h littl e f ood and no co m pan i onsh i p.
S a m son s li pped i n t o t he cab next t o t h e dog s tr o k i ng it s bac k . “S ee? H e ’ s fi ne no w . I k now it’ s ha r d t o b e li e v e, b u t he ’ s j ust a b i g bab y .”
S he w an t ed t o be m ad but i t w as ha r d to a ft er l oo k i ng do w n at t he l o v e - s t a r v ed c r ea t u r e nes tl ed i n her l ap…and S a m son ’ s d i sa r m i ng s m il e.
“I t’ s o k a y . I t’ s not h i s f au lt ,” she ad m itt ed. A hu g e g ust of w i nd r e m i nded her of t he need t o g et ho m e a s qu i c k l y as poss i b l e.
“Man, i t i s r ea ll y co m i ng do w n out t he r e. We need t o g o t o W i ns t on T e rr ace p l ease….1201,” W ill ow sa i d.
T he cabb i e nodded.
“ E v e r y one g o i ng t o t he sa m e p l ace?”
“ N o, he ’ s g o i ng t o m a k e su r e w e g et i n o k a y , t hen y ou can t a k e h i m and F u r ba l l he r e, ho m e.”
S he s m il ed at S a m son as he s li d i n c l o se r , r eached ac r oss t he dog and t ook her hand i n h i s o w n.
“ I s i t o k ay i f I ho l d y our hand? A nd no, I ’ m not p r esu m i ng an y t h i ng e l se. I ’ m j ust ho l d i ng y our hand.”
S he nodded, s m ili ng as she r es t ed her head back on t he sea t . Ma y be t hat second m a r g a rit a w as k i c k i ng i n. I t had been a s tr ong one. T he heat i n t he cab and t he w a r m dog next t o her j ust f e l t so co z y .
“ S o, S a m son…. t e l l m e m o r e about y our b us i ness,” she sa i d.
“We ll , t he r e ’ s not m uch t o t e ll . I buy an ti ques. C l ean t hem up and se l l t he m . P a rti cu l a rl y o l d s t one p i ec e s and co i ns….s t a t ues. A nd g a r g o y l es.” H e supp r essed a s m ir k on t he l ast added ph r ase.
S he s m il ed and nodded tr y i ng so ha r d t o open e v en o ne e y e so she cou l d l et h i m k now she w as pa y i ng a t t e n ti on and w as i n t e r es t ed. B ut t he w a r m t h of t he cab w as so i n v iti n g . H i s fi n g e r s en t w i ned i n her o w n w e r e so…..
A second l a t er W ill ow w as sound as l eep. S asha w as s til l a w a k e i n t he fr ont and babb li ng t o t he cabb ie . H e li s t ened t o t he i r con v e r sa ti on about w ea t he r , and j ob m a r k e t s, o t her tri v i al pu r su it s and o t her s m a l l t a l k . T hey see m ed so en g a g ed t hat i t d i dn ’ t m a tt er t hat he w asn ’ t ch i m i ng i n.
S a m son fi g u r ed i t w as j ust as w e ll , and i t w as a l so j ust as w e l l t hat W ill ow w as as l eep. T h i s w ay she cou l dn ’ t ask t oo m any ques ti ons du ri ng t he ri de because he need e d m o r e ti m e t o g et h i s s t o r y t o g e t he r .
H e l oo k ed o v er at her t he r e l eaned back so peace f u l l y . H ow m uch he en v i ed her ri g ht no w . H e ’ d j ust about f o r g o tt en w hat i t f e l t li k e t o s l eep… t hat d r ea m- fill ed n ir v ana w he r e t he m i nd g oes w h il e t he body i s i n s l u m be r . H e ’ d been r obbed of t hat s w eet p l easu r e, w h il e be i ng a ll o w ed so m any o t he r s i n t he f ew p r ec i ous da y s t hat he had.
A nd y e t , t hose p l easu r es w e r e exac tl y w hat had g o t t en h i m i n t o t h i s fi ne m ess i n t he fir st p l ace. T he se lfi sh w h i m s, l y i ng and t he co l d hea r t he had so ca ll ous l y fl aun t ed w ou l d haunt h i m f or an appa r ent e t e r n it y .
H i s m i nd tr a v e l ed back i n ti m e r e m e m be ri ng how i t a l l had co m e abou t .
C H AP T E R F OU R
1511 A . D .
“ I l ove you, D an i a,” Sa m s on li ed as he l ed t he beau tif ul young w o m an t o t he back of t he barn n e s tl ed i n t he fi e l d t hat w as part of h i s f a t her ’ s es t a t e. H e had w a it ed f or t h i s m o m ent f or so m e ti m e…and i t had been qu it e some ti m e s i nce he ’ d l
S a m son s li pped i n t o t he cab next t o t h e dog s tr o k i ng it s bac k . “S ee? H e ’ s fi ne no w . I k now it’ s ha r d t o b e li e v e, b u t he ’ s j ust a b i g bab y .”
S he w an t ed t o be m ad but i t w as ha r d to a ft er l oo k i ng do w n at t he l o v e - s t a r v ed c r ea t u r e nes tl ed i n her l ap…and S a m son ’ s d i sa r m i ng s m il e.
“I t’ s o k a y . I t’ s not h i s f au lt ,” she ad m itt ed. A hu g e g ust of w i nd r e m i nded her of t he need t o g et ho m e a s qu i c k l y as poss i b l e.
“Man, i t i s r ea ll y co m i ng do w n out t he r e. We need t o g o t o W i ns t on T e rr ace p l ease….1201,” W ill ow sa i d.
T he cabb i e nodded.
“ E v e r y one g o i ng t o t he sa m e p l ace?”
“ N o, he ’ s g o i ng t o m a k e su r e w e g et i n o k a y , t hen y ou can t a k e h i m and F u r ba l l he r e, ho m e.”
S he s m il ed at S a m son as he s li d i n c l o se r , r eached ac r oss t he dog and t ook her hand i n h i s o w n.
“ I s i t o k ay i f I ho l d y our hand? A nd no, I ’ m not p r esu m i ng an y t h i ng e l se. I ’ m j ust ho l d i ng y our hand.”
S he nodded, s m ili ng as she r es t ed her head back on t he sea t . Ma y be t hat second m a r g a rit a w as k i c k i ng i n. I t had been a s tr ong one. T he heat i n t he cab and t he w a r m dog next t o her j ust f e l t so co z y .
“ S o, S a m son…. t e l l m e m o r e about y our b us i ness,” she sa i d.
“We ll , t he r e ’ s not m uch t o t e ll . I buy an ti ques. C l ean t hem up and se l l t he m . P a rti cu l a rl y o l d s t one p i ec e s and co i ns….s t a t ues. A nd g a r g o y l es.” H e supp r essed a s m ir k on t he l ast added ph r ase.
S he s m il ed and nodded tr y i ng so ha r d t o open e v en o ne e y e so she cou l d l et h i m k now she w as pa y i ng a t t e n ti on and w as i n t e r es t ed. B ut t he w a r m t h of t he cab w as so i n v iti n g . H i s fi n g e r s en t w i ned i n her o w n w e r e so…..
A second l a t er W ill ow w as sound as l eep. S asha w as s til l a w a k e i n t he fr ont and babb li ng t o t he cabb ie . H e li s t ened t o t he i r con v e r sa ti on about w ea t he r , and j ob m a r k e t s, o t her tri v i al pu r su it s and o t her s m a l l t a l k . T hey see m ed so en g a g ed t hat i t d i dn ’ t m a tt er t hat he w asn ’ t ch i m i ng i n.
S a m son fi g u r ed i t w as j ust as w e ll , and i t w as a l so j ust as w e l l t hat W ill ow w as as l eep. T h i s w ay she cou l dn ’ t ask t oo m any ques ti ons du ri ng t he ri de because he need e d m o r e ti m e t o g et h i s s t o r y t o g e t he r .
H e l oo k ed o v er at her t he r e l eaned back so peace f u l l y . H ow m uch he en v i ed her ri g ht no w . H e ’ d j ust about f o r g o tt en w hat i t f e l t li k e t o s l eep… t hat d r ea m- fill ed n ir v ana w he r e t he m i nd g oes w h il e t he body i s i n s l u m be r . H e ’ d been r obbed of t hat s w eet p l easu r e, w h il e be i ng a ll o w ed so m any o t he r s i n t he f ew p r ec i ous da y s t hat he had.
A nd y e t , t hose p l easu r es w e r e exac tl y w hat had g o t t en h i m i n t o t h i s fi ne m ess i n t he fir st p l ace. T he se lfi sh w h i m s, l y i ng and t he co l d hea r t he had so ca ll ous l y fl aun t ed w ou l d haunt h i m f or an appa r ent e t e r n it y .
H i s m i nd tr a v e l ed back i n ti m e r e m e m be ri ng how i t a l l had co m e abou t .
C H AP T E R F OU R
1511 A . D .
“ I l ove you, D an i a,” Sa m s on li ed as he l ed t he beau tif ul young w o m an t o t he back of t he barn n e s tl ed i n t he fi e l d t hat w as part of h i s f a t her ’ s es t a t e. H e had w a it ed f or t h i s m o m ent f or so m e ti m e…and i t had been qu it e some ti m e s i nce he ’ d l
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