Page 63 of Ask No Tomorrows


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Sam sent her an appreciative glance and a big smile. “I guess it is…”

“So…how does Ethan Morgan measure up?” she asked with a laugh.

“Quite the gentleman…you’ve grown into yourself, Riley.” Sam’s voice lowered a notch.

“Ethan…” she quipped.

“Ethan.” He laughed.

“You didn’t eat much of your steak.” Sam eyed her plate.

“Too tired. All I want now is to go to sleep…” She sighed.

“Yeah, a good night’s sleep is what we both need,” Sam agreed.

When they found a hotel, Riley didn’t want a double room, and asked for separate rooms from the clerk, but the clerk shook his head. “Cattlemen’s Association is having a big conference here tomorrow, we’re full up. Most of the hotels in town will be full. Got a double, that’s the best I can do fer ya, mister,” the short, beady-eyed desk clerk muttered.

Riley sighed heavily, she didn’t want to spend maybe her last night with Sam in his room. She loved the man, and staying her distance had been hard the last few days. She hungered for another kiss, and talking him into staying with her. But the reality told her she wouldn’t win this one. Sam was bent on going west, and he must not love her, despite how she felt.

Riley nodded to the clerk and they got their key.

As they walked down the hall though, they passed Harry. Riley’s eyes widened and Sam watched her cover her face with her hand.

Harry didn’t recognize her, he was half-drunk and boasting about something to his partner who was once her lawyer.

As they went into the room, R

iley plopped on the edge of one bed and sighed loudly. “That was close.”

“What?” Sam turned to look at her.

“That bunch of loud cowboys, that was Harry and my ex-lawyer.”

Sam came to stand in front of her. “What would he be doing here? Are you sure you aren’t seeing things, since he’s on your mind a lot these days?”

Riley jumped up and met him almost nose to nose. “No, I’m not seeing things. It was Harry, I recognized him for sure, and my ex-lawyer. How could I forget him? Known the man for years.”

“Then we got to hurry up and get things done. We’ll see the lawyer, get things straight once and for all, and since he’s in town for the conference, we could sneak back to your ranch for the rest of the money too. What do you think?”

Riley eased away. “Sounds like a good plan if we can get things settled up in the morning with the lawyer here, and then we could get that money and be out of there.”

“Why don’t you go ask the clerk how long the conference is gonna last and that way we’ll know how much time we got?” Sam suggested.

“Good idea,” Riley replied and putting her bowler round atop of her she ambled back to the front desk.

“Excuse me, but I was wondering exactly how long the conference is gonna go on?” she asked the clerk.

The short thin clerk, with a handlebar mustache twitched then answered, “They’ll be here most of three days. Big buyers and the Railroad Commissioner will be here. They got lots of news for the ranchers this time. Big tadoo.”

“Thank you.” Riley tipped her tap slightly.

“No problem at all, sir.”

The smell of tobacco and whiskey waifed through the large lobby leading off to the room where most of the conference was being held.

Riley strolled outside for a moment; the air was full of dust as lots of ranchers were just now arriving for the conference. She went back to the room.

Sam was shaving.

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