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the nightgown over her chemise and bloomers.
               She
turned out the lamp and sat on the edge of the bed.   When Brett moved and pulled her down onto the bed with him, his
arms wrapped tight around her, she almost screamed.   “I told you I couldn’t.”
               “I
know, but that isn’t going to stop me from holding you all night.   Besides, your cold.”
               She
didn’t say anything as he tugged her up against him.   He was so warm that she wanted to sink against him to soak up the
heat.
               “Relax,
Mindy, I’m not going to bite you.   At
least not tonight I won’t.   Now go to
sleep and get some rest. Morning isn’t too far off.”
               She
held herself rigid against him until exhaustion took over and she relaxed.   She felt solace with his strong arms wrapped
around her and she wasn’t afraid like she had been since her pa passed of being
alone in the house.   She closed her eyes
and drifted off to sleep.

Chapter Four
     
               Mindy
woke alone in bed.   She squinted against
the bright sunlight streaming in her window and groaned.   She’d overslept.   Something she hadn’t done in ages.   What must Brett think of a wife who let him get up without making
him breakfast and coffee?   She hopped
out of bed and washed up with the tepid water from the pitcher and basin on her
dresser, dressed, and ran downstairs.
               She
entered the kitchen and looked out the screen door to see Brett, Scuffy, and
the men talking by the buckboard.   She
opened the door and walked over to them.   “What’s going on?”
               Brett
smiled at her.   “Corky and Truman are
going into town to get the lumber we need and some other things.   Do you need them to get you anything while
they are there?”
               “No
thanks.   Did you have breakfast?”
               “Yep,
with Scuffy and the men.   There’s a
plate of flapjacks keeping warm in the oven in the bunkhouse for you too.   Come on, I might just steal one from you
they are so good.”
               Mindy
smiled when he took her arm and led her to the bunkhouse with Scuffy following
them.   She sat down at the table while
Brett poured each of them coffee and Scuffy placed the plate of pancakes in
front of her.   “They look
delicious!”   Scuffy pulled out a chair
on one side of her and Brett on the other.  
               Scuffy
grinned.   “You watch what she does with
them thar flapjacks first, Brett.”
               “Doesn’t
she just cut into them and start eating?”
               “Nope.   Watch.”
               Mindy
smiled, picked up her knife and cut the stack of pancakes down the middle, then
down both sides before pouring maple syrup all over them.   She forked the ones in the middle clear to
the bottom and popped them into her mouth, chewed, and swallowed.   “They’re heavenly, Scuffy.   This is such a treat!”
               Scuffy
chuckled.   “You know, Brett, Mack and
her used to have me go up to the house and cook a big pile of flapjacks high off
the plate so they could see who could put all the middle part in their mouth
without loosing any off their forks.   It
was somethin’ to see.”
               “Who
won?”
               “Mindy,
of course.   Her pa used to tease her
that the only reason she beat him each time was that women had bigger mouths
than men.”
               Brett
grinned.   “I would never tell her
that.   She might stab me with the fork!”
               Mindy
didn’t pay them any mind and ate her pancakes.   They were made the way she liked them with gobs of freshly churned
butter and lots of maple syrup.   When
she was finished, she sat back in her chair, and sighed.   “Thank you, Scuffy,” she said and turned to
Brett, “and thank you for