Finding Home (13 page)

“
Thank you, I will,” Nat
said and waved goodbye.

They returned to Marissa’s cabin and
stored their supplies. “I need to go to my cabin to prepare for my
trip,” Nat said. “I will be back soon.”

“
Is there anything, I can
help with?” Marissa asked.

“
No, I will take care of a
few things and return shortly.”

Nat and Gyp walked outside into the
cooling air. Nat lit the fire she had lain under the wash pot and
added more water to the large pot. Then they walked down toward the
smokehouse. She added more wood to the fire and turned the meat
lying across wooden strips. She portioned out a pound of the dried
jerky and would wrap it in a fine cloth to take with her on the
trip to the ocean.

She packed her bedroll and tucked it
under her arm before she left her cabin and walked back toward
Marissa’s. She noticed that Marissa was running low on split wood
and decided she would split more and carry it onto the porch before
she left.

Marissa was placing the pie in the
hearth to warm when Nat and Gyp returned from their
errands.

“
Are you hungry now or would
you like to bathe before we eat?”

Nat placed the jerky on the table and
wrapped it in cloth. “I can wait a time to eat,” she said. “I want
to split some wood for you and get you stocked up before I leave
tomorrow,” Nat said.

“
I will carry and stack
while you split then,” Marissa said.

“
You have a deal,” Nat said
as she removed her jacket and placed it on a hook by the door. Then
she walked to the end of the porch and picked up the axe and walked
to the splitting block and began to rhythmically split the
wood.

Marissa watched as Nat’s body moved
fluidly as she split the wood and when a small pile had formed she
began carrying wood inside and then added to the stack just outside
her front door.

Nat was working up a lather chopping
the wood and removed her work shirt. Once she had split enough wood
to last Marissa for a week or more, she picked up her shirt and
hung it over the porch rail as she stored the axe. Then she helped
Marissa carry the remainder of the wood onto the porch.

“
I will begin carrying in
water from the well if you are ready.”

“
That should give the water
on the fire time to heat up,” Marissa said. “I will help you and we
can bathe together if you wish.”

“
I would like that very
much,” Nat said. She smiled at a blushing Marissa and walked onto
the porch to pick up two buckets and walked to the well, followed
closely by Marissa and Gyp.

They filled the buckets and took turns
carrying them into the house until the tub was one third filled
with fresh well water. Then they began taking hot water from the
wash pot and after several more trips, a steaming bath awaited
them. Marissa instructed Nat to go inside and strip out of her
clothing and then she placed their soiled clothing in the pot to be
boiled clean. She pumped several more buckets of water to pour into
the tub before joining Nat inside.

Nat had grown cold in her nakedness and
had stepped into the bath. “Sorry, I could wait no longer,” she
said.

“
That’s fine, I did not want
you to get chilled,” Marissa said as she pulled the dress over her
head.

Nat watched as Marissa undressed,
marveling at her gentle curves and soft skin. Marissa lowered her
undergarments and the cool air on her skin made her nipples harden.
She smiled when Marissa looked up to see Nat watching
her.

“
You are so beautiful,” Nat
said as her eyes followed Marissa while she walked to the tub and
stepped into the steamy water.

“
Thank you,” Marissa said
with a blush. “It pleases me to know you think that.”

“
You are the most beautiful
woman I have ever met, and I am happy that we have become friends,”
Nat said.

“
You are much more than a
friend to me,” Marissa said, surprising Nat.

“
What am I then?” Nat asked
coyly.

“
You are my protector, my
provider and most importantly, my lover,” Marissa stated
boldly.

Nat smiled and reached her hand out to
Marissa. Marissa took her offered hand and brought her body forward
to meet Nat’s lips. Nat kissed her lips softly then covered
Marissa’s face with light kisses as her fingertips traced the
outlines of her cheekbones and jaw line. Marissa rested against
Nat’s left arm and lifted her face to welcome more of Nat’s kisses.
Nat felt her shiver as her tongue circled Marissa’s lips until her
lover parted them and their tongues danced sensually.

Marissa’s body tingled with the desire
running through her body as they kissed and Nat’s hand cupped her
left breast, her thumb stroking lightly across her aroused nipple.
Nat broke the kiss and kissed down to Marissa’s ear.

“
I want to make love to
you,” she whispered and felt Marissa’s body quiver in
response.

Nat took the bar of fragrant soap in
her hand and soaked a cloth in the water before rubbing it across
the soap. She lathered the cloth and started at Marissa’s neck and
slowly bathed down each arm and across her chest. “Stand for me
please,” she said.

Marissa stood and took the soap from
Nat’s hand to bathe her womanly parts as Nat bathed her sides and
legs and turned so Nat could bathe her back and then she took the
cloth from her as she sat back into the water to rinse. She rinsed
the cloth and lathered it again with the fragrant soap and bathed
Nat’s body with loving strokes. Marissa bit her lower lip as her
hands glided over Nat’s chest and down her firm, muscular body as
she ached to lie in Nat’s embrace.

Nat rinsed her body and stepped from
the tub. She raised her hand to Marissa. “Are you ready, my
love?”

Marissa stood and climbed from the tub
and allowed Nat to wrap her body in a large towel and a warm
embrace before she moved to dry her body.

Nat reached for a nightshirt to pull
over her head.

“
Don’t bother with that,”
Marissa said. “I need to feel your skin next to mine,” she said as
she took Nat’s hand and they walked to the bedroom.

Nat placed more wood on the fire as
Marissa stretched onto the bed. Nat extinguished the flame of the
oil lamp before lowering her body into Marissa’s welcoming
arms.

Nat kissed Marissa until she was
breathless with desire. Their lower bodies were entwined as their
movements gently rocked the bed. Nat’s mouth kissed down Marissa’s
neck and enclosed her right breast as she gasped for
air.

“
That feels so good, Nat,”
Marissa said and she took her hand and placed it between Nat’s legs
to find her soaked with desire.

Nat moaned against the skin of
Marissa’s breast as she felt Marissa’s fingers penetrate her body
to sink deeply into her wetness. Nat moved her hand between
Marissa’s legs and entered her body as her teeth grazed her erect
nipple. She mimicked the movement of Marissa’s fingers, moving slow
and deep as the sounds of their pleasure filled the
room.

Nat’s body shuddered as she called out,
“Marissa.”

Marissa felt Nat’s body release and
when she called her name that was all she needed to reach her
climax and she filled Nat’s hand with a rush of wetness.

Nat kissed Marissa and moved to lie
beside her on the bed. Marissa reached down and pulled the covers
over their bodies then curled up in Nat’s arms.

PART NINE

The next morning Nat awoke early and
crept quietly from the bed and dressed in her travel clothing
before walking to the barn to saddle Hardy. The morning was crisp
as the sun was slow to crest above the horizon and the excitement
of her trip stirred Nat. Hardy met her in the stall as he too,
sensed an adventure and an opportunity to stretch his well-rested
legs.

Nat tied her bedroll to the back of her
saddle and walked Hardy to Marissa’s cabin and tied him to the
hitching post. “We will be off soon,” she said to the large horse
as she patted his neck while he nuzzled her. Gyp trotted beside her
as she walked back onto the porch and went inside.

Marissa had gotten out of the bed and
was dressed and starting breakfast when Nat returned.

“
Good morning,” Nat
said.

“
Good morning. I hope you
weren’t planning to sneak off without saying goodbye,” Marissa
said.

“
No ma’am, I would not do
that. I know you have to be in town early this morning and wanted
to leave when you did,” Nat said, as she took Marissa in her arms.
“I would never leave you without a goodbye.”

Marissa kissed Nat’s lips softly. “I
would hope not,” she said with a pout.

“
Besides, we can’t leave
with empty stomachs,” Nat teased.

“
I have packed yesterday’s
biscuits and bacon for you and will make some flapjacks this
morning if you would like,” Marissa said.

“
That would be great,” Nat
said as she moved to get a jar of syrup down from the
shelf.

Marissa stirred the batter for the
flapjacks as she watched Nat prepare for her trip. Dressed in her
breeches and travel shirt, Nat looked just like she had the first
time she had seen her at the hotel. “You look just as handsome as
the first time I saw you,” she said.

“
I hope I smell better
though,” Nat teased.

“
Without a doubt,” Marissa
agreed.

Nat packed the jerky and biscuits
Marissa had prepared for her into a sack with a draw string and
took it and the skin the Indian woman had given her out to Hardy
where she placed the items inside the saddle bags. She also carried
her rifle out and slipped it into the carrier on Hardy’s left
shoulder.

When she and Gyp walked back inside
Marissa was placing their food on the table and had placed Gyp’s
bowl on the floor beside them. “Breakfast is ready.”

She and Nat sat down at the table and
began to eat their breakfast. “I will miss you,” Marissa
said.

“
I will miss you too, but we
will be back soon,” Nat promised.

“
I have grown so used to
your being here, the cabin will feel so empty,” Marissa
said.

Nat was at a loss for words. She would
only be gone for four days. How would Marissa feel when she left in
the spring to head back into the woods she wondered? She wouldn’t
worry about that now and would have the long winter months to
decide what she would do come the spring.

“
Do you want me to leave Gyp
with you for some company?” Nat asked and Gyp looked up at the
sound of her name.

“
I would not deprive Gyp of
the adventure with you,” Marissa said and Gyp went back to
eating.

“
It would seem strange
without her,” Nat said.

“
I will be fine,” Marissa
said. “I will just have to keep myself busy.”

“
Time will pass quickly and
we will be back soon,” Nat said, but Marissa feared the hours would
drag by.

When they finished eating, they rinsed
their dishes and stood facing one another. Nat could see tears
pooling in Marissa’s eyes. She brushed the hair from around
Marissa’s face with her hands. “I will be back soon,” she said then
kissed her tenderly.

Marissa returned her kiss and hugged
Nat tightly. “Enjoy your trip and hurry home to me.”

“
I will,” Nat said, as she
turned away from Marissa. She stopped at the door and took her hat,
placing it atop her head and slipped her arms through her range
coat before she turned back to Marissa. “I love you.”

“
I love you too,” Marissa
said.

Nat and Gyp walked out the door and Nat
mounted Hardy. Marissa placed her arms in the coat Nat had bought
her and walked onto the porch. She watched as Hardy, Nat and Gyp
disappeared from view and then began to walk toward
town.

Nat followed the road west for hours as
Marissa had instructed. As the sun passed over her head she could
smell a difference in the air. The fragrance of alpines and
evergreens was replaced by the smell of salt in the air. They
followed the sun as it moved toward the horizon and when she
crested a hill, Hardy halted in his tracks. Lying there before them
was the Pacific Ocean, its waves crashing down upon the rocks and
cliffs that separated earth from water.