Mary Connealy by Golden Days Read Free Book Online Page B

calmly turned to a pail of water and washed her hands; then she took off her bloody apron and tossed it over a tree stump that stood next to her makeshift table. Without warning, she whirled around, launched herself the few feet separating her from Amy, and hugged her.
    Amy staggered back. Her healing ribs protested, but she caught Meredith and hugged her back. “What is it?”
    Amy looked over Meredith’s shoulder and saw Braden pause in his chopping to look at them and arch an eyebrow. Amy shrugged.
    Whispering, Meredith said, “I’m so sick of mutton I could die!” Her voice broke. Amy felt Meredith’s shoulders shudder, and tears dripped onto her neck. Amy controlled the urge to smile.
    Braden shook his head and disappeared into the woods, no doubt walking past perfectly cured wood lying at his feet to do things the hard way.
    “The reason we’re eating it right now is that Ian and Tucker love fresh meat. So do I as a rule. We need to refill the smoke-house before winter, but in the meantime, my menfolk want fresh steaks!”
    “What about salmon? It’s time for the salmon runs.”
    Meredith nodded. “Ian’s been watching the river. He’ll bring in a good supply of that, soon.”
    “I know a place a few miles downstream that’s away from the river. I’m not sure how far we came yesterday, but that stream may be closer to you than it was to my home. I’ll find it. My mother and I used to spear enough fish to last all winter with only a couple of days work.”
    Tears filled Meredith’s eyes. “That sounds good. But for now, I’ve got to finish cutting the steaks off this beast, then cut the rest in strips so I can start smoking it.” Her shoulders sagged, and she looked over her shoulder at the raw meat.
    “I’ll smoke the meat, Merry.”
    Meredith dashed her wrist across her eyes. “I’m just being silly today. I’m sorry. It seems I cry at the drop of a hat these days. I’ll finish this. I’m almost ready to light a fire in the smokehouse. Go tell Braden to stop chopping and start picking up the wood that’s lying thick on the ground.” Meredith smiled, then turned back to her chore, fastening her apron firmly around her slender middle.
    Amy turned to hunt up Braden, and for the first time she really saw the cabin.
    Tiny.
    Amy’s face heated up as she realized the cabin had only one little room tacked on, and she’d taken it. The log cabin, little more than twelve-feet square before the extra room half that size was added, had barely enough floor space for three people to lie on the floor.
    She’d ousted Meredith and Ian from their bedroom. Well, that couldn’t happen again, not for one single night. But she couldn’t share a room with Braden. What could she do? She headed around the cabin to tell Braden his long morning’s work was a waste of time.

Seven
    “And then she has the nerve to tell me I’m wasting my time.” Braden’s irritation with the little woman wouldn’t ease as he tromped through the trees. He’d have ignored her if she hadn’t told him Meredith agreed.
    Braden picked up sticks, Amy’s voice taunting him. “Just pick wood up off the ground. It’s a fraction of the work, and it’s cured and ready to use.”
    He filled his arms a dozen times, admitting the pile of wood grew far faster than when he’d split logs. Amy picked up sticks, too, although he’d deliberately gone in a different direction from her for fear of what he’d say in his irritated state.
    He should have gone mining with Ian and Tucker, but he’d wanted to stay here and start earning his keep. He emptied his arms and turned to go into the woods again when Meredith came outside carrying a small bundle covered with a large gingham cloth. Braden recognized it as being among the things he’d brought from home. He still winced with embarrassment when he remembered the clock. He’d been in Alaska a day and already learned time didn’t matter.
    “Did you notice the cabin up the river, on past