Finding Home (4 page)

“
Since you are here,” Nat
said, “could I convince you to wash my back?” she asked.

The woman turned to find Nat standing
naked beside her and stammered out her reply, “Yes, I could do
that.” Marissa had never seen another woman naked and she felt a
strange stirring deep inside as she gazed at Nat’s long sensuous
body that had been so cleverly disguised by the buckskins she had
worn.

Nat stepped into the tub, moaning
loudly once again and soaked a washcloth in the tepid water handing
it to the young woman. “My name is Nat,” she said.

“
My name is Marissa,” the
young embarrassed woman replied as she began lathering the cloth
with a bar of soap.

Nat lowered her body under the water
and emerged with her black hair plastered to her neck. Marissa
stepped forward cautiously and bent down to place the soapy cloth
against Nat’s skin. Marissa caressed the tight muscles of Nat’s
back and shoulders with the soapy cloth as Nat watched her in the
mirror.

“
That feels fantastic,” Nat
said as she bent forward allowing Marissa access to her entire
back.

“
How long will you be
staying in town?” Marissa asked.

“
I hope to rent out the old
Johnson place for the winter,” Nat responded.

“
Well then, we shall be
neighbors if you do,” Marissa said. “I live in the small farmhouse
just down the road,” she said.

“
I am sure we will be seeing
each other again then,” Nat said as she took the cloth from
Marissa. “Thanks for washing my back,” she added with a
grin.

“
You’re welcome,” Marissa
said. “I hope to see you again soon,” she added as she slipped
quietly out the door.

“
You can count on it,” Nat
said to a closed door and then sank deeper into the water to
soak.

Nat washed her hair and body then
soaked until the water turned cool. She slipped on a new night
shirt and slid between cool clean sheets for the first time in
almost a year. Gyp slept on a rug next to the bed and neither of
them moved until the sun came up.

Nat and Gyp went downstairs to the
dining room where they were met by Marissa.

“
Good morning,” she said
while smiling sweetly. “What can I get you this morning she
asked?”

“
How about some bacon and
flap jacks,” Nat requested.

“
Would you like honey, or
maple syrup?” Marissa asked.

“
Maple syrup and lots of
butter,” Nat said with a grin.

“
Coffee,” Marissa
asked?

“
Lots of it,” Nat said,
“with sweet cream if you have it,” she added.

“
We even have sugar cubes
here,” Marissa teased.

Marissa disappeared into the kitchen
and returned a few minutes later carrying two large plates, one
with bacon and flapjacks and another with cut up bits of egg,
flapjacks and sausage. “I thought your pal might be hungry too,”
Marissa said setting the plate down in front of Gyp.

“
Careful, you’re going to
spoil us,” Nat said with a grin.

“
You two look like you could
use a bit of spoiling,” Marissa said a she patted Gyp’s
head.

“
We could, but won’t your
husband get jealous if we start showing up at your place for
breakfast every morning,” Nat asked looking at the silver band on
Marissa’s ring finger.

Marissa looked a little shocked at
Nat’s comment and then stammered out her response. “I am a widow,”
Marissa said with a blush as she turned to get the coffee from the
kitchen.

Nat felt like a total heel, but there
was no way she could have known. It was her turn to blush when
Marissa walked back to the table. “I am so sorry for prying,” Nat
said when she returned.

“
It’s no problem,” Marissa
said, “it has been two years now and wearing the ring helps to
prevent the men in here from making assumptions,” she
added.

Nat didn’t feel any more comfortable
with her answer, but the smile in Marissa’s blue eyes seemed to
bore right through her warming her to the bone. Nat was relieved
when another customer arrived and Marissa left her table to seat
him and take his order allowing her to watch Marissa as she
finished her meal.

Marissa made several more trips to
Nat’s table to refill her coffee before Nat finished her meal and
left her few silver coins on the table and sent a smile to Marissa
before she left the building.

Nat and Gyp walked over to see Smithy
and they received a warm welcome as soon as they stepped inside the
door. “I was very impressed with this year’s pelts and I hope you
will be pleased with the price,” Smithy belted out. “I lucked up on
the bear claws too he crowed. I found one easterner who wanted the
whole lot at quite a good price who is just waiting for your
approval he added. ”

Smithy led Nat into the office to go
over the figures and Nat was impressed with the offer. The pelts
and bear claws would net her over two thousand dollars, more money
than most of the townspeople would see in years. Nat carefully
reviewed the figures and then signed the sheet and handed it back
to Smithy.

“
This looks very generous,”
Nat said.

“
Good money for high
quality,” Smithy said.

“
Thanks for the compliment,”
Nat replied.

“
Nathan taught you well,”
Smithy said with a smile. “So well in fact, if you decide to settle
down here instead of heading back into the woods, I would hire you
in a minute,” Smithy added.

“
I might just have to think
on that offer pretty hard,” Nat said as she turned to
leave.

“
Stop by later today and I
will have your money ready,” Smithy said as he walked Nat out into
the morning.

PART THREE

Nat walked out into the bright morning
and decided to ride out to the old Johnson place to take a look at
the cabin before she would go make an offer to rent it out for the
winter. She walked into the livery and saddled up Hardy then headed
out of town with Gyp on her heels. There was a definite chill in
the air and Nat predicted there would be snow flying soon. If the
cabin was still in good shape Nat would rent it out and get busy
preparing supplies for the coming winter months.

Nat was relieved to find the cabin in
good shape and with a small barn and smoke house it served as an
ideal place to spend the winter. Curious, she rode a few hundred
yards further down the road until she reached a fairly new
farmhouse which surely must be Marissa’s home. Nat felt strangely
comforted to know that Marissa was close by which left her emotions
rather confused.

After Marissa had left her room last
night, Nat lay in bed thinking how great it felt to have Marissa’s
hands on her body as a rush of pleasant warmth came over her body.
The longer she thought of her, the warmer her body became and she
felt a dampness growing between her thighs. Nat’s fingers probed
the wetness as she thought of Marissa and her body was soon
trembling with pleasure. Confused by these new feelings and totally
exhausted, Nat slipped into the most restful sleep she had
experienced in a long time.

Nat returned to town and once again
left Hardy at the livery and walked back to Smithy’s to retrieve
her payment. She left the furrier and went directly to the bank to
deposit the majority of her funds into the bank for safe keeping.
She also met with Mr. Barker who owned the Johnson place and rented
out the cabin paying for all three months in advance.

Nat also returned to the general store
and ordered up supplies she would need for the winter and requested
they be delivered to the Johnson place the following day. Nat had
decided she and Gyp would spend one more night at the hotel and
would move into the cabin first thing the next morning.

The day slipped by quickly, nightfall
setting in as Nat headed back to the hotel. She was disappointed
that Marissa was not in the dining room, but ordered up another
hearty meal from the hotel owner’s wife. Nat devoured pan fried
chops and fresh vegetables sharing the bones and scraps with Gyp
who accepted her masters offering with licks from her soft
tongue.

Nat took a large mug of spiced apple
cider out to the porch where she sat with Gyp and watched as large
snowflakes began to spiral down from the sky. Nat laughed as Gyp
jumped into the air trying to catch the flakes before they floated
to the ground.

“
Quite a pup you have
there,” Smithy said as he walked up to the porch and sat beside
Nat.

“
Yes she is,” Nat said. “Dad
and I found her at a burnt out wagon site as we worked our way
west,” she said. “You would never know from looking at her now that
she was abandoned by her mother as the runt of the litter,” Nat
added.

“
Those usually turn out to
be the best of the litter,” Smithy proclaimed.

“
Well I know I couldn’t ask
for a better companion,” Nat said as Gyp returned to the porch and
laid her head in Nat’s lap.

Smithy chuckled and said, “I think that
feeling is mutual. I am going to head in to get some dinner, but
please don’t be a stranger this winter,” he stated.

“
I will stop in whenever I
come into town,” Nat promised as the huge man left the
porch.

Nat finished her cider and she and Gyp
retired for the evening. After a hearty breakfast, she and her
traveling companions would move into the Johnson place and she
would begin preparing their home for the winter.

Nat’s mind whirled with plans as she
prioritized the tasks she would need to complete in the next few
days. She walked over to the window and peered out to see that the
snow had almost completely stopped. Hopeful that the first heavy
snows would hold off for a few days Nat curled up on the
comfortable bed and drifted off to sleep.

The next morning Nat packed up her
goods before heading down for breakfast. She was pleased to see
that Marissa had returned to the dining room and deducted that she
must work most mornings which Nat felt was a great way for her to
start her day.

Marissa approached her table and with a
warm smile asked, “What can I get you this morning?”

“
Why don’t you surprise us,”
Nat replied with a grin as Marissa poured her a cup of
coffee.

“
Not a problem,” Marissa
said as she spun around and headed to the kitchen.

Marissa returned a few moments later
carrying a steaming platter of fried eggs, bacon and fried potatoes
and a small plate with the same combination for Gyp. She sat the
plates down in front of Nat and Gyp and watched as the two devoured
the food.

“
This is fantastic,” Nat
said and Gyp raised her head long enough to lick her lips in
agreement.

“
I thought you might want
something hearty this morning,” Marissa said. “It is really cool
outside this morning and this should help to keep you warm,” she
added.

“
This is exactly what we
needed today,” Nat said. “We will be moving into the Johnson place
today so we have lots of chores to do.”

“
So we will be neighbors
then,” Marissa stated.

“
Looks that way,” Nat
responded with a smile.

“
I get off later this
afternoon,” Marissa said. “Would you mind if I stopped in to check
on you later,” she asked.

“
No, not at all, feel free
to visit anytime,” Nat told her as she gobbled down another
mouthful of the food.

“
Okay then, since you will
be busy why don’t I stop by with some supper,” Marissa
suggested.

“
That sounds delicious,” Nat
said as she wiped the corner of her mouth. “From the looks of the
weather I am a few days behind in preparing for winter so I won’t
take time to cook,” she added.

“
I will see you later today
then,” Marissa said as she turned to walk back to the
kitchen.

Nat finished her meal then went to the
desk to pay her bill before returning to her room to gather her
packs. Marissa was in the dining room when she walked down the
stairs and Nat tipped her hat to her as she left the building. Nat
walked to the livery and paid her bill there and then saddled Hardy
and her father’s mount and packed her bags on Quincy. Nat mounted
Hardy and they rode out of town as the sun was rising.

It was a brisk twenty minute walk to
the Johnson place that morning and Nat watched as Gyp ran ahead of
her chasing different scents, but always returning to where her
master was. Nat thought that after all was settled in a few days,
she and Gyp would do some hunting so she could begin training the
small pup.