Author's Note: Thanks again for reviewing, everyone. It really does make an author's day. Anyway, many of you had questions. Some of them will be answered in the next couple of chapters, while some of them will have to wait a while. Just a tip, if you want to see the next chapter of a story that you know has been posted, but the site won't let you get on to it, then do what I do. Go to a random chapter (but not the first one) and see where is says something like chapter=2. Delete the 2 and put in the number for the desired chapter. If the person has recently updated, it will come up. Anyway, enjoy this next chapter!

Chapter Twenty-three: Sunburn

When Winnie opened her eyes the next morning, she was surprised to find herself lying on the couch in the Tuck's living room. She searched her mind, but could not figure out how she got there. I remember saying good-bye to Jeremiah, she thought sleepily, and I remember speaking to Mae about Jesse. Then I sat down on the rocking chair. How did I get here?

Tuck. He put me here, she remembered suddenly. It was dark outside and he put me on the couch to sleep. That was thoughtful of him, she thought with a deep yawn. She sat up on the sofa, stretched widely and pushed off the quilt. Then a voice called to her loudly, and she nearly jumped out of her skin.

"Oh, Winnie, I'm so glad that you're awake," said Mae as she made her way into the living room. "I didn't know if you were ever going to wake up, you poor dear. You must have been awfully tired." The older woman gave Winnie a sympathetic smile.

"What time is it?"

Mae glanced at the small wooden clock above the fireplace. "Almost noon."

Winnie's eyes bulged. "Noon? I can't believe I slept so long."

"Well, you certainly deserved it after walking all that way yesterday. Miles was telling us this morning about how far you and Jeremiah traveled." Mae shook her head sadly and clucked her tongue. "I can't believe you walked so far, and only wearing a pair of socks!"

"Where is Miles?"

"He and Jesse went into town for work. I think they'll be coming back sometime this afternoon. Would you like some breakfast? I still have biscuits on the stove."

Winnie nodded and stood up from the sofa. She was still wearing her dress from yesterday, but her shoes had been removed. A horrible thought stuck her. Did Jesse see me like this? I look like a mess, she thought. What if I snored in my sleep or said something silly while I was dreaming? Her face flamed with embarrassment as she came up beside Mae at the counter.

The older woman studied Winnie carefully. "You sure have a good sunburn, Winnie. You'll need to put some cream on that or it will peel."

Winnie raised her fingers to her face and touched her cheeks gently. "Yes, I suppose I do," she remarked when she felt the warmth beneath her fingertips.

"Well, don't you worry. I know a good remedy for sunburn. I'll give you something for it as soon as you finish breakfast." Mae placed a plate of biscuits and honey in front of Winnie and wiped her hands on her apron.

"Uh, Mae?"

"Yes, dear?"

"I don't mean to be a burden to you, but is there any way that I could…well…is there any way that I could maybe take a bath?" Winnie's face scrunched up regretfully, but Mae waved a hand at her.

"Oh, of course you'll be wantin' to do that. Why, I didn't even think about it until you just said it. You can use our tub after you eat."

"Thank you," said Winnie gratefully and took a bite of her biscuit.

After Winnie had finished her breakfast, Mae led her to the bedroom and showed her a large metal tub that was sitting in the corner. "I'll get the water for you, honey. You just sit right there and wait." She disappeared through the door leading into the living room.

Mae hauled in six buckets of well water by herself, though Winnie tried to let her help. "Don't you be silly, dear. Make yourself comfortable." She went back for the last load as Winnie sat awkwardly on the bench. Mae returned a few moments later and poured the water into the tub. "One more thing," she said and left the room again before Winnie could protest.

Mae returned with a large kettle of steaming water. "You don't want it too cold, do you?" She poured the water into the tub and watched it steam up. "There. Now, I don't have much in the way of soap, except for this glycerin bar that I buy from the chemist in town. I know you're used to sweet smelling things, like rose oil, but I don't have any, so…" Mae trailed off as though she were embarrassed of her choice of soap, but Winnie was quick to assure her.

"This is wonderful," she said softly and gave Mae a hug. "Thank you."

Mae smiled at Winnie. "You get all cleaned up, and I'll have that cream ready for you when you get out."

The semi-warm bath water felt wonderful to Winnie's aching muscles. She used the glycerin bar to clean the dirt off of her skin and from under her fingernails, then dunked her head under the water to wash her hair. She stayed in the tub until the water grew chilly and her fingertips became wrinkled. Rising out of the metal container, she wrapped herself in the towel that Mae had left on the wooden bench. She dried her skin and wrapped her hair in the towel, as her mother had taught her to do. Winnie padded across the room and noticed that her dresses were spread out neatly on the bed. Mae must have been up early if they're already dry, she thought. It was sweet of her to do clean them.

After she had dressed and combed out her wet hair with Mae's brush, Winnie returned to the living room. Mae peeked in from the kitchen and smiled at the younger girl. "Did you have a nice bath?"

"It was wonderful," Winnie said honestly. "I don't think I've ever enjoyed something so much in my life."

"Well, come in here so that I can put this cream on your face. I don't want your beautiful skin to get freckles."

Winnie obeyed and sat down in a chair in the dining room as Mae applied a thick white mixture to her bright pink face. The cream felt blessedly cool against her warm skin, and Winnie sighed contentedly.

Mae settled back to admire her work and laughed when she saw Winnie's face. "Well, don't you look a fright!"

"Do I?" Winnie reached for the mirror by Mae's hand and gasped. Her face was completely covered in the heavy, white cream. It struck her that the mixture looked very similar to whipped cream and she began laughing.

Mae smiled at the girl and laid her hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry. You only need to leave it on for about twenty minutes." She rose from her seat at the table and opened the front door. "I'm going to ask Tuck to drain that tub before it starts leaking. If you don't want him to see you with that treatment on your face, then you can go upstairs to the loft and wait until he's done."

Winnie took a final glance into the mirror and made her way upstairs. The loft was sunny and bright because of the small circular window below where the roof came to a point. Winnie looked at the beds and tried to guess which one was Jesse's. This one, she decided, running her hand along the blue checked flannel blanket. She lowered herself onto the bed and sighed deeply.

"What am I going to do about you, Jesse Tuck? Are you going to ignore me forever?" Winnie's fingers continued to trace patterns in the flannel as her thoughts grew more serious. Why wasn't he speaking to her? Wasn't he glad that she was here? Maybe he realized that he didn't want to marry her after all, she thought miserably. Maybe he took one look at her ragged appearance and decided that he didn't find her attractive. Or maybe he had already found someone that he loved better while he was living in Patterson. Tears stung her eyes and she struggled to brush them away without wiping off the cream. She realized that it was the last possibility that hurt her the most. What would she do if Jesse had found another girl?

Winnie snapped out of her daydream when she heard footsteps on the stairs. She jumped off of the bed and stepped forward. "Is he finished?"

A figure stepped into the loft, and Winnie froze where she stood. Her hands came up over her mouth, where they hit a thick layer of white cream, smearing it over her lips. The person's mouth dropped open, but no words escaped from it.

Standing in front of her with an astonished look on his face was Jesse Tuck.