Surprise Surprise

Sam was amazed Mrs King gave permission for her youngest daughter to ride to the reservation with Sam. When Marley explained why she had chosen to come with him, Sam was tightening the belt to Pale Moon’s saddle. His saddle usually loosened during a ride.

“Do you need help to saddle your horse?” he inquired. If Marley were anything like Rainey, she’d deny help, despite his best efforts to be gentlemanly.

As the others were walking off, Sam probed further, “Miss King? Are you sure you wish to ride with me? You may not get a warm reception there.”

Sam pictured in his mind the reaction of his grandfather. The Chief’s own grandson, working on a white man’s ranch, riding onto the reservation with a young white lady. A pretty one at that. That fact hadn’t escaped Sam. All the King women had their strong points. Sam grinned at the look he knew would cross his grandfather’s face.

Sam also knew it would be wrong for his grandfather to pre-judge Marley. Sam knew little of the King’s, except for what he had read and heard in the news. Even then you couldn’t judge a person by the news. From what he experienced today, they seemed like decent people.