“That must have been a real experience. But your dad and this Gordy took care of you…?”
“Yeah, I was pretty sick for a while, but I healed up. I was about ten when it happened.”
“Look, I agree they aren’t the best places to be, but we do what we have to do in an emergency,” Sam added.
“Yeah, but at least you know why I don’t like these kinds of places.”
“I guess I do. We won’t go down unless we have to,” Sam promised. “Besides, Nodog can sniff out a place better than any two legged animal. If there are snakes there, we’ll know it before we go inside.”
“Good. I trust your dog.” She glanced at Nodog who eyed her then wagged his tail.
Sam went around the back and found a well. He raised the bucket and pulled the ladle from the handle. He trickled the water on his face then opened his mouth and tasted it. It was cool and sweet. He poured some into his hat and let Nodog have a drink then he did the same for his horse that he hobbled out back.
“We’re in luck. I can make some coffee.” He proceeded to take the bucket inside. “Looks like they left a trunk of stuff here too. Go through it and see if there is anything we can use. Cut some of it into bandages with this knife and we’ll bind you up soon.”
“All right.”
Finding some twigs, he scrounged up enough for a fire in the old stove inside the partially burnt out cabin. He dug his bag of coffee out of his saddle bags and made a pot in an old burnt up pot he found near the stove. He had a can of peaches in his bag and took them out.
He saw the huge pile of bandages she made and he told her to go stuff them into the saddle bags.
“After I doctor you again,” she insisted.
“I don’t need doctorin’,” he insisted.
“We’ll see about that; now take your shirt off, Sam,” she instructed.
“Look, I got things to worry about other than that right now…”
“Maybe you do, but this comes first. I don’t want you comin’ down sick on me, Sam. It won’t take long,” she promised.
“Good grief girl, I ain’t gonna get sick on you.” Sam finally shucked the shirt, and Riley dug out the aloe and began running it over him gently. He barely flinched, but she saw goosebumps on his arms and smiled.
He saw her look and he shrugged. “It’s cold.”
When she doctored his chest, he couldn’t stop staring at her. She ignored him ‘til she was done, then looked up at him with innocent eyes. “See, that wasn’t so bad, was it? And you remembered to keep the shirt off for a while.”
He kept staring at her for so long, she turned pink.
“It’s healing up good.” She cleared her throat.
“Let’s check the area for things we might need,” he suggested as he started to put the shirt back on.
“Okay.”
Sam frowned.
Riley was still wandering about outside, when he called her in.
He handed her the one cup he had found.
“I never have figured out why coffee smells so good. Smells heavenly, aren’t you having any?” she asked, her eyes straying to his chest.
“Yep, half of this.” He nodded to the cup.
“Oh…oh, sure.” She sipped a bit and handed it back.
Sam turned the cup around and sipped some from the other side then handed it back to her.