Page 19 of The Gold Rush Bride

He waved off the question. “You get used to it, but it’s hard, back-breaking work. Don’t ever think it’s not.”

“I can see that, with the little I’ve done. But I’ll manage, and I won’t let either of us down.” She dropped to her knees, like he was, and started working the river again.

An hour or so later, her back was killing her. She vowed to take a break after this last pan. She was down to mostly water when something glittered in the bottom. She reached down and plucked a nugget the size of her thumbnail out of the sediment. Then she screamed. “Barnaby! Look. Look what I found.” Sadie got to her feet and met him as he was on his way to her. “Is it good?”

He put out his hand.

She dropped the nugget into it.

Barnaby turned it over in his palm and then grinned before tucking it into his leather bag. Then he wrapped his arms around her waist and swung her in a circle before setting her down again.

“You did very good. That’s worth more than I’ve found all last week.” He looked down and caught her gaze. “This makes all the hard work worth the effort. Didn’t I tell you there was gold here?”

Sadie quickly regained her balance when he set her down. Now, if her heart would stop pounding and she didn’t feel like her insides were turning over. “You did, and now I can see that for myself. What is it you hope to get, Barnaby? Just to be rich? Or to do something? I want to be independent, so I don’t rely on any man for my survival.”

“I’ve always wanted to own a ranch, free and clear. I don’t want to owe anyone anything.”

She was glad to discover he had a goal. It was one she could get behind. If he wanted a ranch, she supposed she would go, too.

Was this what attraction felt like? Was she attracted to Barnaby Drake? Was that why she thought about going with him...no, wanted to go with him?

CHAPTER5

After a long day of panning for gold, Sadie was thrilled she didn’t have to cook. All she wanted to do was lie on the cot and sleep for days. Her back hurt. Her legs and knees hurt, plus her legs from the knees down were wet, despite her rubber boots.

Before she sat on her cot and stretched out, she took off her boots, socks, and pants. Her long johns were damp but not wet.

“You need to take off your long johns, too, “ he said as he set up the stove to cook supper. “Anything that’s wet needs to come off. It will freeze overnight, and you’ll never get warm. The heat from the stove tonight and again in the morning will help dry them. I hope you brought another pair so you can switch them out. You’ll be a lot more comfortable in dry clothes. Keeping them clean is another matter, altogether.”

“I did.” She chewed her bottom lip, wondering if she should ask him to turn around or just get the job done. She must have waited too long.

He finally shook his head.

“I’ll be outside. Let me know when you’re done changing.”

“I will...thank you.”

As he opened the tent’s flaps and stepped out, he snorted.

Sadie hurried and changed into the dry long johns. She’d pulled on dry pants next. “I’m decent now. You can come back inside.”

Barnaby pulled back the tent flap. He tied it closed and settled on his cot. “Doesn’t it feel better to be dry?”

“Yes, definitely. What about you? You need to put on dry clothes.” She grabbed the coffeepot and then lit the stove. When the kindling lit the wood and the fire was going well, she shut the door and placed the pot on the top.

“I do, but I’m not about to make you stand outside in the cold to protect your delicate sensibilities. I suggest that we simply turn our backs or even read something so we don’t make you uncomfortable.”

She stood by the stove, her hands on her hips. “And I suppose you’re not embarrassed?”

“I’m a man. That sort of thing doesn’t bother me.”

She pressed her lips together. “Hmpft. Figures. Well, don’t worry about my delicate sensibilities. We’re partners and that means, in this case, that we live and work in close quarters. I’ll become used to it.”How in the world will I get used to it? I never even saw father’s bare chest. I can’t imagine seeing Barnaby’s.

“Fine. I’ll prepare supper, per our agreement. When will you be baking bread?”

“Now that I’m dry, I’ll make a batch of biscuits, if you like. I’ll need to light the fire outside. Then tomorrow, I’ll start a couple loaves of sourdough to rise while we are working. I’ll have to quit earlier than usual to get them into the oven you and Daddy dug above the fireplace outside. I’ll need the starter and a recipe. Did he have one?”

“I think so. In his footlocker.”