Ask No Tomorrows (12 page)

“
Not that much,” Sam replied, not looking at Riley but watching
Mavis’ smile curl around him. The woman was endowed with more than
her fair share of womanly charms and there was no way she could
hide that fact; Sam smiled at her. “We ain’t in that big a hurry,
Riley.”

Sam glanced at
Riley after a bit. “You and Nodog follow along, Riley, I’ll drive
that team for you, Mrs. Mavis,” Sam offered.

“
Right kind of you.” Mavis smiled and cast a quick smile at
Riley. She scooted over on the wagon seat to give Sam some room and
beamed at him as she handed him the reins. She jiggled a finger in
her ear and laughed. “Lord it’s nice havin’ a man drive them dern
mules of mine.”

Her cheeks
shined at his intense gaze.

Riley called
Nodog toward the back of the wagon.

Sam felt the
warmth between him and Mavis and realized this woman wasn’t
mourning her man she’d lost, but then maybe he was no account in
the first place, Sam figured. Being with Riley so long had
reinforced the fact that he needed some real female companionship.
Mavis sure seemed willing enough.

They sat so
close that it created a friction between them as his arms grazed
hers almost constantly; she didn’t seem to mind and she didn’t move
away.

Her confidence
grew quickly when she looped her arm in his. Sam didn’t seem to
mind. This might be just what he needed to distract Riley away from
him.

After a long
silence, Mavis glanced up at him and moved closer so he could feel
her hips jaunting next to her.

“
Why you helpin’ that white kid?” Mavis asked as she stared
straight ahead of them.

Mavis didn’t
mince her words, and he hadn’t formed any answers for her yet.
“Somebody’s got to.” Sam shrugged, his voice going low and
contrite. He didn’t want Riley to overhear and get her feelings
hurt.

“
He’ll cause you trouble and you know it. You should dump him
in Dallas and come on out to my sister’s,” she suggested as though
they were talking about night and day. “You’d be mighty welcome,
there. I mean, well, my sister is a widow too. The two of us could
keep you happy, I’m sure.”

Sam cast her a
slight smile. “You think so? Two, huh? I ain’t sure I could handle
two women at once.”

“
I
sure do, honey. I know it. That kid…he ain’t your kind of people.
He’ll just stir things up fer ya when you get there. But I can
provide a roof over your head and a ready-made family and plenty of
work,” Mavis said, scooting closer to him. “Not to mention a few
other things you might be interested in.”

Sam began to
feel that crowded feeling and scooted away. “Well now, I’ll think
on that. I sure will.”

Mavis
smiled.

“
You do that…just don’t take too long.”

Sam realized
this woman hadn’t 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. She could appreciate the fact that she was lookin’ out for
her kin. “Sam’s alright. He took me in, and he shore didn’t have
to.”

“
Would he make a good daddy is what I want to know,” Mabel
spelled it out.

Riley felt
something rebel at that, deep inside her, but she slowly nodded.
“Yeah…I guess so.”

“
That’s a relief…‘cause I think Mama wants him.”

“
Wants him?” Riley repeated.

“
As
her man.” Mabel smiled shyly. “You know what that means, don’t
you?”

“‘
Course I do. But she just met up with him. Oh.” Remembering to
spit, Riley spit on the ground hard and nodded. “Kinda sudden,
ain’t it?”

“
No…Mama knows what she wants and goes after it. She said it
don’t do no good to act shy about these things. I expect I’ll be
findin’ me a man soon too.” Mabel’s eyes flashed at Riley. “I’m
almost a woman now…”

“
Yeah, in about six or seven years.”

“
Sooner than that.” Mabel smiled. “You’re kinda cute,
Riley…”

The kid was
just like her mother, Riley scoffed.

Riley wanted
to shrivel up and die. The kid thought she was a boy, a boy for the
taking like her mother thought Sam was for the taking. It bothered
her that she could lose Sam to this she-devil woman. But short of
making a spectacle of herself she didn’t know what to do. Her
father had taught her that anything worth having was worth waiting
for, so if Sam was worth it, she’d wait, hold her tongue, but it
wasn’t easy.

Nodog seemed
to be of the same temperament as he stayed behind the wagon
too.

***

The next day
though Dorothy took sick and they halted the wagons to see to her.
She had a fever and later the same day broke into a rash. Riley
became concerned and wouldn’t leave her side.

Sam looked at
Riley. “This ain’t good. She’s got a real unhealthy looking pallor,
her eyes…their listless. She’s sick. She’s really sick. We best
stay where we are ‘til we see what this is about.”

“
Shore was sudden, wasn’t it?” Riley remarked as she watched
Mavis towel the little girl down.

“
Could be one of those kid things, or could be serious. I just
don’t like the way her eyes look, so unfocussed. It’s a bad
fever.”

“
You go on and drive the wagon, I’ll tend her,” Riley offered
Mavis a break in taking care of the little girl.

“
You don’t mind?” Mavis asked, perplexed.

“
Nope, I shore don’t.”

All evening
Riley tended the kid while Mavis made supper and then she spelled
her once more.

Mavis was
worried, she trembled as she changed the rag on her head, Riley
noticed and for a while Riley felt sorry for her.

“
She’ll be alright,” Riley encouraged her.

“
She’s my baby girl…” Mavis glanced at Riley then Sam. “I
cain’t lose no more youngun’s. I just can’t.”

After the
second day with fever, Sam made a decision. “We got to take her to
the river. To get the fever down.”

“
The river? What river?” Mavis asked.

“
Trinity is the closest I reckon. We got to get that fever
down, as fast as we can,” Sam insisted.

“
Okay, let’s pack up then.” Mavis started moving everything
inside the wagon and instructing the others.

It was at
least five miles to the river and Riley washed Dorothy down all the
way. The rash spread, and Sam was worried they might have some
epidemic on their hands. Even if it was just measles it could be
bad.

As they came
alongside the Trinity, Sam dismounted and went to scoop the child
up in his arms.

Mavis and
Riley followed closely behind him. “What are you gonna do?” Riley
asked.

“
Cool water will bring the fever down, gotta put her on the
banks of the river and keep pouring the cool water over her. Once
the fever is broke we can see how she is. You undress her down to
her drawers and sponge her off.”

Mavis looked
nervous. “You know what you’re doin?”

“
I’ve tended some with fever before,” Sam said.

Riley looked
at Mavis and extended a hand. “Sam’s been brought up by the
Indians, he knows lots of tricks. It’s best to trust
him.”

Mavis stared
down at Riley’s hand. “Dorothy’s my baby…I can’t lose her. You
understand?”

Riley nodded,
her heart going out to Mavis and the others as they looked so
forlorn. “I know, but Sam can help her. I’m sure of it.”

“
You gotta lot of trust in him, don’t you?” Mavis eyed
her.

Riley moved
away. “I guess so.”

“
You known him long?” Mavis asked.

“
Long enough, I guess,” Riley answered.

Sam glanced up
and smiled at Riley. “Riley, bring a blanket from the wagon, will
ya.”

Riley ran to
the wagon. She thought about what Mavis said and realized she was
right. She did trust Sam, a lot.

“
How long you think we gotta wait…” Mavis asked later that same
day as Riley tended Dorothy so Sam could have a break.

“
A
day or so more. We don’t want to head into any territory that might
contaminate.”

“
That’s a long time, Sam,” Mavis insisted.

“
Yeah, but it’s better than exposing others, creating an
epidemic. Even if it’s just measles it can spread and we gotta take
care of her.”

“
Is
it true, you been raised by the Indians?” Mavis asked as she
watched Sam sponge the young girl off.

“
To
some degree, yes. I was half grown when we moved to the Shawnee
village,” Sam explained.

“
We?”

“
My
sister Hattie and her husband and kids.”

“
Where’s your sister now?” Mavis asked.

“
With the Shawnee village. She’s happy there,” Sam
explained.

“
Wouldn’t she be happier with her own kind?” Mavis asked,
lifting a brow and eyeing Sam.