Author's Note: Hey, everyone! I'm sorry for the long delay. Two years! I recently decided to revisit my old story on a whim and realized that I really wanted to finish what I had started, especially since I had planned it all down to the last detail. And I couldn't leave my loyal readers hanging, could I? LOL, everyone has probably already given up on me, but maybe some of you have stuck around. I apologize if the story seems off at all or if I have included details that are factually incorrect. I haven't read the book in almost three years, so please forgive me. Anyway, here is the next segment. Please review!

Chapter Thirty: Berries

The next morning, Winnie awoke to the sound of birds chirping outside of the window next to her makeshift bed. She smiled and yawned. I could get used to this, she thought lazily as she shrugged off her blanket and put her feet off the floor. She sniffed the air appreciatively as she stretched. Yes, I could definitely get used to this.

Mae called out from the kitchen, "Winnie, are you hungry?"

Winnie walked slowly into the kitchen and nodded. "It smells delicious."

"Well, I am fresh out of jam, so the toast will be dry this morning. But we'll take care of that later, won't we, honey?"

Winnie's brow rumpled in confusion. "I'm sorry?"

"Berry picking, remember?" Mae wiped her greasy fingers on her apron. "We're going to make jam this afternoon. If you still want to, that is."

"Of course I do. I just hope I don't mess it up like I did yesterday with the bread." Winnie blushed softly, but the effects were almost invisible thanks to the sunburn that continued to color her face. Luckily Mae's cream had done wonders for her skin and she hadn't noticed any signs of peeling just yet.

"Oh, honey, you didn't mess up anything. And it's almost impossible to ruin jam. That's the best part about it." Mae winked and set a stack of golden brown toast on a plate. "Now, be a dear and set these on the table."

By the time the table was set, everyone was downstairs except for Jesse, who was apparently a late sleeper.

"It's not my fault," said Miles as he took a piece of bacon straight from the pan. "I told him to get up, but he just rolled over and went back to sleep." He stuck the bacon in his mouth as Mae swatted him on the arm.

"Miles! We haven't even blessed the food yet! Now, go get your brother."

Miles grinned at Winnie as he finished off the bacon, but obeyed his mother. As Mae, Tuck and Winnie settled into their seats, Miles returned to the room and sat down. Seconds later, Jesse wandered in behind him and took his seat.

Tuck blessed the food and everyone began eating. Winnie was so hungry that she had finished her food before anyone else. She couldn't remember loving food this much before. Maybe it was because Mae Tuck was the best cook she had ever met. Or, maybe it was because seeing the Tucks again had helped her reclaim her appetite. Either way, Winnie knew that if she continued eating this way, her clothes would have to be let out. But hadn't her mother said that she was too thin? The memory of her mother's harsh words startled her and she put down the last piece of bacon that she had clutched in her hand.

Jesse watched her quietly from across the table. She smiled at him sweetly, though she was still shaking mildly from her memories. He grinned at her and continued eating.

"Do you have work today, Jesse?"

"Yes, sir."

"And how is Mr. Harrison treating you?"

"Fine, sir."

Tuck nodded. "Good. You wouldn't be wantin' to lose such a fine job, now would you?"

Winnie fought the urge to giggle as she thought of Jesse's "fine job" shoveling horse manure. She remembered her first day in Patterson when she saw Jesse for the first time. Covered in dirt, with straw in his hair. She remembered the way he smelled as he gathered her against his chest in a warm hug. Like wood and dirt and…well, it didn't matter anyway. As long as Jesse continued to kiss her the way he did in the woods, he could come home smelling like whatever he wanted to.

Winnie helped take the dishes back into the kitchen as the boys got ready to leave to go into town. She walked out onto the porch as Miles and Tuck packed Tuck's handmade chair onto the wagon to sell. As they started tying off the ropes, the front door opened and Jesse stood next to her, watching.

"It's a beautiful chair."

"Yes," Jesse agreed. "It should earn a pretty penny in town." He turned to face her. "Maybe in a few days we could take you there. To town, I mean. I could show you the shops and we could get ice cream." His face lit up at the thought. "Real ice cream, Winnie! Doesn't it sound wonderful?"

She smiled at his excitement. "It does."

Still grinning, Jesse shook his head, as though the thought of real ice cream was almost too wonderful to imagine. Without warning, he bent down and kissed Winnie firmly on the mouth. Before she could protest or begin to enjoy the taste of Jesse's lips on her own, he pulled away.

"I'll be back tonight before dinner. Maybe we can play another round of chess again." Before she could respond, he was already walking over to the wagon, where Tuck and Miles had just finished securing the chair to the back. Jesse jumped in the front seat and waited for his brother.

Winnie went back into the house and leaned against the wall next to the door. Her mouth still burned where Jesse had kissed it. She ran her fingers along her cracked lips and sighed. Yes, she thought to herself, he can smell however he wants if he promises to do that everyday.

"Are you about ready?" Mae's voice broke into Winnie's reverie, causing the younger girl to jump. She nodded as Mae handed her a basket for the berries and motioned for her to take one of her hats from a hook on the wall. "Don't want to burn that beautiful skin anymore, now do we?"

Mae chattered excitedly as she led Winnie into the forest, taking the path Jesse had only hours earlier. A few minutes into their journey, Mae stopped and pointed at the ground. "There!" She cried, running over to a small plant with small, plump berries. She inspected the crimson orbs before plucking one off the stem and popping it into her mouth. She sighed contentedly. "They're wonderful. Taste one."

Winnie accepted the fruit and followed her lead. She nodded. "They're very good, Mae."

"It will make wonderful jam. Here, come pick off of these bushes over here and I'll look for more on this side." Mae left Winnie to herself as she hunted for more berries on the other side of a large tree. Winnie saw that the area in front of her was covered with plants like the one Mae had shown her. How had she not noticed them all when she was here with Jesse? She decided to forgive herself for her lapse when she considered why she had been so distracted.

"Are you finding many of them, Winnie?"

"Oh, yes, Mae. They're everywhere."

"Good. We'll have lots for our jam, then." Winnie heard her shuffling past a bush a few yards away. "You said you'd never done this before, then?"

"No, m'am."

"Well, I guess you wouldn't have. Your mama probably doesn't want such a beautiful girl as yourself to go huntin' around the forest on you hands and knees like this, does she?"

Winnie froze at the mention of her mother. Her fingers remained still on the berry she had been about to pluck. "No, m'am."

"Well, that's no matter. I'll teach you everything there is to know about makin' jam."

Winnie hardly heard her words. Her fingers closed over the berry and pulled it from the stem, producing an audible snap. But she wasn't really paying attention to the fruit. Instead her mind filled with images of her mother and father back home. Where were they now? Looking for her? Were they worried sick, as they had been six years ago? She thought of her father at the dinner table with his head resting in his hands. Did he look that way now, worrying about where she could be? Winnie's hands trembled and her eyes watered as she considered the fact that she may never see them again.

"Well, that should be about enough." For the second time that day, Mae's words broke into her thoughts. She blinked away the unshed tears in her eyes and stood up straight. As she glanced at her basket, she caught sight of her hand, which was covered in juice as red as blood. Lost in her memories, she had squeezed the berry into a wet piece of mush.

"You collected a fair bit. Are you ready to go make that jam?"

Winnie used her dress to wipe the juice from her hands and forced a smile onto her face. "Yes, I think so."