by Lydia Olson
In that instant, David’s heart skipped a beat when he realized they didn’t have any money on hand. He closed his eyes. “Oh, goodness,” he said solemnly to the woman serving them, “I just realized that we don’t have any money on us. I’m so sorry, I can step out to trade or sell a few of the items I have on me to pay you back.”
The woman waved him off. “Oh, nonsense,” she said. “The first one is on the house.”
David was taken aback by the woman’s generosity. “Are you sure?” he asked. “It’s no trouble, really.”
“Yes, of course!” she gestured around. “If you couldn’t tell already, we’re holding a celebration here today.”
“I noticed,” David said. “What’s the occasion?”
The woman jutted her chin in the direction of four men corralled around a table, their clothes and boots peppered with traces of mud and dirt. They were laughing, their smiles so wide that it would undoubtedly leave permanent lines as a result.
“Those men,” the woman said, “just struck oil today not far from here. They’re local boys. It’s a big help to our growing town that they found what they did. So, needless to say, we’re having a few drinks in celebration. Please, the first round is on me. You folks just enjoy yourselves, alright?”
David held up his glass in a toast. “Thank you, kindly.”
Sarah did the same. “Much appreciated, ma’am.”
“Please,” the woman said, “call me Darcy. This establishment belongs to me and my husband. He’s the man behind the bar. And I should go and check on him,” she laughed. “I’m worried he’s drinking more of the liquor than he’s serving.”
As Darcy headed back to the bar, Sarah and David shared a laugh as they took the first sip of their drinks. Feeling the cold liquid causing a cool sensation to settle into his stomach, David, for the first time in a while, started to relax.
Sarah placed her glass back down on the table and tapped it with her finger. “I bet you didn’t take me for a beer drinker, did you?”
David shrugged. “Honestly, no,” he said. “You seemed more like a …” he hesitated as he tried to think of something “daintier” in alcohol categories.
“Some kind of ‘womanly’ drink,” Sarah guessed. “Right?”
David flushed in embarrassment. “I’m sorry,” he said, “I shouldn’t have assumed.”
Perching her elbows on the table, Sarah leaned in toward David. “My uncle,” she said, “brewed his own beer back when I was six or seven. My father was a big fan of it. I never had a taste until I was an adult, but I always loved it when my father would take us to his brother’s house. He had this shed in back, my uncle, and he would walk me through all the little scientific processes required to make beer.” She held up a finger. “But he never partook that much of it, neither did my father. No, it was the science of it all that they relished.” She grabbed the handle of her glass and held it up for another sip. “I guess you could say that beer brings back fond childhood memories, though I haven’t had one in quite some time.”
David admired that Sarah, unlike most people who partook in drinking, didn’t imbibe it consistently or use it as a crutch like other people he knew. For the next few moments, they drank in silence, stealing the occasional glance at one another as they enjoyed the enthusiasm that abounded inside the tavern.
“I wonder if we’ll be able to stay in this town tonight,” Sarah said.
“I imagine we will,” David replied. “We can ask Miss Darcy over there if they have any rooms for us to rent, though we’ll need to barter or find a way to pay them to make that happen. I don’t want to take advantage of their hospitality.”
Sarah held up two fingers and craned her neck. Darcy saw her flagging down the table and approached, still sporting the same, enthusiastic smile.
“Yes, my dear?” Darcy said.
“I’m sorry to pull you away from your duties,” Sarah said, “but we were hoping to find lodging for the night. Is there anyone you know of that can accommodate us?”
“Of course!” Darcy said enthusiastically. “We have three rooms upstairs. I’d be happy to give you all a room for the night.”
“How much will it cost?”
Darcy rested her hand flat against Sarah’s back. “Again, it’s a celebration, love. Stay the night. Free of charge.”
Sarah shook her head. “Oh, no, we couldn’t possibly—”
Darcy held up her hand. “The matter is settled,” she cut in. “And I won’t take no for an answer.”
David held up his glass in a toast. “That means the world,” he said sincerely. “Thank you.”
Holding out her arms, Darcy said, “Again, it’s a celebration here in good ole Little Rock. We’re excited to have a couple of newcomers to partake in the festivities with us.”
The piano man changed over to another tune. It was slightly more upbeat, and the patrons began singing along, clapping, and slapping their knees with delight as he did so.
“I tell you,” David said, “this is a more than welcome sight.”
Sarah, throwing back the remnants of her glass, furrowed her brow, and said, “Indeed. However, it looks like we are out of drink. What do you think? Should we have one more?”
David debated for a moment. After he did, he finished his glass, gestured to Darcy, and pointed to his depleted beer. With a thumbs-up, Darcy said, “You got it, darlin’!” before fetching them two more.
***
Sarah and David were still laughing after Darcy led them upstairs to their room. Darcy was in the middle of telling them a tale about the four men who had discovered oil, her face red with laughter as she did so.
“And then,” Darcy said, “Lucas Keller, who can never walk in a straight line, I’m telling you, shouts out: ‘Hey! Look over here! I think I found something. And then, he leads the other boys toward his discovery, takes a few more steps up the mountain, and then he slips down it and falls right on his rear. The boy hasn’t walked right since. If you noticed—he had a slight hobble in his walk downstairs at the bar.”
David and Sarah shared another laugh as they stopped in the middle of the hallway.
“Trust me,” Darcy said, “they’re going to be calling him Pigeon-Toe Keller for the rest of his days.”
As David and Sarah looked at one another and reveled in Darcy’s tale, Darcy inserted a key into the lock of the last door on the right, twisted it, and opened it to let them inside the room. A single bed with crisp clean sheet rested flush against their wall to the left. Beside it was a nightstand, and a small window looking out toward the streets of Little Rock on the other side.
“I hope this will do just fine for you two,” Darcy said. “But I’m sure you’ve been married long enough that you’ve stayed in your fair share of rooms.”
David looked at Sarah, waiting for her to correct Darcy on their relationship status—but she didn’t. Instead, Sarah said, “It will do just fine,” before she walked over and took a gander out of the window.
“Please,” Darcy said as she headed to the door, “do not hesitate to come downstairs and ask me for anything thing. Once again—I’m happy to have y’all here.”
“Thank you, Darcy,” David said as she stood in the doorway to leave. “You’ve been more than accommodating.”
“My pleasure. Have a good night, you two.”
Saying nothing more, Darcy left, and David closed the door behind her. He turned, looking at Sarah as she stared back at him, blushing. It was obvious that she was hesitant to speak about the fact that there was only one bed in the room. Before she could say anything, David extinguished the tension by telling her, “I’ll sleep on the floor. You take the bed.”
Sarah cocked her head. “Are you sure?”
“Absolutely. I’ll be just fine. I’ll just take a couple of pillows from the bed and make myself comfortable. I’ve worked with less, trust me.” David fetched a pair of pillows from the bed and laid them at the foot of it, examining the space and nodding to himself that
he’d be just fine.
“That was quite a lot of fun,” Sarah said as she approached him. “I was glad I was able to share a drink with you.”
“As was I,” David replied. “You’re a fun date, Miss Sarah.”
A sliver of smile across Sarah’s mouth. “Date?”
David waved his hands. “Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it in that way, I just meant … well …” He looked at his feet and chuckled. “I’m sorry, I don’t know what I’m saying.”
Sarah inched closer. “Again,” she said, “you apologize too much.”
The two of them were only a foot apart. David felt his skin turn hot the closer that Sarah stood to him. He wasn’t sure what to do. He wanted nothing more to reach out and embrace her, to run his fingers through her hair and delicately kiss her forehead—but he couldn’t.
She’s a woman spoken for, he reminded himself. She is to be wed to another man. She is your friend—but there is nothing more to your relationship with her than that.
“David,” Sarah said, her voice soft and quiet, “I was wondering …”
David waited for Sarah to say the rest. He was hoping that she’d say that she was thinking and feeling the same things that he was. He was lost in the moment with her, momentarily forgetting that they were on a journey that would land both of them on different paths of life—her with a new husband, and for him the life of a rancher.
No, he thought, don’t be foolish, David.
Sarah reached out and took David by the hand. She held it between both hands, her touch warm and comforting as David stood there with his mouth open and nothing to say.
“Do you think,” Sarah said, her focus on the floorboards, “that we’ll be friends after we get to Clarendon, once all is said and done?”
David cleared his throat. “Without question,” he said to her. “I can’t imagine a scenario where we wouldn’t be.”
Sarah blushed. “It’s so funny to think that I just met you. But I … trust you so much. You’re such a good man, David. I know what happened at the stagecoach was so … awful. But I feel like something good came out of it, and I’m glad to know that …” she drew a long breath. David saw timidity in her eyes before she finished. “I’m glad to know that you’re in my life.”
I want to hold her, he thought. I want to hold onto her and never let go—but she is to be wed to that deputy, and if being only friends with her will keep her in my life, then I am more than grateful.
“I’m grateful you’re in my life, as well, Miss Sarah,” David said. “More than you could ever know.”
They continued to stare into each other’s eyes for what felt like an eternity. They stood closer together, the two of them only inches apart as they kept their gazes steady on one another. David had resolved to be her friend, but in that moment, his longing to touch her and embrace her was ten times more powerful than anything he had ever felt before.
Go to bed, David, he thought. Go to bed before you do something foolish.
“I’m a bit tired,” he said. “I should probably rest.”
Sarah’s lips were parted, longing in her eyes. She blinked a few times and forced a smile, releasing her grip on David and stood back. “Oh, yes, of course,” she said. “I should go to bed, as well.”
“Okay,” David said. “We’ll head out early in the morning. We’re getting close to Clarendon. It won’t be much longer.”
“Sounds good,” Sarah said. “Sleep well, David.”
“You too, Sarah.”
The two separated and David slowly lowered himself onto the floor. He rested his head against the pillows, his back to Sarah as he heard her climb into bed. They said nothing more as they tried to slumber, and David still felt the urge to say something more to her, to confess that feelings were building inside of him for her. But he didn’t. He simply fell asleep with the comforting notion in his mind that he still had some time left with her on their journey.
Chapter Nineteen
David mounted his horse as Sarah did the same outside the tavern. It was the wee hours of the morning, and Sarah felt well-rested for the next part of their journey—though she still felt the lingering sensations she had experienced the night before.
Sarah looked at David as he secured his rifle in the saddlebag, concentrating as he doublechecked that everything was in place.
I wish I could tell him that I have feelings for him, she thought. But I’m to be wed to Michael. She sighed. Oh, heavens. I wish this were easier … but I can still be friends with this man. I can still have him in my life.
Can’t I?
“Are you ready?” David asked.
“Indeed,” Sarah said. “So, where are we headed?”
“East. I spoke with Darcy’s husband about the best route to get to Clarendon. It looks like we have about eighty miles to cover to get to our final destination. The terrain looks relatively smooth, and we’re going to encounter an overpass at some point. I’ve been told it’s rather beautiful.”
“That sounds wonderful.” Sarah looked at their bags. “And what about our rations?”
“Darcy,” David said, “was kind enough to gift us a few items: a loaf of bread, some salted meats for cooking, water, and coffee. She even gave us a metal pot and other items to work with while we’re on the road.”
Sarah couldn’t help but feel blessed by the amount of good fortune they had encountered on their journey. From the Farleys to the residents of Little Rock, fate had seemed to smile upon them as they headed to Clarendon.
Lord bless them all, Sarah said. They deserve nothing but His blessings.
“Let’s head out,” David said. “We have a little bit of ground to cover.”
They turned their horses toward the only road leading out of Little Rock, nothing but open terrain ahead of them as Clarendon waited off in the distance.
***
Two days had passed since David and Sarah departed from Little Rock. Time itself seemed to blend into an amorphous and indiscernible stretch of plodding. Though he was weary from their travels, David had relished being able to spend time with Sarah by their campfires at night, which were comprised of good conversation and the occasional bout of laughter. Despite the long trek, in many ways he didn’t want it to end.
Retrieving the handkerchief from his pocket, David dabbed his forehead as the road narrowed in front of them. He craned his neck as something came into view about sixty feet ahead of them—a creek. It’s been four hours, David thought. A respite is definitely in order.
“Sarah,” he said, “it looks like there’s a creek up ahead.”
“Should we stop?”
“I think we’ve earned a break. We can eat a little bit, take a rest, and then continue onward.”
“How far are we from Clarendon?”
David did the math in his head as he appraised their surroundings. After the first day, the desert gave way to forested areas with trees that seemed to stretch into the heavens. The shade that it provided was more than welcome, just as much as the lush green scenery surrounding them was.
“A few days,” David said, “maybe less. We’ll have to camp out for the night, but I’ll find us a better spot than this one.” Because I heard a mountain lion growl a half-hour ago, he thought, and I’m not going to take any chances.
They arrived at the creek. David was the first to dismount, his rifle in hand as he looked left-to-right. Nothing in sight. Take a breath and relax. He slung his rifle over his shoulder and approached the creek that curved for close to a half-mile in a kind of S-shape with trees flanking it on both sides. The brush was thick, but David didn’t sense any movement or feel any sense of life hanging about. Lowering himself onto one knee near the creek, he cupped his hands, scooped some water, and splashed it on his face.
“How is it?” Sarah asked as he slid off her saddle.
“Refreshing,” David said. “You should soak a cloth in it and cool yourself.”
Sarah did just that. With a piece of cloth that she took out o
f her saddlebag, she kneeled down beside David, dipped it in, and began dabbing the back of her neck. She closed her eyes. “That is quite refreshing,” she said.
David took a moment to look at the brush surrounding the creek, certain that he and Sarah were alone—and then a bush tussled slightly off to the right. David withdrew his rifle, chambering a round quickly. The click-clack of the round being loaded caused Sarah to shudder, and with his free hand, David motioned for Sarah to stay back.
“What is it?” Sarah asked.
David didn’t reply as he slowly approached the bush. He could see the outline of something, though he couldn’t make out what it was. The closer he came to it, he started to see what appeared to be a person curled up in the creek bed. He set the butt of his rifle into his shoulder and curled his finger around the trigger as he came within two feet of whatever—or whoever—it was.