her, Cassie. Look how sweet she is.” Josephine cast a glance at the cat. “I love her. Please don’t be mad.”
Cassie wrapped her in her arms again. “Actually I’m relieved that Ashes is coming along. I’ve felt horrible all day leaving her behind. Promise you won’t go looking for her without telling me first.”
Josephine pulled away and nodded, wiping her nose with her sleeve. “I promise.”
Sam went over to his grazing horse and picked up his reins. “Time to move on. We need to make a few hours before stopping to camp.” He chuckled. “That is—if you men are up to it…”
***
Darkness had fallen, making the forest seem even spookier as Cassie listened to the horses’ hooves plodding along. Sam, now as grumpy as a bear, couldn’t seem to find a place he felt comfortable making camp. Every time they found a clearing, he’d find some reason not to like it. Too close to the river. No forage for the animals. An abundance of animal droppings. Too open. Too dense.
Exhaustion and irritation grated inside Cassie. She was starting to think he was the one that was too dense. Josephine had fallen silent two hours ago, and Cassie wouldn’t be surprised if her sister was asleep on her pony’s back.
“Sam,” Cassie called out to him, one horse length in the lead.
“Whoa,” she heard him say. He waited as she came up alongside.
“Sam, we’re tired. Look, over there. That seems like as good a spot as any.”
“How can you tell in the dark?”
The moon outlined his silhouette as it made its appearance above the hills behind him. His face was shadowed by darkness, but she could see the whites of his eyes as they regarded her.
“I don’t like it. Too close to the rocks.”
“ Sam !”
“Okay, let me check it out first.” He draped Blu’s lead rope across the pommel of her saddle.
It took him a few minutes to make his way to the spot she’d pointed out. He dismounted and stood quietly. After a moment, he bent over and tossed a rock into the boulders nearby.
A chorus of deep rattling erupted from crevasses and cracks. Split Ear snorted and tossed his head nervously. Slowly, Sam and his horse backed away.
“Like I said, too close to the rocks.” He mounted back up and took the lead rope from her shaking hands. “Rattlers,” he said and continued up the road.
Rattlesnakes! Lord above. If she and Josephine had been alone she would have stopped there, most assuredly. Or one and all of the prior places he had found unacceptable.
Thank heavens for Sam. It was becoming more and more evident how much his wisdom counted.
***
A man’s voice rumbled her name, and someone shook Cassie’s leg. She opened her eyes, pulling herself from the remnants of a dream. Raising her chin, she blinked. She was…she was on a horse, Meadowlark…and the man… Oh! It was Sam. She must have dozed off.
“Here,” he whispered. “Dismount.”
He took her hand and she was too tired to fight him. She would show him tomorrow how capable she was. Groggily, she swung her leg over Meadowlark’s back but her boot heel caught the back of the saddle. She fumbled. A small cry of alarm escaped her lips. If not for Sam, she’d have landed in a heap on the ground.
As it was, her arms looped around his neck and she slid down the length of his body. When her boots touched the ground, she gripped his shoulders, not enough space between them for a piece of paper. She gazed up into his face and a burst of tingles lit up her senses. The stars, glittering in the sky, were like a halo around his head.
“You okay?” His breath was warm on her cheek as he leaned in close.
Her voice deserted her. She’d been dreaming about a prince from some faraway land, who’d come to marry her and take her away. Now, she realized with a resounding shock, that prince had been Sam! Sam’s eyes. Sam’s hair. Sam’s lips !
“Cassie?” He took her arms from about him and gave her a little shake. “Are you
Cassie wrapped her in her arms again. “Actually I’m relieved that Ashes is coming along. I’ve felt horrible all day leaving her behind. Promise you won’t go looking for her without telling me first.”
Josephine pulled away and nodded, wiping her nose with her sleeve. “I promise.”
Sam went over to his grazing horse and picked up his reins. “Time to move on. We need to make a few hours before stopping to camp.” He chuckled. “That is—if you men are up to it…”
***
Darkness had fallen, making the forest seem even spookier as Cassie listened to the horses’ hooves plodding along. Sam, now as grumpy as a bear, couldn’t seem to find a place he felt comfortable making camp. Every time they found a clearing, he’d find some reason not to like it. Too close to the river. No forage for the animals. An abundance of animal droppings. Too open. Too dense.
Exhaustion and irritation grated inside Cassie. She was starting to think he was the one that was too dense. Josephine had fallen silent two hours ago, and Cassie wouldn’t be surprised if her sister was asleep on her pony’s back.
“Sam,” Cassie called out to him, one horse length in the lead.
“Whoa,” she heard him say. He waited as she came up alongside.
“Sam, we’re tired. Look, over there. That seems like as good a spot as any.”
“How can you tell in the dark?”
The moon outlined his silhouette as it made its appearance above the hills behind him. His face was shadowed by darkness, but she could see the whites of his eyes as they regarded her.
“I don’t like it. Too close to the rocks.”
“ Sam !”
“Okay, let me check it out first.” He draped Blu’s lead rope across the pommel of her saddle.
It took him a few minutes to make his way to the spot she’d pointed out. He dismounted and stood quietly. After a moment, he bent over and tossed a rock into the boulders nearby.
A chorus of deep rattling erupted from crevasses and cracks. Split Ear snorted and tossed his head nervously. Slowly, Sam and his horse backed away.
“Like I said, too close to the rocks.” He mounted back up and took the lead rope from her shaking hands. “Rattlers,” he said and continued up the road.
Rattlesnakes! Lord above. If she and Josephine had been alone she would have stopped there, most assuredly. Or one and all of the prior places he had found unacceptable.
Thank heavens for Sam. It was becoming more and more evident how much his wisdom counted.
***
A man’s voice rumbled her name, and someone shook Cassie’s leg. She opened her eyes, pulling herself from the remnants of a dream. Raising her chin, she blinked. She was…she was on a horse, Meadowlark…and the man… Oh! It was Sam. She must have dozed off.
“Here,” he whispered. “Dismount.”
He took her hand and she was too tired to fight him. She would show him tomorrow how capable she was. Groggily, she swung her leg over Meadowlark’s back but her boot heel caught the back of the saddle. She fumbled. A small cry of alarm escaped her lips. If not for Sam, she’d have landed in a heap on the ground.
As it was, her arms looped around his neck and she slid down the length of his body. When her boots touched the ground, she gripped his shoulders, not enough space between them for a piece of paper. She gazed up into his face and a burst of tingles lit up her senses. The stars, glittering in the sky, were like a halo around his head.
“You okay?” His breath was warm on her cheek as he leaned in close.
Her voice deserted her. She’d been dreaming about a prince from some faraway land, who’d come to marry her and take her away. Now, she realized with a resounding shock, that prince had been Sam! Sam’s eyes. Sam’s hair. Sam’s lips !
“Cassie?” He took her arms from about him and gave her a little shake. “Are you
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