He smiled and nodded, happy she understood and even happier she was his bride.
When they bedded down for the night, she snuggled into his side, and though he wasn’t surprised, he was in awe of this woman, who was willing to bare her soul and let him know how she felt.
*****
SALLY WOKE BEFORE TOMthe following morning, and she lay there watching him sleep as the sun rose behind him.She knew she must have done something good in her life to have a man like that feel so much for her, but she had no idea what.She was anything but perfect.
She had never been overly pious, not minding working on Sundays or missing church when she had to.Perhaps God knew she wasn’t perfect and didn’t blame her for it.
Tom woke slowly to find his beautiful wife watching him.Had it been anyone but her, he would have felt bothered by realizing someone was watching him sleep, but it was his dear Sally.How could he complain?
Even if he’d wanted to complain, there was no time, because her mouth was against his as soon as he’d opened his eyes.That’s when he realized that while he’d slept, she’d moved under his blanket.He wondered if she’d recently started cuddling with him or if it had happened much earlier in the night.
He hated to stop kissing her, but it was getting light out, and they needed to get started if they were going to be home in time for her to plant a garden.Finally, he broke off the kiss and sighed.“Time to go.”He kept the sentence short for fear of his stammer, but she seemed to understand.
Immediately, Sally rolled away from him and picked up their blankets.“Should we eat on the boat this morning?”she asked.
At his nod, she made preparations for both meals for their day.They didn’t need plates as the foods were eaten with fingers, but she wrapped enough food in cloth so they could have breakfast and lunch as they moved.
They’d boiled the water the previous night, so she removed the lid from the pot and poured two flasks full of water for them to drink as they moved along.She wished he’d brought more, but he’d had to pack lightly.
Once the pot was stowed in the back of the boat, they were ready to go.“Do you ever read books?”she asked as they got into the boat for their day on the water.
He nodded.
“My favorite author is Jules Vern.He writes the best science fiction I’ve ever read.Have you readJourney to the Center of the Earth?I love his use of volcanoes and prehistoric beasts.And the fact that he goes into a volcano in Iceland and comes out in Italy.It truly sparked my interest in both literature and science.I’ve read my copy of that book over and over again.My mother bought me a copy for her last Christmas on this Earth.”
Tom listened, smiling at her quick information about the book.He could listen to her talk all day, and now that she knew why he didn’t respond, he had a feeling that’s exactly what would happen.
