Jonathan wished there was a shower closer than the one at the mud pits. After shoveling horse manure into the compost pile all morning, he desperately needed one. He knew he was lucky that Reuben had running water inside the house but the small basin in the bathroom was no substitute for a shower. A midday trek to the mud pits was a waste of daylight and he still had wood to chop, a hen house to clean, goats to milk and wool to card. If he and River got all their chores done before sunset, maybe Reuben would let them go to the mud pit together for a shower before bed. He closed his eyes and groaned as he pictured River climbing out of the mud pit, standing under the steaming waterfall in his arms as the cascading water revealed their nakedness.
Jonathan sighed. Reuben was still mad at them for their ‘reckless behavior.’ He claimed he wasn’t punishing them for getting caught, but this once-a-month, only during a full moon bullshit felt like punishment. They weren’t even allowed inside each other’s rooms anymore. Reuben claimed he was worried Paul might catch on if he caught one of them sneaking across the hall, but that was ridiculous.
Jonathan wanted to ignore Reuben and his stupid rules. But River cried when he suggested it so he let it go. Her emotions seemed to be a lot more volatile lately. And why wouldn’t they be? This whole situation was unbearable. Jonathan tried to focus on how lucky they were to be on the surface together, living in the same house, but being so close and not being able to so much as hold River’s hand was pure torture. Not being able to sleep with her was killing him.
The house was empty and as quiet as a tomb. Breakfast dishes were still in the trough. The floor hadn’t been swept or mopped. Where was River? And why hadn’t she done her chores? Jonathan nudged his wolf awake. Where’re our mates?
Mates not here.
I know that. Jonathan knew from his wolf’s lack of concern that River wasn’t in immediate danger, but he didn’t like not knowing where she was. Are they safe?
Find mates. The wolf shared a highly detailed mental image of what Jonathan needed to do when he found River.
Stop that. Jonathan growled at him. The sexual frustration was bad enough without his wolf’s input. He’d never been so horny in his entire life, not even as a teenager. Since they couldn’t have sex, a little time apart was probably a good idea. He just wished he knew where she was.
Mates with other alpha.
That wasn’t so hard, now was it? She must be at the smithy with Reuben.
Find mates. Chase. Bite. Mount—
“Shut up!” Jonathan shoved his wolf so far back he no longer felt his presence. He didn’t like disconnecting from him like that, but the beast was driving him crazy. The only other time he’d resorted to such desperate measures was when he was living in Leadville with Dad. His wolf demanded he leave his dying father to go find River. When the urge to leave got too strong, Jonathan severed their connection. Dad’s death still hurt and it probably always would, but lately, any separation from River felt like someone was gutting him with a dull knife.
Jonathan decided to clean up before heading to the smithy. He needed a hug, at the very least, and he’d have a better chance of getting one if he didn’t smell like manure and rotting vegetables. He used the scrub brush bolted to the wall in the bathroom to dig the crud out from under his fingernails. Reuben might be a jerk about some things, but he was always coming up with ideas to make living with one hand a little easier for Jonathan.
He stripped, washed his body and his hair with a soapy rag, waited for the constantly flowing water to clear the grime out of the basin then submerged his head. Jonathan was a shower-only kind of guy. He hadn’t taken a bath since he was a kid, but if he could talk Reuben into building a big enough bucket, that would change immediately.
Bathing out of a shallow basin was inconvenient and inefficient, but at least he didn’t stink anymore. In fact, he felt a lot better about everything. He still wanted to have sex with River, but it no longer felt like he’d die if he didn’t. His little freak-out about her whereabouts was ridiculous.
He wanted to reconnect with his wolf, but he suspected the animal was at the root of his anxiety. Maybe his wolf needed a break from him, too. He pulled a deep breath into his lungs in appreciation of the peace and quiet. Something smelled good. His stomach growled. Jonathan followed his nose into the kitchen then scooped out a bowl of venison stew from the pot simmering on the stove. He grabbed a few cold biscuits and sat down at the table to eat his lunch. He was almost done when Paul yanked the front door open.
“Pa says you’re in charge until he gets back.”
“Where’d he go?”
Paul stuffed a whole biscuit in his mouth and shrugged his shoulders.
“Was River with him?”
Paul shook his head but held up a finger.
Jonathan’s knee bounced while he waited for Paul to finish chewing and swallow.
The kid took his time. He also downed half a glass of water before speaking. “Pa took Thunder and Sugar both out of the stable, so River definitely went with him.”
“Did he say how long they’d be gone?”
“Probably, but Pa walked in on me while I was sneaking treats to Stormy. I was too busy shoving apples and carrots down the back of my britches to pay attention to what he was saying.” Paul grabbed another biscuit. “He had packs on both horses so I imagine they’ll be gone all day.”
Jonathan didn’t expect River to account for every minute of her time, but it wasn’t like her to leave without telling him where she was going.
“Come on, Paul. Think. This is important. Did your dad give you a note or a message of any kind for me?”
“No note. But he said something about prospecting.”
“Prospecting?” Why the hell would River go prospecting? “Like for gold?”
Paul shrugged his shoulders again.
Jonathan tried to reconnect with his wolf, but the beast growled at him, obviously pissed, then slammed his own mind shut, shocking the hell out of Jonathan. He had no idea the link worked both ways. If their mates were in any danger, his wolf would’ve stopped pouting long enough to say so.
Jonathan carried his bowl to the kitchen trough. The iron rack was already full and overflowing so he stacked it on top of the other dishes. He considered washing the dishes for River. He didn’t believe in that whole ‘housework is woman’s work’ philosophy. But after spending all morning shoveling horse crap into the compost pile, he’d be lucky to finish his own work before dark, especially since he had to babysit on top of everything else. He’d help River get caught up when she got home.
Paul brought his bowl to the trough without Jonathan having to remind him. He smiled at the progress then mussed Paul’s hair. “If you help me with my chores, I’ll help you with yours.”
Paul grinned at him. “I’ll chop the wood.”
“Nice try.” Jonathan chuckled. There was no way he’d let that kid anywhere near an axe. “You can help me clean out the hen house.”
Paul’s face scrunched up like a drawstring bag. “Yuck.”
“My sentiments exactly.”