“I was never mad at you, sprite.” He tilted Joy’s face up to look at him so she could see for herself. “I was disappointed in you. There’s a difference.”
“Oh.” Joy snuggled up against his hard frame.
Faith pulled the leather footstool next to the chair. She removed the towel and painstakingly worked the wide-toothed comb through Joy’s wet hair.
Reese’s deep voice filled the silence as he related the story of how the grizzly bear lost his tail. Joy listened, awed by the legend. Faith, too, was entranced by the ancient story as she combed Joy’s hair in front of the warm stove. Joy stuck her thumb in her mouth and toyed with a button on Reese’s shirt.
Reese finished his story. He waited patiently for some reaction from his audience, but Joy’s eyelids had closed. She slept peacefully, her small face pressed against his white linen shirt.
Faith put down the comb and quickly braided the shiny blond strands.
“It’s so soft and silky.” Reese touched Joy’s hair. “It’s a shame you have to braid it.” He was touching Joy’s blond hair, but his gaze was pinned on Faith’s braided coronet.
She swallowed nervously. “It tangles so.”
“It’s still a shame.” He held her gaze a second longer.
Faith reached for Joy. “I’ll take her. I’ve already turned the covers down.”
“No.” He maneuvered out of the chair, careful not to wake the sleeping child, “Let me.” He smiled down at Joy. “I’d like to tuck her in.”
Faith hesitated, withholding permission, reluctant to forfeit her right to the privilege. “If you really want to…”
“I do.” He nodded and moved toward the pink bedroom. He paused in the doorway. “And then I want to tuck you in bed.” His husky voice rumbled through the quiet room.
Faith blushed at the idea, but didn’t try to dissuade him.
“And Faith?”
“Yes?”
“I want to undress you. No nightgown and no braid.”
“Anything else?” Her voice was a breathy whisper.
He grinned. “Leave a lamp burning. I want to be able to find you.”
* * *
Faith paced the length of the bedroom. She wasn’t sure quite what to do. Her husband wanted to undress her. How was she supposed to occupy her time while she waited for him to tuck Joy into bed?
She walked to the bed and flipped the covers back. The sun had been down less than an hour. It seemed indecent to go to bed so early. She looked down at the bed, then quickly made it up again. She paced the room twice more, pulled out a couple of hairpins, then put them back again. He wanted to undress her. She wanted him to take down her hair. She turned her gaze back to the bed. It was hard to ignore it. It dominated the room. She turned the covers down once again, debated a minute or two, then started making it up?again.
“Leave it.” Reese stood in the doorway. He was smiling at her. “I think we’ll be able to make better use of it if it’s turned down.”
Faith dropped the corner of the blanket, then turned around. “How? Is…?”
“Joy’s sound asleep.” He stepped into the room and closed the door. The click of the lock sounded abnormally loud to Faith’s sensitive ears.
“I didn’t know what to do,” Faith admitted. “I’m not used to having idle hands.” She gestured with her hands, waving them, palms upward, in the direction of the bed.
“I know what you mean,” Reese replied solemnly.
“You do?” She stared up at him.
He nodded, once. “I’m not accustomed to having idle hands, either.” He grinned suddenly, showing a flash of beautiful white teeth. “Come here. Let’s put these idle hands to work.” He reached for her and Faith walked into his arms.
“What do I do?” Faith whispered.