“If it’s all right with you, we’ll wait for that until we get back to Yeti.”
“That sounds like a good plan to me,” she said softly.
“Good.”He pressed his lips to hers for just a moment.“I do like kissing you, Agnes Jones.”
“I like it as well.I’m not certain if that makes me a wanton woman or not.”
“Do you like kissing other men?”he asked.
“I don’t know.I’ve never had the opportunity to do so.”
“Glad to hear it.”He took her hand in his, feeling how delicate it was.“We’ll be leaving early in the morning.We should get some shut-eye.”
“I don’t want this day to end,” she said, surprising herself.
That earned her another kiss.“Come on.We’ll need our rest to be able to walk as far as we need to walk tomorrow.”He got to his feet, and helped her up.“We each have a blanket, but if we get cold, we can share.”
She smiled.“It’s summer!”
“Summer in Alaska is much different than summer in Massachusetts.”
“I’m beginning to see that.”
Soon, they were settled under their blankets, and she was nestled against him.She wanted to tell him she wanted the intimacy involved in sharing a blanket, but she didn’t think it was time yet.There would be time enough for getting closer.They had the rest of their lives together, didn’t they?
*****
Day after day, theywalked the mountain pass on their way to Lake Bennett.It wasn’t an easy walk at all, but Jasper kept telling Agnes they were cutting days off their travel by taking the harder route.
They’d been walking for six days when she spotted some berries.She hurried to them and showed him.“Are they good to eat?”They looked like blueberries, but he’d warned her not to eat a berry without checking with him first.
He smiled and nodded.“Blueberries.”
“Can I have a few minutes to pick as many as I can?I’ll hurry.”
Normally, he’d be in a hurry to keep moving, but he knew she was growing tired of hardtack and jerky.This would make her happier, and that’s what mattered most.“Yes, but we can’t take long.”He found an empty oilcloth sack that had once held some hardtack.“Here, use this.”He moved beside her and picked berries as well.They had the sack half-full an hour later.
“We’ve taken all the time we can,” he said reluctantly, not wanting to disappoint her.
“Thank you for letting me take that much time.I’m so excited to have some berries.”
He chuckled.“Judging by the color of your lips and teeth, I’d say you’ve already had some.”
She giggled.“I couldn’t resist.”
“We’ll eat them as we walk.It will make our day more pleasant.”
They started out again, and she was pleased she’d had the respite in the middle of the day, but she feared they’d have to walk later into the night.Thankfully, the sun didn’t set until near midnight.
She was right in that he insisted on walking later into the night, but the blueberries were worth it to her.She was sick of hardtack and jerky, and by the time they reached Yeti, she would be crazy if that’s all they’d eaten.
That night when they settled in front of the fire, she thanked him again for allowing her time to pick berries.“We still have enough left that we can eat them while we walk tomorrow.”
“Just don’t eat too many and make yourself sick,” he told her when he saw her dipping her hand back in the sack for more berries.
“I’ll try,” she said.
When he kissed her that night, the taste of the blueberries was intoxicating.He wished he’d never told her they would wait until they reached Yeti to consummate their marriage, but he had, and he wouldn’t go back on his word.
