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“No, I have no idea. I liked him, he was a family man. Nice of you to bury him though…” she said, glancing up at Sam as she came back toward him. “You don’t even know him, do ya?”
“Nope.”
“But you are buryin’ him; how come?” she asked.
“Everyone deserves to be buried, don’t you think?”
She shrugged. “I guess.”
“He got any kin…?” Sam asked, casting her a quick glance but careful not to stare.
“No…” She seemed to study the question, her face growing almost sad as she spoke. “No…his wife died last year; they didn’t have any kids yet,” the girl answered. “Kinda sad when a fella dies and has no one, isn’t it?” she asked, her blue eyes clouding with tears. “Poor Jason, he sorta lost the will to live once his wife died. He let his place go, stayed to himself, took to drinking some too. I wonder who could have done such a thing. And why…”
&nbs
p; Sam eyed the girl with interest then resumed his task. “Yeah, well, least we can see he gets a proper burial.”
Nodog licked his paw and eyed the girl with interest too.
But the girl was not going away. Instead, she sat on the ground and watched Sam dig the grave, her hand extending to pet Nodog. Sam wondered for a moment what she was doing here, and who she was. Nodog didn’t usually take to strangers. He would have to use some tact he supposed to get any answers. Strange, his dog rarely liked anyone, but he sure didn’t mind the affection he was getting from this misfit girl.
“You from around here?” he asked as though it were a common question.
“Got a place, a ways back…” she said, the canteen still in one hand. “At least, I did have. Guess I won’t be going back, though not for a while.”
“Oh, why not…you got troubles too?” Sam stopped his digging and stuck the shovel in the hard ground so he could lean on it. His usually pleasant face screwed up into a frown. He couldn’t stop staring at how easily his dog took to her. “Where’s your horse?”
“Everybody has troubles of some kind of troubles, I reckon. Don’t have a horse. I mean not with me.” She looked at him strangely. “And yeah, I got plenty of troubles, that's why I ran away.”
“Buggy?”
“Don’t have one of those either,” she replied, taking another sip of water.
“Then how did you get way out here in the middle of nowhere without a horse?” Sam asked as he gave her a quick once over, not dwelling on her curves or manner of dress too long.
“I walked…well, no…actually, I ran.” She gulped, obviously trying to explain but not doing a very good job of it. “Some men were chasin’ me, ya see. I hid out in the bushes this mornin’ ‘til they gave up lookin’ for me, then I got to the road and every time I heard a rider, I’d duck into the bushes.”
“Ran?” His head came up and his eyes narrowed on hers. “You look a little tuckered, but who are you runnin’ and hidin’ from?”
She pulled her flop hat down so he couldn’t stare into her eyes. “I’m in a bit of a fix…”
“Do tell!” Sam’s hand went to his hip as he stared at her, his exasperation with the problems he’d been dealt today beginning to show. “I probably shouldn’t ask, but what kind of a fix?”
Nodog licked at her hand. Sam’s eyes widened, the traitor.
“You really want to know?” she asked, peeking out from the hat.
“Why not? You’re just another stumbling block in my plans. So go on, explain what kind of fix you are in.” His laugh didn’t reach his face.
“My name’s Riley Morgan,” she said quietly. She seemed to wait for the name to sink in, but Sam still didn’t know much more than what she told him.
“Riley,” He tipped his hat and squatted down on the ground to listen to her story. The old scrub oak creaked from the wind and they both looked up at it. “I’m Sam Tanner.”
She smiled shyly up at him. Her face held a quiet innocence that caught Sam’s attention. It was for sure and certain this was no ordinary girl. Nodog didn’t like ordinary people. Sam shouldn’t be surprised that he took to her so quickly, but he was.
“That shore is a pretty tree, but it don’t deserve to have a man hang from it…Is this your dog?”
“Yes, his name is Nodog.” Sam stared again; she was a curious lady, that much he knew. Yet he hadn’t expected her appreciation for the tree or his dog. Most women were afraid of Nodog. She’d barely blinked an eye when she headed straight for Nodog and extended her hand for him to smell.
