Riding the River (5 page)

A lady in front of Tom peeked around her
seat. “I really liked ‘
Dances With Wolves’
…”

The man across from Tom leaned over, “No,
‘
Unforgiven’
with Clint Eastwood is one of the best
Westerns.”

In front of Sarah, a woman raised up, “No,
‘
The Horse Whisperer’
with Robert Redford is the best.” She
sighed and added, “I’d watch Redford brush his teeth…”

People listening in the middle of the plane
laughed at that comment, and then everyone was putting in their two
cents about what the best Western of all time could be. Sarah and
Michelle looked around them, smiled and shook their heads.

“What have we started here?”

“I don’t know, but I haven’t been this
relaxed in years,” said Sarah.

“That just goes to show what a good movie can
do for you.”

For the next hour, Western-movie fever
apparently spread throughout the entire plane and people started
moving about the cabin, discussing their favorites with someone
else. Sarah laughed that so many people had seen so many Westerns.
She marveled that her most pleasing pastime seemed to be a hit with
others as well… Although two men up front decided it was necessary
to argue over who was the better Western actor: John Wayne or Clint
Eastwood. There were clearly no winners.

Finally, the flight attendants shooed
everyone to their seats, as the pilot announced that they would be
landing at Reno-Tahoe International Airport soon.

“Make sure your seatbelts are buckled and
tray tables are in their upright position.”

Michelle and Tom both looked over at
Sarah.

“Thanks. This has been one of the most
enjoyable flights I’ve ever taken,” said Michelle.

“Ditto,” smiled Tom. “Whatever you’re doing
in Nevada, I hope you have the best time of your life.”

Sarah blushed. “Thanks, you two. I may never
see you again, but I’ll never forget you either.”

And then the plane was landing in Nevada.

####

Getting off the plane, Sarah said her
goodbyes to various people she’d enjoyed talking with. Lots of
passenger smiles, making the flight attendants happy too. Sarah
collected her bags from the revolving turnstile in Baggage Claim
and thought about her next step. She’d spoken with the staff at the
guest ranch who advised her to spend the first night in Reno – The
trip to Wells would take almost five hours by car.

That was good advice… Sarah was tired. She
got a shuttle to the Best Western Hotel at the airport, registered
and straggled in to her room. She collapsed on the bed and fell
asleep. It had been a long day.

Sarah woke up with a crick in her neck and
read the room clock. Dinnertime. Was she hungry? She was hungry as
a…. horse? Might be the appropriate expression to use in the West…
sort of. She rubbed her neck, trying to get the crick to go away or
at least cooperate. If her neck wasn’t at a decent angle, eating
would be difficult. Glancing in the bathroom mirror, Sarah redid
her French twist and then changed her blouse to a fancier one. She
smoothed her long skirt…

The hostess in the hotel’s coffee shop sat
her in a booth by a window, where she could look out on the street.
Flying in, she’d already marveled at the mountains all around the
city, some with snow still on higher elevations. She knew the city
of Reno sat in a basin called the Truckee Meadows. The Truckee
River snaked its way through Reno coming south through the
mountains up by Lake Tahoe. Interesting city. She wanted to spend
more time here someday.

She’d just started on her soup course when
she overheard the couple next to her arguing. Their voices grew
louder until the hostess came over to ask them to lower their
discussion. Sarah glanced to a side booth and saw a handsome man
with dark, wavy hair glancing at her. His expression mirrored hers
– what was going on with that couple?

Suddenly, the man slapped the woman. Sarah
blinked in complete surprise and froze. The dark-haired man came
across the room faster than she could blink twice. He grabbed the
man’s hand, stopping him from slapping the woman again. By this
time, the cops had been called and the restaurant was in turmoil.
The dark-haired man just backed away and watched the guy until the
police showed up to take the couple somewhere else. His mere
presence ensured that there would be no more violence…
Wow
…
John Wayne couldn’t have done better.

Sarah sat back abruptly. All the air whooshed
out of her lungs. Stunned, but excited, she looked around for her
napkin. The hostess profusely thanked the dark-haired man for his
help and said his dinner would be complimentary. Clutching her
napkin, Sarah watched him go back to his table, pick up his cowboy
hat. He put it on and pulled it low on his forehead…
And what a
handsome face…
He looked over at her. She blatantly stared as
he gazed back for a full minute. She held her breath as he took in
her blonde hair piled on top of her head and her Eastern clothes.
His dark eyes searched her blue ones…
for what
? He nodded,
touched a finger to the brim of his hat and left
.
She began
breathing again.
Was that a slight smile on his face? He looked
so familiar… Oh, my…

Life in the Old West was apparently still
exciting…

CHAPTER SEVEN

A driver from the guest ranch picked her up
promptly at nine the next morning. Sarah was excited to get on the
road. He announced to her, as he helped her in the van, that he had
a few other people to pick up on the way, but not for thirty
minutes or so.

Driving along for a while, neither of them
was a chatterbox. Finally, he broke the ice.

“I’m Dan, by the way.”

“Sarah.”

“Nice to meet you.”

“Likewise.”

“Where are you from?”

“… Baltimore?”

He whistled. “Wow, you’ve come a long
ways.”

“Yes, I’m pretty excited to be here.”

“What’s life like in Baltimore?” He slid his
eyes over to her. She’d insisted on sitting in the front with him.
He took in her slacks and hair in a bun.
Pretty girl. Out of her
element…

“Well, where do I start? It’s a port city,
right on the water.”

“What water?”

“…The Patapsco River, an arm of the
Chesapeake Bay.”

“Good seafood?”

“The best…”

A pause as they both thought of what else to
say.

“… What do you do at the ranch?”

“I’m the driver for guests. Anyone needs to
go anywhere, I’m their man.”

“Sounds like it doesn’t get boring…”

“No, ma’am. What do you do in Baltimore?”

“I’m a computer consultant. I help new
companies get up and running with their computer needs.”

“That’s a mouthful.”

“You bet.”

“Looking forward to an Old West
experience?”

She sighed. “Oh, very much…”

He looked at her and caught her meaning.

“Trouble at your end?” She blushed. “Sorry, I
don’t mean to get personal.”

Sarah blew out a breath and rubbed her eyes.
“That’s okay. Yes, I’ve had some trouble. That’s why I came out
here.”

“… To escape for a bit?”

“Yes, sir.”

They both thought about that.

“Would you like a little friendly
advice?”

“Actually, I would. You know this area and I
don’t.”

He gave her a hard look. “Park your ego at
the door.”

“… My ego?”

“Yep. Don’t be afraid to try anything that
comes your way.”

“Okay…”

“And I mean anything. You’ll have plenty of
choices in activities. Try them all. You just don’t know what can
help you.”

“You wouldn’t be a shrink, would you?”

They both laughed and he scratched his
chin.

“No, ma’am, but I’ve seen others come out
here and still act like they’re back home.”

“Do anything, huh?”

“Yes, ma’am… Riding, roping, branding,
drives, whatever.”

“… Think that’ll cure what ails me?” She
smiled.

“Nice turn of phrase and yes, I believe it
will.”

He looked over at her again. She looked at
the hands in her lap.
Needs a bit of confidence, this
one…

“…Um…”

“Listen, Sarah. Open up that glove box there
in the dash, would you?”

“Sure…” She opened it. “What am I doing?”

“Fish around for a metal object and pick it
up.”

Sarah groped around in the mess of paper,
receipts, books, and what felt like something metallic.

“This is metal.”

“Yup, that’s it.”

“What should I do with it?” She held it up
for them both to see.

“It’s yours…”

“… Ah… You’re giving me a… horseshoe?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Whatever for?”

Dan smiled at her. “For luck, of course.”

“For luck…”

“Yup.”

“Is it going to be that tough an experience
at the guest ranch that you need to wish me luck?”

“I think…” he turned to look at her, “that
you really need some luck in your life right now.”

“You think?” smiled Sarah. She glanced at his
sandy beard and twinkling eyes.

“Anytime you start to fret, you pick up that
horseshoe… It’ll help.”

“… A horseshoe?”

“It’s a talisman for good luck. Make sure you
hold it with the ends pointing upward?”

“Upward?”

“Yup…”

“Who are you really?”

“Just a driver, ma’am,” he laughed. “…Just a
driver.”

“I sincerely doubt that.”

And then he pulled over to another hotel to
pick up a few more people. Their personal conversation came to an
end, but she remembered to thank him once they arrived at the guest
ranch. It would mean more to her than he could have imagined.

Sarah relaxed, watching the countryside go by
her window as Dan drove along Highway 80 out of Reno. She smiled.
It was almost like the big country in her Gregory Peck movie.
Mountains and hills in the distance with the highway pointing off
into the far horizon… The sky, jam-packed with massive clouds
covered most of her view. She’d never seen a sky that big…

The scenery was huge and expansive with few
towns to see. Dan announced after a few hours that he would stop
for gas in Winnemucca, so they could stretch their legs and have
some lunch. It was reminiscent of stopping to change the horses…
When she stepped out of the van, she looked around at the old
Western town in front of her. She felt much like Gregory Peck
probably had as he stepped from the stagecoach – She too was from
Baltimore and wearing strange Eastern clothes.

Sarah looked down at her tailored slacks and
Italian blouse, and swore she’d put on something more appropriate
as soon as possible. Dan had stopped at a nice café in the downtown
area… Several townspeople gawked at her as she smoothed the pleats
in her slacks – Or she
thought
they gawked at her… Maybe she
was overthinking the whole scene. Too many Western movies…

Over lunch, Dan discussed what they’d see
next on their journey. Sarah felt like she was crossing a new
threshold in her life. Her eyes shone and she couldn’t wait…

“There are only two more towns before we get
to Wells: Battle Mountain and Elko,” said Dan.

“Strange name, Battle Mountain. What’s that
about?” asked a man who had been sitting behind Sarah in the
van.

“Battle Mountain has a long, distinguished
history,” said Dan. “First it was a waypoint west for pioneers on
the Emigrant Trail, and then a railroad town to help with the
mining activity.”

“What was mined here?” asked Sarah.

“Copper and gold. Just gold now…”

“What’s with the name?”

Dan laughed. “No one really knows. The town
sits on the valley floor and there’s been no battle nearby.”
Everyone laughed at that.

He paused while they all ate more of their
lunches. He continued when Sarah looked over at him.

“And Elko?”

“Another strange name,” said the same
man.

“That one is better explained,” began Dan.
“Elko is a Shoshoni Indian word for ‘rocks piled on one another’.”
He laughed. “Look around. You’ll probably still see evidence of
that name.”

“Was it also along some pioneer trail?” asked
a woman who’d been sitting in the back of the van.

“Yes, ma’am. It lies along the route of the
California Trail, later becoming a railroad town. It’s big on
ranching, gold mining and rail freight.”

Sarah thought about that while munching her
salad. Something was nagging her, some partially remembered
thought.
What was it?

“Dan,” began Sarah. She wiped her mouth with
her napkin. “Isn’t there a story about Butch Cassidy and the
Sundance Kid being here in Winnemucca? Some bank robbery,
maybe?”

Dan laughed. “Right you are, Sarah.” Everyone
leaned in to hear this one. “The Hole in the Wall Gang, including
Butch and Sundance share one of the most exciting moments in
Winnemucca history… The Gang came here to rob the local bank. The
story goes that Butch put a knife to the bank president’s throat
and ordered him to open the safe.”

“How much did they get?” asked the lady by
Sarah.

“$2,000 in gold coin.” Someone whistled.

“That was a lot of money back then.”

“A lot now…” someone added.

Dan continued. “It’s a great story, but we’re
not sure that it’s all true.”

“Why is that, Dan?” asked Sarah.

“The Pinkerton Detective Agency found a
picture of the Gang in a photographer’s display window in Ft.
Worth, Texas. They sent it to the banker to see if he could
identify who robbed him. He wasn’t able to ID Butch Cassidy as one
of the men who robbed him.”

Everyone leaned back and smiled.

“I love these Old West stories,” said the man
next to Dan. “They’re so colorful and interesting…”