Riding the River (The Westerners, Book One)

by Jeanne Harrell

Wells, Nevada is a small, rural town in northeastern Nevada. But they do have cell service, so Sarah was finally able to call home. Of course, she could have done it earlier, had she wanted to.

  “Dad! It’s so great to hear your voice,” said Sarah with a big smile on her face. She was standing outside of a café where Matt had gone in to get a cup of coffee. He watched her from inside the café, but couldn’t hear her.

  “No. It’s been wonderful here…Yes, I’m glad the campaign is going so well. Dad? Dad! Listen to me… I’ve met someone and I think I’m going to stay in Nevada. No, I haven’t gone nuts. Dad, he’s Gregory Peck… What do I care what Ben thinks? I’m not coming home, Dad. No, not for a while… Dad… Dad!”

  Matt could see that she was having trouble. Her father was giving her static probably about staying longer in Nevada. He’d need to call him.

  “No, Dad. Grandfather calling me won’t do any good. Please try to understand.” He watched her listen a while longer, then she glanced at him through the café window, and shrugged her shoulders.

  “Dad. No, I have a job here. I’m quitting the computer job in Baltimore. Dad, please listen to me.”

  Her father was applying pressure for her to come home – Matt could tell. She was squirming like a calf with a rope around its neck. Would he do any differently if he were her father? Possibly not. But Matt wasn’t her father and he wanted her with him very much. So that was the end of that.

  She’d hung up and made another call. He knew this one was to her good friend, Abby. Abby would be friendlier and more understanding. He crossed his fingers.

  “Abby… Hi! How are you? I’m good… great, actually. I’ve had a wonderful week, found my smile again and am quitting that hideous job… No…What? Yes, I did meet him… Oh, Abby, I’m in love and he’s wonderful… Okay…No…”

  Matt couldn’t tell if Abby was being helpful or not. Sarah’s body language was hard to read.

  “That’s right, Abby. No, I’m not coming home… That’s right. Yes, I’m moving in with Matt. No, it’s not too soon… Be happy for me, Abby. It’s what you wanted for me too…”

  When Sarah started her third phone call, Matt went out to stand by her. He knew this one was going to Joe the Tyrant, her boss. He wanted to give her moral support.

  “Mr. Olson? This is Sarah. No, I won’t be back. Consider the past week and this one as my two-week notice. I quit. Yes, I can quit. What? No, you can’t force me to stay. Just mail my last check…I won’t be back.”

  When Sarah hung up the phone, Matt took her in his arms. She was a wreck and started to cry. After he helped her in the truck, he got in and turned to look at her. Matt handed over his handkerchief.

  She smiled through her tears. “You still use handkerchiefs.”

  “What happened? Tell me.”

  “… My father insisted I come home, Abby told me I couldn’t fall in love this quickly and my boss insisted I couldn’t quit – He would sue if I tried it.”

  “Jeez, Sarah. I’m so sorry. I knew you were having trouble. Any other calls to make?”

  “No,” she sniffed. “Take me home.”

  Matt knew it was more important than ever to close the real estate deal on the ranch. He wanted Sarah to have a place that was hers… theirs… and no one else’s. A permanent home, not like staying at his grandfather’s.

  “Let’s stop at our ranch, Sarah. All right? I’ve got some people coming to help with the painting and carpet. Would you like that?”

  She nodded and kept her head on his shoulder most of the way back. His shoulder was getting damp from her tears and he had to stop a few times to comfort her. Her phone buzzed before they went out of the cell service range and she glanced at it.

  “Who is it?”

  “… Grandfather.”

  “Great.” She didn’t pick up.

  Her phone rang again. “That’ll be Ben.” She looked at the caller identification. “Yep.”

  “Do you want me to stop, so you can call them back?”

  “No. I’m not going to be pressured into doing something I don’t want to do.”

  Matt stopped the truck and turned to look at her. Tears still rolled down her face and she began to hiccup. He pulled her into his arms.

  “… Honey, what can I do? Tell me. I’ll do anything to help you.”

  She shook her head. “No, I’m going to have to face this.”

  He pulled back to lift up her chin. “Sarah, you’re not facing this alone. I’m the problem here, not you.”

  “How can you say that?” Her eyes blazed. “I’ve never been happier in my life than when I’ve been with you. No one’s going to wreck this for me.”

  He smiled at her. She was getting feisty and he liked that. Sarah had real spirit – gumption – that was another part of his draw towards her.

  “Want to sit outside for a while?”

  She nodded again and leaned over to kiss his cheek. Matt turned to her at that moment and their lips met instead. He grabbed her and the kiss became more urgent. His lips were firm and demanding that she give him more. She did. And out in the middle of a pretty valley, a cowboy and his true love wound themselves around one another to deepen that very necessary kiss. He needed to know that she still wanted him – She needed to know that he still loved her.

  “I need to lose myself in you,” Sarah stammered.

  “That goes for me too,” Matt whispered. He grabbed a blanket from the back seat. “Let’s go out there.”

  The road back to his ranch went through a lovely meadow. Matt knew Sarah loved meadows, so he took her hand as he searched for a nice place to sit in the wildflowers. Sarah was already beginning to perk up just being in the open with the grassy area and the big sky. Matt wondered how she ever existed before in a closed city. She needed the open spaces to breathe – Why didn’t her dad know that?

  He laid the blanket on the ground and sat down. Matt tugged Sarah’s hand for her to sit between his legs. He leaned her back against him, so they could watch the small herd of deer roaming the area. After ten minutes or so with Matt holding her tight and watching the deer, he could feel the tension leave her body. She relaxed back into him and her breaths were deeper. The hiccups stopped.

  When the deer left, Matt lay down on the blanket. She joined him and they lay there quietly, arms around each other, listening to the sounds of the grassland… birdcalls… owls hooting.

  She whispered in his ear. “Still want to marry me? I told you I was a mess.”

  “No, you’re not a mess. You’re not even confused,” he whispered.

  She pulled back to look at him. “I’m not?”

  “No, honey. Change is hard. You’re becoming something different than what the people in Baltimore are comfortable with. Maybe they can’t handle it. It depends on how much you want this change.”

  “You mean, how much I want you.”

  “… And this life we’re planning.”

  “Yes.”

  “We haven’t known each other very long, Sarah. But I know this is what I want. Are you sure?”

  She looked him squarely in the eye. “Absolutely.” Matt blew out the breath he’d been holding. “…I want you body and soul – I’m sure.”

  A slow smile spread across his face. “Did you say body?”

  She nodded.

  “You might have to prove that.”