Even though she hated to step inside the tiny cabin, rank with a thousand unpleasant odors, she had little choice and sucked in her last breath of fresh air before she crossed the threshold.
Missy and Rowena both wore pinched expressions. The two Adams men looked uncomfortable. Even Sam looked as if he’d prefer to be somewhere else. It wouldn’t have surprised Louise if he insisted on sleeping in the barn, with some excuse about watching the animals.
Louise crossed the narrow space from door to table and sat beside Missy. Nate crowded in beside her.
Moses placed a big pot in the middle of the table and handed around tin bowls. “Supper time. Help yerselves.”
Louise wasn’t about to be the first to test the contents.
Dutch seemed to have no problem with the food and dished himself up a generous helping.
The smell was enticing despite the dirty surroundings.
“What is it?” Mr. Adams asked.
“Potage,” Dutch said, then seeing the confusion on Mr. Adams’s face, added, “French-Canadian habitant pea soup. Try some.” He reached for Mr. Adams’s bowl and filled it to the brim. One by one, he filled the other bowls. “Dig in.”
Louise noticed there was no praying for the food here, though Moses crossed himself before he ate.
Louise drew in a deep breath to still her stomach and gingerly tested the soup. The second taste was much more generous. “This is extremely good.”
Moses smiled. At least she thought he did. It was hard to tell through all the whiskers.
The others added their approval. After that, the group relaxed. A man who made food like that couldn’t possibly be too bad.
That night, they slept on the floor again, the women in one corner, the men in the opposite one. Under a scratchy blanket, Louise curled up on the buffalo hides the men had brought in for her. She’d spread the furs enough to allow Missy and Rowena to share them, and the three women huddled together for warmth. She waited until the lamp was out and quiet settled over the room to look for Nate. He was barely six feet away, close enough that if she needed anything, she had only to whisper his name. The thought comforted her. She sighed and slept.
The next morning, the men slipped outside to allow the women privacy. They hurried back inside shivering.
“It’s awfully cold,” the elder Mr. Adams said.
“Dutch is hitching up the horses,” Nate explained when he saw Louise watching for the man to enter. “We better eat as quickly as we can.”
“I have biscuits and syrup,” Moses said, and he set the food before them.
Louise had barely swallowed the last of her food when Dutch returned. “I don’t like the looks of the weather. Best we get moving.”
He waited at the door.
Louise got to her feet, as did the others. They grabbed up their belongings and hurried outside.
Today, Louise welcomed Nate’s attention as he tucked the robe around her, pulling the top over her shoulders.
“Are you warm enough?”
She smiled into his eyes. “I’ll be fine.” There wasn’t anything to be done about the cold but stay under the covers and pray it didn’t get worse. She lowered her voice to a whisper. “What if—” She couldn’t voice the many what-ifs troubling her thoughts. What if it snowed? What if an axle broke and they were stranded without shelter? What if the baby decided to make this the day?
He brushed his gloved hand along her jaw. “Don’t worry. Dutch is a good driver.”
She nodded. If it wouldn’t make her sound weak and needy, she would confess her other fears, knowing Nate would say something to ease them.
He tucked the robe around her again, though it hadn’t shifted, and sat with his shoulder pressed against her, sharing his body heat.
She wasn’t about to complain.
The travelers were quiet as the stagecoach rattled along the trail.
When they rode over a bump, Louise felt a cramp clutch her stomach. She breathed against it and fought the urge to bend over. The spasm ended and she relaxed. But midmorning, another one squeezed her muscles. She feared it was more than just being jostled, more than just her body revolting against the ordeal she’d put it through. Was it the baby? But again it passed after a moment and she leaned back against Nate.