Sourdough Creek (34 page)

***

The sight of Cassie huddled by the roaring flames of a campfire pleased Sam. The wood crackled aggressively, sending sparks dancing into the noontime sky. Without matches, it had taken him well over an hour to produce even the smallest spark, but now that it was warming his frozen hands, and Cassie’s face all but glowed in its light, the payoff was worth every annoying moment.

He’d made a cursory look for the horses when he’d gone to retrieve his saddle, but had come up empty handed. But they couldn’t be that far away. He’d whistled several times knowing that if Blu was within hearing distance, she’d make her way back to him. With luck, Meadowlark and Split Ear would follow. Arvid’s horse was still a mystery.
Or maybe not
, he thought darkly.

It would be a few more hours before the water receded enough to fetch Cassie’s saddlebag. It taunted them from the limb, swinging with every gust of wind, causing Cassie to bite her lip and furrow her brow. She’d been overjoyed he’d actually saved it from the flood, and he’d received many heartfelt kisses for that bit of work. He wished there was a way he could tell her all over again—and collect the same reward.

Unfortunately, the raccoon had spotted the new, interesting object. Whenever he started toward it, Cassie would let go a barrage of rocks, scaring him back up into the higher branches. She’d only now abandoned the pile of ammunition she’d gathered together on the bank to take a moment to warm herself by the fire. He could see she was brooding over something.

“We’ll get it, Cassie,” Sam assured her.

“I know we will.” She exhaled in a long sigh. “I just can’t believe Uncle Arvid is dead. Drowned. What a horrible way to die. I’ll admit I was pretty fed up with his actions and the things he said, and did, but I never wished for anything like this. I feel awful when I think about the tongue lashing I was planning to give him the next time he was nasty. I was going to tell him that when this month was over I never wanted to see him again, and that he wasn’t welcome in my or Josephine’s life any longer. In other words, dead to us.” She looked at her feet. “And now he is.”

Sam tried to keep his suspicions to himself, but when a single tear slipped down Cassie’s cheek, he’d had enough. When would that man be out of her life and stop hurting her? “I wouldn’t be so quick to think he’s dead.”

Her head came up and she looked at him, her eyes unreadable. “What are you saying?”

He kicked at a dirt clod. He could be wrong. He certainly didn’t want to spoil this change between the two of them. And talking about her uncle was the surest way of getting them into a fight. “Nothin’.”

“Sam! Tell me.”

There was nothing for it. “After I found Arvid’s tent empty, I ran to where his horse was tied to set it free. But both he
and
the horse were gone. I think he jumped on his back and rode off.”

He could see Cassie wasn’t happy with his accusation. Her expression hardened and her eyes narrowed. “When are you going to admit that Uncle Arvid was hurt? That he didn’t get up to help me when he thought you were winning the claim—because he couldn’t.” Her chin tilted stiffly. “He died waiting for you to return.”

“He wasn’t in his tent,” Sam responded, more calmly than he felt.

“Well, maybe he crawled off into the bushes in an effort to get away from the water.”

“You’d rather believe he drowned?”

She huffed and looked away. “I’ll not speak ill of the dead.”

“I checked his horse last night before going to bed, to make sure he was tied good and tight with the oncoming storm. I assure you, that animal didn’t get untied on his own.” Sam stared at her rigid back. “You’re just angry because you don’t want to face the truth.”

He could reason with her from here to eternity and it wasn’t going to do any good. For some reason she was determined to believe Arvid and not him. Something inside was stopping her. Made her turn a blind eye to all the man’s shenanigans. Maybe it was because her mother had done the same with her father for all those years when Cassie was a little girl, trying to keep her family together.

Well, he couldn’t figure it out, and he was tired of trying. He’d have to accept Cassie the way she was, because he wasn’t going to change her. She’d not see the light. Clemen called that a blind trust. Certainly not a good thing in this case. Or, maybe she didn’t really believe what she said, not really, not in her gut—maybe it was more a case of
wanting
to. Whatever she craved, Arvid wasn’t going to give it to her, that was for sure. And yet nothing he said seemed to make a difference. A niggle of foreboding crept down Sam’s spine as he watched her climb to her feet and go to the river’s edge and shut him out. This was something she’d have to figure out on her own.

Chapter Fifty-Six

B
y evening the water around the tree was only ankle deep, and according to Sam, safe enough to get her saddle-pack. Cassie sloshed out, holding onto Sam’s hand, and they both took the bag from the limb, carefully making sure it didn’t fall into the murky mess. Cassie couldn’t conceal her joy, and laughed happily.

Everything would be all right now. By a miracle, Sam had saved her mother’s Bible, and she was grateful. The raccoon, perched in the higher branches, snarled several times but didn’t move. Cassie thought he looked hungry and felt a little sorry for him because she knew exactly what he was going through. How she wished they had the two white bags of supplies. Heck, she’d settle for a sourball.

Back on shore, she ran over to the fire and dropped to her knees. Sam followed. She unbuckled the keeps and cautiously pulled the old book out and held it to her chest. She was too happy for words. She closed her eyes and sent up a prayer of thanks.

When she opened them, Sam was watching her.

“Thank you for saving this.” Her throat was so tight she could barely get the words out.

His mouth tipped up at the corners, into an expression she’d come to know so well. “Don’t mention it,” he said softly, settling down next to her.

The longing in his face was evident and she reached over and stroked his whisker-covered cheek. His eyes softened. She scooted closer and snuggled under his arm. It was then she remembered the other important belongings inside. “Oh.”

“What is it?”

Cassie handed the Bible to Sam so it wouldn’t get dirty and reached for her pack. She opened the other side and brought out a small pouch tied with a narrow strip of leather.

She smiled into Sam’s face. “My angel cameo,” she said. She untied the knot and produced the pin. She handed it to Sam. “And…” She felt around. Hesitated. Felt again. It was as if she’d been punched in the stomach. The pouch was empty.

“What?” Sam asked in alarm.

“My vial of gold. It’s gone!” She stared at her saddlebag as she fought to control her swirling emotions. Her mind raced back to the night before. As always, she’d placed the vial inside, next to her cameo, and made sure the leather strip was firmly tied with two distinct knots. The same routine she completed every evening after supper.

She looked up at Sam with disbelief clouding her eyes. “The pouch,” she said slowly, as she searched his face. “It wasn’t double knotted just now when I went to open it. I didn’t notice at first, but now…”

Cassie stared at the things in her hands, barely able to keep the bile from rising in her throat.
How could I have been so blind
? Every time Sam had implicated her uncle, she’d foolishly defended Arvid. She’d known his temperament before, the trouble he’d caused her family, yet still she’d closed her eyes to it. Even after all Sam had done for her, and his shielding of her, she’d resisted his reasoning at every turn. In a flash of inspiration everything became clear causing her heart to lurch painfully. She’d wanted, no,
needed
affection so desperately, a deep seated love of the type that is all-encompassing and completely unconditional. She wanted to belong. Wanted Arvid to be her family. So much so that she’d closed her eyes to the truth about him. Worse, she’d closed her heart to the genuine love, the honest love that sat next to her right now. The love whose expression was one of utter devastation.

Sam ached inside. Cassie didn’t have to verbalize what she was thinking. Her wounded, disbelieving expression said it all. She thought he’d stolen her vial! Taken it when he went back for her uncle.

How could she
! A blast of anger ripped through him, making his jaw clench so tightly it felt as if his teeth would crack. It was difficult for him to accept, especially after all they’d been through this last month, hell—these last few hours.

“Go ahead and say it! You think I took it!” He flung her belongings onto her leather pouch, and stood, striding down to the water’s edge. It was impossible to mask his anger any longer. What did it matter anyway?

She bolted to her feet and ran to catch up. “What are you saying? You’re putting words into my mouth.”

“You’re so sure your uncle can’t walk. Surely you don’t think he pranced into your tent and filched your gold. No! You think I did!”

“I
don’t
think that!”

“That’s horse pucky, and you know it!” He looked away, trying to rein in his temper.
Just like good ol’ Pa
!
Always thinking the worst of me
!

“Sam, calm down so I can explain—”

“Well, Cassie Angel—guess what?” he shouted, pointing a finger in her face. “If I did that then I’d only be stealing my own gold. It’s my vial that’s missing, not yours. If you cared to think about it.” Before she could stop him, he strode back to his saddle and produced the other vial, then stomped back to her side. “
This
is yours!” he said, shoving it into her hands.

Cassie jerked back and the vial fell onto a rock, bursting into a hundred pieces. The fragments quickly swirled away in the murky water.

Cassie stared. A month’s worth of toil, but more, her and Josephine’s future, gone in an instant. When she looked up into Sam’s face it was dark, a thundercloud rolling within.

“I don’t think you took the vial, Sam. You’d never do anything like that. As much as it pains me to admit it, I will. Arvid was everything you’d said. Believing that he could actually do all those awful things, fake being hurt and all, and to me, his niece…it was just too painful. And it gets even better—he stole from me and left me to die.”

Actually, losing the gold didn’t mean a thing. Coming to see Uncle Arvid for who he really was, meant nothing to her either. Only Sam mattered. Losing him now would break her heart—forever. He was the only thing she cared about. She had to make him listen. He was so quiet she couldn’t imagine what he was thinking.

“Did you hear what I said?” she asked softly. “I believe you’re honest and good. I don’t care a whit about the gold. I only care about you.” She tried to touch his cheek, but he pulled away. “I’ve come to realize that our lives are only what we make them. Nothing more.” She didn’t dare push him too hard. She’d never seen him like this. Still, she couldn’t stop from adding, “I love you.”

Sam turned and gazed over the water, and the tree with the raccoon who was watching them. She laid her hand on his back, aching to ease his pain. “What is it? There’s something more.”

“I,” he began in a gruff voice, still looking away, “I never thought I could love anyone, not after how my father treated us. But then you came along in your baggy clothes and a chip on your shoulder as wide as a barn door.” Slowly he turned back to her, but his arms remained hanging loosely at his side. “You reminded me of myself. Struggling to make sense of each day, make it matter, and mean something. You touched me and my beliefs changed.”

“Sam,” she whispered, moved deeply by his words, his admission of love. She inched closer. Ragged sorrow clouded his eyes.

“There is just something in you, Cassie, that won’t let you feel my love. No matter what I do, you can’t see it. You won’t believe it.” He reached forward and swept a lock of her hair behind her ear.

His words wounded as she recalled the countless things, large and small, he’d done for her. His generosity, his thoughtfulness. “Let me make it up to you.” Her eyes stung with tears. “I want to try.” She ran her hands up his chest and looped them around his neck. She loved the feel of his body melding with hers. “I
can’t
live without you, Sam.” She went up on tiptoe and pressed her lips to his. “I can’t.”

At first he didn’t respond and fear gripped Cassie’s heart. Had she pushed him too far? Would he ever forgive her? “I love you,” she said again softly against his mouth. She could see something was holding him back. “God help me, I do.”

Suddenly, as if something inside had burst free, Sam wrapped her forcefully into his arms. She felt his strength, his anger, his love as her knees buckled and they dropped together to the sand. He took her face between his hands and looked deeply into her eyes. “I hope you mean that.”

It was said so softly Cassie wasn’t sure if it was Sam or the wind playing tricks on her.

“I do. And as long as we’re together there isn’t anything that can hurt you ever again. I’ll make sure of it. It doesn’t matter about gold or money or…or anything.”

Grasping her face in his hands, he kissed her, and all thoughts flew from Cassie’s mind. “I love you,” Sam whispered. “I’ll always love you.”

Only Sam remained. His mouth moving over hers. Branding her as his own. He was her world. Her whole universe boiled down to him and their new life together. Her fervor matched his on the lonely, windswept shore.

Several minutes passed before she felt him loosen his hold and lean back so she could see into his face. His smile gladdened her heart.

“I have something I’d like to show you,” he said. “That is, if you’re not
too
angry with me about breaking your vial. And losing all your gold.”

“Sam, I meant what I said. You’re all I’ll ever want or need. Nothing can ever change that, not ever! Not even a-a—” She tried to think of something that would show him how serious she was—“a gigantic gold nugget.”