Page 12 of The Hunted Wife

Taking two of the largest cast iron Dutch ovens she could find, she placed them on the stove and placed three large spoonful’s of Crisco in them then she put a lid on both of them until she was ready to heat them.

Millie was cleaning up the counter from cutting up the chicken she was preparing to be fried. She used a large cutting board but there is always a mess anyway. Some blood runs off the cutting board to the counter and must be cleaned with bleach.

Adam appeared at the door to the kitchen. He leaned against the frame, arms crossed over his chest, and watched her, a smile on his face.

“You look like the cat that just ate the canary. I know something is up. What is it?”

“Nothing’s up, I just realized what a beautiful woman I married.” He walked over.

He stopped so close she had to crane her neck to look up at him. Millie didn’t move. Her heart beat so hard she thought it would pound a hole in her chest to escape.

But she didn’t want to escape. She was ready for a man…this man. He was the one she’d been waiting for. She didn’t have any idea how she knew this certainty, but she knew it to be the truth.

Adam reached up and released the knot she’d wound her hair into.

The blonde mass of waves fell down past her waist to her hips.

“I haven’t seen you with your hair down.” He reached out and ran his fingers through her hair, separating curls as he went. “It’s beautiful…like liquid gold spilling down your back. I can’t resist its call.”

She was proud of her hair. It was the one thing she refused to change about herself when she was on the run. She wouldn’t dye it or cut it. Instead she wore it twisted in a bun, in braids she wrapped around into a bun on top of her head or hidden under a ball cap.

“Thank you.” She started to pull away.

Adam fisted her hair with his right hand and gently pulled her close, then he released her hair and wrapped his arms around her. “Your hair is so soft and beautiful. Why don’t you wear it down?”

“It gets too hot when I’m cleaning or cooking. Since you seem to want to spend time with me, why don’t you take me on a horseback ride? I haven’t been riding for a long time.” That was such a long time ago. Another lifetime. When life was simple and my father was my hero. Not the man who sold me to the highest bidder.

Adam ran a finger along her jaw and then cupped it, tilting her head until she looked at him. “Millie. Are you all right? You suddenly looked sad and then angry. Is there something wrong?”

“No. I’m fine. I need to be back in time to cook dinner but a nice two-hour ride sounds like fun. What do you think? Can you take off from the ranch?”

“Yes. I’ll just let Benjamin know where we’re going. You shouldn’t ever take off without someone knowing where you’re headed. It’s too easy to get lost in the mountains or to forget about the time.” Then he grinned. “And I won’t be taking off from the ranch. We’ll always be on the ranch property, and we’ll look for strays at the same time.”

She tilted her head and furrowed her brows. “Strays?”

He laughed. “I guess you didn’t live on a ranch before coming here. Strays are cows that have wandered off from the rest of the herd. We find them and herd them back with the other cows.”

“As long as we get to ride and are back in two hours, I’m game.” She looked down at the summer dress with an apron that she wore. “Let me change my clothes.”

“I don’t suppose you have any riding boots in your magic suitcases do you?”

She shook her head. “No, but I have some winter boots with a heel that isn’t too high. Do you want to come look?”

Adam nodded and followed her upstairs to her bedroom.

Millie walked to the closet and pulled out her winter boots.

“Even though it’s early spring, it’s really warm today and those would be much too warm. Why don’t you try on Mom’s cowboy boots? Maybe some of her clothes will fit you and we’ll get lucky and her shoes will, too.”

“I’ll try them on and if I can wear them, I will. Otherwise I’ll wear the winter boots with light socks.”

“Fine. Why don’t you meet me out in the barn?”

“Okay. I’ll be just a few minutes.” Millie quickly donned jeans, a shirtwaist blouse and his mother’s boots, which fit Millie like they were made for her. Then she ran out of the bedroom and outside to the barn on the east side of the yard.

While she walked to the biggest building on the property she also noticed the bunkhouse, which was a one-story building with wood siding that blended with the surrounding forest. As did all the buildings except for the big house which was made of roughhewn logs. That’s what the Sullivan’s called it—the big house. She’d only been there a few days and already she was catching onto some of their nicknames for things.

When she got to the barn she found Adam outside one of the stalls. She walked up to him and saw he was petting the most beautiful, pure white horse. Millie knew a little about horses from her younger years, but couldn’t see the animal well enough to determine if it was a stallion or a mare.