My Guardian Knight by Lynette Marie Page B

the sun brightened even the farthest corners of the room.  When the house was gleaming, she brought Marissa in and together they baked bread and peach pie and threw together a small lunch to take out to their men.  They stepped into the barn, pausing so their eyes could become accustomed to the dimness, and called out for Sebastian and Matthew.  When Sebastian saw them he smiled and mentioned that he knew of a perfect place for a picnic.  The children ran excitedly ahead as they crossed behind the barn to a small creek that ran through their property.  Dropping down beneath a large oak tree, they waited for Amanda to hand out the cheese sandwiches she had made with the freshly baked bread.  Munching happily, they all lounged against the tree and enjoyed the lovely day.  It was with reluctance that Sebastian headed off back to work and Amanda returned to the house.
                  That evening, just as the sun was about to set,
    Matthew and Sebastian were strolling home across the prairie when Matthew caught sight of a baby bunny.  “Look at that
    ‘Bastian! A baby bunny! Can I pet it?”
                  “If you can catch it,” he said, chuckling.
    Matthew set off at a run and chased the poor little rabbit all the way back to a small copse of young trees.  By the time he came back he was winded and his face was beet red.  “Couldn’t catch it, huh?”
                  Matthew glared at him as he tried to catch his breath.  “Why didn’t you tell me I couldn’t catch it?”
                  Sebastian ruffled his hair as they continued on their way.  “Because some things you have to learn on your own.  I’ll tell you what: If you start bringing a carrot out each day and show the bunny you won’t hurt it, maybe he’ll learn to
    trust you enough to let you pet him.”
                  “But that’ll take forever!” he whined.
    Sebastian stomped his boots off at the door to the cabin.  “But wouldn’t it be worth it?” he asked as the boy followed him thoughtfully through the door. 
    Sebastian stopped abruptly just inside, the changes Amanda had made, along with the sumptuous smells of supper, all hitting him at the same time.  He looked around at the clean, cozily lit room, his daughter setting the table and his ‘wife’ standing over a pot at the cookstove.  All at once he felt as if he’d finally come home.  Ushering Matthew before him they cleaned up and took their places at the table as steaming plates of chicken and dumplings were set before them.  Sebastian ate quietly, gazing thoughtfully at his new family and the transformed little cabin.  A feeling of belonging surrounded him and filled a void he hadn’t realized was there. 
    He smiled at Amanda, and she returned his smile sweetly.
                  “Guess what we found in the field, Mama?”  
                  “What did you find, sweetheart?”
                  “You can tell her, ‘Bastian.  We found a bunny ,
    Mama!  Not just any old bunny but a little baby bunny!  It was
    so pretty and I tried to catch it but it ran too fast!”
    Amanda graced Sebastian with an angelic look before turning back to her son.  “That’s wonderful!  Maybe next time you can pet him.”
    Matthew nodded emphatically before continuing to munch on his chicken and dumplings.  Marissa was quiet, as Sebastian assured Amanda she had always been.  “I’ll be starting on the stable tomorrow since I was able to get the barn fixed earlier than I expected.”
                  “That’s wonderful!”
      “I’ll be pretty busy for the next several days and I won’t always be able to take Matthew with me.  I’ll try to watch for my deliveries so they won’t disturb you.”
    Amanda smiled.  “Don’t worry about it, I don’t mind.”
    “Once I get the stables up and stocked I can begin working with the horses.  I plan to train them