Riding the River Read online

  She’d been working quietly for a while and Dale was curious.

  “… You’re from Baltimore, Sarah?”

  “Yes, sir…”

  “Tell me about life in Baltimore.” He noticed the frown that immediately came onto her face. Uh-oh… raw nerve… “Sorry, I really didn’t mean to pry.”

  Sarah continued putting ingredients into a bowl and said nothing for a few minutes. Then she cleared her throat…

  “… My life in Baltimore is strained and difficult. Sometimes it can be fun and lots of times, it’s not.”

  “Is that why you came out West?” She looked at Dale and smiled.

  “My mother lived in Lovelock, outside of Reno…”

  “… Yes, I know it…”

  “…Anyway, I’ve always dreamed of coming out here and having…”

  When she didn’t continue, he filled in the blank for her.

  “… some fun? An adventure, maybe?”

  “Promise you’ll keep this to yourself, Dale?” He crossed his heart with a ladle.

  “I think I’m looking for a new life…”

  His eyes widened. “And you thought you’d find it here, in Nevada?”

  She shrugged. “I don’t know… maybe… It seemed like a place to start. I have to make a change.”

  “Is it that critical?”

  “… Yes.”

  “Why?” Her hand stalled in the bowl.

  “Would you like to know what happened to me the day before I flew out here?”

  “… Only if you want to tell me.” Dale stopped what he was doing and looked in her open face. He saw tears in her eyes.

  She gulped. “I had a panic attack.”

  His jaw tightened and he became angry on her behalf. “What happened?”

  “Sure you want to hear this?”

  “… I do…”

  “I have this boss…” and she filled him in on the antics of Joe the Tyrant, always bullying her and getting her upset. She mentioned the rashes too.

  Sarah lowered her eyes to the bowl and began mixing ingredients again. “I’ve never told that to anyone, not even my father.”

  “That was my next question. Where the hell is your family?” He stirred a few saucepans and checked a dish in the oven. “Here, put your salad in this bowl.” He handed her a big bowl from the cupboard.

  She shrugged again. “I love my family. It’s just my father and my grandfather, but they’re wonderful people.”

  “Why don’t they know about Joe the Tyrant then?”

  “Because I haven’t told them, I guess. They expect… much from me -- They’re in politics.” She looked up into his sympathetic eyes. “I...I don’t want to disappoint either of them.”

  “So you’re disappointing yourself instead. Is that it?”

  “… Maybe…” She put the salad she’d made into a refrigerator.

  “How’d you manage to get away?”

  “After my panic attack, actually before that, my best friend, Abby and I searched for a vacation place. When I had the attack, I just booked everything and beat it out of there. They were all crying recriminations in my wake.”

  He shook his head. Dale thought he’d heard it all now.

  “… No boyfriend?”

  This time she rolled her eyes back in her head. “I call Ben, the absentee boyfriend. He’s perfect for my family, but not so great for me. I broke up with him before I left. Guess what he said to me?”

  “What?”

  “He’d give me a week to come to my senses.” Dale laughed loudly at that.

  “You need a new home, a new job and a new guy, Sarah.”

  “Thanks, Dale. With you and Dan as my therapists, I should do all right.” She laughed with him.

  He took her hand and sat her down at the kitchen table with him.

  “Listen, sweetie. I don’t know if the Wild West will be your salvation or not, but I sure hope so, for your sake. You’re terrific, Sarah and you deserve much more out of life than you’re apparently getting…”

  He handed her a tissue from a box on the table.

  “…Um…”

  “So let’s finish up lunch and decide what we’re fixing for dinner.”

  “Okay…” she sniffed.

  “And I want you to help me out on the horse drive tomorrow. Can you do that?”

  “If you can stand to have me around that much, Dale…”

  “Come on, let’s finish up.”

  As they finished lunch and started setting things out on the buffet table, Dale was thinking long and hard. He could really use an assistant in the kitchen. Would she want to stay on after her week was over? He was going to talk to Mr. Walker about it. She was so lovely and nice, and she needed help. It was obvious that she didn’t want to go home.

  And he thought Matt might need a little more time too. He saw how Matt looked at her… It was just a matter of time before the guy would get off his butt and realize what he had in front of him. Dale thought he might push her out there too, if he had the chance. His wheels were turning…

  ####

  Some of the cowboys walked into the big dining room for lunch to see a bunch of female guests excitedly picking teams. Aaron, Frank and Tyler had come in ahead of Matt and Richie… The women had finished up lunch and were about to head out. Matt noticed Sarah’s cheeks were flushed with excitement about something, but Tess was checking out Richie. He smiled over at her.

  “Listen, Matt,” whispered Richie. “Can you play for me after dinner? I want to take Tess out to show her the stars…”

  Matt laughed. “Oh, is that what you call it now?”

  Richie nodded.

  “Okay… Your guitar in your cabin?”

  “Yeah, I’ll get it over to you.” Then he looked at him. “Where’s yours? You’re better than I am and you haven’t played much in weeks.”

  Matt rubbed his forehead. “Just haven’t felt like it, I guess.”

  “Well, get in the mood. Women like musicians…” he kidded.

  The ladies all got up and left the room noisily. Mr. Walker came in from another room and walked over to the cowboys to say hello.

  “What’s with the gals?” said Frank.

  “… Off to play cowboy golf.”

  Matt smiled at that. “They seem to be finding great things to do every day.”

  “That’s what we’re here for, son. Let’s keep the guests happy…” Mr. Walker strode after the women to make sure they were heading to the right area. He stuck his head back around a corner. “Frank, give me a hand, would you? I want you to show the ladies where the golf course is set up.”

  Frank got up and walked with Mr. Walker outside. The rest of the cowboys got their lunches and sat down to eat.

  “So…” began Richie while cutting his steak.

  “So?” asked Matt.

  “She golfs too.”

  Matt shrugged. “Probably plays a lot in Baltimore.”

  “What can’t this girl do? Hmmm?”

  “… I don’t know, Richie. I don’t know her much at all.”

  Dale heard that comment and walked over to stand by their table. Richie, Matt, Aaron and Tyler looked up at him.

  “That’s your mistake.”

  “What is, Dale?”

  “That you don’t know her very well.”

  “Yeah, that’s what I said… So?” Matt looked puzzled.

  “And that’s all I’m saying…”

  Matt and Richie were scratching their heads. “But you haven’t said anything, Dale…” said Richie.

  “That’s right… Enjoy the chicken fried steak.” And he walked back to the kitchen.

  The four cowboys looked at each other with wide eyes.

  “What the hell was that all about?” asked Tyler. He reached for the saltshaker.

  “… Absolutely no idea,” said Matt.

  Richie tried again. “Maybe… he was trying to tell us something. You, Matt… “

  “What about me?”

  “You
made the comment that he responded to.”

  “What did I say?”

  Richie looked confused. Aaron brightened. “… Something about not knowing someone or something…”

  “This is hopeless.” Tyler began to eat his food.

  Everyone agreed with him except for Matt. He sat there, fork in hand and tried to figure out what Dale had been saying. He put down his fork, excused himself and got up to walk into the kitchen. Richie gave him a puzzled look when he left.

  Dale was cleaning pans when Matt walked in the kitchen. He pushed a hand through his dark hair, the other held onto his cowboy hat. Serious eyes…

  “I said I didn’t know her very well…”

  “That’s correct…” Dale stopped what he was doing and looked over at him.

  “And then you said that was my mistake, right?”

  “Yes…”

  “What are you trying to say, Dale?”

  “I’m saying nothing. You need to figure this out for yourself.”

  Matt shuffled his feet and looked around the kitchen. His eyes finally came back to Dale’s.

  “Can you give me a clue?”

  “You want one, don’t you?”

  “Yes…”

  “…Why?”

  That was a question that sent him around the bend. Why did he? Didn’t he like his life as it was? Why did he want to get mixed up with some girl? A city slicker…

  “Listen, Dale… I don’t know anything right now.” He sat down on a chair by the kitchen table. “I met this girl from Baltimore that I can’t stop thinking about. I know nothing much about her…” He shook his head at Dale’s unasked question. “I asked… She wouldn’t tell me anything about her life.”

  “Maybe she’s not ready.”

  “Okay, I get that but…”

  “… But?” Dale sat down by him.

  “She’s a guest, for Pete’s sake. She’ll be going back to Baltimore in less than a week.” He lowered his eyes. “Why do I care?”

  Dale smiled. “You care because you don’t want her going back to Baltimore, son. Face it…”

  “… That’s not fair of me. Her home is somewhere else. She has a life somewhere else… Probably a boyfriend.”

  “What if she stayed another week?”

  “… Same difference. She’d still be leaving sooner or later.” He looked up at Dale. “My stomach is tied in knots…” Dale smiled.

  “This is a long time in coming for you, Matt. Even if she doesn’t stay, welcome back to the world. She’s apparently opened up that can of worms that you welded shut after Betsy left.”

  “We’re not saying her name…”

  “No, don’t give Betsy that much importance. You and she were a bad fit from the beginning. The only good thing to come of that relationship is little Tommy. How is he, by the way?”

  Matt smiled. “He’s good and coming out to visit next month. He’ll stay with my grandfather, as will I.”

  “Still looking at buying that little ranch next door to your grandfather’s?”

  “Yep,” Matt smiled turning his hat around in his hands. “It’s a pretty place.”

  “Take her out to see it sometime.”

  Matt blinked his eyes in surprise. “You’re kidding. Why would I do that?”

  Dale blew out a breath. “Youth is definitely wasted on the young. You and she need to talk to each other.”

  “We’re still getting to know one another. That takes time.”

  “Don’t take too long. Try to talk to her some night on the horse drive. You’ll be out under the stars – pretty romantic and all.”

  Matt actually blushed and then laughed. “Yeah, well… I’ll see what I can do.” He met his eyes. “Thanks, Dale.”

  “Yeah, yeah,” Dale shooed him away. “Everyone comes to me with their troubles.”

  “Father Confessor?” Then Matt thought of something. “Has Sarah talked with you about anything?”

  “… Sorry,” he said, “confessions are confidential. You’re going to have to find out on your own.”

  Matt got up from the table and put on his hat. “All right. Thanks, Dale. See ya.” He walked out of the kitchen. Dale sat there watching him leave and then shook his head.

  “That boy’s smitten… but he doesn’t know it yet.”

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  After dinner, Sarah and Tess sat out on the porch, laughing about their cowboy golf game. It had been a hoot… One of the ladies had almost hit a deer with a golf ball. The course was so rough that once Sarah dug a hole trying to hit her ball. All in all, it had been a fun and funny afternoon.

  Sarah had just made it back in time to help Dale with dinner. Afterwards, in the kitchen, Mr. Walker had questioned Dale about having a guest assist.

  “Look, Dale. The guests are here for fun, not work.”

  “People have different ideas about what fun is, apparently.”

  “So you think it’s wise to let her help you?”

  “Yeah, in fact, what if she stays a bit longer and becomes my assistant?”

  Mr. Walker looked aghast. “What in the world are you talking about? You want me to hire her?”

  “Why not? If she decides to stay in the area, I could use the help…”

  “Well…” Mr. Walker huffed his disapproval. “Why don’t we just cross this bridge when and if we come to it?”

  “Okay by me.”

  “Anyway, I need to get an accurate count for the horse drive tomorrow and make sure folks have the gear they need.”

  He walked out of the kitchen still shaking his head about Dale’s request. Then Mr. Walker met with the ranch guests in the community room to go over what they’d need for the horse drive starting tomorrow. There were ten guests going, including Sarah and Tess, Dale the cook, Cooper the trail boss and four of the cowboys, Frank, Aaron, Richie and Matt.

  “Just so you’re clear… You’ll be driving the herd of horses up north from here to a good pasture that’s east of the Snake Mountains. The elevation is high, around 7,000 feet, so you need to dress warmly.” He stopped to pick up a stack of papers.

  “Aaron, pass the gear list around, please. Everyone take a good look at what you’ll need. It may be a bit chilly at night, but you’ll be in some of the most beautiful country on God’s earth. It’s breathtaking, to be sure…”

  “Do you have bedrolls for us, Mr. Walker?” asked Tess.

  “Yes. Also, we can also provide tents, if you’d prefer not sleeping out in the open.”

  Tess looked at Sarah. “Want to share a tent?”

  “Oh, yeah…” laughed Sarah.

  “What about bugs?” asked another guest.

  “There are some, so get whatever you need from the general store out back. We should be able to fix you up with anything.” He looked around the room. “Questions?”

  Sarah had one. “So we ride two days up and one day back. Is that right?”

  “Yup. Correct… If you want to take your time on the way back, you can make that decision as you go. Depends on how anxious you are to get off a horse…” He smiled at them and everyone smiled back.

  “Okay, then. You leave after breakfast tomorrow morning. Have a good trip… In an hour, we’re going to have a little music and dancing, so get your packing done and come on outside. Let’s have some fun!”

  Tess turned to Sarah as they got up to go to their rooms. “I like him.”

  “Who? Mr. Walker?”

  “… Yes. He’s got a real twinkle in his eye…” Sarah laughed at her.

  “Come on. Let’s get packed.”

  She could hear music out back of the ranch house as she was packing.

  Sarah thought there were three guitars playing with at least two singers, sometimes three. The Western songs they played were so pleasant, soulful – She recognized a few oldies like ‘Cool Water’ and ‘Oh, Shenandoah’, but a few more modern tunes like ‘Desperado’ and ‘Peaceful Easy Feeling’. Sarah smiled. There must be some Eagles fans out there.

&n
bsp; The place was lively by the time Sarah finished packing and walked back behind the house. People, young and old, teen and toddler, were dancing. Lots of smiles and laughter… She looked for Tess and found her dancing with Richie. Hmmm… Thought he played guitar the first night they were here. Apparently, he wanted a night off. Sarah looked over to see who had taken Richie’s place and saw Matt watching her.

  He stood up while the other cowboys sat. What a handsome guy… The guitar swung gracefully from a strap around his neck and he rarely looked at the strings as he played so well. Sarah could easily pick out his playing from the others – He was good… His black hair occasionally falling in his eyes... Sarah wasn’t the only one appreciating Matt. He had a couple of teenage girls to one side trying to get him to talk.

  Wow… If he isn’t a musical Gregory Peck… She thought.

  She looks incredible… Where’d she get that skirt? He thought.

  “Sarah…” Tess dashed over to appraise her clothes. “What a great outfit… Neat skirt—I love the fringe, vest and frilly blouse… Cool!”

  Richie joined them. “Really, Sarah. You look terrific… I’m sure you won’t lack for a dance partner, if you want one.”

  Sarah chuckled at them both. “Thanks, guys. I think I’ll listen for a bit. It sounds wonderful.” Richie grinned.

  “And our friend, Matt, is playing and singing tonight too…”

  “… He sings?” Sarah’s lips parted. She watched as the girls by him whispered something to him. What? He looked at them and smiled.

  When the song they were playing was finished, Matt pushed his wavy hair back and made an announcement.

  “I’ve had a request for a golden oldie. It was way before these girls’ time, but here it is. See if you recognize it.” The girls giggled that he mentioned them.

  And then the group started playing their guitars. She couldn’t believe the degree of musicianship – Guitars softly strumming and harmonizing until he started to sing. Nice voice…

  ‘You didn’t need to be so nice

  I would have liked you anyway.

  If you had just looked once or twice

  And gone upon your quiet way…

  They said the time was right for me to follow you