Ask No Tomorrows (21 page)

“
You look perfect,” he whispered as he settled in beside
her.

“
Thanks, Sam…for everything.”

He shot her a
quick appraisal and smiled. “My pleasure. Now let’s go get that
ranch back.”

Nodog took his
place in front of the buggy and led the way.

Chapter Twelve

“
So
what did you think of it?” Sam asked after they were well out of
town.

“
Of
what?” she asked as she kept her voice steady and her eyes
averted.

“
The whorehouse,” Sam spoke as though jesting.

“
Oh…well, the furniture and decorations were elaborate, never
seen anything so grand in my life. Fit for a queen. Reminds me of
what my daddy used to call an oasis in a desert.” She smiled. “And
Miss Tilda is special, she really is.”

“
And the girls?”

“
Well.” She cleared her throat. “Once I got used to the fact
that no one had clothes on, I got on well. I found them wild,
beautiful and hardy. They were all so nice to me, I had to like
them.”

Sam threw back
his head and laughed.

Riley looked
at him as though he’d lost his mind. “What’s so funny?”

“
Haven’t ever seen a lady like a whore before. You beat all.”
Sam laughed, a glint of humor flashed across his face.

“
Well, they were nice…” she explained as her cheeks brightened.
“And very kind to me.”

Sam patted her
on the leg and she glanced at his action. “I guess you think I’m
crazy.”

“
No…I think you are about the grandest lady I’ve ever known.”
Sam’s eyes raked her with a sensual glance. His glance enflamed
her, but she hid it well.

She felt
weak-kneed at his compliment. “Thank you, Sam…that’s the sweetest
thing you’ve ever said to me…”

His heated
glance raked her. “You just caught me in a good mood.”

She smiled and
he jerked on the reins harder.

That night
they camped and Sam handed her some old clothes.

“
What’s this for?” she asked.

He scratched
his chin for a minute. “Can’t have you getting those duds dirty
before we get there. Sleep in these,” he said.

“
Oh
yeah, that’s good thinkin’.” She smiled and went behind the bushes
to change.

***

“
Couple of days this is all gonna be over, you’ll have your
ranch back, your money, and I’ll be headed west, like I started,”
Sam remarked as he made a pot of coffee and offered her a
cup.

Dressed more
comfortably now, he noted how she had to roll the legs up on the
pants and how she tucked the shirt in to keep the pants up. She
took the cup of coffee and sighed heavily. “You’re not interested
in being my foreman, then?” Riley asked.

Sam glanced at
her misfit outfit, and then averted his attention elsewhere.
“Riley, I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

Riley sat down
on a dead tree that lay sprawled obviously from the tornado that
had hit the area. She sipped her coffee thoughtfully and watched
Sam out of the corner of her eye. “Then I guess we’ll be sayin’
goodbye when this is over, huh?”

Sam walked
away from her, unable to look at her, unable to speak.

Finally after
a long silence he lay down his coffee cup and nodded. “I guess so,
Riley…”

She let out a
breath. “Bring some firewood, I’ll make us some supper.”

He left and
she held her tears inside. She hadn’t contemplated saying goodbye
to Sam, but she knew it was inevitable, especially since he
couldn’t come to terms with it working between them. She understood
why, but accepting it was hard. Still, she wanted to show him how
much she’d grown through the experience.

She fixed the
evening meal when he brought back a wild turkey and made a spit
over the fire for it. As they watched the bird cook, they stared
into the fire, both with their own thoughts. “I’m really grateful
for all you’ve done for me, Sam.”

Sam nodded,
but didn’t take his eyes from the fire. “Yeah.”

“
Where’d you find the bird?” Her voice trailed off as though
her mind wasn’t on the bird.

Sam shook
himself a little and shifted off the log to the ground. “Down
yonder ways.”

“
I’m hungry…”

“
It’ll be a while yet,” he cautioned as he fashioned the spit
to cook it on.

“
So
when I go into the bank, I tell them I’m Dr. Ethan Morgan and that
I came to withdraw Riley Morgan’s account money. Then what?” Riley
asked, trying to keep the conversation on business.

Sam came out
of his trance and put his hand over his eyes for a second. “I’m not
at all sure that calling yourself a doctor is a good idea. You
could be called upon to do something you couldn’t handle. Just call
yourself Ethan Morgan and let it be. Once you get the money, you
inform them you’ll be taking over the ranch, as you’re the next of
kin and all.”

“
Won’t I have a hard time with that since I didn’t write a
will?” she asked.

“
They’ll be investigating it, of course. But since you will be
the only next of kin, there shouldn’t be much trouble. The real
trouble is getting Harry and his men off the ranch. That’s where I
come in,” Sam said.

“
You…what do you mean?”

Sam looked at
her, his gaze lingering on her. “Riley, if they don’t leave
peacable, we’ll have to make them leave.”

Riley’s eyes
widened. “But you said you weren’t a gunmen.”

“
I’m not. But I sure know how to use a gun.”

Riley gazed at
him in shock. “No…when I get the deed and the money, then you will
leave.”

Sam stood up.
“What are you talkin’ about, girl? If you couldn’t handle Harry
before, what makes you so sure you can now? Once he figures out how
you duped him, he’ll want your hide.”

Riley stood up
and walked to the edge of the camp. “It’s no longer your concern
once the deed and money are handed over. I’ve got a plan, in my
head. I’ll hire a new crew before I go out to the ranch, and they
will stand behind me. And you and I will end when we come out of
the bank.”

Sam followed
her, his eyes wide and blazing with anger. “Like hell it’s over. I
haven’t come this far to see you shot down on your own property. No
sir…we’ll finish it. Then I’ll ride west.”

“
Sam.” She looked straight at him, her tears about to fall.
“You’ve made it clear to me. You don’t believe we could make it
together, because you’re a black man, and I’m a white woman.
Despite the fact that we got something powerful between us, you
chose to ignore it. You kissed Mavis like you meant it, you kissed
the whores like you meant it, and you kissed me like you meant it,
but you didn’t. I understand that now. It’s just the way a man is.
So you go on your way. You’ve chosen how you want it.”

“
Riley, you’re not lookin’ at this right. You got everything
all messed up. How can I make you understand? You are gonna be a
woman of means, a big time rancher. I’m just a cowboy. It’s not
just the black and white, it’s a lot of things…”

“
My
money, is that it? Money don’t mean nothin’ Sam when you are alone
and scared out of your wits and need help. Neither does pride. My
daddy told me a long time ago, it’s not just using a gun, or
building an empire, it’s standing tall for what’s right that makes
you a real man. It’s fighting for those needs that makes you a man.
You don’t love me enough to fight for me, but I love you enough to
let you go,” Riley cried out and turned away from him. “Go on west
Sam, I don’t need you any longer.”

“
Riley!” Sam hollered, disbelieving.

Nodog whined,
standing between them.

“
Go
on, Sam…get out of here,” Riley cried, not bothering to look at him
any longer.

“
Miss Tilda told you I kissed her?”

“
Yes…and Nannette, and Mavis…I don’t need a hammer hitting me
in the head to tell me you are just one of those men who kiss
women, make them all starry-eyed and up and leave with no intention
of doing the honorable thing.”

“
Honorable thing? I haven’t compromised you, Riley!” Sam
shouted.

“
No…you just misled me…that’s all,” she chided.

“
Misled you? I’ve done everything to keep from misleading
you.”

Sam turned
away, and slowly walked to his horse that was hobbled. He mounted
and stared down at her. “Come on, Nodog…”

But Nodog
refused to budge either. “You too?” Sam frowned at his
dog.

“
Goodbye Riley, and good luck…take care of Nodog,” Sam said
lowly as he rode out of the camp.

Riley couldn’t
watch him ride away. But the tears fell one after another now and
Nodog whined at her legs.

Choking on her
tears, she looked down at Nodog. “I don’t know where I got the guts
to tell him goodbye. Now if he don’t come back…maybe I can get over
him in a few years. Maybe…”

***

Sam camped not
far from her, angry that he couldn’t come to terms with his
feelings for Riley he swore and bedded himself down without any
supper.

The fact that
Nodog chose Riley instead of him hurt too and added to his
loneliness.

“
How could Nodog do this to me?” he fumed as he dumped the last
of his coffee and laid out his bedroll.

“
How could she…”

He shook his
head. “Fool woman, don’t she know by now how I feel about her? If
she can’t tell how I feel by now, she’s blind as a bat.”

Wrestling with
his feelings, Sam tried to settle in for the night. He was almost
asleep when a big storm blew in.

The rain came
hard and relentless. April always seemed full of storms in
Texas.

Sam got
up.

“
Riley will be scared witless. I’ve got to go back and help
her…” he exclaimed.

Saddling his
horse once more he rode back toward the camp where Riley was. But
as he searched the area, he couldn’t find her. Where had she gone?
He called out to her as he searched.

And then he
saw her, she had unhitched the horse, and climbed into the buggy,
covered herself totally with a blanket and Nodog was laying at the
head of the buggy.

“
Riley,” he called as he pulled himself up inside the buggy.
Unfolding the blanket, he uncovered her so he could see
her.

“
Sam…is that really you?” she cried out, reaching for him in
the darkness.

“
Riley…” he cried and their lips met as he pulled her into his
arms and kissed her into a sweet vortex.

Sam knew
heaven, for he had it in his arms. He knew he’d come home and he
knew Riley was his for the moment at least.

“
Hold me Sam, hold me…” she cried as she kissed him back. “I’m
so glad you’re back…”

“
I’ll hold you, Riley…all night long.” He sighed, pulling her
into the cradle of his arms and sighing, he closed his eyes and
they went to sleep.

Nodog whined
and wagged his tail.

But the next
morning, she was storming around the camp fire, not at all cuddling
him.

“
Why’d you come back, Sam?” she bit her lip to ask.

“
Why? Because I knew you’d need me. The storm and all…” He
gestured.

“
Well, I don’t need you…and the storm is over,” she cried
aloud, her voice faltering.

He grabbed her
by the arms and looked into her wide eyes. “What’s wrong with you,
Riley?”

She stomped
her foot and moved away from him. “Nothin’.”

“
Good, ‘cause we got a job to do…” he insisted.

“
I
been thinkin’ on that…” she began. “I’ve decided to sell the
ranch.”

“
Sell?” He stormed at her.

“
Yes!”

Sam cringed,
trying to figure her out was like working some puzzle in his
head.

“
How’d you come to that decision?” he barked at her.

Riley poured
herself a cup of coffee. “I want something more.”

Sam shrugged
his shoulders in exasperation. “After all this time, after all
we’ve done, you’re just gonna throw it all away?”

“
No, I’m not throwing anything away. I’m going to sell the
ranch,” she announced, sitting on the ground now. “You won’t stay
and help me run it, and it’s too big a job for one person,
especially a woman. And way too lonely.”

“
Riley, I can’t stay.” Sam’s voice lowered. He hung his head.
“Don’t you know what we would face?”

“
Fine, you’ve made your decision, I’ve made mine,” she
announced.

“
Maybe I ought to leave, just get up and walk out, like you
suggested. This don’t make no sense, Riley!” Sam fumed unable to
see a reason for her new found attitude.

“
It
makes perfect sense.” Riley barely glanced at his
tirade.