Chase the Wind by Cindy Holby - Wind 01 - Chase the Wind Page A

‘em shelter. He has some coin,” he added.
    “The first thing you need is a bath,” the woman began. Faith didn’t know or care if the mention of Ian’s coin had motivated her. She just knew that at the moment a bath would be wonderful. The woman sent her brother off to get the tub with instructions on where to put it. She then put some water on to heat.
    Ian appeared at the back door with their bags. The woman gave him a good look up and down. “I take it you have stolen this lassie away.” Ian flashed his grin at her through his mud-smeared face. She looked at Faith and winked. “He’s a keeper, for sure.” Faith smiled at her, and the woman took her arm and led her into a small room off the kitchen. “We’ll do your bath in here and then let your man have the leftovers.”
    Jonas came clanking in with a tin washtub and deposited it in the middle of the floor. He returned shortly with the water that had been heating and filled up the tub. Faith could see Ian in the kitchen beyond, inspecting the pot of soup on the stove.
    After Jonas left, the woman said, “Let me take your clothes. We’ll get them washed and dried before morning comes.” Faith let the woman help her out of her wet clothes, wondering if this was what it would have been like to have had a grandmother. The woman left, and Faith settled into the tub with a sigh of relief and let the hot water soak the chill out of her aching bones. She finally felt inspired enough to wash her hair, and rinsed it with a bucket of water that had been left for that purpose. She dried herself with a towel and wondered what she was to put on when the woman showed up with a huge robe.
    “I know it’s a mite big, but it’ll do for tonight,” she explained. Faith smiled at her gratefully and wrapped the thing around her. She went into the kitchen and found Ian sitting at the table wrapped in a blanket. He motioned with his eyes at the heap of wet clothing on the floor by the door. He flashed his grin and went back to work on the bowl of soup in front of him, ignoring the wet and matted hair that hung over his eyes. The woman set a bowl of soup in front of Faith.
    “Molly here is famous for her soups,” Jonas commented from his place at the table. His own bowl was nearly empty.
    “I can see why,” Ian added, and the woman beamed.
    “Why don’t you go on to your bath and have another bowl when you come out,” she suggested. Ian hastily finished his bowl and, gathering the blanket around him, disappeared into the other room. When he was safely behind the closed door, Molly sat down at the table. “Is anyone chasing after you two?” she asked Faith.
    Faith looked at the brother and sister, who were gazing back at her with some concern. Behind her in the bath she could hear Ian whistling, and she imagined him lathering himself with the soap. She set her spoon down and folded her hands in her lap. “Yes,” she said quietly. “I was supposed to marry Randolph Mason to morrow.”
    Jonas began to laugh. “I told you, Molly. I told you she was the one.”
    Faith’s eyes grew wide with fear as she looked at the two who were laughing at the table. Surely they hadn’t come all this way just to be betrayed now.
    “Jonas, you’re scarin’ the girl,” Molly said and reached out her hand to comfort Faith. “Randolph Mason is not my brother’s fa vorite person.”
    “If takin’ you two in can cause him any pain, then I’m glad I did it, the cheap bastard,” Jonas sputtered out between his laughter. “I never had dealin’s with such a spoilt brat in all my life.”
    “Jonas can carry a grudge for years,” Molly said.
    “Well, then you’ll be pleased to know we left him lying in the mud with a bullet in his shoulder,” Faith said with a smile.
    “ Yer man took care of him?” Jonas asked.
    “He puthim in the mud. I added the bullet,” Faith explained. Brother and sister exchanged looks, then broke into uproarious laughter. Jonas began to choke, and