by Becky Lower
Samantha’s eyes swung over to him. They were wide with fear. “But he’s got the sheriff waiting for me in Seneca, Val. I can’t go back there. For seven more months and twenty-seven days, Uncle Jack is within his rights to take me and do whatever he wants with me, including selling me to the owner of the town bordello.”
Her hands were shaking so badly, he took the reins from her and stopped the wagon.
“We’ll figure something out, Samantha. Why don’t we take a break now?”
He wrapped the reins around the wagon’s brake and laid his shotgun down. Then he wrapped his arms around the slight woman and found her lips. He kissed her gently and ran his hand up and down her back, as if he were soothing an upset child. Her trembling became less pronounced, but he could hear the hitch in her breathing still. He was well aware her problems were much larger than a child’s and couldn’t be solved with a kiss and a hug. He tried to coax her mind in another direction.
“Where’s Jack’s gun?”
“I threw it in the wagon bed. It’s back there somewhere. Why?”
“Because he threatened to use it as collateral at the card table the other night. Said it originally belonged to the explorer Jedediah Smith and it was extremely valuable. He passed out before he got desperate enough to offer it up, but I’m curious about it.”
Valerian jumped down from the wagon seat and rummaged around in the back until he found the gun. He vaulted back up beside Samantha and turned the gun over in his hands.
“See the carving in the handle?” Samantha ran her finger over the initials, which had been painstakingly carved into the gun. The letter J was overlaid with the letter S.
“Uncle Jack was so proud of this gun. He said even though his last name was Beckett, he would carry this gun proudly, even with the wrong last initial on it, since Jed Smith had killed so many Indians with it. Uncle Jack hates Indians almost as much as he hates me.” She shuddered again.
“I’ll probably have to give him his gun when I go back for him, since it is his property and the sheriff will make me return it. But that won’t be for a couple of days.”
“Not long enough, Val. It’s never going to be long enough.”
Valerian sighed. There was no easy fix. There was only one thing to do, and it demanded sacrifice on both their parts. It broke his heart to think about the consequences of what he was about to suggest, but he could come up with no alternative.
“I’m going to take a little nap, Samantha. And if, while I sleep, you take Jack’s horse and leave me, there won’t be much I can do about it, will there?”
Her large eyes filled with tears but met his in quiet understanding. She gulped and put her arms around him for a long minute. Then she tilted her face and kissed him before she broke from his embrace.
“I think I’ll take a little walk while you’re sleeping. And I’m going to take a sheet of paper and a pencil from our supplies. I want to put my thoughts on paper after seeing my parents’ graves.”
Valerian nodded and got her the requested supplies from the wagon bed before he lay down on the bags of grain. He stared after her as she walked away from him. She’d leave him a message on that paper, he was sure of it. And then, as soon as he could, he’d meet up with her, and they’d be together forever.
He wondered in which direction she’d head. He lay down, putting his hat over his face, and tried to relax. Farther west, there were Indian uprisings, and it was certainly no place for a woman, even one posing as a man. Back east, at the edge of civilization, Uncle Jack had the advantage with the law on his side, so she couldn’t go there. Maybe she’d head to New York. His mother would welcome her if Samantha could get there. He should mention it to her as a possibility. Perhaps she’d head north, into Canada. Jack surely wouldn’t follow her there, and American law had no clout once the border was crossed. Slaves from the south who were successful in their journeys north were crossing over into Canada every day. In spite of his active brain, his need for sleep overtook him.
When he woke, Samantha and the horse were gone.
And there was a folded piece of paper on his chest, nestled between his fingers.
Please don’t try to follow me, Val. Just by sharing my secret, you’re in trouble with the Pony Express as well, and I don’t envy you having to face down the sheriff and Gus at the same time. I’ll be all right. What we had was special, and I won’t ever forget you. I love you, Val. Expressly Yours, Samantha.
He stared at the paper for a long time before he climbed onto the wagon seat. He ran his hand over his eyes, which had filled with tears, and drove away. The first time anyone had ever declared her love for him, and it had to be done in writing and by a woman he’d probably never see again. He blinked the tears away. He still had to protect Samantha by coming up with a plausible story for her disappearance. He wasn’t so worried about the sheriff, but he hated lying to Gus.
He thought of his and Samantha’s lovemaking the day before and pined his loss. The image of a naked, unbound Samantha would fade over time. But he’d never forget her. And he’d never stop worrying about her.
Chapter 19
Samantha walked the horse slowly away from Valerian and the wagon until she was certain the sound of the hooves pounding the ground wouldn’t awaken the sleeping man. Maybe he wasn’t sleeping at all, just playing possum. In any event, she didn’t want him to get into any more trouble than he was already. Witnessing her leave would probably be an offense from which he couldn’t escape. She had placed him in jeopardy enough by forcing him to keep her secret. She was once again on her own.
Without a clue where to go.
She rode east, away from the wagon, heading back the way she and Val had recently traversed. But she was now known in Atchison and didn’t plan to stop there. No, she’d either go north to Canada or farther south. Or continue on east, through Kansas altogether. Maybe St. Louis would be far enough away. And big enough so she could get lost there. Maybe she should travel on even farther east, to one of the big cities in the civilized part of the country. Valerian had told her one of his letters home contained some information about her and her story. Maybe she could head to New York and into the safe arms of the Fitzpatrick family. The thought of tons of people all crowded together in households and on the streets made her uncomfortable, though. She’d been in the West her entire life, and loved the open feel of the region. Well, she had miles to go before she had to make up her mind.
Maybe someday, after she turned eighteen, she’d head back to Seneca or St. Joseph and find Val again. Then they could start their lives together. When he told Uncle Jack they were going to use the money Val had won at the card game to set up their own homestead, Samantha’s heart swelled at the thought of spending the rest of her life by Val’s side, carving out their corner of the world together. Tears filled her eyes as she rode along blindly. No. Heading back to Seneca, even after she turned eighteen, would still be risky. By bringing in the sheriff, Uncle Jack had marked her as a fugitive from justice. And now she had stolen his horse. She could never go back.
Justice. She choked back a laugh. There was no justice to be had in her world. At least when it came to her life. So, what to do now?
She stopped to rest the horse, and herself, after several hours in the saddle. The horse was similar to Jack himself in appearance—big, burly, and rough. But he had loped along at a fast gait, churning up the miles. Her backside may suffer a bit, but with each passing mile she breathed a little easier. She was headed southeast. She pulled some food out of her saddlebag, and handed over a wedge of apple to the horse, patting him on the nose.
“What do you think, fella? Since we’re in this mess together, you get a vote, too. If you approve of St. Louis as our destination, nod your head.”
The horse nodded and nuzzled her. Probably searching for some more tangy apple wedges, but Samantha was willing to take it as a sign. St. Louis was still days away, but her course was now set. At least her physical course. Mentally, she still wasn�
�t sure what to do. Perhaps she’d become a girl again.
She ran her hand over her face. The idea had some merit. Uncle Jack and the sheriff would now be on the lookout for her posing as a fellow. But if she hid in plain sight, as a woman, would they be able to track her down in the next few months? Maybe reverting back to a female would provide her with the edge she needed to escape Uncle Jack yet again. That was it. She’d stop in some little mercantile shop along the way and buy a secondhand skirt and blouse. Get rid of her telltale red Pony Express shirt, that she’d insisted on bringing along and let her hair start to grow out again. By the time she got to St. Louis, her hair would be almost grazing her collar, and she wouldn’t look too strange. She began to get excited about starting over. Although melancholy would be a constant in her life now because Val would never be part of it. They’d never have their little homestead together. All their talk of the future was just that—talk.
Even so, she wrapped herself in her memories of the time they spent at the lake. And continued heading southeast. Toward St. Louis and her future.
• • •
Valerian pulled the wagon up at the back door of the Smith Hotel at Seneca, finally. He had purposely driven slow, and taken an extra day, to give Samantha extra time to get away. He had no idea in which direction she’d run. Which was probably a good thing, since he was never a good liar. He set the brake on the wagon, looped the reins over it, and climbed down. Time to face Gus. And the sheriff, if he was still here.
Val was ushered into the kitchen by a stonefaced Gus, who opened the door for him. Val had expected this conversation to take place the moment he returned. He’d practiced what to say on his ride back. Gus led Val to a small office.
“What took you so long? And where’s Sam? The sheriff’s been here for days already, eating everything in sight.”
“Sorry, Gus. But we had some trouble along the way. Jack met up with us and threatened to shoot us both.”
“Well, since you’re still alive, I’ll assume he was unsuccessful in his threat. Where’s Jack now? And Sam?”
Valerian grinned slightly. “I left Jack at the old hitching post in front of Sam’s family farmhouse. Told him I’d send someone to untie him if I remembered.”
Gus tried to hide his smile by rubbing his hand over his face. “And Sam?”
“Gone.”
Gus eyed him carefully. “You never suspected she was a girl? All the time you two spent together when she was shot?”
Valerian tried to control his features. If Gus had any inkling of what went on between him and Samantha, he’d have to fire Val. And Val couldn’t afford to let it happen. He might not know where Samantha had run to, but she could find him again if she wanted to as long as he stayed employed by the Pony Express.
“Truly, Gus, I had no idea. I just thought he was a shy boy who didn’t want to piss in front of me.”
“But after finding out her true identity, how did you let her escape? You know Jack’s within his rights. And now we have a sheriff involved.”
Valerian shook his head, hoping for a contrite appearance. “My fault, Gus. After we had the showdown with Jack and tied him up, I was exhausted and fell asleep for a few hours. Sam—or rather, Samantha—used the time I was sleeping to steal Jack’s horse and take off. I don’t know in which direction she went.”
“The sheriff’s not going to be happy. Nor am I. Now you need to waste more time leading the sheriff to Jack, and then to where Sam made her escape. You’re being paid to ride the mail through here, not fool around with the law and stuff.”
“Sorry, Gus.”
He clamped a hand on Val’s shoulder. “Personally, I’m glad she got away. I only hope she didn’t leave a trail. Jack is one mean dude, and I can only imagine the horror Samantha would face with him.”
Val nodded. “If anyone is so desperate they have to shield their identity, I’d say whatever they’re running from has to be bad. I’ll go unload the wagon while you inform the sheriff and see what he wants to do.”
Valerian breathed a little better once he got back into the open. He might lose out on another ride with the mail while he led the sheriff to the place where Samantha made her getaway, but it was a sacrifice he’d willingly make. He still had his job with the Express, and Samantha would be another couple days away from them. It was all he could do for her now, since he could no longer be near her and help shield her from harm.
The last of the kitchen supplies were taken into the house, and Val drove the wagon around to the barn. He unhitched the horses and turned them out, then unloaded the grain and other supplies for the barn. When he finished his work, he took advantage of the quiet to take Samantha’s letter out and stare at it again. She loved him, and would never forget him. That had to be enough. But his heart ached as he refolded the letter and placed it back in his breast pocket. He’d never forget her, either.
Chapter 20
Valerian and the sheriff rode away from the station and toward the homestead where Jack had been left. Val kept hold of a bridle on an extra horse for Jack to use. Since Samantha had taken Jack’s horse to avoid being labeled as a horse thief by the Pony Express, Gus offered up one of the ponies that had been almost broken down by the riders for Jack to use. The horse was of no use to the Pony Express anymore, but it would do for Jack. A few miles out from Seneca, Val could contain his temper no longer. He turned in his saddle and faced the portly sheriff.
“I don’t mind taking you to where I left Jack, but beyond that, you’re on your own. Lawman or no.”
The sheriff eyed him. “You may not care for his methods, but Jack Beckett is within his rights. He has the law on his side, and I have to abide by it.”
“Did he tell you what he intends to do with Samantha once he gets her back? Do you know he plans to sell her to a brothel? Is that legal, too?”
The sheriff shifted his weight and became interested in his surroundings instead of maintaining eye contact. “What happens to the little lady once I place her back with her uncle is not my concern, son.”
Val’s jaw tightened as he tried to restrain himself from the verbal assault he wanted to launch at the lawman. It would do Samantha no good at all if he were to end up in jail. They rode on in silence for a few more miles.
They came up on the homestead, and Jack’s wails for help split the air. The sheriff turned to face Val, a wry expression on his face. “Of course, if you’ve forgotten exactly where you were when the girl escaped, there’s not much I can do, now is there?”
Val caught the sly grin from the man and relaxed for the first time since Samantha left him. He could sure enough forget where they had been. Jack would be sent off on a wild goose chase. It was the least he could do for Samantha.
Jack stopped bellowing once the sheriff and Val rode into the clearing. Instead, he began to sputter.
“You! How dare you tie me up and leave me for dead! Do you have any idea how I’ve suffered?”
Jack’s face was severely sunburned, and the mosquitoes had feasted on him, leaving his face swollen to the point where he could barely open his eyes. But he still was able to see way too much for Val’s taste. A sudden urge to throttle the man with his own gun came over Val, and he swallowed his distaste as he dismounted.
The sheriff cut away the bindings, and Jack lunged at Valerian. The sheriff held him back.
“Jack, you don’t want to do anything stupid. This boy is your only hope now to find your niece. He’s willing to lead you to where she escaped from him. Maybe you can find her trail and follow her again.”
Jack peered at Val from the slits of his swollen eyes. “So she told you where she was heading?”
“Not directly. But she has talked about wanting to head farther west for as long as I’ve known her—him—her. Boy, it’s hard to think of Sam as a girl.”
“You two have been as tight as two bugs in a rug for months now. I’m pretty sure it was you who tipped her off when the Pinkerton agents came through Seneca on the stage.
And the last time I was there, you made certain I got too drunk to head to the barn. You cleaned me out of money so I had to return home instead of continuing my search. You can’t expect me to believe you didn’t know she was a girl.”
Valerian shrugged. “Believe whatever you want. It’s not my concern.”
The sheriff chimed in. “Let’s get going. I need to head back to St. Joe, and the longer you stand here fuming, Jack, the farther away Samantha gets.”
Jack picked up the reins of the spare horse. “You’re right. Show me where you and my niece parted ways, then, you young cur.”
Valerian climbed back into the saddle. “We headed north, back towards Seneca. This way.”
Valerian led the way and had to force himself not to squirm in his saddle. Even though Jack’s eyes had been reduced to slits, Val could feel them boring holes into his back. And the odor emanating from Jack told Val he had soiled himself while he was tied up, too. Val’s shoulder blades tensed as the miles melted away. They had gone about five miles when he stopped.
“It was under that big tree.” Valerian pointed to a random tree along the path. “We rested the horses for a bit, and I was sleepy as well, so I took a nap. When I woke, she was gone.”
The sheriff’s glance flitted over Valerian. “And could you tell, son, in which direction she had gone?”
Valerian surveyed the clearing, his eyes darting from one side to the other. He had to send Jack in the opposite direction from Samantha, yet he had no idea what that would be. He spied a deer trail heading west through the encroaching forest, and sucked in a breath. If Jack headed west, he’d most likely run into angry Indians who were ready to pounce on any white man who set foot on their lands.
Valerian had initially cursed the two men at Williams Station in Nevada, who had kidnapped and sexually assaulted two Paiute women a few months prior. The tribe was now out for blood against the Pony Express, and were killing station workers along the route on a regular basis. Tales had been told that the Indians were out to kill any white man they came across. But perhaps the unfortunate incident could now be used to Samantha’s advantage if he could put Jack in the path of some of the marauding Paiutes. Hopefully, Samantha had the good sense to avoid western travel, since she’d been privy to the same conversations as he was about the concerns for the Pony Express riders and station workers.