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Homer squawked and landed on the boulder a few feet away.
“You’re a little late,” she told the bird. “I already saw him.” Digging in her pocket for a raisin, she added, “But that’s all right. You’re still a good lookout.”
“Look out,” the bird squawked. “Look out.”
With Homer at her heels, checking to see if she dropped another raisin or two, Maddie walked to where Lucky pulled the boat ashore. “How was your trip?”
He took the time to kiss her—as she knew he would—before answering, “Good. How was your day?”
She followed him to the other side of the boat and lifted out a good-size bundle while telling him, “I think our honey hole has gone completely dry.”
“An empty sluice again?” he asked, gathering several things to carry to the tents. They now had three. Tents that was. Mainly for the things he kept hauling home.
“Yes,” she answered. Deep down, she couldn’t quite believe it. That unexplainable sense that had come to life when she first picked this spot along the river was still there. Gold still had to be here, too. Maybe she wasn’t digging deep enough. “Abe and Tim got a good-size nugget today, and Sylvester Whitehouse found some good color, but his rocker tipped over and cracked. I told him mining alone is difficult.”
Lucky held the door open with his foot, waiting for her to enter first. “Did you help him fix it?”
Heat rushed into her face. A few weeks ago she wouldn’t have cared a whit if another miner’s rocker had broken, and Lucky knew that. “I had to,” she justified. “He doesn’t have anyone else to help, and the brothers were busy, having found that nugget and all.” After setting the package she’d carried on the table, she changed the subject. “Albert made a ham today. He bought it off Wylie Roper. Wylie’s going upriver and didn’t want to haul everything with him. I’ll warm it up for you. You must be hungry.”
Lucky caught her by the waist when she turned to head toward the door. “I am hungry,” he said in her ear, “but not for food.”
Maggie giggled and leaned back against him. She’d never been in such good spirits, which, in truth, was rather spectacular. As was Lucky. The first time they’d come together as lovers she’d claimed it was better than finding gold, and had been right. All it took was one touch from him and her entire being grew more excited than gold ever made her.
“You think that’s funny?” he asked, kissing her neck.
She tilted her head, giving him more access. “You’re always hungry.”
He twirled her around to face him, and she looped her arms around his neck, stretching on her toes for a soul-shattering kiss. The kiss hadn’t yet ended when he started unbuttoning her dress.
Though it was what she wanted, she pulled her lips from his to whisper, “We have to finish unloading the boat.”
Without slowing his deft fingers, he answered, “The rest can be unloaded in the morning.”
The fear of theft no longer lived inside her nonstop, not with other thoughts overtaking her mind and body, yet she insisted, “We’d be better off to do it tonight.”
“We’ll do it tonight, all right,” Lucky answered. Pushing her dress open, he added, “I thought about this all day. Coming home to you.”
Shivering with delight as he dipped his head and kissed her from shoulder to shoulder, it was a moment before Maddie stated, “You say that every time you go to town.”
“Because I mean it.”
His fingers were now on the ties of her camisole, and Maddie wasn’t sure if that was why her heart skipped several beats, or if it was because she believed him. “We really should unload the boat,” she said, feeling as if she should at least attempt to pretend she’d thought of little else but him since he’d rowed down river this morning. The idea of doing exactly what they were right now lived in her mind day and night.
“We can’t unload the boat,” Lucky answered, hoisting her into his arms. “What I bought is too heavy for me to lift alone. I’ll need one of the brothers to help me.”
“I can help.”
“It’s too heavy for you to help.”
Slightly miffed, Maddie pushed at his shoulders. “I can—”
“No, you can’t,” he insisted, and stopped any additional protest with a kiss.
His swirling tongue sent her senses reeling, yet indignation was still coiled in her stomach. She cut the kiss short to ask, “Why? What did you buy this time?”
