concentrate on the basket of laundry she was struggling to carry. She had plenty to do here without letting her emotions get the best of her. Later, when she was alone, she would let the feelings come and remember Johnny… and her sisters. For now there was too much work to do.
She dumped an armful of wet clothes into the dryer and then filled the washer she'd just emptied with another load of dirty clothes. Laundry was never-ending.
"Need anything from town?" Cody asked.
His question, as well as his presence, surprised her. She dumped the soap into the washer, spun the dial, and slammed the lid before she answered.
She thought for a moment about what she was going to ask and then decided that if one of them should be embarrassed, he could be the one. It was his fault she was here. He had to be ready for women and all that came with them.
"As a matter of fact, I do," she said. "Do you want me to make a list, or is your memory as good as your manners?"
"I'm not quite sure how to take that," Cody said, and grinned.
Queen looked away, unwilling to take another of his smiles full force. They did funny things to her equilibrium.
Cody dug a folded list from his shirt pocket and looked around for something with which to write. Queen calmly handed him a pen that she'd confiscated from the pocket of a dirty shirt.
"Thank you," he said. "Fire away, I'm ready."
That remains to be seen, Queen thought. "I need several things," she began. "Deodorant. Environmentally safe, powder-fresh scent. I'm nearly out, and I don't want to borrow. Besides, women shouldn't smell like pine forests."
He grinned and wrote it down.
"Shampoo. Get something with a built-in conditioner."
He thoughtfully eyed the thick mass of her auburn curls as he added shampoo to the list. Her hair wasn't the only thing about her that was hard to manage.
"Now on to feminine hygiene. I need—"
"Wait!" His command came on the heels of a faint flush and a slightly embarrassed expression. "Now we're losing ground."
She grinned. "If you ask me, we're not losing anything but our composure."
He tilted his head back and laughed. "Okay, lady, I have an idea. Why don't you go to town and get what you need along with what's on my list while I finish the laundry."
His suggestion left her stunned.
"You'd trust me to come back? Just like that? What makes you think I won't keep driving?"
"Because you gave me your word," he said. "And for some reason, I don't think you do that lightly."
She inhaled sharply and turned away, unwilling for him to see the amazement on her face. She wasn't used to being read quite this easily. It was an uncomfortable feeling.
"So what's it going to be… are you going or not?" he asked.
The back door slammed. They both turned at the same time, checking to see which Bonner had come in the house. It was Will, the slender shadow who had quietly accepted her presence with less fuss than she would have expected.
"Who's going where?" he asked.
"Queen's about to drive into Snow Gap and pick up a few things," Cody said.
"You real sure I don't need a guard?" Queen asked. She couldn't resist adding the little dig to reclaim the distance she needed between them to maintain her composure.
"I'll be your guard," Will said, then turned to his father. "I'll take real good care of her, Daddy. Can I go? I won't let a thing happen to her, I swear."
Queen's breath caught at the back of her throat. She pressed a finger across her lips to stop their tremble and blinked rapidly. Will had completely misunderstood her hateful remark. She'd been taunting Cody about the fact that she needed to be guarded so she wouldn't escape, not for her own safety as a precious member of a family.
Cody was in awe. In the three years since his wife's death, Will had been the one hardest to reach. It seemed as if he'd closed himself away from the world as insurance so that it could no longer hurt him. This was the first time he'd come close to opening up and showing interest
She dumped an armful of wet clothes into the dryer and then filled the washer she'd just emptied with another load of dirty clothes. Laundry was never-ending.
"Need anything from town?" Cody asked.
His question, as well as his presence, surprised her. She dumped the soap into the washer, spun the dial, and slammed the lid before she answered.
She thought for a moment about what she was going to ask and then decided that if one of them should be embarrassed, he could be the one. It was his fault she was here. He had to be ready for women and all that came with them.
"As a matter of fact, I do," she said. "Do you want me to make a list, or is your memory as good as your manners?"
"I'm not quite sure how to take that," Cody said, and grinned.
Queen looked away, unwilling to take another of his smiles full force. They did funny things to her equilibrium.
Cody dug a folded list from his shirt pocket and looked around for something with which to write. Queen calmly handed him a pen that she'd confiscated from the pocket of a dirty shirt.
"Thank you," he said. "Fire away, I'm ready."
That remains to be seen, Queen thought. "I need several things," she began. "Deodorant. Environmentally safe, powder-fresh scent. I'm nearly out, and I don't want to borrow. Besides, women shouldn't smell like pine forests."
He grinned and wrote it down.
"Shampoo. Get something with a built-in conditioner."
He thoughtfully eyed the thick mass of her auburn curls as he added shampoo to the list. Her hair wasn't the only thing about her that was hard to manage.
"Now on to feminine hygiene. I need—"
"Wait!" His command came on the heels of a faint flush and a slightly embarrassed expression. "Now we're losing ground."
She grinned. "If you ask me, we're not losing anything but our composure."
He tilted his head back and laughed. "Okay, lady, I have an idea. Why don't you go to town and get what you need along with what's on my list while I finish the laundry."
His suggestion left her stunned.
"You'd trust me to come back? Just like that? What makes you think I won't keep driving?"
"Because you gave me your word," he said. "And for some reason, I don't think you do that lightly."
She inhaled sharply and turned away, unwilling for him to see the amazement on her face. She wasn't used to being read quite this easily. It was an uncomfortable feeling.
"So what's it going to be… are you going or not?" he asked.
The back door slammed. They both turned at the same time, checking to see which Bonner had come in the house. It was Will, the slender shadow who had quietly accepted her presence with less fuss than she would have expected.
"Who's going where?" he asked.
"Queen's about to drive into Snow Gap and pick up a few things," Cody said.
"You real sure I don't need a guard?" Queen asked. She couldn't resist adding the little dig to reclaim the distance she needed between them to maintain her composure.
"I'll be your guard," Will said, then turned to his father. "I'll take real good care of her, Daddy. Can I go? I won't let a thing happen to her, I swear."
Queen's breath caught at the back of her throat. She pressed a finger across her lips to stop their tremble and blinked rapidly. Will had completely misunderstood her hateful remark. She'd been taunting Cody about the fact that she needed to be guarded so she wouldn't escape, not for her own safety as a precious member of a family.
Cody was in awe. In the three years since his wife's death, Will had been the one hardest to reach. It seemed as if he'd closed himself away from the world as insurance so that it could no longer hurt him. This was the first time he'd come close to opening up and showing interest
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