“Honey, it’s not like you’re lying; my nose is not dead. As a matter of fact, smelling that apple pie across the valley is what got you caught working too hard. I’ll grab those eggs on the wayback if you want to start the rest. Here, let me put the pots on the cradle so that you don’t have to lift them.”
Pulling the other two pieces of the cradle out, which I had tucked next to the firebox, I hook up the various pieces before setting the pans in them.
“I have never seen one with multiple arms. Thank you, this will make things much easier for me.”
“You are welcome. I will return shortly. No peeking.”
A small smile graces her lips before she blushes and I can’t help but chuckle to myself. Whistling on my way to the creek, I stay in sight of the front porch. Stripping out of my dirty clothes, I wonder just how long I’ve worn this set, as the smell of wood smoke and sweat makes my own nose curl up as I pull the shirt over my head.
The water is so cold I almost scream like a girl, but it doesn’t take long for my body to adjust as I rub the soap over my skin, making sure to wash my arms and hair multiple times as the dirt seems just to keep pouring off me. Because I don’t want Lauren to touch them, I grab the clothes I had on, scrubbing them hard and trying to get days of my stink off them. Instantly, I feel bad when I realize how long this is taking and how much work she had to do to get all that laundry clean today. I don’t know who I’m more aggravated with, her for not listening or myself for letting it get this bad in the first place.
Shaking what water I can off my now clean skin, I will admit that I do feel better with all that filth off me. Trying to get clean clothes on my large frame while I’m still wet has me yanking and pulling until I hear one of the seams start to rip on my shirt. Deciding to forgo it, I gather up all the wet clothes and head backto the house barefoot, grousing the entire way about every sharp rock I step on. Throwing the wet clothes on the porch, I head over to the chicken coop, just waiting for Blue to show his ornery ass, but he completely ignores me when I step in. Lucy, on the other hand, is not happy about me taking her eggs, but she just fusses and waddles off.
Because my arms are full, it takes me a second to get the back door open. Rounding the corner, Lauren actually jumps, but then her eyes get big when she realizes my state of undress. I watch her mouth pop open as she gazes at me from the top of my head to the end of my bare toes.
“Here are the eggs. You look like you’ve seen a ghost. Didn’t you recognize me without all the dirt?” Her eyes dart around and I can’t help but laugh lightly as I can tell she doesn’t know what to look at.
“Your appearance is quite startling, especially in this state of undress.”
“Is that a good or bad thing?”
“You don’t need me to tell you how attractive you are since you wear your confidence like a second skin.”
“Whoa, that was a close one then … I was worried my own wife found me unattractive.”
Laughing, she throws a small dish towel at me and it’s the most beautiful sound I’ve ever heard. Her smile lights up her entire face and you can see the girl she has been hiding from the world peeking her head out for just a moment.
“There are some dry towels next to the tub. Put some clothes on.”
“Why … is this distracting?”
“Slightly. There should be rules that limit how many positive traits a person can have. Doesn’t leave any for the rest of us. Even though you still need a haircut and a shave.”
Taking pity on her, I walk into Eliza’s room and grab a towel off the side of the tub. When I realize the dirty water is still in it, I yell out, “Hey, were you saving this dirt in here for soup later?”
“Don’t be silly, I didn’t know how to drain it.”
“Well, come here real quick and I’ll show you how it works.”
I can see the fatigue all over her swollen face as she slowly walks toward me and I have to make myself not snarl. “You have pushed yourself too hard today. I can see it all over you.”
“Yes, I do believe you’re right. To be honest though, I don’t really know anything else. I’ve never had time to just sit around and when you told me to do that, you might as well have been speaking a foreign language.”
“Lauren, I understand better than anyone that there’s always something to be done, but would you at least try to take a few breaks or not push so hard to get it all finished in one day? It’s just us out here, so there’s no one to impress. If there are a few dirty dishes and the floor needs to be swept, it’s not the end of the world.”
“I don’t ever want to become the thing you regret saving, Grant. I’m scared and not sure what to do next. Nothing here is mine and I feel like I’m walking in the shadow of your previous wife, and I don’t want to step on any toes.”
“Other wife?”
“Yes, I know you still mourn her. I saw you standing at her grave this morning before you left for the mine.”
“Okay, we really need to talk but before we get into all of that, let me show you how to work the tub. We’ll eat, then sit down with a cup of coffee and clear the air. Is that alright with you or are you too tired?”
“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t hurting all over, but a cup of coffee in front of the fire sounds very pleasant.”
“Good, it’s a date then! Now, if you can bend down slightly, I will show you the lever that lets the water out. Just turn it away from you and the tub will drain dry. It was smart of you to use the water you’d bathed in to wash the clothes. I never noticed the lines strung up above the bed, but I bet Eliza used to do the same thing in the winter months. Lord knows the girl hated to be dirty. Now, up here is the valve that opens the roof cistern.”
“What is that?”
