Riding the River
Authors: Jeanne Harrell
Tags: #horses, #nevada, #horseshoe, #western adventure romance, #jeanne harrell
by
Jeanne Harrell
Smashwords Edition
Copyright 2014 by Jeanne Harrell
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Published by Jeanne Harrell on Smashwords
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places,
brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author’s
imagination or are used fictitiously.
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Thank you for downloading my book! I am happy
that you have made it part of your library.
Dedicated to Western movie lovers the world
over…
Other books by Jeanne Harrell
Rancher’s Girl
Whisperer
Always and Forever
Being Emma
The Darkest Hour
Table of Contents
The movie opened with a stagecoach racing
down a long, dusty road in the big country. Two men were sitting
atop, one holding the reins and whip of the six-horse team, while
the other held a shotgun, eyes scanning the horizon.
Dust sprayed up all along the road under the
horses’ flying hooves and behind the coach. A long distance shot of
the stage hurrying along this lonely stretch of road emphasized the
emptiness of the countryside and displayed the movie title,
‘
Big Country’…
A close-up of the wagon wheels turning
furiously throwing out more dust and dirt displayed the actors’
names. All of a sudden, the stagecoach was coming around a curve in
the road, and then the camera panned to the horses’ legs galloping
as fast as they could. The shot slowly moved up to the horses’
heads obviously straining at their leather collars pulling the
heavy stage, giving certain majesty to their efforts.
The stage completed the curve, closer this
time to the camera and then a wide shot of it from behind, as it
pulled into the tiny town. The big country was emphasized again
when the camera caught it from a ways out, making the town
practically a speck on the landscape.
Pulling into town, excited children ran
along behind, laughing and pointing. The stage stopped at a café
and the driver advised his travelers to get out and stretch, while
they changed horses. That’s when Gregory Peck, the hero of the
movie, stepped from the stagecoach, in his gray Eastern suit and
holding on to his bowler. He took a few steps and looked around
him, then put on that hat. The few townspeople gawked at him, since
he’s so foreign to them -- probably funny-looking too. Peck knows
he’s out of his element. He’s a retiring sea captain from Baltimore
and has arrived in this dusty town to meet the woman he loves.
Sarah practically swooned when Gregory Peck
showed up on screen… Tall… handsome with dark, wavy hair… She’d
been watching the movie and eating popcorn one afternoon at her
apartment when her friend, Abby, showed up at the door. Abby let
herself in… Coming around the corner, she stopped abruptly when she
saw what Sarah was watching. Exasperated, she threw her hands up in
the air.
“I can’t believe it… How many times have you
seen that crummy movie? Ten? Twenty?”
Sarah sighed. “It’s such a great movie, Abby.
I don’t care how many times I’ve seen it. How many times have you
seen ‘
Star Wars’?”
Abby had the good grace to grin. “… A few
times…”
“Okay, I rest my case.”
“What case? It’s a beautiful Saturday in the
fabulous city of Baltimore and you’re wasting it watching
television.” Abby folded her arms and frowned at her.
“Abby, listen…”
Abby sat down on the couch by her to listen
again to what she knew Sarah was probably going to tell her. She
could almost recite the speech with her, chapter and verse. But
watching Sarah’s face light up, Abby knew that inner glow was
coming from somewhere –
but where?
“Gregory Peck travels all the way from back
East – Baltimore, by the way – to meet the woman he loves. He’s
completely out of his element, which doesn’t bother him in the
least, because he’s sure of himself and sure of his love for
her.”
Sarah stopped to reach for a tissue. She
wiped her eyes… Abby rolled hers…
“Sarah, you’ve got to quit idealizing these
Western characters.”
“He’s not a Western character…”
“Yes, but he becomes one and settles down in
the big country. I’ve seen this movie with you at least three
times, that I remember.”
“I’m not idealizing…”
“Sarah… This is what you do with every
Western you watch. The West is larger than life to you and as
golden as it gets. It’s just a place, like any other… like
Baltimore.”
Sarah whipped her head around to confront
her. “Are you nuts? The West is nothing like Baltimore…”
“I didn’t mean they were just alike.”
“Baltimore’s huge… it’s a port city… there’s
a history dating back to John Smith coming to the Chesapeake Bay…
steel and manufacturing businesses.”
“Okay, so…”
“The Old West had and has a different kind of
color, a different flavor. The big landscapes… There’s hominess
about it, with friendlier people…. Cowboys and ranches, roping and
riding, sleeping out under the stars… Did I mention cowboys?”
Sarah grinned at Abby who smiled back. “Yes,
you really have a thing for cowboys, don’t you?”
“… Don’t know. I’ve never met one.”
“… Well, back to the movie, Gregory Peck
isn’t a cowboy either.”
“No, but he becomes one, showing that being
different won’t stop him from eventually fitting in.” Sarah sighed
again, then she looked angry. “And he travels clear across the
country – you know what travel was like back then—It probably took
him months to get to his girl in the West.”
“Again…so?”
“I have a boyfriend who won’t drive two
blocks to see me.”
Abby grimaced. “Yeah, Ben’s getting to be a
problem...”
“… Getting to be?” she snorted. “I think he’s
only interested in me because of my family. There’s not much in the
way of romance coming from that guy.”
“So break up with him.”
She thought about that. “I should, shouldn’t
I?” Pause. “But Dad really likes him and Grandfather wants to use
him in the next campaign. He’s a lawyer after all.”
“So who cares? Do you?”
“… I care what my family thinks.”
“Come on, Sarah. Let’s get out of here and go
to that farmers’ market down by the water. I want some crab for
dinner tonight. You joining me?”
“… Definitely.”
“No Ben this evening?”
Sarah shrugged. “He’s got a lawyer thing and
not available.”
“Good. Grab your purse and let’s go have some
fun…”
Sarah got up from the couch and hit the
button on the remote to turn off her television. Abby looked up at
her.
“… Listen, I don’t mean to cause friction
with you and Ben.”
“That’s okay…”
“It’s just that he really isn’t the guy for
you. He may be the guy for your family, but not you… You know that,
don’t you?”
Sarah slid her eyes away. “… Yes, I do.”
“Sarah, I’m sorry to say this, but you really
need something in your life, something different.”
“What do you mean?”
“… I don’t know… A shot in the arm, a new
guy… maybe a new job… But something…”
Sarah blew out a breath. “I could go for a
new job, for sure.” She paused and looked over at Abby. “Real
change is hard…”
“… But sometimes necessary.”
“…
Whew
… Too serious… Let’s get that
crab and have a nice dinner.”
“Great…”
“Then I’ve got ‘
Red River’
that we can
see later.”
“Sarah…”
“You know, that great cattle drive movie with
John Wayne?”
Abby rubbed her forehead, like she was
getting a headache and then laughed. “All right, my good friend,
Sarah… It’ll be crab night and a Western movie. Is there anything
better?”
“No…” Sarah beamed at her, as she grabbed her
purse and they headed out the door.
Charleston Restaurant was located in the
Inner Harbor off Chesapeake Bay. Sarah could smell the water from
the Bay a few streets over, and its moisture made her skin sing. No
clouds in the sky and the sun felt warm on her face. Of course, her
father had chosen one of the best restaurants in Baltimore for
their dinner meeting and, of course, Ben was too busy to join
them.