Free Marrying Stone by Pamela Morsi

his sister, Jesse carefully covered the squiggly little worm with Meggie's coffee cup.
     
    They only had to wait a minute before Meggie took her place at the end of the table. Jesse was concentrating on the mush in his tin and Roe decided to do the same. He couldn't quite keep himself from occasional glances toward Meggie, who was listlessly stirring her mush with a makeshift spoon she'd fashioned for herself. Roe was still using hers.
    As Roe watched he realized that the expression on Meggie's young face had changed. Slowly the worry and anger had faded from her brow and her visage was pretty and serene. She was obviously a million miles away from the dark, crowded little cabin in the Ozarks. It was a dreamer's expression, far removed from the hard work of everyday mountain life. Roe felt a strange yearning to touch her. But it passed as she raised her eyes to catch him watching her. Immediately, they glanced away, turning their attention back to the food upon the table. There was a strange bond between them that was disconcerting for them both.
    When Meggie finally reached for her coffee mug, the worm, released from its prison, squiggled across the oilcloth on the table.
    Meggie gasped, spilled her coffee, and jumped from her chair. Beside Roe, Jesse began to giggle cheerfully. Onery joined the chorus with a low, hearty chuckle.
    "I hate varmints!" she screamed vehemently.
    Gathering her wits about her, Meggie grabbed the unwelcome creature and threw it into the fireplace where the popping and hissing distinctly announced its demise. Scaring Meggie with unexpected small creatures was apparently so common an occurrence that not even a word was said.
    But her brother, being cautious, didn't give her the time to get her anger wound up. Jesse jumped from the table and slammed his hat.
    "Got to get to them hogs," he said as he hurried out the door.
    Onery was chuckling also, but there was no rash to his gait as he left the table.
    "You get some butternuts made for this feller of yourn, Meggie-gal. Roe, just take yer time here and mosey on out to help us when yer a mind to."
    Meggie was blushing. Roe felt more than a little bit uncomfortable himself. He glanced around the woodbeam room where he was left alone with the daughter of the house.
    "Well, let's get it over with," she said hastily as she rose from the table.
    "You haven't finished your breakfast," Roe told her.
    She shrugged and gathered up her straw sewing basket. "There is no call for you to be lolling around the cabin all day. I'll get your measure and send you on your way."
    It sounded like a sensible plan. "Where do you want me to stand?" he asked.
    "Here is the light," she said, pointing to the big rectangle of sunshine that shone along the dirt floor in front of the doorway.
    Meggie's measure was a long piece of rough cord. When she wrapped it around his waist, Roe raised his arms out of her way. She was very close and Roe closed his eyes to savor the moment. Her scent was sweet and it was woman. A combination that had been absent from Roe's life for what now seemed a very long time. The touch of her hands at his waist was gentle, but sure. And once more he recalled the hot wonder of their illicit kiss. He recalled it with great pleasure.
    "Your waist is half a hand narrower than Jesse's," she commented as she marked the spot on the cord by tying a knot in it. "Guess they don't have much good cooking back in the Bay State."
    Her attempt at levity was a brave one and Roe wanted to answer with an equally lighthearted statement about the quality of her own cooking, but the words were stuck in his throat. She was close, very close. And he was enjoying it far too much.
    "I'm gonna measure your pants leg," she said calmly. She dropped to her knees on the floor in front of him. Her voice was businesslike, but a slight blush crept up her cheek.
    Roe looked down at her kneeling at his feet. The top of her head came almost exactly to the top button of his trousers. The