***
Going into town that evening, they rode up to the hotel. “Now look, we’ll go in with you as a boy, but once you’ve cleaned up, you’ll need to get another room and stay there. They’ll probably put me in a back room somewhere, and you’ll get a nice room. You enjoy it. Then tomorrow, you go see them. You can get word to me afterwards by leavin’ a note under my door. Let me know how it’s going. That sound alright?” Sam asked.
“I guess. I could leave my door open and you could wait ‘til I get back from the office, couldn’t I?”
“Yeah, you could do that; that would work fine.”
“Good.”
So when they went up to the desk, they ordered a room with two beds. The clerk looked at them strangely.
“My friend here is gonna meet up with his family tomorrow,” Sam explained. “You see, his folks just died.”
“Oh yes, of course.” The clerk nodded, satisfied that Sam had cleared the mystery up. “But the dog will have to stay outside. We don’t allow dogs in the hotel.”
“Can’t you give us a back room or somethin’?”
The clerk seemed to consider it. “Hmm…well, we do have a room in back you could take him, if you just gotta have him.”
“The kid is real attached to him…” Sam explained.
The clerk nodded. “Just don’t bring him through the lobby.”
“That’s fair enough.”
The clerk motioned down to the end of one hall and Sam nodded. Riley followed with Nodog.
“Why did you tell them I was so attached to Nodog?”
“‘Cause people tend to feel sorry for kids. They wouldn’t for me.”
“Oh…”
“Look, you need to go get a bath.” Sam looked at how dirty Riley was, dust all over her.
“Can I rest a bit first? I’m so tired,” she exclaimed as they walked into the room and she flopped down on the first bed. “I need to settle my nerves a little. I’m pretty tied in knots right now.”
“I guess so…” Sam said reluctantly. “It’s been a long trip. Once they find out you are a girl we can’t be seen together, understand?” Sam asked.
“Yeah, I understand,” she mumbled as she turned over and went to sleep. “You worry too much, Sam. The war’s been over for years. Get some rest. You aren’t a slave, you know.”
Sam sent her a derisive look.
“Don’t matter down here in the south how long the war has been over, as far as most are concerned black people and white people are not to mix.”
“I know that, Sam. I’m not as dumb as you think.” Riley frowned. “I guess you think I’m pretty strange. Don’t you? I mean takin’ up with a black man, even lettin’ you kiss me. But I grew up not makin’ no difference what color people were. My dad hired all kinds of men and most of the black and Mexicans liked me and looked after me. I grew right fond of them. Although the people in town seemed to make over the fact some. I’d see them whispering behind my back sometimes. It was hurtful, but I still didn’t see no wrong in it. I never paid much attention to it.”
“Go back to sleep, Riley.”
“I’m just tryin’ to explain.” Riley sent him an exasperated glance. “I don’t let just any man kiss me, that’s for sure.”
“Riley, I’m too tired to worry over it tonight.”
Nodog settled in front of Riley’s bed. He lay down and whined for a minute and laid his head on his paws.
Sam tried to stay awake but the minute he laid down across the bed, he was asleep too.
Hours later, in the middle of the night, Sam woke up.
He glanced over at Riley who was fast asleep. Realizing she went to sleep with no cover, he gathered the blanket at the foot of her bed and pulled it over her. She woke up as he tucked it in.
“Sam…” Her eyes popped open and she stared at him in the darkness. “Where are we?”
“In a room, in the hotel,” he exclaimed and started to move away, but a hand pulled him down to her.
“Don’t leave me, Sam,” she begged.
“Look, you are fine. Get some sleep, we’ll figure out how to do all this in the morning.”
Suddenly, she sat up and reached for him. “I’m scared, Sam…”
He pulled her arms from around his neck and pulled away. “Everything is fine. We just gotta get you cleaned up and into a dress so you can see those lawyers.”
“Thanks for coming with me…” She sighed. “I didn’t figure you would. I figured after Mavis got a hold of you, I’d lost you.”
“I told you I would. I keep my word.” He nodded silently. “Tomorrow, I’ll take you out of here. We’ll go to the general store, buy you some clothes, then to get a bath and you can go on to the lawyers. I’ll go back to the hotel. It will all be fine. This is gonna work out fine.”
She yawned and he laughed and got up. He moved to his bed and lay down once more, pulling his blanket up around him.
When he heard her snore lightly, he smiled, glanced at Nodog who was already asleep, closed his eyes and went to sleep too.
The next day, they left the hotel through the back door and had a hearty breakfast at a place down the street. It was the first meal they’d eaten together away from the trail and Riley seemed awkward about it. But she laughed and talked all the time they were there, trying hard to remember she was a boy. A few heads turned when they went in, but after they were seated no one seemed to pay much mind.
When they entered the general store the old clerk seemed disgruntled. “What’s a white boy doing with a black man?”
“He took care of me. I’m to meet my kin here. My folks died,” Riley explained, glancing at Sam and wondering why an explanation was necessary. “Thought I’d buy my Aunt a dress.”
“Your aunt, do I know her?” the man asked.
“I doubt it, she ain’t from here. I’m meeting her here; she’s comin’ in on the stage,” Riley remarked.
Sam twisted his head at the fast story she was unloading, but he said nothing.
“What size is your aunt?” the clerk asked.
“‘Bout my size only a little shorter,” Riley explained.
“Okay, let me check my stock…” The clerk left and Sam shook his head.
“Don’t get tangled up in too many lies, you’ll have to remember them all.”
But when they went to the barber shop it was Sam making up stories.
“He’s meetin’ his kin folks, gotta spruce up a bit, take a bath and all. He even bought his aunt a dress,” Sam explained to the barber.
“That’s right nice…well the bath is in the back, help yourself, kid.”
He left Riley to take a bath at the barber shop, while he went back to the hotel. He knew she was nervous about seeing the lawyers by herself, but it was best for him to not go with her.
***
So when she walked out of the back of the barber shop, she was wearing a dress. Her hair was swept up and back so it didn’t look so short and she had a hat to hide the lack of hair. She made sure no one saw her leave.
She stopped and asked the clerk in the general store where she might obtain a lawyer and after giving her the eye, he told her. “Oh, you must be the aunt?” he remarked.
“Uh…yes, my nephew stopped in here, did he?” she asked.
“Yes, he bought that dress here.” The man pointed then looked a little puzzled.
“Wasn’t that sweet of him. I had to wear it immediately when I opened it over at the hotel. He made such a fuss.”
The clerk smiled and nodded.
She thanked him and followed his directions to the lawyer’s offices, wondering if he recognized her.
The brownstone building was one of the tallest in town and the office was on the second floor according to the sign in the lobby. People were coming and going and bumping into her, but she kept her wits about her.
Riley noticed the clean scent of polished wood from the staircase. It shone in the morning sunlight. The smell of lemon oil reeked. At the second door, sh
e read the name on the door and entered. The office was furnished with dark cherrywood furniture and lovely vases with flowers. Riley spoke to the woman at the large desk, and then after a long wait, she finally got in to see a gentleman. He was middle aged, with a sagging jaw and beady eyes, but a warm smile. He was dressed in a suit, and looked as though he had a thousand things on his mind at once.
He glanced at her in surprise, noting her pretty dress with the low cleavage. Problem was, she had a small bust and her cleavage merely hinted that she was a woman, nothing like Mavis.
“Well now, Miss Morgan, I’m Frank Cordell. I think we can get this straightened out quickly enough. I’ll wire for the information tomorrow. Then we’ll begin to legally sort this out. It should only take a few days to a week at most until you can return to your home,” Mr. Cordell said.
“I appreciate your promptness. I’ll check with you tomorrow then,” she said, rising and heading for the door. “But I can’t return until I’m sure they have left my ranch for good. I’d be in great jeopardy as they have already tried to kill me.”
“You let me handle this. I’m sure we can work it all out to your satisfaction. You being a stranger to our city, would you care to join me and my Mrs. for supper?” he asked.
“Oh no, that won’t be necessary,” she insisted. “Thank you, I’ll see you tomorrow then.”
“Alright, I’ll get to work on it right away,” he insisted. “Come back tomorrow and we’ll see if we can’t get this taken care of.”
“Thank you so much…” She turned to smile at him and left.
Feeling much more confident than she expected, she returned to the hotel to tell Sam.
He was waiting for her in her room, in the dark. For only a moment she stood there staring at his silhouette and how the very shadow of him made her heart quicken. She had the urge to run into his arms, but thought better of it. Thinking about all the kisses he gave Mavis, she shucked her private thoughts of him quickly.
When she lit the lamp by the door, she came inside and closed the door.
Sam stood staring at her as though he didn’t know her.
“What’s wrong?” she asked as she came closer, noting his expression.
“Nothing…nothing at all. Guess that’s the first time I seen you in a dress.” He cleared his throat.
“Oh…” She laughed. “Guess it is.”
Sam’s eyes traveled her; he even backed up a bit.
“Do you like it?” She gulped.
“That’s not important. So…tell me how it went.”
“Oh it went fine, Sam, just like you said it would. The lawyer thinks he can get everything straightened out very quickly,” Riley explained.
Riley put the dark blue shawl around her shoulders on the edge of the chair and came to stand beside him. “Isn’t that good news?”
“Yeah, it’s great news.” Sam swallowed, still staring at her.
“Where’s Nodog?” she asked flippantly.
He smiled. “Getting kinda close to my dog, aren’t you?”
“Maybe…”
She looked up at him and felt her cheeks grow warm. They were only inches from each other. She could feel his warm breath tickling her shoulder. She could smell the combination of leather and all man, and she was sure he’d taken a bath somewhere.
“Well.” He cleared his throat. “Looks like you aren’t going to need me much longer then.”
She shrugged. “I don’t know about that…I mean…even if they straighten it out legally, I have to tell you Sam I’m scared to go back there alone. Just because they say it’s all still legal doesn’t mean they will leave me alone, and if they arrest them, and they get out it will be worse. Maybe I should consider a gunman now.”
Sam let himself slide down to the bed to sit. “I hadn’t thought about that. I hadn’t thought about anything past you getting this tied up with the lawyers. But you always think the worst. Look at some point you are gonna have to handle this yourself.”
“I guess you were hopin’ to get back to Mavis pretty quick.” She bowed her head.
“Yeah…well, I don’t know about that either, but like I told you I was headed toward Arizona,” Sam said quietly.
“Oh…yeah. I forgot.” She sat down on the bed beside him. “I never even thought about maybe there being a lady somewhere waiting for you, Sam. I never asked. Is there?”
“There isn’t, and I gotta find a way to sneak out of here so no one sees me comin’ out of your room,” Sam informed her as he glanced about the place.
“It’ll be dark soon, you could wait ‘til then to leave…”
“Yeah, I guess.”
“Wish we could have dinner together…” she whispered. “I hate eating alone…did a lot of it after dad died.”
“Nah, they’d think you were havin’ someone here, that wouldn’t be very lady-like.”
“If I ordered up a plate, we could share it,” she suggested.
A whiff of perfume floated in the air.
“Got you some of that high falootin’ perfume I guess.” He sniffed.
“No, it’s bubble bath. I found it in the room with the tub. I had to hide under it in case someone came in on me while I was bathing. I slipped out the back when I finished so no one would know. The only thing is my hair. It looks so boyish. And the man at the general store acted as though he recognized me.”
He touched her hair and she gasped.
“I’m sorry I had to chop it off…” He looked at her now. “You sure look nice in that dress.”
She smiled warmly at him, not flirty like Mavis, but just as though she enjoyed the compliment.
“Look…I better go now. I’ll come see ya tomorrow,” he said.
“Wait.” She stood up and went to his side. “Take this, you’ll need some money.”
She put her hands over his and they both seemed shocked at the action.
He looked down at her hand full of money. “I don’t like takin’ money from a woman. It don’t seem right somehow.”
“Nonsense, you’re helping me, aren’t you?” She didn’t realize her voice lowered as they seemed to come closer.
She looked at him and her eyes went misty. “Aren’t you gonna kiss me goodnight, Sam?”
“That’s not very wise…” he breathed heavily.
“I didn’t say it was wise, Sam…” she barely breathed at all.
Then suddenly he was kissing her, with all his might, all his heart, and she returned his kisses, moaning when he pulled at her bottom lip and his tongue shot out to delve into her mouth. He clutched her tighter, pulling her hard against him.
“Stay with me, Sam…” she murmured against his ear when they came up for air.
“I can’t…I gotta go now…or…goodnight, Riley…” he called as he opened the door a bit and glanced down the hallway. No one was about and he didn’t take the money.
“Goodnight, Sam…” she called breathlessly.
When he left the room, it seemed so cold and alone. Riley walked the floor. She was fast falling for Sam and she knew it, but she didn’t know how to backtrack and change it. The kiss they had shared had stirred her beyond words and she knew she’d never been kissed so thoroughly before. She’d tried to get it out of her mind, especially when Mavis came along and kissed him every night. But secretly in her heart she had wished she could do that, kiss him every night. That thought sent strange peculiar feelings through her, but she liked the feelings.
Loving him was a new experience. The fact that he was a Negro didn’t bother her a bit. She was in love and nothing could change that. She wondered what it might be like to lay in his arms every night and be his. The thought made her swoon. To touch his dark beautiful skin, and have his warm lips running rampart all over her. She twirled around the room, letting the moment fill her.
Still, if anyone knew, that would change things. She stopped twirling, and shook her head. There had to be a way.
She wished he’d say something, do something, but Sam was too
smart for that. He knew how much trouble it would bring and he wouldn’t put himself or her in that position.
If they were ever to be together it would have to be her doing it. But how, when, and where?
Chapter Ten
Late that same night there was a storm. Lightning danced across the window frame in her room, followed closely by a thunderclap that sent unwelcome shivers down her spine. The roll of thunder seemed to reach out just to her. Riley snuggled down in her bed and put the pillow over her head to drown out the terrible sounds. She shut her eyes tight so she wouldn’t see the lightning coming through the windows, inventing new shadows against her wall. But the unexpected cracks of thunder pounded in her ears. “Count to ten,” she kept telling herself so she’d know when the next roll of thunder would clap the walls like a huge hand of God. She remembered the storm in the cellar and how Sam had drowned it all out with his kiss. She wished he was here to do that again. She thought about how effective it had been.
Even if Nodog were here, she’d feel better. She’d gotten attached to that dog.
That same strange womanly feeling swamped her as she thought about Sam. Not once on the trail had she had time to think about how that kiss affected her. She’d enjoyed the feel of his lips on hers, mastering hers with such ease, coaxing her mouth to open at just the right time, so he could slide his tongue inside and taste her, a new experience for her. She’d never kissed a man. It was a mystery to Riley as there had been no one to school her on how to act around a man, or how to come into her own womanhood. She had many times had questions but no one to answer them.
“Oh Mama, I so wish you were here…” Riley cried out aloud. “Especially now that I’ve met Sam.”
Her mother’s death had haunted her so. Riley had barely turned ten when her mother came down with a fever. That’s what had her so concerned when Dorothy came down with one. Her father sent for the doctor for her mother, but nothing could help her. Riley had sat by her side the entire week, holding her hand, crying, and promising that she would get better. But she didn’t get better. Then that next morning, her mother had died and Riley ran from the room when the doctor pronounced her dead. She heard her father say she was finally with God. She had run to the edge of the woods and kneeled down and cried. She thrashed about the woods like a crazy person, calling out to God. Why had he forsaken her mother?
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