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“But it’s there, isn’t it Sam…” she whispered, her finger reaching up to touch his lips.
“Stop that.” He moved away.
“Maybe if you kissed me once, we’d get the curiosity of it out of our way and could forget it,” Riley tempted.
For a minute he stared at her long and hard, his glance falling on her pink lips. If he shocked her enough would she shut up about it? If he pursued her would she run?
“Maybe we couldn’t…” he muttered.
“Couldn’t what?”
“Forget it.” He swallowed hard.
“Wanna find out?” she murmured.
“No, now mount up and let’s get out of here,” Sam instructed. “Wait…there is a way…come here.”
She walked closer to him.
“We put that hair up and keep it up, dirty your face a little and keep those clothes about you, you could pass for a boy. We could even cut that hair off like a boy.”
“That’s a dandy idea, Sam…” She smiled up at him. “I knew you’d come up with somethin’. Must be those Indians you were raised with. Thanks Sam…” And before he knew what she was up to she tiptoed and kissed him lightly on the cheek.
Sam stood rock still and let the softness of her spill over him. For only a moment he let the kiss linger, then he jerked her away none to gently.
She smiled. “I knew it. You liked it.”
“Don’t ever do that again…” He grabbed her arms and shook her a minute. She stared up at him with startled eyes.
“But why not Sam…you’d never make such a fuss unless you liked it.”
For a split second he wanted to haul her back into his arms and finish what she started, but good sense prevailed. “Because from now on you are a boy. It’s for your own good, you understand?”
She seemed to think about that and smiled. “Alright.”
She braided her hair and then shoved it under her hat as he smeared dirt on her face. When her eyes clouded with tears he backed off, not saying a word.
She mounted and looked down into his big frown. “You’re sweet on me Sam, and I know it, and one day we’ll just have to put it to the test.” Riley smiled at him, still holding the tears back.
“Well, this ain’t gonna be the day.” He turned away and refused her the privilege of seeing his smile.
“Maybe not, but it’s gonna happen Sam, and you know it as well as I do…” she boasted. “Well, are you comin’ or not?”
“I want to put Nodog up in your lap for a while; he needs to heal good before he tries to walk very far.”
“Good idea.”
He turned to look at her and gritted his teeth. Then he hauled Nodog to her lap and mounted himself up in the saddle behind her. His arms went around her instantly and he felt her indrawn breath. He smelled the sweet lilac of her hair, felt the heat rising between them and tried not to think about what kissing her would do to him, but it was impossible. She’d barely touched her lips to his cheek and he knew he wanted more. But he was the man, the one in charge and he had to keep his distance, somehow. Once the idea was planted, he couldn’t quite get it out of his mind. It would be pure misery riding with her anywhere, he decided as he took the reins from her hands and headed east.
She relaxed against him, fitting herself closer and leaning her head almost on his shoulder. He stopped. If anyone spotted them now they’d have no trouble at all figuring out she was a woman, in his arms.
Unfortunately he was right, it was pure agony being this close with his arms around her and feeling her body moving in a rhythm with his and the horse. He quickly jumped down.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“I’ll ride the front, you just hold on.” He grimaced. “Better yet, I’ll just walk a while. With Nodog in my lap there just isn’t room.”
She smiled sweetly. “Just a matter of time,” she said under her breath.
