“He must have been a very nice man…I’d like to meet him someday too. I’ve never met a one-armed man, especially one
that could take care of things.”
“He was the best. Still is.”
The wind kicked up and the door shut, darkening the room for a moment. “How long they been married, Sam?” she asked in the darkness.
“Oh…nigh onto thirteen or fourteen years now.” Sam figured the time up in his head.
“They got any kids?” Riley asked as she finished the peach and handed him the stick, touching his hand in the process.
“Yeah, they have four kids, three boys and one girl. Prettiest kids you ever saw,” Sam said, taking the stick and reaching in for a peach for himself. “And of course Hattie had three girls before, only they weren’t hers.”
“Weren’t hers? Then how’d she get them?”
“It’s a long story…”
“Looks like we got plenty of time.”
“You’d best be figurin’ what you are gonna say to them lawyers, instead of askin’ me so many questions,” Sam said, enjoying the peaches.
“We got time for that. Tell me about it, Sam. I like to hear it,” Riley said, leaning against the wall and relaxing now.
The wind blew the door open again. “Lee Nelson was goin’ to war when I first met him. He couldn’t have been over twenty himself; I was five at the time…” he began. “He come upon us the night my father was hung. I don’t rightly know what would have happened to me and Hattie if he hadn’t come along. Because Lee took such good care of us, because he cared, well, we learned from that, to care about people. Along the way, we met up with some kids that had about the same troubles as we once had. So Hattie, she just packed those kids up and took them with us. Said Lee done learned her not to leave anyone behind.”
“She must be a powerfully good woman.” Riley smiled.
Sam stared at Riley for a long moment then slowly smiled. “She is…”
He talked for a long time, until Riley closed her eyes and went to sleep. He went to hide the horse and get his gear. When he came back he found Riley in the corner, snuggled with her knees up and her arms wrapped around them. He covered her with a blanket and went to set the coffee toward the back of the stove. It wasn’t cold, but the wind whipped up so strong it felt like a norther had blown in.
He glanced down at Nodog, checking his leg and rewrapping it. He realized how good a job Riley had done on the dog. It tickled him that Riley and Nodog got along so well, and for a moment he pondered that. Nodog accepted her; why couldn’t he? But then if he examined that too much he’d have had to acknowledge that he already cared about Riley to some extent.
He sat opposite Riley and closed his eyes.
It was dusk when he stirred again.
Nodog had curled up beside them and kept watch. He particularly liked to lay beside Riley for some reason. He whined as his head came up and sniffed.
Sam heard a ruckus outside.
He heard the wind pick up and felt the stillness of the air, and then the door flew open with a bang. This time he went outside and looked about. It wouldn’t do for his horse to be hobbled in a storm; he was a good horse, he’d come back, so he unhobbled him and took the canteen and dream catcher inside.
Sure enough, a storm was blowing in from the north. The clouds were so dark it looked like night. He heard the roar long before it reached him. He knew what it was, and he knew he had to get them to safety.
“Damn,” he mumbled to himself as he ran into the house and gathered Riley into his arms and ran outside to the storm cellar. She kicked him several times and tried to free herself, but to no avail. Sam let her down long enough to unhobble his horse and the horse took off. Then, throwing open the door, he let Nodog go ahead and check the cellar out. After Nodog sniffed the area, Sam went inside, pulling the door shut behind him.
Riley was struggling against him.
“Why did you bring me here? You know I hate it in here…”
“Tornado, won’t be long now…hear that?”
The roar was like a train headed straight for them.
“I hate these cellars…” Riley yelled. “They always have so many crawly things inside them. Oh God, do we have to stay in here?”
“It isn’t pleasant, but it’s safer. No matter, Nodog checked it out first. He can sniff a snake at two yards. Besides, it is as safe as anything you could find right now,” Sam insisted. “Before this is over, you’ll be glad of this place. I ain’t too fond of them myself, but I shore don’t want to be caught in that tornado. That’s one mean lookin’ son of a gun.”