afraid of her than she’d ever be of him. She’d known it even in the darkness when he’d jumped at the sound of her voice.
Without warming, he opened one eye. “Where’s breakfast?” he mumbled.
She shrugged and pulled the covers over her. “I think I’ll be one of those wives with the nature to sleep ’til noon.”
He pulled the blanket off her head. “I don’t think so. I’m starving. You agreed to cook breakfast.” He frowned, but she could see the cracks in his armor.
She climbed out and stretched, then laughed at the way he stared at her. She was learning to read this man, and if she was right, he’d just forgotten all about breakfast.
“On second thought . . .” He opened her side of the covers. “We could sleep a while longer.”
“Oh, no.” She laughed. “I’ll put on coffee and bring you hot water. Then I’ll cook breakfast while you shave.”
He groaned.
She grabbed her clothes and disappeared before he had time to argue. Ten minutes later, when she brought him a cup of coffee, he’d managed to sit up but he looked like he’d been thrown by a horse a few times.
“Do you need any help?” she asked.
“I’m fine.” He frowned. “Could I get you to bring the washstand over here?”
“Sure.” She leaned close and kissed his cheek. “Good morning, dear. Always wake up on the wrong side of the bed?”
“Yep,” he answered. “It’s my nature.”
She moved the nightstand so that he could reach the pitcher and bowl without standing. “Where is your shaving cup and razor?”
“In the mudroom,” he answered.
When she returned, loaded down with everything that had been by the back sink, Aggie studied him. Hank was pale and the pain still reflected in his eyes, but he looked better than he had yesterday.
“How do you like your eggs?”
“Any way you make them,” he answered as he brushed hot water into the soap cup and began to circle. “Just make it an even dozen.”
She nodded and turned toward the door.
“Aggie?” He stopped her with one word.
“Yes.”
“Last night was really something.”
She grinned, not allowing his fancy words to sway her. “I agree,” she whispered, and vanished before he saw her blush.
Thoughts of how he’d touched her filled her mind as she made breakfast. Thanks to Lizzy and Blue, the milk and eggs were in the cold box along with butter. Bread and apples sat on the table. Aggie mixed up a fine breakfast.
Hank had dressed by the time she checked on him.
“Can you make it to the table or shall I bring it in here?”
“I can make it.” He stood, then swayed like a tall pine about to tumble.
She moved to his side and helped all she could as they slowly crossed to the kitchen. The stove she’d lit already warmed the room. He sat at the table while she poured him another cup of coffee and served her first cooked meal to him.
He ate as if he’d been starved for days, downing the bread almost as fast as she could spread butter and jelly on it.
They were just finishing when Blue stepped through the back door with a box on his shoulder.
Aggie stood. “Wonderful.” She nodded at Blue. “You brought supplies. Hank’s already eaten through a week’s worth this morning.”
“Nope,” Blue said, setting the box down on the far end of the table. “The supplies are still in the wagon. Jeb sent this box over for you.”
Aggie wiped her hands on the towel she’d been using for an apron and looked inside. Guns, more than twenty of them, all different brands and sizes, each with a tag tied to the handle.
She lifted the first one. “Firing pin broke.” The second said, “Trigger jammed.” The third read, “Needs a good cleaning.”
“Jeb said he has never seen anything like it,” Blue mumbled as he poured himself a cup of coffee. “Folks started coming in as soon as the rain slowed yesterday. He told me to tell you that he knew you probably had your hands full with taking care of Hank, but he thought he better have me
Without warming, he opened one eye. “Where’s breakfast?” he mumbled.
She shrugged and pulled the covers over her. “I think I’ll be one of those wives with the nature to sleep ’til noon.”
He pulled the blanket off her head. “I don’t think so. I’m starving. You agreed to cook breakfast.” He frowned, but she could see the cracks in his armor.
She climbed out and stretched, then laughed at the way he stared at her. She was learning to read this man, and if she was right, he’d just forgotten all about breakfast.
“On second thought . . .” He opened her side of the covers. “We could sleep a while longer.”
“Oh, no.” She laughed. “I’ll put on coffee and bring you hot water. Then I’ll cook breakfast while you shave.”
He groaned.
She grabbed her clothes and disappeared before he had time to argue. Ten minutes later, when she brought him a cup of coffee, he’d managed to sit up but he looked like he’d been thrown by a horse a few times.
“Do you need any help?” she asked.
“I’m fine.” He frowned. “Could I get you to bring the washstand over here?”
“Sure.” She leaned close and kissed his cheek. “Good morning, dear. Always wake up on the wrong side of the bed?”
“Yep,” he answered. “It’s my nature.”
She moved the nightstand so that he could reach the pitcher and bowl without standing. “Where is your shaving cup and razor?”
“In the mudroom,” he answered.
When she returned, loaded down with everything that had been by the back sink, Aggie studied him. Hank was pale and the pain still reflected in his eyes, but he looked better than he had yesterday.
“How do you like your eggs?”
“Any way you make them,” he answered as he brushed hot water into the soap cup and began to circle. “Just make it an even dozen.”
She nodded and turned toward the door.
“Aggie?” He stopped her with one word.
“Yes.”
“Last night was really something.”
She grinned, not allowing his fancy words to sway her. “I agree,” she whispered, and vanished before he saw her blush.
Thoughts of how he’d touched her filled her mind as she made breakfast. Thanks to Lizzy and Blue, the milk and eggs were in the cold box along with butter. Bread and apples sat on the table. Aggie mixed up a fine breakfast.
Hank had dressed by the time she checked on him.
“Can you make it to the table or shall I bring it in here?”
“I can make it.” He stood, then swayed like a tall pine about to tumble.
She moved to his side and helped all she could as they slowly crossed to the kitchen. The stove she’d lit already warmed the room. He sat at the table while she poured him another cup of coffee and served her first cooked meal to him.
He ate as if he’d been starved for days, downing the bread almost as fast as she could spread butter and jelly on it.
They were just finishing when Blue stepped through the back door with a box on his shoulder.
Aggie stood. “Wonderful.” She nodded at Blue. “You brought supplies. Hank’s already eaten through a week’s worth this morning.”
“Nope,” Blue said, setting the box down on the far end of the table. “The supplies are still in the wagon. Jeb sent this box over for you.”
Aggie wiped her hands on the towel she’d been using for an apron and looked inside. Guns, more than twenty of them, all different brands and sizes, each with a tag tied to the handle.
She lifted the first one. “Firing pin broke.” The second said, “Trigger jammed.” The third read, “Needs a good cleaning.”
“Jeb said he has never seen anything like it,” Blue mumbled as he poured himself a cup of coffee. “Folks started coming in as soon as the rain slowed yesterday. He told me to tell you that he knew you probably had your hands full with taking care of Hank, but he thought he better have me
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