can't travel as well as men. They aren't as hardy" He dropped his voice again. “You ought to see their faces.”
"They lose their excitement?" she asked, anxious for his answer.
"You might say they're looking at us as though we both have two heads."
"Good, they deserve it after what they've put us through." Raising her voice, she said, "Why are we going so slow now? I'm freezing half to death, I can't see, and you've decided to slow up. Damn, I'll never figure men out. I'll never figure you out."
"Is there anything you won't complain about? I've listened to just about all I can take. Too fast; too slow. Damn, you ever happy?" He turned toward Willow and murmured, "Boy, you should see them now. They could step on each other's lower lip.”
"You think we're overdoing it? I mean―"
"Don't go getting soft on me now," Brett interrupted. "They deserve a good jolt of reality. I don't think I've worried this much over anything, and that includes the bastard who’s trying to sabotage me."
"I had nothing to do with putting rocks in your well," she shouted. "Why would I? As for bleach in your water, at this moment it sounds like a good idea!"
"Boys," Brett shouted, "Are we glad to see you. Looks like you did okay last night."
"Wasn't that snow great? We had a snowball fight this morning," Lance said, then added, "What's wrong with Mom?"
"She's fine, a little snow blindness," Brett answered.
"A little snow blindness? Do you have any idea how miserable this is? It burns and hurts. A little snow blindness! I think I've had about enough of your male-ego comments. You want to talk to me, do it through Lance. I've had enough." She swung her leg over her horse and paused when she felt Brett's large, warm hands grasp her waist and lift her into his arms. She wanted to wrap her palms around his neck. She wanted to taste his mouth on hers.
"Put me down, my legs aren't broken," she snapped.
"If I put you down, they more than likely will be. I thought you weren't talking to me.”
"You guys are still arguing?" Sean sounded unhappy.
Willow wished she could share that they were more than getting along, but controlled the urge. They deserved the deception. "It's too bad your father isn't more like you, Sean." Feeling a slight pinch in her waist through her jacket she wanted to giggle, but didn't let the boys off so easily.
"You fight all night too?" Lance asked.
"Not important," Brett said. "Let’s get into some shelter and let your mom warm up." Still holding her intimately close, he squeezed her.
Fortunately, nine-year-olds wouldn't notice something like that. "What possessed you boys to take off without permission?"
"It's my fault," Lance offered. "Me and Sean―"
"Sean and I," Willow corrected.
"Sean and I thought if you spent some time together, you might start liking each other. We like being together and can't figure out why you guys don't."
"Yeah," Sean added. "You're a girl and he's a boy. You're supposed to like each other."
Willow struggled to suppress a giggle. The boys were closer to the truth than they knew. "You can't force people to like each other, boys . Some men and women just don't get along, especially when the boy is stubborn and always right."
"Now just one minute,” Brett said, walking toward the cave opening. “I've not once said you were wrong. It just happens my decisions were based on more experience and knowledge. It bothers you that I just might be right.”
"Now I've heard everything. More experience and knowledge my as . . . my foot!" She buried her face in his shoulder to keep from laughing.
"Tell you what, boys." Brett stopped under the rock overhang, just short of the cave opening. "Unload the equipment and saddles and leave them in the dry entrance area here. Get those horses down to that stream for a drink. Scrape off some snow in a good square area, there's spring grass under there for them to eat. They deserve a good meal." He moved into the cave.
"They didn't say a word," she
"They lose their excitement?" she asked, anxious for his answer.
"You might say they're looking at us as though we both have two heads."
"Good, they deserve it after what they've put us through." Raising her voice, she said, "Why are we going so slow now? I'm freezing half to death, I can't see, and you've decided to slow up. Damn, I'll never figure men out. I'll never figure you out."
"Is there anything you won't complain about? I've listened to just about all I can take. Too fast; too slow. Damn, you ever happy?" He turned toward Willow and murmured, "Boy, you should see them now. They could step on each other's lower lip.”
"You think we're overdoing it? I mean―"
"Don't go getting soft on me now," Brett interrupted. "They deserve a good jolt of reality. I don't think I've worried this much over anything, and that includes the bastard who’s trying to sabotage me."
"I had nothing to do with putting rocks in your well," she shouted. "Why would I? As for bleach in your water, at this moment it sounds like a good idea!"
"Boys," Brett shouted, "Are we glad to see you. Looks like you did okay last night."
"Wasn't that snow great? We had a snowball fight this morning," Lance said, then added, "What's wrong with Mom?"
"She's fine, a little snow blindness," Brett answered.
"A little snow blindness? Do you have any idea how miserable this is? It burns and hurts. A little snow blindness! I think I've had about enough of your male-ego comments. You want to talk to me, do it through Lance. I've had enough." She swung her leg over her horse and paused when she felt Brett's large, warm hands grasp her waist and lift her into his arms. She wanted to wrap her palms around his neck. She wanted to taste his mouth on hers.
"Put me down, my legs aren't broken," she snapped.
"If I put you down, they more than likely will be. I thought you weren't talking to me.”
"You guys are still arguing?" Sean sounded unhappy.
Willow wished she could share that they were more than getting along, but controlled the urge. They deserved the deception. "It's too bad your father isn't more like you, Sean." Feeling a slight pinch in her waist through her jacket she wanted to giggle, but didn't let the boys off so easily.
"You fight all night too?" Lance asked.
"Not important," Brett said. "Let’s get into some shelter and let your mom warm up." Still holding her intimately close, he squeezed her.
Fortunately, nine-year-olds wouldn't notice something like that. "What possessed you boys to take off without permission?"
"It's my fault," Lance offered. "Me and Sean―"
"Sean and I," Willow corrected.
"Sean and I thought if you spent some time together, you might start liking each other. We like being together and can't figure out why you guys don't."
"Yeah," Sean added. "You're a girl and he's a boy. You're supposed to like each other."
Willow struggled to suppress a giggle. The boys were closer to the truth than they knew. "You can't force people to like each other, boys . Some men and women just don't get along, especially when the boy is stubborn and always right."
"Now just one minute,” Brett said, walking toward the cave opening. “I've not once said you were wrong. It just happens my decisions were based on more experience and knowledge. It bothers you that I just might be right.”
"Now I've heard everything. More experience and knowledge my as . . . my foot!" She buried her face in his shoulder to keep from laughing.
"Tell you what, boys." Brett stopped under the rock overhang, just short of the cave opening. "Unload the equipment and saddles and leave them in the dry entrance area here. Get those horses down to that stream for a drink. Scrape off some snow in a good square area, there's spring grass under there for them to eat. They deserve a good meal." He moved into the cave.
"They didn't say a word," she
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