““What are you doing?" she asked, staring across the table at him. "It's late and you're as tired as the rest of us. I thought I'd give you a hand with these." "I'll be blamed," she exclaimed in bewilderment, "if you ain't the darnedest man I've ever had the misfortune to meet." "Guess you're just lucky then." The corner of his mouth quirked in an irritatingly attractive grin. "You're also the most aggravating!" she fired back with a grin of her own. "There just ain't no figuring you." She picked up the heavy tray, but Rider came around the table and took it from her. "Lead the way,madame." Shaking her head, she headed down the hall to the back door then out to the cookhouse. Willow filled two basins with warm water from the stove. "You still insist on helping?" "I do.””
