Riding the River (The Westerners, Book One)

by Jeanne Harrell

Sarah awoke before Tess the next morning. She stretched, listened to Tess snore over in her bedroll and decided to get up. Slipping on her clothes, she opened the tent flap to greet the new day. And what a gorgeous morning it was. The sun was peeking up over the horizon throwing splashes of vivid yellows everywhere.

  The other guests were still asleep as Sarah freshened up and made her way to the kitchen area. She could hear Dale already working on breakfast.

  “Mornin’, sweetie,” smiled Dale when he saw her walk up. “How about some cowboy coffee?”

  “Sounds great.” She took the mug of steaming coffee that he poured from a coffee pot on the stove. Her first cup in the morning was always the best and this cowboy coffee was delicious – strong. She took her first tentative sip. “What’s for breakfast?”

  “All right. We’re going to have fruit, pancakes with syrup and sausage. How does that sound?”

  “Great. What should I do?”

  “Come in here, get the sausage links and cook them in one of those pans. I’ll do the pancakes.”

  Soon, fragrant aromas of coffee, sausage frying and pancakes filled the air. Guests began to move around, cowboys came in for their coffee. When many people were eating at the picnic tables, Cooper walked over to brief them about the day’s activity. After a few dusty days in the saddle, the stubble on his face was more pronounced. He’d obviously quit shaving.

  “Today we need to get about seventeen miles to the pasture where we’ll leave the herd. We’ll be traveling between hills on a grassy area for most of the way – No mountainous areas like we had to deal with yesterday. Remember, everyone – Just keep ‘em movin’.” He laughed and went over to the stove to refill his cup of coffee. Then he walked up to Sarah and Tess, just finishing their breakfast.

  “Mornin’, ladies.” He tipped his hat at them.

  “Morning, Cooper,” they both said.

  “Sarah, thanks for all the help you’ve been this trip. Dale said you’ve helped prepare the lunches for us as well.”

  “… Just trying to be useful.”

  “You are that…Thanks.” And he left.

  “Sarah,” began Tess. “I don’t suppose I could ask another favor from you, since you’re being Miss Helpful and all.”

  Sarah scrunched up her face at her. “I shudder to ask.”

  “It’s just that… I’d kinda…”

  “You’d kinda what?”

  “I’d kinda like the tent to myself tonight. Could you sleep out under the stars for one night?”

  Sarah started laughing. “I don’t suppose that rascal Richie is going to keep you company instead of me?”

  “… Maybe. Would you mind? Pretty please?” Tess’ face had a mock Help me look that made Sarah laugh harder.

  “I guess I could move my bedroll out.” She thought about it. “Actually, it sounds nice. The sky is black as ink at night with a whole lot of stars… It looks like someone came along with this big chest of bright, fluorescent lights and just started throwing them everywhere.” She’d been looking up at the sky while she was talking. When she stopped, Tess looked at her curiously.

  “You’re a romantic, Sarah. Did you know that? That kind of imagery is lost on a computer nerd.”

  They looked at each other and burst out laughing. Sarah had been doing that a lot of this drive and it sure felt good.

  After breakfast was over, everyone helped to break up camp. The cowboys folded chairs and got Dale’s kitchen equipment back into the trailer. He drove off, waving as he left. Guests took down their tents, rolled up their bedrolls and packed up their duffels with stray clothing. Outside of an hour, guests and cowboys were saddled up and riding with the herd. The day’s lunches packed in saddlebags.

  The horses were content to poke along today, which was just fine with Sarah and Tess. They’d had trouble yesterday rounding up strays and hoped the herd would cooperate and stay together for once. One could always hope.

  Sarah rode along watching the horses, but looking around at the landscape. They rode between hills that were colored in light and dark green circles, after a recent rain. One small hill backed up against a larger hill with the pale blue horizon in the background. Way off in the distance, she could see the mountain range where they were heading. It was pleasant to just ride. Thunder walked well, expertly avoiding uneven ground by the sagebrush, keeping an even tread. Sarah, Tess or one of the guests or cowboys would occasionally yell out, “Hey, Hey,” or “Git on,” or “Yup, yup” which seemed to encourage the herd to keep moving.

  She glanced around at the other guests. Everyone had started off as greenhorns, as the cowboys would say, but were beginning to lay back and relax into their jobs. She looked for the cowboys and saw Aaron glancing back at her. Wonder how that’s going to go. She sincerely hoped there would be no more trouble with him.

  Watching Matt, he was competent and graceful. He set a horse like it was what he was born to do. He moved between the horses in the herd, keeping them calm and moving. Swinging his rope occasionally, she heard him whistle at them as well. Matt was a real cowboy – and didn’t have a fake bone in his body. Sarah was beginning to appreciate that… What a man like Matt might have to offer her.

  Tess broke her reverie.

  “He’s pretty cute, huh?” She smiled at Sarah who was obviously staring at Matt.

  “I think handsome is the better adjective here.”

  “Really? I stand corrected.”

  She looked over at her. “Do you think Richie’s cuter than Matt?”

  “Parts of him are…”

  Sarah pretended to be shocked. “Oh, missy. What a potty mouth you have.” Tess laughed at her, then her eyes lost their sparkle.

  “There are a few reasons for my devil-may-care attitude, Sarah.”

  “Uh-oh… This sounds serious.”

  “It is.”

  Sarah’s smile faded and she reached out to touch Tess’s arm. “Sorry. Tell me what you want to say.”

  Tess rode for a minute alongside Sarah and looked out at the hills. Then she focused on Sarah’s face and became quite serious.

  “I was married for a few years, Sarah.”

  “Okay.”

  “We were happy for a while until we lost a child.”

  Sarah’s eyes filled, as did Tess’.

  “I’m so sorry, Tess.”

  “It was horrible, the whole ordeal. I hope nothing that bad ever happens to you.”

  “… Then what happened?”

  “Bobby and I couldn’t make it work after that. We both blamed each other for the lost of the child, but it was no one’s fault. Mother nature, maybe…”

  “So you split up?”

  “Yes.”

  “How long ago?”

  “Two years now.”

  “Do you still think of him?”

  “Bobby?” Sarah nodded. “No, never. But I think often of the baby I lost. It was a life changing experience.”

  “So… that’s why the carefree attitude with Richie?”

  “I think so. I’m not sure. I just know there’s no way a relationship would work out for me right now.”

  “… But the sex is nice.”

  Tess and Sarah looked at each other and started laughing.

  “Oh, yes, the sex is very nice. You should try some.”

  “Maybe I will… sometime.”

  Tess smirked. “I’m sure Matt would eagerly oblige, if you asked him sweetly.”

  Sarah quickly shook her head. “Not there yet, Tess. Give me some time.”

  “Don’t take too long, Sarah. Our time is up at the ranch in five days, counting today.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind,” frowned Sarah.

  “Look lively, ladies,” called out Richie. “There’s some strays to be rounded up over by you.”

  Tess smiled at him, while Sarah rolled her eyes. Then she reined in Thunder to turn him towards the strays.

  “Come on, Tess. Let’s get to
work.”

  They galloped off together to find those wayward horses and contemplate what had just been said. As far as Sarah was concerned, everything in her life these days was life changing. And that was all right.

  * * *

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN