Finding Home by Ali Spooner

“What are you thinking?” she
asked.
     
    “ I was admiring how handsome
you are, Nat,” Marissa said blushing.
     
    “ Thank you,” Nat said
blushing as well as she moved to the fireplace to check on
dinner.
     
    “ Is there anything you can’t
do?” Marissa asked.
    “ Cook biscuits and make
decent gravy,” Nat said and Gyp let out a small bark to confirm her
statement. “See even Gyp knows my weaknesses.”
     
    Marissa laughed and when she did her
blue eyes sparkled even brighter. Nat felt her knees go weak
whenever she saw that look in Marissa’s eyes. A rush of heat passed
through Nat’s body and she picked up the water bucket and headed
outside for water and some cooler air. When she opened the door she
stopped dead in her tracks.
     
    “ You have got to come see
this,” she said to Marissa.
     
    Marissa and Gyp leapt to their feet and
walked to the door. Nat stepped aside so they could see the ground
covered with several inches of pure white snow.
     
    “ Beautiful,” Marissa said as
she stood beside Nat.
     
    “ Almost too beautiful to
walk on,” Nat said, “but I am thirsty,” she said as she stepped off
the porch.
     
    Gyp ran past Marissa and flew off the
porch into the blanket of snow following Nat. Nat bent down and
grabbed a handful of snow and pressed it into a ball before tossing
it to Gyp. Gyp jumped to catch the ball which disintegrated in her
mouth as soon as she caught it. Gyp shook her head and cocked it at
her master, looking dumbfounded as the ball melted in her
mouth.
     
    “ It’s called snow, Gyp,” Nat
said with a laugh as she lifted the pump handle to draw some fresh
water.
     
    Gyp raced her back to the porch where
Marissa was waiting for them. “Beautiful, but cold too,” she said
as she led them back inside.
     
    She took the bucket from Nat and dipped
them each a glass of water and set a bowl for Gyp.
     
    “ Will you stay here with me
tonight?” Nat asked.
     
    “ Only if you promise to keep
me warm,” Marissa said as Nat pulled her into her lap.
     
    “ I think I can do that,” Nat
said.
     
    “ I am sure you can,” Marissa
agreed and leaned into Nat for a kiss. “I am getting warm already,”
she said when they broke the kiss.
     
    “ There is much more of that
to keep you warm all night long,” Nat promised.
     
    “ I am off tomorrow, so I
will look forward to being kept warm all night long,” Marissa
whispered into Nat’s ear as her tongue trailed down Nat’s
neck.
     
    They kissed and caressed each other
until dinner was ready and they shared a hearty meal, with plenty
of leftovers for the next day. When Nat could eat no more she
pushed the plate away from her and sat back in her
chair.
     
    “ I am about to explode,” she
said. “That was one fine meal,” she said.
     
    “ We make a good team,”
Marissa said.
     
    “ Yes we do,” Nat
said.
     
    She stood to start clearing the table
and was stopped by Marissa.
    “ I will get these,” she
said. “Why don’t you relax?” she said.
     
    “ I will go down to the
smokehouse and check the wood then while you pick up the table,”
Nat said. “Then we are all done for the night and can both relax,”
she said.
     
    “ That is a good idea,”
Marissa said as she watched Nat and Gyp leave the cabin.
     
    Marissa rushed to clean the dishes and
then turned out the lamps except for one which she turned down low.
She tossed another log in the fireplace in the bedroom and turned
the lamp by the bedside low as she stripped off her clothes and
climbed between the cold sheets.
     
    Nat and Gyp walked the path down to the
smokehouse where Nat placed several logs on the fire and checked
the security of the meat. Content that everything was progressing
well, Nat locked the smokehouse door and she and Gyp walked back to
the cabin.
     
    The room was dim as she walked inside
and hung her coat by the door. She turned off the oil to the lamp
and the room was pitched into darkness. She could see the soft