Looking For You All My Life Part 173

almost too much for her. She had still been dealing with her

grief over the loss of Phil at the time, thinking about how he

would have loved seeing all the beauty up there. Buckie had

been snapping pictures right and left for a magazine story

that she'd written, and obviously he'd taken this one of her

without her knowledge. Somehow Jed had gotten hold of it,

had it enlarged, and made a frame for it. Indeed, a beautiful

frame-as if the photo, or the person in it, was of some

importance to him. Silent tears began streaking down her

cheeks. She wasn't sure if it was just the result of a highly

emotional evening.. .or seeing this. But they were good tears.

Tears of relief. And somehow she knew all would be well.

Instead of removing the bedding from Jed's bed, she simply

climbed in and soon fell asleep. A deep and restful sleep.

______he next morning Maggie awoke relaxed and

refreshed. She smiled as she looked around her,

seeing Jed's room, his things, illuminated by the

morning light. She stretched luxuriously on the flannel sheets

and suddenly realized the cabin had grown quite cold during

the night. She jumped out of bed and slipped into the main

room to see that the fire in the woodstove had dwindled to

a small pile of red coals. At least Leah appeared warm and

was still sleeping soundly. Lizzie looked up as Maggie placed

some sticks of kindling on top of the coals, remembering to

pull the damper back Out (she could learn to be a mountain

woman too!) and almost immediately their fire was revived.

She stood close to the woodstove, absorbing its heat and

wrapping Jed's bathrobe more tightly around her. As the

flames began to strengthen and grow, she added more logs.

Yes, she could get used to this sort of simplicity.

She returned to Jed's bedroom to dress and to put every-

thing back into place. She considered laundering the sheets,

but without electricity she'd probably have to use a wash tub

and scrub board and she wasn't willing to be that much of a

mountain woman! Then she tiptoed into the kitchen and

hunted around until she found an old-fas.h.i.+oned coffeepot

271.

272Melody Carlson

that could be used on top of the gas stove. She finally figured

out the contraption and got it all set up over the flames, then

she began to search for something to eat for breakfast. It was

after eight o'clock, but she was in no hurry to get to work

today. Clyde would already be printing the paper, and she

would only be starting to work on next week's special

Christmas edition. She shook her head in disbelief. Could it

be that Christmas was only a week away? And yet, she felt

no real stress or worry at the thought. Somehow being out

here in Jed's cabin was like being in another world. And part

of her wished she could just stay out here forever-living the

simple life.

"Hey there," called Leah from the couch. "Is it morning