LITMIR.BIZ

       Chapter Six

      She’d survived two weeks of marriage. Johanna mentally marked the date on the calendar, and a sense of satisfaction curved her lips in a smile. It had been a busy two weeks, too, what with making several trips to town, facing the glances of the curious the first time out. After that, it had been easier.

      Even in church on Sunday, they’d been greeted by one and all, with hardly a raised eyebrow to be seen among the congregation at Johanna Patterson’s quick trip to the altar.

      Tate was ambitious, she’d give him that, working from early till late. Today was no exception, breakfast barely swallowed before he hustled out the door. He’d lingered only long enough to place a warm hand on her shoulder, reminding her of a button he’d managed to lose from his shirt last evening. She’d agreed to replace it, her mind taken up with the touch of his hand, flustered by his nearness.

      And then he’d been gone, leaving her to consider the strange awareness he aroused within her. He was a toucher; she’d noticed that with the boys, and he was given more and more to gaining her attention with a passing brush of those long fingers and broad palms against her arm or waist when the mood struck him.

      From outdoors, a squeal of laughter and a shout from Timmy commanding his brother to “Watch me now!” caught her attention, bringing a smile to Johanna’s lips. Whatever the little scamps were up to, it sounded as if they were enjoying it mightily. Another whoop of glee caught her attention, and she left the sink, wiping her hands on the front of her apron.

      From the doorway, she watched as Pete scampered from beyond the side of the barn. He carried handfuls of straw, tossing it in the air, blowing it vigorously, trying without much success to keep one piece afloat on the updraft his small lungs provided.

      Johanna laughed, pleased at his carefree expression, relieved that the frown he’d worn like a favorite garment over the past weeks seemed to have disappeared.

      “Watch me slide!” Timmy’s high voice demanded attention once more, and Johanna halted midway to the stove.

      Slide? What on earth could the child be doing? Where was he playing? The only thing around the corner of the barn was the big strawstack.

      And in that moment, she knew.

      Spinning on her heels, one hand outstretched to open the screen door, she ran. From the corner of the barn, Pete caught sight of her flying footsteps, dropping the remnants of straw he held, his eyes darkening as he watched her advance.

      “Pete, have you been playing on the strawstack?” Her hands held the. front of her dress from the ground as she hurried past him, not awaiting his reply, already certain of what she would see as she rounded the corner.

      “Pete? Are you watchin’ me?” Feet poking holes kneedeep as he climbed, Timmy was tackling the far side of the stack, gleefully chuckling as he plunged into the smoothly layered straw.

      Johanna’s hand lifted to cover her mouth as she watched, her aggravation at the ruin of the stack diluted by the child’s pleasure. Once more down the slope wouldn’t cause any more damage than he’d already done, she decided with a grimace.

      Finally reaching the top, Timmy levered himself into place, and with a final whoop sailed down the smooth slope, landing in a pile of yellow straw. He lifted both hands to his face, brushing the floating wisps of straw from his eyes, catching sight of Johanna as he blinked.

      “Did you see me, Miss Johanna?” Pride and laughter fought for supremacy in his chortled query as he knelt at the foot of her ruined strawstack.

      “Yes, I saw you, Timmy.” Her voice was a dead giveaway, she knew, all harsh and breathless from her hurried trip across the yard. “You boys had no business climbing the strawstack. You’ve managed to make holes all over it for the rain to get in. It’ll be ruined if we don’t get it under cover before a shower comes up. Your pa has enough to do, without this kind of a mess to take care of.”

      Behind her, a snort of impatience announced Pete. “You just don’t want us to have any fun. You think we should just work all the time on your old farm.”

      Johanna spun to face him. His jaw jutted forward as he completed his accusations, and his eyes squinted at her in the bright sunlight. Hands stuffed in his pockets, he stood spraddle-legged at the corner of the barn, defiance alive in his glare.

      “Don’t you know better than to play in the straw, Pete?” Living on a farm all his life as he had, surely his father had warned him about ruining a stack of straw. Canvas was hard to come by, but once the pile was disturbed, the rain would not slide from its surface, and only the heavy fabric would keep the stack dry and usable.

      “My pa always let us have fun back home,” the boy answered, his mouth drawn into a pout.

      “I want you to have fun here,” Johanna said quickly. “But not at the expense—” She drew a deep breath. It was no use scolding any longer. She’d only succeeded in making the child angry as it was, and poor Timmy was crouched in a pile of straw, looking as if he were about to be scalped.

      “I’m sorry to have shouted at you. What’s done is done.” Johanna reached one hand to Timmy, taking several steps to where he squatted, almost in the cave where she’d pitched out straw from the side of the stack. “It’s time for dinner. Come up to the house and get washed up,” she told him, waiting for him to take her hand.

      With a quick look at his brother, Timmy nodded, standing and accepting the hand she offered. “We was just climbing the mountain,” he explained, his brow furrowing, his nose wrinkling as he sought to move a straw resting there.

      Johanna swept her free hand through his dark hair, her fingers fluffing the stray yellow wisps from its silken length. Her heart went out to the child, his innocence shining from eyes so blue they reminded her of summer skies.

      “We were just playin’, and my pa won’t like

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