Shelter in Seattle by Rhonda Gibson

she’d just spoken. They were the only verses she knew, and at the moment they didn’t give her a sense of well being. Still she mentally repeated the words as she stepped into the darkness of the woods.
    Unease washed over her. Julianne knew she’d mislead Caleb with her nod when he’d told her not go into the woods without him. But she comforted herself with the white lie that she really didn’t say she wouldn’t go. She’d nodded and that could have meant she understood what he was saying.
    She left the path and entered the tall trees. The shade from their branches immediately cooled her brow and made her feel better. Movement in the under brush quickened her footsteps.
    Julianne forced herself not to run. She focused on the sunshine that peeked through the trees in front of her. The weight of the laundry bag pulled on her arm and snagged on every root on the forest floor.
    The sound of running water met her ears. As soon as she exited the trees, Julianne saw the source of the sound.
    The river rushed along in front of her. A small shallow stream broke off from the main body, making it the perfect place to do laundry.
     She set down the baby by the waters edge, but not too close. Rolling her skirt up at the waist, she waded out to a big protruding rock, and then bent and tied the drawstring bag to her leg. Warm water sloshed about her body. She hadn’t realized until she’d entered the water that it must be some branch of a hot spring.
    The wet clothes became a heavy pull against her body, but most of the stench would be gone by the time she applied the soap and scrubbed them against a rock. She hung the clean clothing on the bushes that lined the river bank.
    Lost in the mundane task, Julianne recalled Caleb’s warning of the dangers if she strayed too far from the cabin. What would he do if he found out she’d disobeyed him? The thought of the woodshed behind the cabin came to mind, and she shivered in spite of the heat.
    Her face burned as she remembered his quick hug this morning. He’d made her feel like a woman. A desired woman. Would she be treated like a child for disobeying him?
    She allowed her subconscious thoughts to surface. Since the death of her parents, fear and abuse had been her constant companions. Her uncle not only physically beat her, but he’d also told her she was no better than a servant. The mental abuse had been worse than the physical. The most hurtful thing of all had been her aunt’s willing consent to this treatment, always quoting Bible passages about discipline. Was this the way Caleb believed? If so, she was in a heap of trouble, and the woodshed could be the least of it.
    Julianne scrubbed the clothes, unaware of the passage of time.
    Jonathan’s whimpering pulled her from her reflections. She straightened, arching her back she looked up into the afternoon sky. Had she really been washing clothes that long? Drying clothes rested over rocks and branches all around her. Her back and neck ached from leaning over the water.
    Since Jonathan didn’t appear in too much distress, she decided to finish the last two shirts. She knew he had to be hungry and wet. She’d forgotten clean diapers, and not realizing the laundry would take so long, she’d counted on the bottle she’d fed him earlier to be sufficient until she returned to the cabin.
    The whimpering turned into angry screeches, and she hurried from the water with the two now clean shirts. As she passed the basket, she looked at him, torn between caring for him and finishing her job. His little face had turned bright red and he waved his fist about.
    “I’m sorry, Jonathan,” she called, hoping her voice would calm him. She hung the garments and began to gather the dry ones, folding them and laying them on a fairly clean rock on the river bank.
    She raised her voice to cover the wails now interspersed with gasps for breath he was crying so hard. “I’m hurrying, Sweetheart. We’ll be home in a few minutes.”
    She