The Dance

Chapter 33 No Secrets

The family busied themselves for Bam's birthday celebration later that day. Rain and Bird gathered berries for dessert while Matt and Gabe took the skiff out to drop crab traps for the evening meal. Ami was putting the finishing touches on Bam's present from the family when Lila came back to the main cabin to return the breakfast dishes. Ami looked up from her work and smiled. Lila began to speak but stumbled through her words.

"No need to say anything, Lila. You both are adults."

Lila felt relieved that Ami had broached the subject first. She felt a little awkward realizing the family knew she had spent the entire night in Bam's trapper shack.

Lila took a seat across the table from Ami and brushed her hand across the leather Ami was working. "What are you making?"

Ami held it up to show Lila. "It's a camera bag."

Lila admired the fine leather work and the patience Ami took to hand sew every stitch. "He'll love it."

"We hope he does. Bam doesn't ask for much so we wanted to give him something unexpected."

Lila fidgeted with the scrap leather on the table as Ami continued to sew. "Something on your mind, Lila?"

"Is it hard? This life?" Lila asked quietly.

Ami stopped sewing and placed her hands on Lila's hands. "Only if you don't love him."

"I do love him." Lila said softly. "And does he feel the same way?"

"That's a question for him to answer."

Ami nodded. "You know he's never brought a girl to Browntown before."
Ami didn't have to tell Lila that bit of information. She was rather surprised Bam had not brought a girl home before. After all, he was single, handsome and could handle a rifle with the skill of a marksman...all qualities that a woman would want in an Alaska man. She surmised that either the competition for the attention of women was stiff having four brothers or he was rather particular about his women. She hoped it was the latter of two.

Lila gave Ami a quick hug before leaving the cabin. "Thank you."

Ami kept sewing and replied back,  "Take care of his heart, Lila. He loves hard."

Lila bumped into Matt heading back to the trapper shack. She could tell by the silly grin on his face and his comment that he knew where she was last night. "Slept well last night, did ya'?"

Lila thought to herself everyone knew where she was last night and what she and Bam had done. Obviously, there were no secrets amongst the Brown family. Lila's come back to Matt's comment was a little unexpected from his reaction. "I wouldn't exactly call it sleeping but yes, Matt, I've been properly f**ked."

Matt stopped in his tracks and fanned himself with his hat. "Language, Lila, language."

Lila just giggled and continued walking the path back to the trapper shack. If everyone knew what they had done last night, she was just going to own it.