Finding Home Page 7

  Marissa raised her hips and moved down beside Nat on the bed. She hungrily licked her juices from Nat’s face as her fingers unfastened Nat’s belt and the buttons of her dungarees. Nat raised her hips from the bed and pushed the pants down her thighs as Marissa’s hand disappeared between her thighs.

  Nat’s fingers found Marissa’s body still soaked and she entered her again with two fingers and moved with the same rhythm as her lover. Nat strained, thrusting her hips off the bed as she drove Marissa’s fingers deep inside her body and they came together, one soul twisting in the winds of pleasure.

  Nat held Marissa in her arms for nearly an hour as they rested quietly together, not sleeping, but remaining silent in the wake of their passion. Nat looked out the window and saw the snow coming down in large flakes.

  “Do you still want to hunt today?” she asked.

  “I am so content to just lie here in your arms,” Marissa said.

  “There will be plenty of time for that later,” Nat said. “That won’t feed us during the long cold winter ahead,” she added.

  Marissa smiled. “As long as you are here to share it with me, I could care less about food,” she said.

  “That is very sweet of you to say, but that won’t help us survive the cold,” Nat said.

  “I know you are right, but you sure are warm and comfortable,” Marissa teased as she rolled off the bed.

  Nat stood and buttoned up her dungarees. “Your new clothes are on the chair,” she said to Marissa.

  Marissa walked to the chair and opened the small package revealing the wool shirt and dungarees Nat had bought for her. She located her bra and bloomers, slipping them on before she pulled the shirt over her head and stepped into the dungarees.

  “You did very well with the fit,” Marissa said, as she turned to show Nat.

  “Yes, it appears I did,” Nat said with a smile. “You look very nice,” she said.

  “Thank you,” Marissa said. “Are you ready to go hunt now?” she asked.

  “I will be in just a moment,” Nat said, then took Marissa in her arms for a long, slow kiss.

  “Now we can hunt,” she said as they left the bedroom.

  Nat took her range coat down from the hook by the door and slipped it over her shoulders, then handed Marissa her new coat. Once more, Nat had chosen well and the coat would provide great warmth for her lover. Next she walked over to the mantle and pulled down the two rifles resting there, handing one to Marissa.

  “Have you ever shot one of these?” she asked.

  “A few times, yes,” Marissa answered.

  “Great, let’s go then,” Nat said and they stepped outside.

  The snow was beginning to accumulate on the ground and made a soft crunching sound as they walked behind the cabin and into the woods.

  “Our buck will probably be moving around to stay warm and if we are lucky we will cross his path and be able to track him,” Nat said.

  She watched as Gyp moved ahead, her muzzle to the ground as she searched for scent. Several times she would trot off the path they had taken only to return moments later ahead of them.

  Nearly an hour had passed without any sign of movement in the woods. The snow had grown heavier, limbs burdened with its weight began to snap or hang low to the ground. It had grown colder as well and their breath blew like smoke out of their mouths and noses as they traversed the wooded hillside.

  Nat was about to suggest they turn back for the day when she saw Gyp’s ears perk to a sound just ahead.

  “Easy girl,” Nat whispered to the excited dog as they crept forward as quietly as they could.

  They reached a small clearing that looked down over a small creek and standing there taking a drink was the buck Nat had thought they would find. He was large. His rack spread easily thirty inches and he would easily weigh two hundred pounds.

  “Do you want to take him?” she asked.

  Marissa looked at her with fear in her eyes. She was doubtful about being able to kill such a majestic creature and her trepidation was evident to Nat.

  Nat had to remind herself that not everyone was a natural born hunter and it may take several hunts for Marissa to become comfortable with killing for food. Until then, Nat would provide for them and teach Marissa all she knew about hunting.

  “I will take this one,” Nat said.

  Marissa watched as Nat raised the rifle to her shoulder and took aim at the buck. Nat waited until he raised his head as he smelled the air, but too late to catch their scent as her finger pulled back against the trigger and a single shot rang out. The buck fell to the ground as the shot echoed down the valley and Gyp raced forward.

  Nat had hit him squarely in the heart, dropping him immediately, killing him instantly, preventing any suffering he would have felt, had her shot not struck a fatal blow. They walked down to the creek and Nat turned to Marissa.

  “This part gets a little messy,” she said as she took a long knife from her boot. “You might want to look away,” she warned.

  “I will be fine,” Marissa said and she watched Nat as she knelt down beside the buck.

  “Thank you for giving your life to us my brother to keep us fed during the winter to come,” Nat said as she drew the knife across the buck’s throat to drain the blood from him.

  Next, Nat plunged the knife deep into the buck’s chest and made a cut the length of his entire underside to eviscerate the animal and prepare him to be carried back to the cabin. She took two lengths of rope from her small pack and tied the buck’s hooves together in front and back while she sent Marissa in search of a long branch they could use.

  They struggled at first with the weight of the buck, but after several minutes they were traveling comfortably back through the forest to the cabin. They lowered the buck next to a tree and Nat disappeared into the barn for a length of rope which she used to hoist the buck above the ground.

  “Would you mind going down to your smokehouse and starting the fire I have laid there?” Nat asked.

  “Not at all, Nat,” Marissa said as she took the rifles inside and then disappeared down the path to her house with Gyp closely in tow.

  Nat quickly removed the buck’s pelt and draped it across one of the porch railings. She then began sectioning out the buck in quarters, carving out the ribs and loin meat. She carefully laid the meat on the stump she had used to chop firewood as she finished off cutting up the carcass. She laid the bucks head to the side. He would make a beautiful display that she would treat and mount for sale in town. Nat hated to waste any part of an animal and would put as much of it to good use as possible.

  Marissa was returning to the cabin when Nat turned around next and she asked her to bring her the large box of salt from the cupboard. When she returned, Nat asked, “Do you want to watch how I do this?”

  “Yes, I would,” she answered.

  “Take the rib sections and I will carry the quarters,” Nat said.

  They carried the meat down to the smokehouse and laid it across a small table. “Would you get us a bucket of water?” she asked.

  Marissa disappeared and came back moments later with a bucket of water. She watched as Nat rinsed off a large hind quarter and then sprinkled the meat with a generous portion of the salt. She then tied the quarter to the rafter above the fire and reached for the second. Marissa had already rinsed it and Nat watched as she coated with meat with the preserving salt. The ribs had to be strung on meat hooks to suspend them over the fire and soon they had hung all the meat for smoking except the loin. Nat took her knife and cut five large steaks before treating the rest of the meat and hanging it.

  “Supper,” she said as she picked up the steaks and rinsed them in the water.

  Marissa returned the bucket to the porch and followed Nat and Gyp back to her cabin. Nat laid the meat on a small table and went outside to wash up from the hunt.

  “Why don’t you make us some biscuits,” Nat said as she began to season the steaks. “I think I still have a few potatoes left th
at I can slice and fry with the steaks,” she said.

  “Sounds good,” Marissa said as she located the flour and started making dough.

  Marissa placed the tray of biscuits on the embers as Nat sliced the potatoes and dropped them into the two skillets where the steaks were already cooking. She placed a lid on each of the skillets and walked over to Marissa.

  “Nothing to do but wait,” she said as they walked to the table to sit.

  “You did well today,” Nat said. “That deer meat will last for several months and will help us survive if the winter gets too harsh to travel into town,” she said.

  “You made everything look so easy,” Marissa said. “I am not sure I will make much of a hunter,” she admitted.

  “That is no problem,” Nat said. “Hunting is all I know and I can keep us in meat all winter long if needed,” she said. “There is no need for you to kill,” she said.

  Marissa blushed, but she knew Nat was correct in her assessment. She would go hungry before she would pull the trigger on an animal and Marissa knew this and accepted it politely.

  “As long as you keep making biscuits, we will make a great team,” Nat said with a smile and reached over to cover Marissa’s hand with hers.

  “You have a deal, my friend,” Marissa said and returned her smile, relieved that Nat was not disappointed in her.

  Nat pulled off her work shirt and rinsed it in the bucket she used for washing clothes and hung it by the fire to dry. Marissa admired Nat’s taut upper body as she moved about the cabin in her undershirt.

  Nat turned away from a task and caught Marissa watching her. “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 glow of the lamp coming from the bedroom and followed it like a moth to a flame.

  Marissa was lying in the bed waiting for her return.

  “Welcome back,” she purred from the nice warm bed.

  Nat smiled at her and reached behind her head to pull the undershirt off her body. She then sat down on the bed and unlaced her boots and removed them and her socks. Nat stood to unfasten her pants and turned to see Marissa watching her closely.

  Marissa had not had the opportunity to watch Nat undress and she smiled as Nat’s hands slowly lowered the dungarees and tossed them aside. She admired Nat’s long, lean body in the soft glow of the oil lamp and was disappointed when Nat reached over and turned off the oil.

  Marissa felt the covers rise and then felt the weight of Nat’s body as she entered the bed. Nat pressed her cold body next to Marissa’s and was welcomed into her warm arms with a passionate kiss. Marissa pulled Nat on top of her and wrapped her legs around Nat’s waist, holding her close as her body warmed. The full moon had risen and was shining through the bedroom window as Nat looked down into Marissa’s face. Her dark eyes shined with excitement as Marissa said, “Love me tonight, Nat.”

  Nat covered her mouth with a kiss and loved her slowly and tenderly then later with wild abandon. Marissa’s sounds of pleasure rang in Nat’s ears as she loved her deep into the night and finally collapsed exhausted in Marissa’s arms for a night of dreamless sleep.

  PART SEVEN

  The next morning Nat woke to the smell of frying bacon. Marissa’s spot in the bed had turned cold as Nat reached for her and realized she was not in the bed. She stretched her body and then quietly crept from the bed and slipped on some clothes. The air in the bedroom had grown cool with the dying of the fire and Nat placed more logs on the embers and stirred them until a small flame licked up the sides of the newly placed wood.