mourned her man at all if she could sidle up to
him so easily. It bothered him and he tried to let go of it in
favor of a willing woman, but something made him uneasy about
Mavis. She latched on too quickly.
“ That kid is a fool notion, and you know it. You’d do well to
come with me. I got a warm bed I’d share.” She scooted closer and
smiled. “I don’t mean to be so forward, but I could tell the minute
I laid eyes on you that you was interested. The way you eyed me,
all of me. Some things a man can’t hide. Been without a woman for a
while, haven’t you?”
“ Am
I that easy to read?” Sam chuckled.
“ You shore are, honey.”
Sam felt
trapped, but he did need a woman. Riley proved that. Maybe it would
take the edge off to take what this woman offered freely, and then
he wouldn’t be so rangey around Riley. Yet, he couldn’t quite get
the kisses he and Riley shared out of his head. No woman had put
that much into a kiss for him before. He’d never been so heated up
in his life. His response was something he’d been pondering for a
long while and he’d have to distract himself if he didn’t want a
repeat. Because the fact was, he sure enjoyed kissing Riley, even
though she was white.
“ That’s a right tempting offer, Mavis. But now Riley’s got
business in Dallas,” Sam explained. “And I gave my
word.”
“ Then let him tend it, like a man, and you can come with me,”
she tempted. “Kids don’t grow up, less you make them.”
“ You shore don’t pull no punches, do you?” Sam cast her a
strange look.
“ Have to be blunt these days. Me and my sister are considering
starting a bordello. We could make pretty good money in the right
area. Cain’t afford the luxury of time. Don’t meet up with my kind
often out on the prairie like we are. Figure I got to speak my
mind. I need a man, I got three children. I can surely please you…”
she began. “Just in the way you were looking at me, I could tell
you were interested. No use fightin’ that. I’m willin’ if you are.
Why, we could get married and have a passel of kids ourselves. Then
we wouldn’t need no bordello.”
Sam eyed her
and his eyes dipped to the cleavage once more. “That’s a tempting
offer, mighty temptin’.”
She laughed.
“Well, you just think on that real hard.”
After that,
her arm went through his once more and she squeezed it off and on,
bringing his attention to her every few minutes. She clung to him
like a second skin.
Sam didn’t
like being out of character, but he did have to get shed of Riley
sooner or later and this might be his best chance. If Riley thought
he was interested in Mavis, she might go on alone.
He just wasn’t
sure he wanted her to…he should be, but he wasn’t.
***
Riley rode
behind the wagon and eyed the children. All three of them watched
her like a hawk. Directly, the boy peeked his head out. “How come
you ridin’ with a black man?”
Riley
shrugged. “‘Cause he came along…same time I did.”
“ Is
it true…they hung your pa?”
“ Yeah,” Riley replied, not liking the lie on her tongue too
much.
“ What did he do?” the boy asked.
“ You sure are a nosey one,” Riley snapped, wondering what Sam
was doing, and why he was so anxious to help this woman and her
children. But then something in the back of her mind reminded her
that Sam was that kind of man, a helper.
“ Well…you gonna tell me?” the boy prodded.
“ He
stole a horse…” Riley embellished her lie.
“ A
horse…well, that’s bad. Cain’t steal a horse in this country,” the
boy replied, nodding.
“ For sure and certain,” Riley agreed.
Mabel looked
out now. “This Sam…is he any good?”
Riley screwed
up her face. “What do you mean…any good?”
“ Well, my mama’s latchin’ on to him like sugar candy. I want to
know if he’s a good one or a bad one,” Mabel asked.
Riley studied
the girl for a moment. This kid was older and protective, that was
good.
him so easily. It bothered him and he tried to let go of it in
favor of a willing woman, but something made him uneasy about
Mavis. She latched on too quickly.
“ That kid is a fool notion, and you know it. You’d do well to
come with me. I got a warm bed I’d share.” She scooted closer and
smiled. “I don’t mean to be so forward, but I could tell the minute
I laid eyes on you that you was interested. The way you eyed me,
all of me. Some things a man can’t hide. Been without a woman for a
while, haven’t you?”
“ Am
I that easy to read?” Sam chuckled.
“ You shore are, honey.”
Sam felt
trapped, but he did need a woman. Riley proved that. Maybe it would
take the edge off to take what this woman offered freely, and then
he wouldn’t be so rangey around Riley. Yet, he couldn’t quite get
the kisses he and Riley shared out of his head. No woman had put
that much into a kiss for him before. He’d never been so heated up
in his life. His response was something he’d been pondering for a
long while and he’d have to distract himself if he didn’t want a
repeat. Because the fact was, he sure enjoyed kissing Riley, even
though she was white.
“ That’s a right tempting offer, Mavis. But now Riley’s got
business in Dallas,” Sam explained. “And I gave my
word.”
“ Then let him tend it, like a man, and you can come with me,”
she tempted. “Kids don’t grow up, less you make them.”
“ You shore don’t pull no punches, do you?” Sam cast her a
strange look.
“ Have to be blunt these days. Me and my sister are considering
starting a bordello. We could make pretty good money in the right
area. Cain’t afford the luxury of time. Don’t meet up with my kind
often out on the prairie like we are. Figure I got to speak my
mind. I need a man, I got three children. I can surely please you…”
she began. “Just in the way you were looking at me, I could tell
you were interested. No use fightin’ that. I’m willin’ if you are.
Why, we could get married and have a passel of kids ourselves. Then
we wouldn’t need no bordello.”
Sam eyed her
and his eyes dipped to the cleavage once more. “That’s a tempting
offer, mighty temptin’.”
She laughed.
“Well, you just think on that real hard.”
After that,
her arm went through his once more and she squeezed it off and on,
bringing his attention to her every few minutes. She clung to him
like a second skin.
Sam didn’t
like being out of character, but he did have to get shed of Riley
sooner or later and this might be his best chance. If Riley thought
he was interested in Mavis, she might go on alone.
He just wasn’t
sure he wanted her to…he should be, but he wasn’t.
***
Riley rode
behind the wagon and eyed the children. All three of them watched
her like a hawk. Directly, the boy peeked his head out. “How come
you ridin’ with a black man?”
Riley
shrugged. “‘Cause he came along…same time I did.”
“ Is
it true…they hung your pa?”
“ Yeah,” Riley replied, not liking the lie on her tongue too
much.
“ What did he do?” the boy asked.
“ You sure are a nosey one,” Riley snapped, wondering what Sam
was doing, and why he was so anxious to help this woman and her
children. But then something in the back of her mind reminded her
that Sam was that kind of man, a helper.
“ Well…you gonna tell me?” the boy prodded.
“ He
stole a horse…” Riley embellished her lie.
“ A
horse…well, that’s bad. Cain’t steal a horse in this country,” the
boy replied, nodding.
“ For sure and certain,” Riley agreed.
Mabel looked
out now. “This Sam…is he any good?”
Riley screwed
up her face. “What do you mean…any good?”
“ Well, my mama’s latchin’ on to him like sugar candy. I want to
know if he’s a good one or a bad one,” Mabel asked.
Riley studied
the girl for a moment. This kid was older and protective, that was
good.
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