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Chapter 1, Part 2

"Joelyn! There ain't one pair of clean flannels in my bureau! What do you expect me to do? Catch my death of cold sleepin' in my birthday suit?"

Rivers jumped nervously in her chair as the man strode in and came to a stop directly beside her. He stood with only a towel wrapped about his waist and nothing else to cover him.

"For pity's sake, Pax! Yer drippin' all over my clean floor! Towel off before you go trampin' through the house!" Joelyn scolded.

The uncomfortably close proximity of the positively immodestly attired man caused Rivers to reflexively leap from her chair so violently that it toppled over backward, crashing to the floor.

"He sure is a jittery little feller, ain't he?" the man muttered to his sister.

Rivers mumbled an apology and bent to pick up the chair. Her eyes immediately fell spontaneously to Paxton's feet, standing in a small puddle of water which was rapidly accumulating around them. Rivers couldn't stop her eyebrows from rising in astonishment as her gaze involuntarily continued up the length of his solid, muscular calves. As she stood, replacing the chair, her eyes traveled quickly over his stomach, chest and arms. His own fabulous eyes were fastened on her when she straightened at last, looking him full in the face.

His hair hung dripping wet about his head and he said, "You all right there, boy?" She could only nod in response. "Well then, where might a drownin' man find his flannels, Joelyn?" he repeated, sighing impatiently at his sister.

Joelyn giggled. "I'm sorry, Pax. I plum forgot to bring 'em in off the line. I'll run get some." With a sideways glance and a knowing smile at Rivers, she left.

Rivers squirmed uncomfortably. Standing in a stranger's kitchen with a scantily clad man was most disconcerting. Even so, she couldn't keep her eyes from straying once more to the magnificently broad shoulders and chest boasted by Paxton.

She jumped as he spoke unexpectedly, slapping her soundly on one shoulder. "Don't worry there, boy. You'll fill out soon enough, too. Shoot...I was nearly as wormy lookin' as you are when I was yer age." Rivers cleared her throat and cast her eyes down to the floor once more. He continued, "Tell you what...I reckon it's been awhile since you had yerself a real tub bath. You go on in there...the water's still warm enough. Have yerself a good long soak."

Rivers looked up quickly shaking her head. "Oh, no, no, no. But thank you all the same."

Paxton Gray frowned. "Now look here, boy...Joelyn don't go in for smelly men. You had better get yerself in there and bath up."

Paxton had seen this boy pitching manure earlier in the day and knew he must be in need of a bath. Maybe Joelyn liked taking in these motherless pups, but if they were gonna eat under his roof they were gonna do it cleaned up!

"Now...you go on in there and get yerself washed. I didn't leave the water too all soapy," he repeated, trying to remain calm.

"Um...I think I better be gettin' on out to the barn, if you don't mind, sir," the boy muttered.

"Like heck you are, boy!" And having let his temper get the best of him, he hoisted the boy up over his own shoulder and turned toward the bedroom. He was a weasel of a child! It took the use of only one arm to heft him up. Good thing, too, considering Paxton was holding his towel at his waist tight with the other hand.

"No! Please!" the boy hollered.

"Now, you soap up. We bathe quite frequent around this house," Paxton grunted, dropping the boy bottom first into the tub of water.

"And 'cause I know yer unusual bashful...I'm gonna leave you in here...trustin', mind you...trustin' that you'll wash yer own self," he warned, pointing a finger at the boy. "I don't wanna have to come back in here and scrub ya down, you hear?"

"Yes, sir," the boy stammered. Paxton fancied for a moment that the child was near to bawling.

~*~

"What in tar nation have you done, Pax?" Joelyn shouted as she saw her brother coming out of the bedroom, a triumphant grin on his face.

"That boy needs a good washin', Joe," he stated.

Joelyn rolled her eyes and put her hands squarely on her hips. "So, you took it upon yerself to see that he done it, is that it?"

Paxton nodded. "Shore 'nough," he confirmed. Joelyn shook her head and threw the flannels she had flung over her shoulder at him. "Yer too tender hearted, little sis," Paxton grumbled as he stomped away into the parlor. "A man can't even put on his underwear in his own bedroom 'round here," he muttered as he went. "Gotta be draggin' every stray thing for miles around in here to patch up, don't you, Joe?"

"And yer as blind as a bull with his eyes poked out, big brother," Joelyn retorted. Then going to the closed bedroom door she said, "There's a towel right there on the chest, Tommy."

"Thank you, ma'am," came the timid reply.

"I'm goin' on to bed now...you go ahead and slip out to the barn when yer finished, all right? I'll leave you a clean pair of flannels out here, 'cause I know for a fact that Pax didn't take the time to strip ya 'fore he flung ya in there." "Yes, ma'am."

Joelyn Gray shook her head. Paxton - the boy couldn't see past the nose on his own face.

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