They chopped wood and kept the animals alive, well and fed. But, most of all, they gave Aila company and support. She found them attractive...very attractive. Each man had his long hair tied back with a small bit of leather. At times she saw them bare-chested. Gorgeous, strong men. Once, before it got real cold, when Bo and Silk were chopping wood, she peeked out at them through the lacy curtains. She felt a little flushed and guilty, needing deliverance from her sexual frustration. Neither man opened up to her about their past; she wondered if she scared them into silence. Even at the supper table they stayed quiet as the winter dragged on. They treated her and each other with respect, unlike most men of the day would have treated friends. * * * * One night early the next spring, after the big thaw, but before hot weather set in, they sat on the porch enjoying the mild weather. Bo cleared his throat a minute or two after Silk had come outside.
