Riding the River (22 page)

She just smiled at him and started making
pancakes on the hot griddle.

“He asked me to marry him, Dale.”

He turned around to give her a hug.
“Congratulations, Sarah. I’m pleased for you both. Still going to
work for me?”

“Yes, sir…”

“What about your family?”

“I’m calling them today. We’re going into
Wells since there’s no cell service around here and the few phones
don’t have long distance.”

“What do you think they’ll say?”

“I think my dad’s head will rotate on his
shoulders like the devil in that horror movie.”

“That bad?”

“Maybe not, once he meets Matt. It’ll just be
tough getting Matt back there.”

“He doesn’t want to go to Baltimore?”

“No… But he’ll have to, sooner or later.”

He took the bacon out of the pan.

“Tess left today, didn’t she?”

“Yes, I’m going to miss her very much.”

“So is Richie.”

“Think so?”

“… Oh, yeah. He’s been moping around here
trying to keep busy.”

Sarah picked up a towel to wipe her
hands.

“Is that about it, Dale? I need to take
off.”

“Go, go. Tell me what your father says…”

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

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.” Her
eyes blazed…

“How can you say that? 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 mmmyself 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.”

####

The next few weeks were eventful… wonderful…
Sarah worked with Dale at mealtimes and with Matt at other times
over at their ranch. He’d settled with the real estate agent and
the sale was in escrow – A few more weeks and the ranch would be
theirs. He was in the process of buying some horses.

They painted walls, had new carpet installed
throughout the house, and cleaned and scrubbed – Then cleaned and
scrubbed some more. John came over occasionally to help out with
some of the painting and volunteered to lend some furniture, until
they had their own. The landscaping in the front and backyards was
beginning to take shape.

Exhausted, Sarah fell sound asleep in Matt’s
arms, night after night – He knew this life with Sarah was
definitely the life he wanted. In the early mornings and late
evenings, they made love… Creating more to what they had
already.

But it was too good to last and it
didn’t…

One day, Matt and Sarah were working in the
kitchen of their ranch when John drove up. He parked in the
driveway and walked in the front door.

“Hey… Anyone home?”

“… In the kitchen,” Matt called out.

John walked back to the kitchen and
whistled.

“Damn, it looks good… You guys have done a
great job with this place. It’s beautiful…” He looked around as he
spoke, his eyes twinkling. Then he turned to Sarah and the
twinkling stopped.

“I’ve got something to tell you, darlin’,” he
began.

Sarah looked up surprised as Matt came down
off the ladder he was on.

“What is it, John?”

“I just got a call from Seth Walker. There’s
a man who’s arrived at the guest ranch asking for you. He said his
name’s Ben Foster.”

Sarah blinked in surprise and then shook her
head. “I don’t believe it. He came here?”

Matt’s face was clouding up fast…

“There’s more, sweetie,” John had taken off
his cowboy hat and was holding it in front of him. This was
serious…

“… Apparently, your grandfather’s had a heart
attack and this Ben fellow has come to take you home. He told Seth
they couldn’t reach you, so your father sent Ben out here.”

“Oh, my God – not Grandfather…” She looked
aghast, but in the next minute, she frowned. “But he didn’t need to
send Ben, for Pete’s sake…”

“It’s understandable, Sarah. We’re still
working on getting cell service out here – You know it’s a remote
area right now.”

“He could have sent a telegram…”

John shrugged his shoulders and looked at
Matt whose mind had kicked into overdrive with worry.
Ben would
be taking Sarah away
… A lump was forming in his throat and he
found it hard to speak.

She looked from John to Matt.

“Will you take me over there? I told you I’d
have to face this sooner or later. I guess it’s to be sooner…” He
nodded, reached over to pick up his hat.

Sarah picked up a nearby towel and wiped off
her hands. Then she smoothed back her hair.

“I’ll take off now,” said John. “Let me know
if I can help…” He gave Matt a questioning look and left.

Sarah and Matt looked at each other with pain
written on both their faces. Matt knew that Sarah would have most
of the responsibility here and it bothered him – a lot. It wasn’t
his place to deal with Ben…

She made it easier for him but going into his
arms and hugging him tightly to her.

“It’ll be fine…”

“Will it, Sarah? I’m not so sure…” He tilted
up her chin to look into her eyes. “You’re going to have to leave
with him, aren’t you?”

“Yes, probably, if Grandfather’s in bad
shape. I’ll have to see him…”

“I don’t want you to go…”

“And I don’t want to go, but, for now, let’s
drive over there. I have to talk to him.”

“All right.”

But he couldn’t let her go… Matt was thinking
he may not have her in his arms again and he couldn’t handle that
idea very well. So he hung on to her…

Sarah reached up to touch his face and his
eyes got misty. She leaned up to kiss his lips and he kissed her
back. They stood in the doorway with their lips sealed tightly
together… But eventually, Sarah broke off their kiss.

“… Matt, honey. It’ll be all right. Breathe,
please…” She could tell he couldn’t breathe very well and it was
making him light-headed. “Sit down…”

“…Sorry. I’m such an idiot.”

“No,” she smiled. “You’re a man in love…”

And that brought out the tears. “Yes, you’re
right.” Then he kissed her again.

“Come back to me, Sarah,” he whispered
against her lips.

“… If I’m there too long, come get me.”

“How long is too long?”

“An hour?” She smiled weakly at him. Matt
couldn’t smile at all… “Take me over there, please. He’s
waiting.”

Matt finally got his legs working, although
his knees threatened to go out on him, and he helped Sarah in the
truck. When he closed her door and walked to his side, he felt like
it was going to be the worst day of his life. He was close…

At the Walker guest ranch, Ben was shown
politely into the dining room to wait for Sarah and someone had
given him some iced tea. He stood out as a stranger with his
three-piece suit in a land of jeans and Western shirts. Ben was
tall with sandy hair -- A few people gawked at him. Dale saw him,
knew immediately who he was and wondered how Sarah was going to
handle this. He thought he’d hang around, just in case she needed
him.