Her face tightened. "They come back?"
"Not yet," Calder said, shaking his head. "But if they do, I'll be ready."
She was silent for a long moment, then asked, "You fight for me?"
He looked at her, really looked at her, seeing that the question in her eyes wasn't just about rifles and danger. It was about whether she could truly trust him. "I will," he said simply. Something shifted in her expression then.
Something that looked like relief. She moved a little closer to the fire, the heat catching on her skin. "Why's that?" Calder asked quietly. "You could try for the town, or head west."
"No one would stop you now."
She shook her head. "Town no safe," she said. "West no safe. Here safe."
Her gaze held his steadily as she said it, as if making it clear that this was not just the safe place she had found. It was the safe place she had chosen. Calder let out a slow breath. He hadn't realized how much he'd wanted to hear her say that until just now.
The fire popped loudly, and the room seemed suddenly too quiet. Naya shifted closer still, close enough that the edge of her knee brushed against his. Calder didn't move away. She reached out, hesitated, and touched the back of his hand lightly.
Calder's fingers curled instinctively, and before he could think better of it, he turned his hand over and caught hers gently. Neither of them spoke for a long moment. The fire crackled, the wind moaned against the shutters, and Calder's heartbeat thudded hard in his ears. Then Naya leaned forward and kissed him.
It wasn't hurried. It wasn't shy either. Just soft and sure, tasting of smoke and the stew they had just eaten. Calder froze for half a second before his hand came up to her cheek, rough palm warm against her skin.
When she drew back, her breathing was quick and her dark eyes searched his face like she was waiting for him to push her away. He didn't. Instead, he kissed her back, slower this time, careful and steady until she relaxed under his touch. When they finally parted, Calder rested his forehead against hers and let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.
"You should sleep," he said quietly, though his voice was rougher than usual. Naya nodded, still close enough that her hair brushed against his jaw. They banked the fire together and lay down on the cot. This time, Calder didn't just leave space between them.
He drew her in, letting her settle against him with his arm across her waist. She stayed there without hesitation, her hand resting lightly on his chest. Calder didn't sleep right away. He stared at the ceiling in the dim glow from the stove, thinking about what had just happened.
About the weight of the promise he had made her when he said he'd fight if men came. In the morning, he rode out to check the north pasture. That was when he saw it. A set of tracks, fresh and too deep to be from his own horse.