muck out the stalls without complaint, she didn't even balk when he filled a wheelbarrow with fresh pine logs, and asked her to push it back to the cabin. Whether she realized he was laying in supplies against what could be one hell of a storm, he couldn't say. All Daniel knew for sure. was that scattered snowflakes had begun falling at noon, and if the darkening clouds were any indication, his ranch would be covered in at least a foot of snow by morning.
That night they ate a supper of ham and leftover flapjacks, as Daniel thought of them. Although Josie continued to do pretty much what he asked of her, as the evening wore on, he could sense a little of the former defiance creeping back into her manner. He went so far as to complain about his aching head, holding it and moaning like the baby she'd accused him of being, but even that performance wasn't enough to bring her back to a contrite, fairly obedient female. What little remained of Josie's agreeable nature abruptly vanished about the time she crawled under Daniel's blanket. Then, once again, he found a lodgepole pine lying next to him.
"So, Josie," he said casually. "I realize it wasn't your idea to come here and all, and that whatever Long Belly paid, it probably wasn't quite enough for all you've been through. How much more do you want to take the starch out of my hide?"
Beside him, incredulously enough, she grew even stiffer. "What is that supposed to mean?"
Daniel cleared his throat and reached for her. "I was hoping to buy a little of your time. It's been a while since I've known the feel of a woman."
She slapped his hand away the minute it touched down on her breast. "It's going be a lot longer if you're counting on me to ease your suffering. Now shut up. I'm tired and need some sleep."
By the next morning, Josie wondered how much longer her own belly would let her hide her considerable cooking skills. Though she'd intentionally burned the pancakes just to make sure that she wouldn't called on to cook again, she found to her chagrin that even she couldn't stand them. Her sensibilities were also offended enough by the mess in the cabin that she considered tidying the place up a little. Then again, it could be a waste of time. Cleanliness may have been next to godliness, but Josie thought that maybe this cabin was too ungodly to ever be clean again. Maybe if she stayed outside more, she wouldn't notice so much.
Taking Daniel's heavy coat from the rack, Josie slipped into it, and while she was at it, helped herself to his deerskin boots. They were thigh-high moccasins with fringed flaps that were more than big enough to pull on over her shoes.
"I'm going out back to use the privy," Josie announced over her shoulder. "Is there anything I should do for the animals while I'm outside?"
"Well, you could milk the cow, if you don't mind, and maybe toss a little hay to the horses. Everything else should be all right until tonight, unless you want to trouble yourself to look for eggs."
Josie kept both her smile and her delight to herself. "Oh, all right," she said with a forced sigh. "I'll do what I can."
Then she opened the door and stepped out into a thick, invigorating blanket of glistening snow. Daniel's boots proved to be surprisingly warm, even though Josie did have to stop now and then to pull them up, but they kept her dry as she trudged to the outhouse and then to the barn, all without spotting a bear, thank the Lord. She'd left the gun an the table where she'd dropped it, too skittish after shooting Daniel to even think of touching it again so soon.
When Josie finished tending the livestock, she took a few minutes to just stand out in the cold and breathe the frosty mountain air. Unlike her mother, who had bundled herself from head to foot at the first sign of fall, Josie thrived in cooler temperatures. She came alive at the first flurries of snow, her pulse racing through her body with renewed vigor, and felt a certain bond with the out of doors each
That night they ate a supper of ham and leftover flapjacks, as Daniel thought of them. Although Josie continued to do pretty much what he asked of her, as the evening wore on, he could sense a little of the former defiance creeping back into her manner. He went so far as to complain about his aching head, holding it and moaning like the baby she'd accused him of being, but even that performance wasn't enough to bring her back to a contrite, fairly obedient female. What little remained of Josie's agreeable nature abruptly vanished about the time she crawled under Daniel's blanket. Then, once again, he found a lodgepole pine lying next to him.
"So, Josie," he said casually. "I realize it wasn't your idea to come here and all, and that whatever Long Belly paid, it probably wasn't quite enough for all you've been through. How much more do you want to take the starch out of my hide?"
Beside him, incredulously enough, she grew even stiffer. "What is that supposed to mean?"
Daniel cleared his throat and reached for her. "I was hoping to buy a little of your time. It's been a while since I've known the feel of a woman."
She slapped his hand away the minute it touched down on her breast. "It's going be a lot longer if you're counting on me to ease your suffering. Now shut up. I'm tired and need some sleep."
By the next morning, Josie wondered how much longer her own belly would let her hide her considerable cooking skills. Though she'd intentionally burned the pancakes just to make sure that she wouldn't called on to cook again, she found to her chagrin that even she couldn't stand them. Her sensibilities were also offended enough by the mess in the cabin that she considered tidying the place up a little. Then again, it could be a waste of time. Cleanliness may have been next to godliness, but Josie thought that maybe this cabin was too ungodly to ever be clean again. Maybe if she stayed outside more, she wouldn't notice so much.
Taking Daniel's heavy coat from the rack, Josie slipped into it, and while she was at it, helped herself to his deerskin boots. They were thigh-high moccasins with fringed flaps that were more than big enough to pull on over her shoes.
"I'm going out back to use the privy," Josie announced over her shoulder. "Is there anything I should do for the animals while I'm outside?"
"Well, you could milk the cow, if you don't mind, and maybe toss a little hay to the horses. Everything else should be all right until tonight, unless you want to trouble yourself to look for eggs."
Josie kept both her smile and her delight to herself. "Oh, all right," she said with a forced sigh. "I'll do what I can."
Then she opened the door and stepped out into a thick, invigorating blanket of glistening snow. Daniel's boots proved to be surprisingly warm, even though Josie did have to stop now and then to pull them up, but they kept her dry as she trudged to the outhouse and then to the barn, all without spotting a bear, thank the Lord. She'd left the gun an the table where she'd dropped it, too skittish after shooting Daniel to even think of touching it again so soon.
When Josie finished tending the livestock, she took a few minutes to just stand out in the cold and breathe the frosty mountain air. Unlike her mother, who had bundled herself from head to foot at the first sign of fall, Josie thrived in cooler temperatures. She came alive at the first flurries of snow, her pulse racing through her body with renewed vigor, and felt a certain bond with the out of doors each
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