Rud and the Damsel

Chapter 10 - The Deep Pool

Rud occasionally let his guard down, and after a hard day, he was tired, hungry, and more than a little grumpy as he returned to the cabin. The cabin door and windows were open, and supper smelled so good Rud had to stop and take it in. He looked odd standing there about twenty feet from the cabin with his nose in the air, his eyes closed, and his shoulders slumped as he enjoyed the smells from the stove.

He knew there would be a plate set for him on the table, and Patience would greet him with a smile as she asked him about his day and told him about hers. After all those years alone, Rud could listen to Patience's voice all day. It didn't matter what she said as half the time Rud was not so much listening to what she said as just listening to the sound of her pleasant voice. Patience would catch him having not listened to her words sometimes, but the way he smiled at her kept her from getting too upset.

Patience passed by the door, saw Rud awkwardly standing there and asked if he was alright. Rud told her he was tired, too dirty, and smelly to come inside. Patience pointed to the soap on the outside table and said he would have time for a quick bath before supper was ready. She added she would get him some clean clothes.

Rud picked up the soap and headed down to the deep pool formed where the creek made a sharp bend. When Patience returned to the door with clean clothes, Rud was not there, and neither was the soap. Patience thought she had made herself clear he was to wait for the clothes but guessed he was too tired or wasn't listening again.

Patience called for her brother to take the clothes to Rud, but when he didn't show, she assumed he was not close enough to the cabin to hear. Patience headed down to the deep pool, and since Rud would be bathing, she would leave the clothes close by, then yell to Rud and let him know where they were.

She called to Rud, and when she didn't hear a response, came a little closer, then peeked around the bushes to see if he was there. She saw his dirty clothes on the creek bank where Rud had dropped them. Rud, who had been underwater when Patience called, surfaced, facing away from her.

Rud was standing in waist-deep water as he started to soap his hair and face. Patience had seen Rud without his shirt before but could not help looking at him for a moment.

Realizing Rud might catch her watching, Patience took a few steps back behind the bushes but stumbled and fell backward onto the ground. Rud heard her fall and turned as Patience attempted to get back to her feet. Rud, with a grin on his face, told her to watch out for the roots over there. They will trip you up every time. Patience said yes, she had tripped on some roots.

Patience decided she needed to take control of the situation and pretended to be annoyed as she walked to the logs next to the deep pool. She set Rud's clothes down, never once looking his way. Patience fussed at Rud the entire time, asking why he did not wait for her to bring his clothes to the door.

Without waiting for a reply, Patience turned and started walking back towards the cabin, complaining she had too much work to do to bring him clean clothes. Patience was complaining a bit too much, though, and Rud just smiled.

Patience thought she would make a clean exit until she saw her brother standing next to the bushes where she had stumbled. He had heard her call, had seen her come down to the deep pool, and followed.

Patience, still acting annoyed, told her brother never mind and that she had taken care of the clothes herself. Again, she thought she would make a clean exit, but Rud wasn't going to miss this chance.

Rud told the boy to get his ax and shovel and cut those roots where Patience had tripped. The boy looked around his feet and, seeing no roots, shrugged his shoulders. There were not any roots there and Rud knew it, and Patience knew she was caught. She mussed her brother's hair as she walked past him and back to the cabin. Patience could hear Rud laughing and could not help but laugh at herself, too.

When Rud walked into the cabin, he was feeling better, was much cleaner, and in a much better mood. Patience tried not to look directly at Rud. She was not mad or even embarrassed. She did not want to burst out laughing, which Patience knew she would do if she looked at Rud with what had to be a big grin on his face.

Rud's guard was down, and he told Patience how pleasant the smell of supper was when he came up to the cabin earlier. He told her it was one of his favorite things to come home with the smell of what she was cooking in the air. He added how much he appreciated all her hard work. Now, Patience was embarrassed.

Rud looked around the cabin as he told Patience she did a great job keeping the cabin clean and tidy. As he looked, Rud noticed things had changed. The bed had been moved, and many other items in the cabin were not where they had been the last seven years.

Patience noticed Rud looking around and realized she had not asked Rud before doing some rearranging. She was suddenly nervous about what he would say. After all, it was his cabin. Rud said, "You changed some things." Patience nervously replied, "Yes, I meant to ask you but had forgotten." Rud sensed her nervousness.

Rud didn't care what she did. Patience spent most of her time in the cabin, and if she wanted to change things, it was okay with him. Rud said, "Looks good. The cabin is your home, and if you want to change things around, you don't need anyone's permission." Patience relaxed and smiled as she looked directly at Rud. For the first time, she felt like this was her home, too.

She watched Rud take a few bites of his food and saw he was enjoying the taste. Patience thought of the image of Rud standing in waist-deep water, his broad shoulders, strong back, and arms. He was an attractive man once he cleaned up. Patience knew she liked Rud but thought there could be more to her feelings for this rough woodsman.