She touched the sagging bun at the nape of her neck and knew all of her must appear pretty much the same—tired and worn-out. Who knew putting up preserves could be so much work?The past four days that was all they had done—she and Marcus, that is. Thayne had gone to round up his cows. Emma missed him and was cranky from being on her feet, laboring over a hot stove for hours on end. Still, looking at the rows of jars lined up in the cabinet and on the table, she felt a sense of satisfaction she’d never known before. Because of her labors, they had applesauce to enjoy and jam for their bread this winter. Bread. Oh no. She had yet to learn to make that, and when Marcus left to fetch Pearl next week, Emma had a sinking feeling that task would be hers as well.Right about now, a nap sounded divine—and well deserved after all her hard work. She knew Marcus had gone out to the barn to do the afternoon chores, so there was no one around to see her being lazy.No one except Joshua. With wide blue eyes, he looked up at her from his place on the floor.
