Finding Home (11 page)

“
Want to no, need to yes,”
Marissa said.

“
I will carry the water if
you will get the fire started beneath your wash pot,” Nat
said.

“
Fair enough,” Marissa said.
“When you get back from town, I want these clothes you are wearing
so I can wash them too.”

“
Yes ma’am,” Nat said as she
moved from the bed to get dressed.

They walked outside to find that most
of last night’s snow had melted and they held hands as they walked
to Marissa’s house. Nat stepped inside the smokehouse to find the
wood nearly depleted and she placed more wood on the smoldering
embers. The wash pot was already hung over the fire pit, so Nat
picked up the bucket and moved over to the well to begin pumping
water as she watched Marissa lay a small fire. Marissa placed a
small bundle of dried grass under the center of the wood and
disappeared inside her home. She returned a few moments later with
a small shovel filled with embers from her fire place which she
dumped onto the dried grass. They watched as the grass burst into
flames and ignited the dried wood.

Nat carried four more bucket of water
to fill the pot halfway and then returned the bucket to the
porch.

“
I will be back soon,” she
said then she kissed Marissa softly.

“
Hurry back,” Marissa said
as she walked toward the house to get her clothing.

“
Let’s go Gyp,” Nat said as
they walked to the road to town.

Gyp ran ahead of her with her nose near
the ground searching for the scent of any wild life in the area.
Nat watched her trail a scent twenty yards ahead of her and smiled
at the small dog. She continued to walk as Gyp disappeared from the
road into the dense woods. She emerged again five minutes later and
trotted back to Nat.

“
Did you have a nice run?”
Nat said as Gyp took up pace beside her master.

A few minutes later, they reached town
and Nat walked directly to Smithy’s shop.

“
Hello, Nat,” the large man
said. “How are you today?”

“
I am well, Smithy and you?”
Nat answered.

“
Very well, thank you. Is
there something I can do for you today?” he asked.

“
I took a very large buck
yesterday, with an impressive rack and I wondered if you were
interested in purchasing it?” Nat asked.

“
These greenhorns pounce all
over buck heads to mount in the smoking rooms,” Smithy said, “so
bring it in and I will take it off your hands.” He smiled at Nat.
“What about the pelt?”

“
I need to have some new
breeches made from that,” Nat said with a smile.

“
There is an Indian woman
right on the outskirts of town, that makes wonderful deerskin
breeches,” Smithy said.

“
I will have to look her up
then,” Nat said. “I will bring the buck head in tomorrow,” she said
as she left his store.

“
See you tomorrow then,”
Smithy said, as she left the building and walked to the general
store.

Nat picked out a dozen apples and
bought a pound of cane sugar as well. She browsed around the store
and selected a lavender scented candle and some fragrant shampoo.
With her small package tucked beneath her arm, she and Gyp left the
store. Instead of turning right to go home, Nat took a left and
walked to the edge of town to find a small shack. Sitting on the
porch, tanning a length of buckskin was a beautiful Indian
woman.

“
Good morning,” Nat said, as
the woman looked up.

She returned Nat’s warm smile. “Good
morning, my sister,” she said.

“
Smithy said you make the
best buckskin breeches,” Nat said. “I have a pelt and a need for a
new pair,” she said.

“
Bring the pelt to me
tomorrow and I will measure you then,” the woman said.

“
How much do you charge for
the breeches?” Nat asked.

“
The remainder of your pelt
and a bag of those apples,” the woman said with a smile.

“
I will see you tomorrow
then,” Nat said and with a smile she was gone.

The woman had very little in the way of
possessions. Nat had snuck a peek inside the small building and
there was very little stored in the woman’s food pantry. A bag of
apples was very cheap price for a pair of breeches so Nat planned
to bring a few extras to exchange for the pants. She and Marissa
had plenty venison, so Nat would bring her a slab of the smoked
meat and maybe a small bag of flour.

Gyp raced ahead to Marissa’s and was
sitting on the porch with her when Nat walked into the
yard.

“
Well now aren’t you two the
perfect pair?” Nat asked.

“
We were wondering if you
were going to finally show up,” Marissa said. “Gyp has been here at
least five minutes.”

“
Four legs are twice as fast
as two,” Nat reminded her.

“
Very funny,” Marissa said
with a grin.

“
I was thinking as I
walked.”

“
Thinking of what?” Marissa
asked.

“
I have always wanted to see
the ocean,” Nat said. “Nathan and I were supposed to go this year,”
she said sharing a sad memory.

“
You are so very close to it
now,” Marissa said. “A good day’s ride and you would be
there.”

“
Would you mind looking
after things for a few days while I am gone?” Nat asked.

“
Like what?”

“
Keeping the fire going in
the smokehouse and feeding the animals, except Hardy and Gyp who I
assume will be going with me,” Nat teased as she reached down to
stroke Gyp’s fur.

“
I think I can handle that
for a few days,” Marissa said. “When are you planning to
leave?”

“
You go back to work the day
after tomorrow correct?”

“
Yes,” Marissa
said.

“
I will leave then,” Nat
said, “If that is fine with you.”

“
I will hate to see you go,
but I know that you will be coming back soon,” Marissa
said.

“
I would think no more than
four days,” Nat said, as she took out her knife and started peeling
the apples. “I assume you want these peeled?”

“
Yes, please,” Marissa said.
“Let me get a bowl and you can core and slice them too.”

“
That’s the least I can do
for fresh apple pie,” Nat said. “Here, I brought you something
too,” Nat said as she handed Marissa the package.

Marissa opened it to find the scented
candle and the fragranced soap. “We can use these later tonight,”
she said.

“
I wasn’t sure if you needed
sugar for the pie so I bought some just in case.”

“
I think I still have some,
but it never hurts to have more,” Marissa said. “I will be right
back,” she said and disappeared into the house.

She returned with a bowl and sat beside
Nat as she peeled and sliced the fruit. When Nat had finished,
Marissa picked up the peelings and headed for the yard.

“
Where are you going with
those?”

“
I was going to toss them
into the fire,” Marissa said.

“
Good idea, but make it the
one inside, it will make the house smell so sweetly.”

“
I hadn’t thought of that,”
Marissa said.

“
I think I will go tend to
the animals while you put the apples on to cook,” Nat
said.

“
Stop by your house and pick
up some clean clothes and something else to put on now so I can get
those washed.”

“
Yes ma’am,” Nat said as she
walked to her barn, with Gyp close on her heels.

The afternoon sun still burned brightly
down on her shoulders warming her as she toiled with her chores.
She fed the animals and checked her tack to insure it was in good
shape for her trip. Her buckskins and warm shirts were clean and
would serve her well on her trip. She would camp out under the
stars or if the nights turned too cool she would seek shelter. Nat
was excited to know that very soon she would make another of her
dreams come true.

Nat walked into her house and went into
her bedroom to pack her bedroll. She would travel light, but have
adequate gear to keep her body warm during the cold nights. Her
years in the woods with her father had taught her so much and Nat
followed her instincts so naturally due to her training.

Nat walked outside to draw a
bucket of water and poured it into a large bowl. She stripped out
of her clothing and used the water to wash her body. After she was
as clean as possible, Nat slipped into a flannel nightshirt and
some buckskin slippers. She chose a clean pair of dungarees and
work shirt to change into after her bath and with Gyp following her
closely she returned to Marissa’s.
She stepped inside Marissa’s
kitchen.
“You certainly look comfortable,”
Marissa said.
She was spooning the cooked apples onto a piecrust and Nat sat
at the table to watch as she placed the top crust above the
steaming fruit and pressed it onto the edge of the pie
plate.
“You make that look so easy,” Nat
said as she watched Marissa’s hands move gracefully around the edge
of the pie plate.
“It is easy,” Marissa said.
“Easy for you maybe,” Nat said with a
wink.
“It will take a couple of hours for
the pie to bake, so we can take that bath while it cooks, if you
would like,” Marissa said.
“I will start carrying in cold water
from the well and we can use some of the wash water that is already
boiling, if that is fine with you,” Nat said.
“That’s fine and I will wash these
while you carry the water,” Marissa said, as she picked up Nat’s
dirty clothing. “They are well overdue for washing.”
“I guess I could buy a few more pairs
of dungarees,” Nat said.
“That might not be a bad idea,”
Marissa said as she wrinkled her nose.
They walked outside together and she
dropped the clothing into the wash pot as Nat started carrying
water inside. She lit the candle on one of her trips inside and it
quickly filled the room with the scent of lavender. When Nat had
the tub filled halfway, she walked to the wash pot and started
dipping out hot water as Marissa stretched her clean, wet clothing
over the porch railing to dry. After a half a dozen buckets of the
hot water were added to the bathtub, Nat thought it was the perfect
temperature for a bath.
She stepped outside and took
Marissa’s hand and led her inside. She slowly unbuttoned the
buttons on her dress and lowered it from Marissa’s shoulders. Nat
smiled at the perfect, white skin that was unveiled as the fabric
of the dress was slowly lowered down Marissa’s body.
“So beautiful,” Nat whispered as her
hands lowered first the dress and then Marissa’s
undergarments.
Marissa’s body trembled under the
soft touches of her fingers and Nat smiled as she caressed her
body. “Are you ready for a bath?” she asked sweetly.
“Oh yes,” Marissa said nearly
breathless.
Nat helped her into the tub of steamy
water and then pulled her nightshirt over her head. She picked up
the bottle of shampoo and stepped into the tub. She used a tin cup
to scoop the water over Marissa’s head to soak her curls then
poured some of the fragrant shampoo into her hand. She gently
massaged the shampoo into Marissa’s scalp and then rinsed her head
clean. She then pulled Marissa’s body back against her body and
placed Marissa’s head on her shoulder as she began to softly stroke
Marissa’s body under the water. Marissa turned her face toward Nat
and her eyes begged for a kiss. Nat lowered her mouth onto
Marissa’s as their tongues swirled together.
Nat’s hands cupped Marissa’s breasts
and gently squeezed as their tongues continued to dance.
“Oh yes, Nat, take me please,”
Marissa breathed when they broke their kiss.
Nat turned Marissa’s body to face
hers and pushed her across the tub until she was pressed against
the far end of the tub.
“Grab the sides of the tub,” Nat
said.
She
watched the excitement cross Marissa’s face when her body began to
float to the surface of the tub. Nat moved between Marissa’s
outstretched legs and her smile grew as she approached her lover.
Marissa’s thighs draped over Nat’s shoulders as Nat’s hands
returned to cup Marissa’s breasts. Nat nibbled the inside of
Marissa’s thigh as her mouth moved closer to the downy covered
mound between her thighs.
Nat’s fingers moved down to gently
part Marissa’s lips as her tongue lapped at the soft bud, bringing
it awake as Marissa forced her hips above the water. Nat placed her
hands beneath Marissa’s body and supported her above the water as
her tongue probed Marissa’s lips until it slid deeply into her
opening. She swirled her tongue inside Marissa as her hips bucked
in pleasure forcing Nat’s tongue deeper inside her body. Nat lapped
and licked Marissa until she screamed out in pleasure and her
thighs clamped around Nat’s head.
When Marissa could speak again, she
purred across the water to Nat. “That was unbelievable,” she said,
her face still flushed a deep red.
“You have got to feel how good that
felt,” she said as she pushed Nat against the back of the tub. She
kissed her passionately, tasting the sweetness of her pleasure on
Nat’s lips. The taste only increased her hunger as she lifted Nat’s
legs above her shoulders, as Nat grabbed for the edge of the
tub.
Marissa’s tongue entered Nat’s body
deeply and Marissa encircled one of her thighs with her arm and her
fingers stroked across Nat’s blood swollen bud. Nat closed her eyes
as the pleasure coursed through her body in waves until it built
beyond her control and she flooded Marissa’s face with her
juices.
Nat pulled Marissa into her body and
they kissed deeply until the water began to cool. Marissa dunked
Nat under the water and when she surfaced, she washed Nat’s hair
and then her body. After they rinsed their bodies, they climbed
carefully from the tub and dried their bodies. Nat slipped the
nightshirt over her head and opened the drain on the tub as Marissa
went into the bedroom. When she returned she was wearing a soft
nightgown, her damp hair lying softly on her shoulders.
“Are you getting
hungry?”
“I am starving,” Nat said.
“Have a seat at the table then, while
I heat up some dinner,” Marissa said with a warm smile.
Nat watched as Marissa moved
effortlessly around the kitchen, placing the meat and canned beans
in the fireplace to warm. She checked the pie and it was coming
along well. It should be ready by the time they finished dinner, so
Marissa also put a pot of coffee in the fireplace. After dinner
they could share the pie over a cup of coffee, she thought as she
turned back around to find Nat watching her.
“You are so beautiful,” Nat said, as
she watched Marissa approach.
She sat in Nat’s lap and they shared
a heated kiss.
“You keep kissing me like that and I
will be having you for supper,” Nat said as her hands slid under
the nightgown.
“You can have me for dessert,”
Marissa promised as she stood up to set the table, “After the apple
pie, of course.”