Patience had to invent ways to do the things she needed. Rud had lived alone in the cabin for seven years and had everything he needed to live a bachelor's life. He had only needed a few kitchen items to feed himself.

Patience was cooking more types of food and a lot more of it. She often had to wash the same pot three times when preparing one meal. Rud had one worn broom, no mop, no washboard, and no bathtub. Cleaning their clothes did more damage than wearing them. Keeping their cabin clean, Rud and her brother clean and fed, and their clothes mended required constant effort.

Patience found the sack of seeds the shopkeeper's daughter had convinced Rud to buy and had planted the seeds once the food plot was ready. Now they had the most beautiful vegetables she had ever seen, and they tasted as good as they looked. It turned out she had quite a knack for growing things and she very much enjoyed tending to her plants.

Rud and Billy would take care of the heavy work like plowing, irrigating, and fertilizing, but the plants in the food plot were Patience's domain. Patience was careful to make sure she saved seeds from this season's crops so they would have even more next year. It was a constant battle keeping deer and other animals out of the food plot, but it was even tougher keeping Rud away from her tomato plants!

Several years ago, Rud had discovered a honey bee hive in a hollow tree that had blown over. He managed to transfer the queen to a simple box hive he had made, and the colony of honey bees had followed the queen. Despite Rud not being the most attentive beekeeper, with ample forage and mild climate, the colony had thrived. Honey, comb, and beeswax were always in demand and could be bartered for many of the things Rud needed.

Patience was fascinated by the bees, and once over her fear of being stung, she was actively managing the hive. She thought of them as her pets and called them "my bees." Patience knew the bees were important in ensuring a successful crop and had Rud move the hive closer to the food plot.

Every week or two, she would open the top of the box hive and collect some of the comb, rich with honey. Occasionally a bee would get under the thin material she used to protect her head and face or worse under her skirt. Patience would jump around, flapping her clothes while making short little scream sounds Rud called "girl noises." Patience did not think it was funny, but Billy and Rud thought it was hilarious to watch.

* * * * *

It seemed Patience was always busy, but Rud would make sure she had time for herself. Whether it was bathing in the deep pool or just sitting by the edge of the woods listening as the wind blew through the trees, neither Rud nor Billy begrudged her time alone. She had earned it.

When she sat listening to the wind, she usually thought about her life before, her father and her mother, and her life now in their valley. All the things she had thought were so important, all the things she had taken for granted, and how wonderful she thought life was now. She would have never believed she could be happy living like this, but she was happy.

Rud was showing her more affection, and one day she would make a husband out of that rough woodsman. Her father would have sent her away if she had even suggested marrying a man like Rud. Patience was sure, though, that her mother would understand. It was a hard life for a woman here, but she felt safe, loved, needed, and was where she wanted to be.

When Rud was not hunting or trapping, he was making knives and other items he would sell or trade. Patience loved to watch him work. He was not a great farmhand or blacksmith, but had an intensity when he worked that she admired. And he was a good looking man once you washed the rough off him.

Since they were in what she thought of as the "courting" stage, he was still nervous around her and with Patience watching would sometimes cut himself, hit his fingers with the hammer, drop things on his feet, or any number of painful missteps.

Secretly she relished the power she had over this big man but often had to leave before he did himself serious harm. But when she sat and watched him, though, it was easy to see herself as a wife and Rud as her husband.

They had completed their hideout in the hills, and Billy had stayed a few nights in the hideout by himself. Still only twelve years old, the situation he was in required Billy to mature very quickly. Although Patience worried about Billy, she knew he needed to learn to take care of himself. Rud would sneak up to check on Billy during the night. He would make out like it was to put Patience's mind at ease, but she knew Rud was just as worried as she was.

Those nights it was just her and Rud in the cabin. Rud still slept on the tattered old rug in front of the fire, but when neither could sleep, they would often look at each other until sleep finally came. Would she have liked to have him in her bed? Maybe it was not the time for that yet. But she did wish the time would come soon. She knew Rud was concerned about her age. She was sixteen years old, and Rud was unsure it was fair to ask her to be his wife.

Many girls were married and had babies by age sixteen, but Rud had expressed this concern to her several times, so she knew it weighed on his mind. If she were a year older, no one would have thought anything about a marriage between her and Rud. She felt she was ready to be a wife, but there was no rush either. Someday, maybe soon, she would have her woodsman.

One thing she did miss was the sound of other women. Patience had always been a very social person, and she missed being around and talking with her girlfriends. As it turned out, Rud was ahead of her on this.

* * * * *

Rud had stopped by the older woman's place where he had purchased the starter several times in recent weeks. Since Patience was so good at getting things to grow, they sometimes had extra that would spoil before they could eat it. There was always extra meat as Rud primarily needed the hides, so Rud would sometimes give the extra meat and produce to the older woman.

Bessie was her name, and her husband had died several years ago. Her children had married and moved away, but two of her granddaughters were there to help Bessie. One granddaughter was about the same age as Patience and one much younger he rarely saw. And Bessie was always asking Rud when he was going to bring his woman by for a visit.

One evening Rud and Patience were sitting on the half-log bench by the lake, and Rud suggested she go with him to visit Bessie the next day. They could take some of the extra meat and whatever vegetables Patience could spare. Bessie had mentioned her roof leaked, so while he and Billy fixed her roof, Patience could visit with Bessie and her granddaughters. Patience was very excited, not only about a trip out of the valley but to talk with other women would be fantastic!

Rud told her she needed to be careful about what she said. There still could be a reward out for him, and her uncle was still looking for her and Billy. Rud also explained he had told Bessie she was his woman, and she would need to keep up the pretense to keep Bessie from being too curious about who she was.

While her parents were never far from her mind, Patience tried not to think about her uncle and what happened at the docks. Patience would be careful what she said, and the last part would be easy as Patience already thought of Rud as her man, and herself as his woman.

Early the next morning, Billy had the mule harnessed and the cart ready to go. Billy and Rud had made a special chair for Patience to sit in rather than sit on the floorboards of the cart. It had short legs for stability (and because Patience was not very tall) and a thick cushion for her to sit on. Patience was very proud of her cart chair, but when the time came to go, she made sure she had a seat on the driver's bench next to Rud.

Billy did not look happy as he usually sat on the driver's bench, and Rud would let him handle the reins. But, Billy would have to settle for the cart chair this time. Patience was very pleased with herself. Not only had she out-foxed her brother again, which was a reward in itself, but she fully intended to meet Bessie sitting next to Rud. On the way to Bessie's, they made up a story to cover Patience and Billy's past and how they came to live in the valley.

An hour later, they were pulling up to Bessie's house. Bessie, who Rud had never seen off the porch, jumped up and went out to meet them as soon as she saw Patience. Patience was so excited when she went up to Bessie she forgot everything and introduced herself as Patience Billings, and that was her brother, William, sitting in the cart. Rud cursed under his breath.

Patience and Bessie walked towards the house. Bessie's oldest granddaughter came out to greet them. They went straight in, leaving Rud and Billy still sitting in the cart. Rud and Billy looked at each other, jumped down from the cart, picked up the meat and produce they had brought, and headed towards the front door. The younger granddaughter, who had light brown hair, bright blue eyes, and looked about the same age as Billy, came outside to help bring in the food.

The young girl suddenly stopped when she saw Billy and stared at him with a surprised and excited look on her face. Rud looked at Billy, wondering what was going on. The girl then walked up to Billy, took an armful of corn from what he was carrying, and led them to the kitchen the whole time looking back at Billy.

Clearly, Billy had noticed the girl too, and as Rud and Billy went back down the front steps to get their tools, Rud told Billy he had better watch out, that little girl seemed to like him a lot. Billy just smiled.

After they fixed the roof and did a few other tasks around the house, Billy and Rud sat in chairs under a shade tree while the ladies stayed inside. The younger girl came out with some cool buttermilk for Billy, and Rud got a glass as well. The younger girl seemed extraordinarily taken with Billy. She stood in front of Billy and introduced herself as Alice Avinell Stevenson.

Billy started to introduce himself, but Alice cut him off, saying, "You are William Logan Billings Jr., but everyone calls you Billy. Patience told us, but we are supposed to keep it a secret." Rud shook his head, wondering what else Patience had told them. No question about it now, their secret was out. Alice asked Billy if he wanted to see the rest of the farm, and the two of them walked away, leaving Rud by himself.