Spanish Flame by Patricia Bates

Author:Patricia Bates
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781937325824
Publisher: Beachwalk Press, Inc.
Published: 2014-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 10

Evangelina groaned, the cramp in her lower back throbbed dully when she hefted yet another bucket of water onto the stone counter within the small cabin. Beyond the walls, she could hear Adam crashing through the timber, the strikes of his ax a constant rat-a-tat that filled the daylight hours. She turned to survey the interior with a worried frown.

Jammed together, the spartan room held a rickety table and two small, rough stools in the center. The fireplace took up most of one wall, thick, heavy stones mixed with mortar kept out the cold. Several small candles sat on plates atop a mantel, the wax nearly melted and congealed into an ugly glob on the surface. Even used sparingly, they would be without any light in the evenings before long.

In the corner, tucked beneath what could laughingly be called a pantry—their pallets lay. The woven branch mats Adam had made for their beds lay on raised platforms in an attempt to keep them warmer. Threadbare, with a stale smell, two thin blankets were their only defense against the chill after the fire went out at night. Atop her pallet, straw peeked from the opening of Adam’s satchel, the only hint of comfort he’d offered.

She turned from her perusal of her home and focused on Adam. He sat hunched over a tool in his lap, the rest scattered about the ground. He’d taken his shirt off to reveal the toned bronze of his skin. Evangelina swallowed hard, her fingers itched to trace over the exposed flesh, to see if it was as smooth as it looked. She longed to learn the mysteries of the muscles that bunched and rippled with each movement of his arms, each shift of his legs. Leaving her work, she walked to the door and leaned against the jamb, her eyes following a bead of sweat down the middle of his back.

“You gonna rest there and stare or you going to check the fish trap?” Adam’s tired voice sent a shard of electricity up her spine. Her breath tripped in her chest, her heart began to pound when she looked away from the sun-shrouded figure in the doorway.

Evangelina stared at her hands. “Pardon?”

“The fish trap? You check it yet?”

“No, why would I check it? There are fish in it, slimy, live fish…” Curiosity prickled along the edges of her mind as she looked up at him.

“If you want to eat, you’ll go check it,” Adam shot back, an impatient look on his face. “I can’t do everything, now go check it.”

“And what if there are fish in it?” Evangelina demanded. “I know nothing of killing fish. Surely you don’t expect…”

“Very well, I’ll go get the fish.” Adam lifted his hand and shoved the saw into her grasp. “You cut the planks that are needed to patch that hole.” He gestured to the ceiling. “Then when you’ve got it cut, you’ll need to finish cutting the log to shore up the south wall. I made a couple of thick, braided ropes, one’s over by the stump.

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