“You knew she was with child and never told me?” Cree said with a touch of anger.
“It was not my place, my lord, it was meant for Dawn to tell you, not me.”
Cree was ready to argue when he held his tongue. Elsa was right. Dawn would have wanted to tell him and though he had concerns about such a possibility, he also had wondered what a child of theirs would be like. And with Old Mary telling him that he would have many sons and only one daughter, he knew that those children would be born of Dawn and him, for they made love so often that Dawn would be forever carrying a babe of his.
“You are a good healer, Elsa,” Cree said.
“And you, my lord, will make an excellent father. Now I would suggest Dawn not be left alone until she finally wakes and then she should rest, though I daresay she will be up and about quick enough. Nothing seems to keep her down. ”
“Will she need rest?” Cree asked ready to decree it if he must.
“Dawn will not take chances of harming the babe. She will do what she must without being ordered to.”
“Dawn finds a way around such things and does more of what she wants than she must,” Cree said with a sense of pride.
“Then let her be, for she knows best. I will return tomorrow morning and check on her, but I don’t anticipate a problem. The wound will be tender, though it will heal fast enough and leave a small scar, nothing more.”
“I bless the day I found you,” Elsa,” Cree said in way of appreciation.
“As do I, my lord,” Elsa said with a bob and took her leave.
Sloan arrived shortly afterwards to let Cree know that they hadn’t found the culprit yet but they would continue searching. He wasn’t’ surprised when Cree informed him that he would not leave Dawn’s side until he was certain that she would be all right.
As night settled in, Cree sat on the bed beside Dawn and watched her sleep. He wished she would wake; there was so much he wanted to say to her. But she needed her rest and even if she did wake, talk would have to wait.
He tended the fire and ate a little of the food Flanna had brought and assured the worried woman that Dawn would be fine. Flanna insisted on leaving some soup by the hearth to keep heated for when Dawn woke. After one last report from Sloan, Cree finally decided it was time for bed. He would crawl into bed with Dawn and be careful not to disturb her wound, but there was no way that he would sleep separate from her.
He was stripping off the last of his garments when he turned and saw that her eyes were open. He didn’t go directly to her. He continued disrobing.
He was such a magnificent creature and no matter how many times she laid eyes on his naked form, she couldn’t peel them away. She loved looking at him, though touching and tasting was definitely more to her liking. He was sculpted to perfection and she wondered if the babe, a boy if she were to believe Old Mary’s prediction, would be as handsome as his father.
Once Cree finished, he eased himself down on the bed to rest stretched out,close against her. “How are you feeling? Are you hungry? Flanna left soup for you. Do you have pain? I can have Elsa bring you something for it.”
She pressed her finger to his mouth to stop him from talking. Then she took his hand and pressed it to her stomach, anxious to know how he felt about the babe, for she recalled his surprised expression when he had realized what she had been trying to tell him.
“You have been injured. You need rest. We’ll talk another time.”
She shook her head adamantly and pointed her finger up and down emphasizing that they would talk here and now. She had to know; she couldn’t wait. She had to know if he wanted their child as much as she did.
“It can wait,” he said wanting her to rest.
She shook her head.
“You have been through enough. We’ll talk tomorrow.”
She shook her head more vigorously. She could not wait that long.
“Shake your head all you want; it will change nothing.”
Anger bubbled up in Dawn and, to Cree’s surprise, she scurried out of bed with a facial wince and quickly slowed her pace, which irritated Cree, and went to stand by the curtain that separated the two rooms. She pointed at it while she glared at Cree.
“Are you telling me to leave?”
Dawn tapped her lips and then pointed at the curtain.
“You’re giving me a choice? Talk to you or leave?” he asked incredulously.
Dawn nodded, raised her chin, and crossed her arms over her chest.