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realizing it was a sensitive issue for her.  "I honestly don't know.  I don't think I would, but I don't know."
    She nodded.  "Thank you for not lying to me about it."
    He turned to her, kissing her forehead.  "I will never deliberately lie to you.  I may sometimes do it inadvertently, but never on purpose."
    "Thank you." 
    "This is where my land starts."  He pointed to a fence made of barbed wire.  "It's still going to be a little bit of a drive to the house, though."
    She looked out over the land, spotting a large group of cattle standing together.  "Are those yours?"   She was starting to get excited.  Cows.  Real cows and she would have a say in how they were raised.  At least she hoped she would.
    He nodded.  "They're ours."  He squeezed her tightly with the arm still wrapped around her.
    She smiled.  "I'm going to need a hot bath when we get to the house.  My leg isn't going to hold up for much longer if I don't get one."  She hated having to admit to it, but she knew it was the only thing that would make it so she could cook even one meal that evening.
    Colin frowned.  "I have a pump in the kitchen, and we'll need to heat up the water.  I can do that for you while you rest if need be."   He hated that she was in pain and was willing to do anything he could to help her.
    Elaine shook her head.  "Sitting in the wagon on the way out will be enough rest.  I'll put the supplies away while I heat the water.  You can go out and work."  She hoped he'd listen to her, because she really didn't want to have to take a bath in front of him.
    He grinned.  "I don't mind.  I'll even soap your back for you if you need me to."
    She blushed.  "I don't think that will be necessary."  She knew she'd wasted a lot of his time that day.  "How late do you usually work?"
    He shrugged.  "It really depends on the day.  I like to have supper around five or six if I can make that happen."  He'd never been good about being on a routine, but he liked the idea of a wife helping him to stick to one.
    She nodded.  "I can definitely help you with that."  She saw a small house in the distance.  It was made of wood, and much smaller than what she'd grown up in, but she'd had four sisters, and there had been servants everywhere.  It would be just the two of them.  "Do you have a family?" she asked.
    He pulled up in front of the house and walked around to help her down.  "I do.  They're all back East, though.  My parents are still in North Carolina, and my brothers and sisters are scattered all over.  One brother is in Maine, another in Kentucky.  My sisters stayed close to home, though."
    "I never thought to ask.  How old are you?"  She couldn't believe she didn't know the age of her own husband.  What kind of wife didn't know that?
    "I'm twenty-eight.  I moved out here when I was twenty-one."  He started carrying things into the house while she walked inside and looked around.  It was very small, but it would be cozy.  There was a big room at the front of the house that served as kitchen, living area, and dining room all at once. 
    There was a small bedroom at the back of the house with a bed big enough for two people, but just barely.  Where would she sleep?  He'd promised her two nights.  She bit her lip, trying not to fret over the inconsequential detail.  She could see the outhouse out one of the windows, and that answered her question about whether there was an indoor bathroom.  Apparently, she would be going outside to attend to her needs.  That was one thing she would really miss, she knew.  A bathroom was something she'd always had back in Beckham.
    She hurried to the basin and pumped water into a large pot, putting it on the stove.  She peeked into the stove and saw that the fire needed to be started.  Knowing there was no way she could manage to kneel down to do it, she waited for him to bring in a load of supplies.  "Would you mind starting a fire for me?"
    His eyes widened with