hundred Indians single-handed to bring on that expression again.
She was right on time, meeting him on the front porch with an eager smile. He led the way toward the back of the cabin where they could shoot into the side of the mountain.
When they were positioned about seventy feet from the tree line, he took a deep breath and held up his gun. “This is a Winchester repeating rifle. It can fire several rounds without reloading, you just pump this handle.”
She looked on with focused attention while he demonstrated how to load the gun and use the lever action to cock it. Her presence so near made his entire body tense.
