Ask No Tomorrows (13 page)

“
No, she wouldn’t. You see, she married a white man. The Indian
village was the only place they could live together in
peace.”

“
A
white man?” Mavis stood up and eyed him sharply. “Lord…she must be
crazy.”

“
Maybe with any other person, but not with Lee. Lee Nelson was
one hellova good man.” Sam nodded with a sure smile.

“
Why on earth would she tie up with a white man, though?” Mavis
snarled. “Was she ugly or somethin’?”

“
Naw, she wasn’t ugly. In fact, she was beautiful. A lot of men
eyed her. Black and white. But she only had eyes for Lee. It was
bound to happen.”

“
You wouldn’t want a white woman, would you?” Mavis asked
innocently.

“
Probably not…I’m no fool, but, they were in love, Mavis, it
just happened. Sometimes nature plays a funny trick… Besides, like
you said Mavis, our kind is few and far between in some places.”
Sam smiled then glanced at Riley.

“
Only white trash takes up with black people,” Mavis spat.
“Ain’t even right you taking up with that white boy there. Why,
they could hang you, if they were of a mind.”

Sam scoffed.
“That’s a boy, not a woman, Mavis.”

“
Well…I guess, but it still ain’t right. He ain’t your
kind.”

“
He’s a kid; Riley is a good kid, Mavis. The best. I’d trust
him with my life, I would,” Sam insisted.

“
You’re a fool, then,” Mavis spat. “He’s just usin’ you ‘cause
he’s scared to be a man…that’s all. Let the kid grow up. You gotta
take what you can in life.” Mavis firmed her lips into a
frown.

Sam laughed.
“Ain’t no fool over there takin’ care of your kid right now. Is it?
Take a good look. Look at the tears in that boy’s eyes. Riley
cares, just one of those kind of people. He don’t have to do what
he’s been doin’. He wants to. That’s the difference. He’s got a lot
of character. You can’t ignore that, Mavis.”

Mavis scoffed
and walked off.

Sam watched
Riley; he saw the play of emotions cross Riley’s face as she talked
to the other kids, how patient she was to answer all their
questions. He was right about Riley. And that’s what made the
feelings he had for Riley grow, even as he stood there watching
her. She had character as Lee had often called it.

Two days
later, the rash began to fade. “What do you reckon it was?” Mavis
asked in wonder.

“
Measles most likely. Most kids get them sooner or later. Best
when they are little than bigger. The others might come down with
it if they ain’t had it before. It’s harder on grown folks than
kids.”

“
You know a lot about sickness…Sam?” Mavis asked softly as she
handed him some breakfast.

“
Just what I learned at the Indian Village. You see until the
white man came the Indians didn’t get sick much. And when they did,
they knew what to eat and take for it. But the white man brought
diseases over here and killed a lot of the Indians off. We had a
healer there, her name was Katherine and she could take care of
just about anything. The Shaman said she had magic.”

“
I’m sure glad you were here.” Mavis smiled at him. “But I
don’t believe in magic, Sam.”

“
Better thank Riley, he’s the one that sat with your Dorothy
most nights.”

Mavis glanced
at Riley. “I guess I was wrong about Riley. He was a big help. But
I’m not wrong about the fact that he’ll bring you nothing but
trouble.”

“
Maybe…” Sam stared at Riley who looked tired herself. “But I
promised.”

“
Well, we can get moving again. Riley, you better ride in the
wagon and get some rest,” Sam insisted.

Riley nodded,
not objecting. She made a pallet with a blanket beside Dorothy and
lay down; she was asleep in no time, but her hand was on Dorothy
all the way.

***

That evening
Mavis sat on the wagon seat just before sundown. “It’s a pretty
sunset, Sam,” Mavis said, her arm looped in his.

“
Yeah, I reckon it is.” Sam checked the beautiful play of
colors in the heavens and sighed. He wondered if Riley was
watching. Why he cared he wasn’t sure, but Riley drifted into his
head at unexpected moments. Maybe this was exactly why he needed to
get shed of her. And then he wondered if he really wanted to. He
already knew that Riley was a good woman. He knew she could kiss
better than anyone he’d ever had. But he also knew the trouble
she’d bring if he even thought about taking her as his own. That
thought sobered him. He remembered vividly all the problems that
had come up between Lee and Hattie as they tried to live peacefully
in the Indian camp. White fur traders had come to their camp many
times. Even once one of them tried to steal Hattie away with them.
But Lee rescued her. Still, he couldn’t help but remember how
deeply in love Lee and Hattie were too, and that stirred something
in Sam he didn’t want to acknowledge. Already he had some kind of
feelings for Riley. He just hadn’t named them yet. And if he could
help it, he wouldn’t, until she was long gone. If he had to hurt,
she wouldn’t see it. But somehow he knew that losin’ Riley would
hurt, for a long time.

Maybe Mavis
was just the ticket he needed to put Riley at a distance, and he
wanted her at a distance, he kept telling himself.

When it grew
cooler, Sam slowed the wagon. “We best rest now, and head out
before dawn,” Sam explained.

“
I
hope that sleepin’ under the wagon isn’t too hard on you, Sam.”
Mavis smiled.

“
It’s fine, Mavis.” He smiled at her.

“
Good, I’ll start some supper now,” Mavis declared and called
her children about to help her.

When Sam
helped her down, she paused to look at him. “I wouldn’t mind so
much if you wanted to kiss me every now and then,” she whispered.
“In fact, I’d kind of like it. I like bein’ touched
too.”

But Sam didn’t
want to jump from one to the other so quickly. “It’s a little soon,
but I’ll keep it in mind that you aren’t opposed to kissin’ or
touchin’.” He smiled.

“
Oh
sure…later…anytime.” She swept herself against him, and sighed
heavily when their eyes met. “My husband used to run his hand up my
skirt when we were drivin’ the wagon. He said it was kinda sexy,
playin’ when he was supposed to be drivin’ the wagon. He had his
hands on me all the time. He loved my body. He liked my breasts a
lot.”

Sam smiled. “I
can sure understand why…yes sir, I surely can.”

Sam groaned
inside. Why was he fighting what this lady offered so boldly? It
made no sense, he was actually pretty hungry for a woman, and she
could satisfy that need without too much entanglement. Still, he
tempered the temptation she offered. After all, there were three
kids in the wagon and he didn’t need any witnesses. Then there was
Riley to contend with too.

Riley
dismounted, and hobbled the horse near the wagon. She spit while
the other kids watched her and laughed, and then she joined Sam.
She heard the kids talking about her. Tate even imitated her, and
the others laughed. Sam smiled to himself. Riley was a good person;
that much he knew.

But when Mavis
brought the blankets to Sam, her hands lingered on top of his for a
moment, long enough for Riley to notice. Sam thought he saw her
cheeks grow pink, but he couldn’t be sure in the
firelight.

Mavis cooked
up a fine meal for travelin’ and even Riley seemed to enjoy it as
she sopped the bread in the gravy to clean the plate.

“
My, you two were hungry. Well, I’m glad you enjoyed it so
much.” She glanced at Riley again.

“
You’re a good cook,” Riley offered.

“
Comes natural.”

Sam
smiled.

After the
dishes were done, Sam whipped out a harmonica and played a lively
tune on it, and then tapping it, he looked at Mavis. “Well, reckon
we should try to get a good night’s sleep.”

“
Night, Sam,” Mavis called as she strolled away, her hips
swaying suggestively. Sam shook his head, she was a
temptation.

“
Night,” Sam called, watching the sway of her hips and ignoring
the urges within him.

Riley stared
at him as she turned around and shook her head.

“
What a pushover you are,” she barked as she took one of the
blankets.

“
What do you mean?” Sam protested.

“
You know what I mean, Sam. Don’t play dumb. She’s after you,
and you know it,” Riley accused as she made her pallet under the
wagon, remembering to keep her voice down so the others wouldn’t
hear. Nodog again chose Riley to sleep next to and Sam noted the
traitor with a frown.

“
She’s a remarkable woman.” Sam cleared his throat. “I like
Mavis…a lot.”

“
Oh
really, how so?” Riley snapped.

“
She knows how to act like a woman for one thing.” Sam smiled
at Riley and made his pallet away from her. “And you were right,
she’s a dandy cook.”

“
Ain’t hard to twist your hips, Sam,” Riley barked. “But she
sure can cook, that’s no lie.”

“
Haven’t seen you do it…” Sam chuckled softly.

“
Do
what?” Riley barked, trying to find a comfortable spot.

“
Swing your hips.”

“
I
am not on a man hunt. Besides, I’m a boy, remember? Oh…go to
sleep,” Riley fussed as she climbed onto her pallet and covered
up.

Again, Sam
chuckled.

All they heard
were the crickets and grasshoppers buzzing about the night, lulling
them into sleep.

***

The next
morning they woke to Mavis’ cooking and she made sure Sam had extra
helpings of bacon and eggs. Sam sipped his coffee while Riley went
off to the creek, obviously disgusted with Mavis’ attempts at
flirting.

“
You’re a fine cook, Mavis,” Sam offered as he handed her the
plate. Their hands grazed each other and Mavis looked up at Sam
with a tempting smile. “I’m good at a lot of things,
Sam.”

Mavis scraped
the leftovers into a heap on the ground, and then sent Tate to the
creek to fetch some water.

She watched
the kids go off and when satisfied they were out of earshot she
turned a big smile on Sam. “I’ve a family to cook for. Have to be.”
She chuckled. “But I’m glad you enjoyed it. A woman likes to be
appreciated, Sam. In every way. Any time you feel like kissin’ me
or feelin’ me up a little, you go right ahead; kids won’t
mind.”

“
How do you know?” Sam asked.

Mavis flashed
her eyes at him and smiled. “I asked them.”

Sam nodded.
“Thanks for the open invitation. I’m sure you’ve had your hands
full with all the kids and a husband.”

“
My
husband didn’t appreciate me very much. Not enough for havin’ all
the kids we did. He just wanted kids to help him with the chores
about the place. Seems like I couldn’t have them fast enough for
him. I was pregnant every winter. I was good at havin’ kids too.
One doctor told me I was built for it. But we lost three of them to
consumption.”

“
I’m sorry for that, Mavis. I guess you’ve seen sorrows. Well,
we better get on our way as soon as we can.”

Alone with
Mavis, he watched her carefully out the corner of his eye. She
walked up to him and pursed her lips. “I been alone for a while
now, Sam. That’s probably why I’m so bold soundin’ to you. I miss
my husband’s touch, his kisses, the way we made love. A woman gets
used to those things real quick. We spent a lot of time makin’
love. He wanted me in his bed all the time, and I shore didn’t
mind. Lord, that man could love me. I was used to it, everyday
like. He was a man that kept me happy, and I shore didn’t mind. No
siree, I didn’t mind at all. A woman needs those things too, Sam.
Especially once they are used to it. I’m very used to kissin’ and
lovin’, Sam. Kiss me so I know you mean it when you smile like that
at me. I can tell you’re attracted to me. You shore don’t hide it,”
she whispered as her arms went around his neck. Her soft pillowing
breasts mashed hard up against him, her hips joining his, unashamed
of her mating.

“
Mavis, we hardly know each other,” Sam tried to
protest.

“
Don’t matter, we need each other. You’re a black man, don’t
you want me, even a little? I seen you lookin’ at me, I know you
like what you see. You knows you can have it too, ‘cause I done
told you so,” she whispered, pushing herself against him and
waiting ‘til his arms came around her. “Findin’ a black man in
these parts is hard. Most are either too old or too young. I gotta
take my chances where I find them. I’m not too proud, I need a man.
I got youngin’s to raise. And I dang sure ain’t through with making
love. It’s been too long as it is.”

Not wanting to
insult her, he obliged her, putting his lips to hers, feeling the
impact of her breasts imprinting his chest as he pulled her close.
Unlike Riley, Mavis wasn’t bashful about kissing. And she had a
very womanly shape about her that Riley lacked. Just the feel of
her soft body made him respond. Her hands seemed to roam all over
him not shy, and it did stir him, but her kisses were sloppy and
wet and there was no feeling to go with the fire she
stirred.