For the first time since she’d arrived in Alaska, Lula fell asleep with a man’s steady breathing at her back and did not feel trapped.She felt chosen.
*****
Sometime before dawn, Lula stirred against the warmth of Sebastian’s chest and found him already awake, his hand resting lightly at her waist as if he meant to comfort her rather than wake her.In the hush of the cabin, he kissed her softly and gave her every chance to pull away.She didn’t.Maybe she didn’t love him the way she had Bill, but she cared about making him happy.
She returned his kisses and let her hands roam over his strong shoulders.He was a good man, and she would have a good marriage.
When sleep claimed them again, she was folded in his arms.
In the morning, Lula woke to pale light slanting through the small window and the sound of Sebastian moving quietly so he wouldn’t disturb her.She sat up anyway, brushing her long dark hair back from her face.“You’re up early.”
“Habit,” he said with a sheepish grin.He pulled on his boots and glanced at the corner where her rifle rested.“And I wanted to tell you before I leave—Everett mentioned the riverbank on the east side has the best rocks.He said if you ladies can gather a good pile today, we’ll be able to finish your cold house before the ground turns stubborn.”
Lula swung her legs out of bed, suddenly wide awake.A cold house of their own meant she wouldn’t have to ask permission to store what she hunted.It meant she could bring meat to Katie without rushing into town while her hands still smelled of iron and forest.It meant freedom—something she’d started to believe might actually be possible.
She set water on to heat and made oatmeal—because even if she hated cooking, she had no intention of sending her husband out into the cold on an empty stomach.When he finished, he leaned down and pressed a quick kiss to her forehead, as familiar as if they’d done it a hundred times.
After he left, Lula pulled on her thickest skirt and woolen wrap, pulling on a pair of old gloves.Rocks were not as thrilling as a bear, but the work would bring her the one thing she wanted almost as much as the hunt itself—proof that this cabin, this land, and this life truly belonged to her.She stepped outside and headed for Belle’s, ready to find Belle and Ella and fill a canoe with rocks.
As she walked, she thought about the previous night.Her marriage was now consummated, and that was a good thing in her mind.It was the scariest part of marrying a stranger to her way of thinking.And it was over.
Lula had enjoyed making love with Sebastian, and she looked forward to doing it again and again.She so wanted to have babies, and knowing Maggie would watch her child while she hunted made it all that much easier.
Her step was lighter than it had been the day before, and she was pleased.With herself and with Sebastian.She knew they were going to be all right.
Chapter Five
Lula, Belle, and Ellaworked all morning along the riverbank, prying rocks loose from the mud and lifting them into the canoe one by one.The work was slow and heavy, but steady.By midmorning, a respectable pile had formed near the spot Lula had chosen for her cold house.
“Do you think the men would make shelves for me?”Lula asked as they paused to stretch their aching arms and started the walk toward Maggie’s cabin for lunch.
Belle nodded.“I suppose they would.I like using bins myself, but shelves would make sense if you’re storing different cuts.They’ll build what you ask for.”
Ella walked a few steps behind them, her eyes on the ground as if retracing the path in her mind.She didn’t speak right away.When Lula started describing how certain cuts needed more airflow while others were better stacked flat, Ella finally said, quietly, “If you keep records...you won’t lose track.”She paused, thinking, choosing her words with care.“And if Katie wants something specific, it’ll be easier to wrap it correctly.”
Lula smiled, genuine relief easing her shoulders.“That’s exactly what I was worrying about.”
