Baby

could not get enough of it. Quietly, she soothed him down for sleep, murmuring love sounds to him as she drew the warm quilt over them, blowing out the lantern.
    The next morning was sunny and warmer. Clearly, the winter was coming to an end. Her orchard would be sprouting leaves. Her tilling and planting would start all over. Bread must bake, pies to make, butter to churn, and winter repair money to earn. Her little herd still needed her attention; immediately.
    Wil hovered over the morning fire as she entered the kitchen.
    “You look good this morning, Wil. I mean, you look recovered.” Her face flamed with self-consciousness.
    “I feel good. How ‘bout I help you turn out the herd? I can check the campsite in the woods and see if anything got left behind.” Wil sounded eager and she needed to start getting some work accomplished.
    “All right, we can bring lunch with us. I need to check my fence posts to assess what the snow brought down.”
    “Netty, why don’t we bring a few tools with us, I can fix any damage we find?”
    “Oh, Wil, I would be so grateful. Repairing the fences takes so much time. I usually do not find the time until the fields are planted. Now, I will not have to worry about the cows wandering.” Netty was secretly relieved that Baby would now have plenty of time to get outside to do his eating.
    Netty packed a big lunch for them in a basket, adding large jars of fresh milk. Slipping in an extra generous slice of her rhubarb pie, she was reminded she must get back to her baking. A large order awaited. It must be complete within a few days if she wanted to get the order to town on time. She really did not have any more time to fritter away as she got to know her house guest, pleasant as it was.
    Loading up the tools from the barn, Wil tied their burden across Maggie’s saddle blanket. What a relief not to be forced to drag everything to the field . There would be plenty to do once they arrived. Much would be accomplished if they were fresh, and of course, having Wil’s strong shoulders will make the job go twice as fast. They set off for the pasture following the well-worn cow path.
    Netty surveyed the pasture as the cows filtered in. She noticed the gate needed some reinforcing, the list now quite pronounced. Scanning down the field, she counted the downed trees. Naturally, many of them landed on her fence, damaging the rails.
    “Don’t worry, Netty, I can have some of those saplings trimmed out and that mess cleaned up in no time. I think we will be up here working for most of the day, though.” They set to work. What would have taken Netty days of struggle, took no time at all with Wil’s help. She admired his skill. Everything he touched turned out perfectly. Sure was good to have a professional on the job.
    The day wore on, with Netty and Wil only stopping for a very late lunch. While Wil gulped down her rhubarb pie, he commented on an idea he wanted her to consider. His plan should increase her oven space, if she allowed him to knock a hole in the kitchen wall to enlarge the room. He would also require most of the fieldstone from the pile she was accumulating for her boundary markers. It would increase her baking output four fold and she would have much more room in the kitchen for her supplies. Netty loved the sound of his plan, but the ground breaking must wait until the weather warmed up. In the meantime, Wil could help her get the fields ready for planting, maybe clear another field for a new crop. Netty’s thoughts swam with the possibilities. Wil sounded very ambitious. But Baby, what about Baby?
    “I don’t know, Wil,” Netty sounded reluctant. “I don’t think I have the room to take on a full time live in hand.”
    “Netty, don’t worry, I can bunk in with Maggie and the cows. The worst of the cold is over.” He sounded so hopeful.
    “Let me think about it, Wil.”
    “Ok, Netty.” Standing, Wil brushed off the crumbs from his meal. “I think I will try to find the bandit’s campsite. Hopefully, some of my things might still be around.” Wil tramped off through the snow, leaving Netty alone with the cows.
    ###
    Wil puzzled over the abrupt change in Netty’s attitude. He would sure love to work here. He found Netty sweet and earnest. Her cooking was fantastic and she was darn easy to look at. He sensed a reluctance to talk about her marriage. She kept mum about her husband . Where was he? She was perfectly clear about the farm being hers, but vague