Sourdough Creek (6 page)

The meadow was small and just off the narrow road they traveled on. A tall stand of alders rimmed the edge of the grassy opening, their leaves rustling in the cool breeze. The only other sound was the twittering of a few birds and the chomping of the horses’ teeth.

Cassie sank to her knees in the sweet-smelling grass, a sigh escaping her lips. She folded her legs beneath her and untied the napkin encircling a loaf of bread. Sam followed suit, stretching his legs out in front of himself and resting back on an elbow. Joey was still fumbling with his saddlebag, chattering away to no one in particular.

Sam chuckled. “I don’t know much about kids.” He motioned with his head toward Joey as he handed Cassie a strip of jerky.

She took the dried meat and ripped off a portion with her teeth. “He’s always been good at pretending,” she said between chews. “I’m glad he’s taking all this so well.”

“All this?”

“The move. Ma dying. Just everything.”

Sam accepted the hunk of bread she offered and took a bite. The crunchy crust was nutty and the doughy soft middle melted in his mouth. It was good.

“I see,” he answered, after swallowing.

“Joey, come and eat some lunch,” Cassie called. “We won’t be staying long.”

Joey seemed reluctant to leave his pony’s side.

“Come on now, son. Do as your sis…,” Sam caught himself mid-sentence, “your seniors tell you,” he finished awkwardly.” He threw a chastising look in the boy’s direction. “Time’s short.”

Joey ran over and plopped down beside Cassie and wolfed down his food. “I’m thirsty.”

Cassie handed him her canteen. “Not too much. We aren’t sure when we’ll reach another stream.”

Cassie finished up the crust she was eating and brushed her dungarees. “Should I pack things up?” She glanced up at him, her skin looking softer than a flower petal.

“Not just yet. We can rest for a few more minutes.” He laced his fingers together behind his head and laid back. Huge white clouds drifted overhead without obscuring the warm rays of the sun.

Joey ran off again and Cassie lay back too. For a moment all of nature was completely silent, and time seemed to stand still. The crisp mountain air felt good. Scents of freshly sprouted grass mixed with cedar and pine teased his senses. He closed his eyes as the warm sunshine slowed his mind.

“Hmmm, a baker. That’s what you’re planning to be?” he asked, mainly in an effort to stay awake.

“Yes.” Her tone was a bit defensive. “Men can cook too, you know.”

“True enough. My favorite person on a cattle drive is usually the cook. If he’s any good, that is.” He laughed softly.

A moment passed before she went on. “Just so you know, our grandmother worked in an eatery when she was young. She fell in love with the owner and they married. The restaurant flourished under her management. Our ma grew up there and passed on the recipes that made the business successful. I’d like to follow in their footsteps.”

“What about your ma? Did she follow her mother’s dream, too?”

“She always wanted to, but we moved around a lot. She was able to make a little money by baking bread and pies and sold them from our home. But it always seemed that just when she was getting well known, and started doing a good business, we up and moved.”

Sam glanced over. Cassie’s brow was crinkled and he couldn’t miss the longing in her expression. “That’s an ambitious dream, Cassidy. Takes a lot of capital to start a business from scratch.”

“I agree. But we’ll get it going, I know, and it’ll be a success. My grandma Cookie was known far and wide for her creations. All I need is a small shop to lease in a town somewhere. Sweat and knowledge don’t cost a thing.”

“And that’s where the gold comes in?”

She nodded.

“Your family moved around often?”

“Yes. My ma never wanted to be left behind. Love demands a presence, she’d always say. She said we’d stay together and take care of each other. Even when…”

She paused. “They died,” she said, finishing her sentence.

Moments slipped by in silence.

“Love demands a presence,” Sam mumbled to himself. Thoughts of all the years pining for his father, not knowing where he was, if he was dead or alive, flitted through his mind. With a conscious effort, he shoved the hurtful feeling away, not wanting to spoil this newfound closeness with Cassie.

“It’s true, Sam. Think about it.” She pushed up on her elbow and gazed down at him, her eyes now as emerald as the grass they laid upon. “People always claim they love something, but in reality don’t give it a second thought. If you love something you desire to be around it and spend time there.”

He grunted, not having a reply, but enjoying her nearness immensely.

She lay back down. “Look.”

“What?”

“Don’t you see it? A steamboat. Just like the boats going up and down the Mississippi. That big fluffy cloud right over there. There’s the waterwheel. And the smokestack. Let your imagination go.”

Sam looked. He didn’t see anything but a vast sky filled with clouds.

Cassie scooted closer until her head was almost touching his. She pointed, and then her finger swirled around as if she were drawing something in the air. “That extra puffy spot is the waterwheel.”

He could feel her disappointment, hear it in her voice. But, dad-blast it, he couldn’t see any boat in the clouds.

Slowly she dropped her hand. “Sam Ridgeway, don’t look with your eyes. Look with your heart. Relax. It’s turning,” she said, pointing again.

He laughed out loudly in surprise. “Yes! It’s bigger than I was looking for, is all. Now it’s as clear as the nose on my face.”

He felt her looking his way and turned to catch her velvety soft gaze.

“Didn’t your ma ever teach you that your heart has eyes too?” she murmured, her look reaching deep inside him.

Sam cleared his throat and looked away. “Has anyone ever told you you’re a different kind of lad?” He couldn’t help it. He hoped she’d offer to tell him on her own that she was, in fact, a girl. Couldn’t she feel it herself? This cloud-watching and whatnot was an odd activity for two men.

Before she could answer, a piercing scream shattered the moment. They both leapt to their feet.

Chapter Ten

C
assie ran through the open meadow up to the forest’s edge, one stride behind Sam. “Where are you?” she shouted.

“Here!” came the reply from deep within the woods.

Sam pushed past some low branches.

Scrambling through the trees, the two burst out of the thicket together, emerging into an open area. Josephine still wasn’t in sight and dread scorched Cassie’s heart. Turning a complete circle, Cassie scanned the area. Panic pushed her forward, and she ran for the other side of the field, where a steep incline threatened to block them.

Side by side they climbed. At the top of the rock face, they bolted forward.

“Where are—” Before Cassie could finish calling, Sam skidded to a halt and grabbed the back of her shirt, saving her from falling into a deep crevasse directly in front of them. Eight feet across, perched on a narrow ledge, was Josephine, her back pressed up tight to the red earth wall. Ashes was clutched tightly to her chest with her left arm and her right hand, in a white knuckled grasp, held the root of a tree to keep her balance.

A low moan came from the child’s lips as dirt and a few pebbles under her boot gave way and fell in a clatter against the rocks below. Ashes squirmed. The frightened cat looked as if she was on the verge of panic. If that happened, Josephine was sure to fall to her death.

“Drop the cat,” Sam demanded.

The shake of Josephine’s head was almost imperceptible. She held tightly to her beloved pet, her eyes never wavering from those of her sister.

Sam changed tactics and his voice became pleading.

“Joey, you need to let her go. She’ll be okay. You’ve seen cats jump from very high places, haven’t you? Please, son, let her go.”

Still Josephine refused. “He’s in shock,” Sam said to Cassie. “I’ll get my rope.

With Sam gone, all Cassie could do was pray. “Just stay still, Josephine. Don’t move a muscle. Sam will be back soon. Stay still, honey.”

Josephine moaned as the cat scrambled up around her neck, trying to find some sort of security. Her little legs shook violently, and her smooth leather sole slipped off the edge. She cried out.

Cassie gasped. She couldn’t bear to lose her sister. “Hold on!” she choked out. She reached out her hand, wanting desperately to touch her, stroke her velvety soft cheek. Every moment felt like an hour. “Sam will be back. He’ll get you out of there. Just stay very, very still.”

Right then, Sam came bursting through the trees on Split Ear and slid to a halt. He slung his leg over the saddle and dismounted his rope already in his hands. He tossed his reins to Cassie.

“Joey, there’s another branch a few inches above your head. It’s bigger than the one you’re holding. I’m going to toss this rope and lasso it. If I miss and the rope lands on you, don’t let it knock you off. Just keep holding tight to that root, okay? Keep your eyes focused on your sister.”

Cassie jerked up straighter and heat rushed to her face. He’d known!

“Here it comes.” He hesitated. “You sure you won’t drop that cat first?” When Josephine didn’t respond, he slowly swung the rope over his head.

Cassie gripped Split Ear’s reins tightly in sweaty palms.

Sam let his loop fly. Gracefully, as if in slow motion, it went up and then began to descend towards Josephine. Cassie sucked in a breath when it stopped short, snagged by another root above its intended target. It dangled for a second and Sam gave a gentle tug. It dropped onto the branch above Josephine’s head, teetering precariously.

“Okay, Joey, now you have to let the cat go and reach up for the rope with your left hand. Don’t worry; the cat’s not going to let go of you. Just try not to react if it moves. When you get the rope, slip the loop over your body. This might be difficult. Be very careful. Go on now. Take your time.”

Josephine didn’t move.

“You must,” Cassie said softly. “Sam’s not going to let you fall.”

Josephine’s small body turned slightly once her hand found the rocky cliff wall. As Sam had predicted, Ashes gripped tightly to her mistress. Bit by bit, Josephine’s hand edged higher until her fingers touched the branch. The rope was only inches away.

“Very good,” Sam encouraged. “Now, take hold of the rope and bring it down over your body.”

It was so hard to watch. Minutes crawled by. The rope was now around Josephine’s body, looped under her arms. She had a white-knuckled grip on the root in her right hand and the rope with her left. She wobbled, unbalanced, her face ashen. Sam ran to a tree near the cliff’s edge and tossed his end of the rope over a thick branch a few feet over his head. Striding to Split Ear, he secured the end of the line to his saddle horn.

“You’re going to have to swing across, Joey. Try to take the impact with your legs. They’re strong. Sam turned to Cassie. “Hold tight,” he whispered hoarsely, motioning to the gelding. The apprehension in his eyes gave him away. “If there happens to be a jolt on the rope I don’t know how he’ll react to the pull on the saddle.”

She nodded.

“I’ll pull you up, son. It’s not far between us. It won’t hurt much.”

“What about Ashes?”

Sam shrugged. “She’ll just have to hold onto you. When you go, take hold with both hands.”

Gripping the rope he braced his foot against a large rock. “Back the horse up until the rope is taut,” he called out to Cassie, and then waited as she did what he’d asked.

“Okay, Joey—now!”

Cassie was astounded that her sister had the courage to drop off the ledge. A muted thud prompted Sam to pull hand over hand, until Josephine’s scruffy head appeared over the edge of the ravine. Cassie wanted to run to her but forced herself to hold fast to Split Ear, reins in hand. Once Josephine was lying safely on the ground Sam rushed over, dropping to his knees. Ashes jumped to the side, scampering a few feet before stopping. She sat down, as if nothing out of the ordinary had just happened, and began licking her paw.

“Are you hurt?” Sam asked, brushing dirt from Josephine’s body and picking sticks from her hair.

Josephine opened her eyes and looked around. She seemed surprised to have made it. “Am I alive?” she asked, her childish voice awash in disbelief.

A cry of anguish tore from Cassie’s throat as she hurried over. She engulfed Josephine in her arms, holding her tightly to her breast and rocking back and forth.

“Sam, you saved her! You saved my little sister.” Her voice was hoarse as tears began to flow. “I can never thank you enough!”

Several moments of complete silence made Cassie look at Sam, who was staring at her wide eyed. He sat back on his heels; a shocked expression marked his face. With his thumb, he tipped his hat up and then pointed an accusing finger at the scraggly little person snuggled next to her chest. Finally, he opened his mouth, “Not you, too?”

Chapter Eleven

“I
’m sorry for not being truthful with you from the beginning,” Cassie said, her voice was still hollow with fear as she clung to Josephine. “It was just too risky. We didn’t know anything about you.”

He was surprised by the magnitude of the relief flooding through him now that Joey—what was her real name, he wondered fleetingly?—was sitting safely on the ground. His own secret prickled his conscience, telling him this was the perfect time to reveal what he in turn was keeping from her. If he’d been waiting for the ideal time to speak up, this was it.

“I didn’t like fooling you,” Josephine said, laying her small hand on his arm. “My
real
name is Josephine Elizabeth.”

“Well, that’s a real pretty name, Josephine Elizabeth,” he responded, again amazed at his own stupidity. He’d thought the little brother was extremely different, actually a bit strange. He should have put two and two together after learning about Cassie. “Why the pretense?” he asked, looking at Cassie.