After an especially difficult day in the close confines of the medical hut, she decided she needed some advice. In the constant struggle to resist Lewis’ magnetic pull, she’d almost decided that she should sleep with him. Just get it over with. She’d been so carefully avoiding his touch that it was beginning to wear her out.
And if she had to be honest, their relationship had blossomed in the last month. Lewis had gone back to teasing her, which she found that she enjoyed, but even more important he’d changed. The hunting trips he went on daily seemed to have changed him, mellowed him out. It was almost as if Ronnie had talked to him about balance, but that didn’t seem possible.
But whatever it was that had changed him, she found herself even more attracted to the laid back man who was slowly emerging in front of her eyes. When he once would have been full of plans for the future, now he’d tell her stories about his hunting trips or listen to her while she talked about her new love of holistic medicine. With a shock, she realized that when the sexual tension wasn’t getting in the way, they’d become comfortable with one another.
That night as they were getting ready for bed, she broached the subject with Ronnie. “I need some advice about Lewis. Do you mind?” she said, a little embarrassed.
Ronnie wasn’t the least bit surprised to hear Venetia’s request. She’d been watching the two of them, and it was clear that they’d formed a new closer bond, one that was based on more than just the chemistry between them. The strong sexual attraction between them had begun to mellow into a true passion, a passion that would have the foundation to survive.
“Ask away,” Ronnie said, sitting down next to her.
“Well, this thing between Lewis and I is about to drive me crazy. I avoid even touching him for fear of what will happen and on those days like today, when it’s impossible not to, I’m exhausted by the end of the day.”
“Whether you like it or not, you share a powerful physical connection with Lewis. It’s a rare and wonderful thing, but if it’s not supported by more it will destroy you both,” Ronnie said, patting her arm.
“I know that, and I think maybe that is happening, but I just don’t know how much longer I can resist sleeping with him. I can’t fool myself into believing that we can go back to anything less.”
“No, I don’t think so either. You have to look into your heart and decide if you’re ready to trust him that much because that’s what’s holding you back. Do you trust him?”
“I’m not sure yet, I never thought about it that way.”
“Venetia, sex means different things to everyone. To some, it’s just the physical act, to others, it’s the gift of trust, and you’re one of those people. So, you’re going to have to decide if you trust him,” Ronnie said, getting up and leaving Venetia alone with her thoughts.
As she went to sleep, she decided that no matter what her body told her, she was going to wait. It wasn’t like they had a lot of time alone or any place to be alone. She’d let fate decide if and when it was meant to be. Feeling much better, and knowing that she’d found the balance she was looking for, she fell asleep thinking about Lewis, but tonight they weren’t thoughts that hurt.
The next day, Ronnie left for a remote village where a woman was due to give birth. It had been a difficult pregnancy and she wanted to be there early. Venetia had wanted to go with her, but it would be a long trip and she knew that she should stay at the clinic, so she waved Ronnie off with promises to keep things running smoothly in her absence.
But Ronnie had only been gone a few hours when a runner came into the village to report that a midwife was needed in another village. Venetia started to send him after Ronnie but knew that she’d been gone too long; instead she packed a bag to go with him. Lewis, hearing the commotion, came running and immediately began to pack a bag for himself as well.
“I’m going with you. I’ve been wanting to for a long time,” Lewis said, a pleading look on his face.
“You have to be prepared for the mother to reject you. Birth is a woman’s thing around here, that’s why you haven’t come before. But honestly I’m a little nervous to be going on my own. I’ve never done this alone, I could use some support.”
“Then I’m your support. If I can’t help directly, at least I’ll be there emotionally,” he said, shouldering his pack. “Want me to carry yours?”
“Thank you, but I’m good. I’ve gotten used to hauling stuff all over the mountain. Let’s go,” she said, grabbing her pack and heading out.
The trip to the village was easier than she’d expected, certainly easier than getting to some of the other villages would have been. She’d been to the village a couple of times with Ronnie so she was accepted in her place immediately. After a quick examination of the woman, she concluded that it was a breech birth and that she’d have to turn the baby.
The thought that what she was going to have to do would mean the difference between life and death scared her, but she knew that if she did nothing death for both would be the only outcome. Giving orders for fresh bedding to be brought, she took a moment to collect her thoughts.
Walking behind the small hut, she looked into the forest, reviewing the procedure in her mind. She was concentrating so deeply that she barely noticed when Lewis’ arms came around her from behind. Instinctively, she leaned into him, taking a small moment of solace from his mere presence.
“You can do this. You’ve been with Ronnie when she’s done the procedure. Use your instincts, they won’t let you down. I have faith in you,” he whispered in her ear.
She took a deep steading breath, then pulled away from him. “Thank you. I needed to hear that,” she said, hugging him.
The birth went better than she ever could have hoped for. She was able to turn the baby on the first try, then he slid out easy as could be. The mother was exhausted but alive, with minimal injury to anyone. She still had major concerns about bleeding and infection, but they’d made it over the first hurdle.
Lewis had watched amazed as Venetia saved the woman’s life. He’d never doubted his love for her, but that had been a different kind of love, one born from passion not respect. Now standing here watching her clean the new baby, he felt a new kind of love, one filled with respect and admiration. He was beyond proud that this beautiful, capable women was his, and later he’d tell her that.
But for now they had a patient who needed their skills. It would be hours before the mother could be considered safe. He knew without even asking that Venetia wouldn’t leave her side for that time. She’d already begun to unpack the supplies she’d now use to treat the woman, and he was interested to learn about the plants he’d seen her fussing over for weeks.
He’d never given much thought to holistic medicine, but in neurosurgery there weren’t many plants that could do the job he could. But now that his eyes were open to enjoying the present, he’d do just that and learn something in the process.
Late that night, he finally left Venetia with her patient. They were both sleeping soundly, but he desperately needed someplace to stretch out and sleep himself. He found his way to the central fire and one of the men took him to a hut where he was asleep in minutes.
The next morning as he approached the hut, he could hear women laughing and the gurgle of a baby. He’d know long before he’d gone to bed last night that everyone would be fine, but it was still good to hear the happy sounds coming out of the open door.
There were so many woman standing around outside that he practically had to fight his way through, it was clear that there was a celebration going on after the birth yesterday. When he finally managed to get inside, he was greeted by smiling faces. The mother looked happy and healthy, a fat baby in her arms. Venetia looked excited and proud, but the exhaustion was still evident in the dark circles under her eyes. Still, she was high on the success of yesterday and probably wouldn’t come down until later in the day.
Before he could say much more than good morning, he was pushed out of the hut and in the di
rection of the central fire. There he was given a huge breakfast, which was quickly followed by a busy day of treating the villagers. He hadn’t expected that but was pleased that they trusted him enough to bring him their illnesses.
He saw Venetia a couple of times that day, but they hardly had time to say more than a few words to each other. The mother and baby were doing fine, but he understood her need to stay close. Three days always seemed to be the magic number, so she’d keep a close eye on her until then. In the meantime, he’d have to find something to occupy his time.
By late afternoon, he’d finished the last patient and slumped down exhausted by the fire, determined to wait until Venetia came out for a dinner break. His patience was rewarded an hour later, when she came slowly into the center of the village. She looked exhausted, the dark circles under her eyes clear even in the firelight.
He jumped to his feet and led her to where he’d been sitting, sat her down, then went and got her some food. She ate it mechanically, hardly noticing what she was putting in her mouth. When she was finished, he helped her up and guided her to the hut where he’d slept last night. He put her to bed, only taking her shoes off, before tucking the blanket around her shoulders.
He’d have to share the bed with her later that night, since the villagers seemed to think that they were married. He wasn’t sure how they came to that conclusion, but he’d been unable to convince them otherwise. As tired as he was, he left her and went back to the fire, knowing that this was going to be a long night; he’d never be able to sleep lying next to her, knowing he couldn’t touch her.
Chapter 10
The first time Venetia awoke during the night, she was aware of the warm body next to her only enough to roll over and throw her arm across Lewis’ chest. He stiffened when she did, but then relaxed when her breathing told him that she’d gone back to sleep. He knew that there would be hell to pay the next morning, but they both had their clothes on, so she’d know that it had only been from necessity.
Could he help it if she’d snuggled up to him when she was sleeping? Did she really think he’d push her away? He’d just claim he’d been asleep, when in fact he’d not been able to go to sleep since he’d crawled into the pallet with Venetia. Just being this close to her had him in turmoil, knowing that he couldn’t touch her, do the things he’d been dreaming about for so long.
He knew that he should be trying to live in the moment, but it was so hard with her lying next to him, soft and warm, like so many times before. Memories of those nights had been haunting him with visions of what he’d lost for so long that all he wanted to do now was erase them with new memories. When he finally fell asleep, Venetia was wrapped firmly in his arms, and he was enjoying the moment.
Venetia woke slowly the next morning, then realized with a start that she was wrapped in Lewis’ arms, her head resting on his shoulder and her leg thrown over his. She had a vague recollection of waking in the night startled to find someone in bed with her, but immediately recognizing that it was Lewis, she’d gone back to sleep; it never registered that he wasn’t supposed to be in her bed.
She laid there, her body tense as she tried to remember what had happened last night. She couldn’t have possibly had sex with him. That she would remember, besides she still had all her clothes on so it was unlikely that anything had happened. The last thing she remembered was Lewis guiding her to this hut, then it all went blank. Lewis was still asleep, his heart beating in her ear, so she tried to carefully slide out of bed. He must not have been as asleep as she thought since as soon as she moved, he tightened his arm around her.
“Good morning. Let me explain before you get mad,” he said, knowing she was going to be angry.
“Okay, but this had better be good,” she said, looking up at him.
“The villagers have this crazy idea that we’re married. I’ve tried to make them understand that we’re not, but they won’t budge. This was the only place to sleep last night, it seems word got out that we’re here. I spent most of the day yesterday treating patients,” he said, meeting her eyes.
“Well, I guess that’s a good enough reason,” she said begrudgingly. “But I do have to get up and check on our patient. If she’s still doing well today, we’re in the home stretch, but I don’t want to leave her yet.” She started putting on her shoes.
“Another day here isn’t going to hurt anything. I’m going to try and go hunting with the men. I might learn something new, but first I have to convince them to take me,” he said, as they walked to the kitchen area for breakfast.
“I have a feeling you’ll be able to charm them into taking you,” she teased.
“I’ll do my best. I’m a little rusty, there hasn’t been much need for my charm around here lately.”
“Well, I guess you don’t realize just how charming you are when you aren’t even trying.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment,” he said, surprising her by kissing her quickly on the lips.
Blushing, she stammered, “I have to go find my bags and change my clothes. I’ll see you later.”
Venetia walked away her heart pounding. Waking up next to Lewis this morning had been wonderful. And then he’d kissed her so sweetly just now, nothing demanding, just a simple kiss. She’d been waiting for fate to guide her, to tell her when the time was right. Now they were here together and would be for a few days, sleeping in the same hut. It was clear that fate had spoken, but before she committed herself, she and Lewis had to talk.
Venetia spent the first few hours of the day with the new mother and baby; they were doing well and she would feel secure leaving tomorrow. After lunch, she found herself with some time on her hands. Lewis had gone hunting with the men, and she really didn’t need to sit by the mother’s side all day.
So, she dug out her notebook, which was never far from her side and wrote up a report on the birth. It had become her habit to write down a brief description of her day each night, thinking it might provide useful when she got home. She was sitting by the fire pit, which wasn’t lit this time of day, but provided enough smoke that the bugs stayed away.
A commotion just at the edge of the village caught her attention. The hunting party must have returned victorious. That would mean a huge feast that night. Her stomach began to growl at the thought of fresh roasted meat. Before she’d come to the Brazil, she’d taken meat for granted, but here there were plenty of meals that were virtually meat free. It was a healthy diet, but at times she craved the taste of meat.
Putting her notebook away, she joined the rest of the villagers who were flocking to the edge of the village to see what the hunters had brought home. When she spotted them, it was Lewis who was carrying the kill. Pride welled up in her breast, when she realized that he’d been the one to bring down the big boar that was strung up on a pole. It was then that she knew without a doubt that she was falling in love with Lewis again. Not the false love they’d felt before but a love with the foundation to survive.
A kill this big would require the help of everyone in the village, and Venetia wasn’t about to miss out. Some of the men carried the boar off to be butchered, while another group began to prepare a pit to cook it in. She was headed off to join the women who would begin to prepare the dishes that would go with the meat. Everyone would contribute something, and she always traveled with something to contribute.
But before she got far, she heard Lewis calling her name. He was with the men butchering the boar; he gestured for her to come over. With all eyes on her, she stepped up to Lewis who had the heart in his hands. Looking into her eyes, he silently transferred it to her hands. Venetia looking down at the heart in her hands, wondering if Lewis understood what it meant, then back up into his eyes.
There was no doubt in her mind that he understood what the gesture meant. The love she saw in his eyes wasn’t that fevered love they’d shared before, it was a gentle love that mirrored how she felt right now. She knew that she now was responsible for cooking the heart and serving
him the first piece, then they would be bound in a formal courtship.
Without a word, she took the heart over to the cook shed, hoping someone would be able to help her prepare it. Right now, her hands were shaking so badly she was worried she’d drop it. But to her relief, the minute she stepped into the shed, she was surrounded by women. Someone took the heart from her then showed her what she needed to do.
Once she’d been given some guidance, it was easy to finish the process. What had once been a tough piece of muscle would be soft and succulent by the time the rest of the food was ready. It took hours to cook the boar and the rest of the feast, but just as the sun was setting the men announced that it was done. The fire in the main pit was piled high, rugs and pillows were brought from every hut in the village and arranged in spreading circles around the fire.
The entire village would eat as one tonight, the food passed from hand to hand, but before anyone could eat, she and Lewis would have to complete the joining ceremony he’d begun earlier that day. She wasn’t quite sure how this had come to be, she and Lewis hadn’t spoken a word to each other all afternoon. But his initiating it was a clear message to her that he wanted to take their relationship to the next level.
She was nervous as they cut the meat the men had brought to them. The heart was ready to be served and she understood how the rest of the ceremony would go in front of the entire village of course. When the time came, her hands were shaking as one of the women handed her the serving platter. Taking a deep breath, she walked out to where Lewis was sitting in the place of honor between the chief and his wife.
When she stopped in front of him, he got to his feet, took a piece of the meat and fed it to her, then took the platter from her hands. She took a piece of meat from the platter and fed it to him just as he’d done. Then one of the women took the meat from Lewis, and he helped her to sit next him. It was over quickly, but the moment had been so full of emotion that it felt like it took an eternity to Venetia.
Their Miracle Baby (BWWM Romance Book 1) Page 10
