Riley lowered her head, got off the horse and took the saddle off, as though making camp one last night. “Just the truth.”
“Sometimes these court things don’t work out real quick like. Sometimes they go on forever. Is it worth it to you to wait?” Sam asked.
“The ranch is where I belong, Sam. I know that now. Maybe it won’t take as long as you figure,” she insisted.
“Just tryin’ to get you to understand,” Sam said. “There could be disappointments ahead.”
Riley turned quickly on him. “Why did you leave her?”
“What? What are you talkin’ about?”
“I said why did you leave Mavis?” Riley asked coming up to face him, her irritation growing with every word. “You seemed pretty fond of her. I was wondering why you would even consider leaving her. I heard her offering herself to ya. Sounded like something any man like you would want.”
Sam wanted to put this off for a while, but he figured he’d have to give her an explanation as he had chosen to go with Riley instead.
“I didn’t want to go with her,” Sam insisted. “Poor Mavis was looking for one thing: someone to replace her husband, and it didn’t matter who. Do you understand? It was the not mattering that turned me away.”
“Don’t tell me that. I saw you kissing her. She had you wrapped around her finger. So why didn’t you just go off with her?” Riley’s voice sounded near tears.
Sam shrugged. “Man gets cornered by a woman too quick, he kinda tends to back off a bit.”
Riley considered his words. “She sure did latch onto you quick, but you seemed to enjoy it.”
“Maybe I would have…but she was still in love with her husband.”
“Still in love…” Riley practically shouted. “And kissing you like she did?”
“Yeah, that was a show, Riley. She didn’t kiss like she meant it. A man can tell.” Sam laughed. “Maybe when you are older, more experienced in the matter, you can tell too.”
Riley was silent for a minute. “Oh…”
“Now that we settled that, let’s get into town and get cleaned up,” Sam instructed, watching her try to make camp.
“Cleaned up…for what?” Riley asked innocently.
“Well Riley, you gotta talk to them lawyers tomorrow, and if you walk in their office smellin’ like a bear from a cave, they ain’t gonna be as willin’ to listen to ya,” Sam said. “You’ll need some lady clothes.?
?
“I took a bath at the creek. That’s why I came back after everyone else. Besides, I wasn’t sure I should let them know I’m a female.” Riley shrugged.
“It would be to your advantage in every way to do so. First because it’s the truth and they’d find that out fast enough, and second because you could play up the fact that you’re a woman and being taken advantage of.”
“I guess you’re right.” She nodded with a smile. “The truth is always better, isn’t it?”
It was the first time she’d smiled in days and it lit Sam up to see her pleased once more, although he knew he shouldn’t care.
“I don’t know how we’re going to do this, Sam. I go in looking like a boy, and I come out as a woman. How’s that gonna work out?”
“That’s a good question. But I won’t go to the lawyer’s office with you,” Sam said. “We’ll get a room with double beds first night, then I’ll take you out; if anyone asks, I took you to your folks. End of the boy. You’ll go get a fresh bath and lady clothes again and then you can come and get a room for yourself.”
“You’re not going with me to talk to them?” Riley looked alarmed.
“No, I can’t. They see a woman with a black man, that would never do. How could you explain it? People where you come from would know I wasn’t from around there. It wouldn’t look good. No, this is one time you have to go it alone, Riley.”
“I guess you’re right.” She shrugged. “I just hope I don’t slip up and say the wrong thing or do the wrong thing.”
“Don’t fret about it, Riley. All you gotta do is tell the truth. Just tell the truth and you’ll be fine. You gotta remember Riley, you’re the victim. They tried to steal your place. You gotta fight for what is yours in life or you don’t keep it.”