Riding the River (The Westerners, Book One)



  RIDING THE RIVER

  by

  Jeanne Harrell

  Copyright 2014 by Jeanne Harrell

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  All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously.

  This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This e-book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. Thank you for respecting the author's work.

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  Thank you for downloading my book! I am happy that you have made it part of your library.

  Dedicated to Western movie lovers the world over…

  Other books by Jeanne Harrell

  Rancher’s Girl

  Whisperer

  Always and Forever

  Being Emma

  The Darkest Hour

  https://www.jeanneharrell.com

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  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

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  CHAPTER ONE

  The movie opened with a stagecoach racing down a long, dusty road in the big country. Two men were sitting atop, one holding the reins and whip of the six-horse team, while the other held a shotgun, eyes scanning the horizon.

  Dust sprayed up all along the road under the horses’ flying hooves and behind the coach. A long distance shot of the stage hurrying along this lonely stretch of road emphasized the emptiness of the countryside and displayed the movie title,

  ‘Big Country’…

  A close-up of the wagon wheels turning furiously throwing out more dust and dirt displayed the actors’ names. All of a sudden, the stagecoach was coming around a curve in the road, and then the camera panned to the horses’ legs galloping as fast as they could. The shot slowly moved up to the horses’ heads obviously straining at their leather collars pulling the heavy stage, giving certain majesty to their efforts.

  The stage completed the curve, closer this time to the camera and then a wide shot of it from behind, as it pulled into the tiny town. The big country was emphasized again when the camera caught it from a ways out, making the town practically a speck on the landscape.

  Pulling into town, excited children ran along behind, laughing and pointing. The stage stopped at a café and the driver advised his travelers to get out and stretch, while they changed horses. That’s when Gregory Peck, the hero of the movie, stepped from the stagecoach, in his gray Eastern suit and holding on to his bowler. He took a few steps and looked around him, then put on that hat. The few townspeople gawked at him, since he’s so foreign to them -- probably funny-looking too. Peck knows he’s out of his element. He’s a retiring sea captain from Baltimore and has arrived in this dusty town to meet the woman he loves.

  Sarah practically swooned when Gregory Peck showed up on screen… Tall… handsome with dark, wavy hair… She’d been watching the movie and eating popcorn one afternoon at her apartment when her friend, Abby, showed up at the door. Abby let herself in… Coming around the corner, she stopped abruptly when she saw what Sarah was watching. Exasperated, she threw her hands up in the air.

  “I can’t believe it. How many times have you seen that crummy movie? Ten? Twenty?”

  Sarah sighed. “It’s such a great movie, Abby. I don’t care how many times I’ve seen it. How many times have you seen ‘Star Wars’?”

  Abby had the good grace to grin. “A few times…”

  “Okay, I rest my case.”

  “What case? It’s a beautiful Saturday in the fabulous city of Baltimore and you’re wasting it watching television.” Abby folded her arms and frowned at her.

  “Abby, listen…”

  Abby sat down on the couch by her to listen again to what she knew Sarah was probably going to tell her. She could almost recite the speech with her, chapter and verse. But watching Sarah’s face light up, Abby knew that inner glow was coming from somewhere – but where?

  “Gregory Peck travels all the way from back East – Baltimore, by the way – to meet the woman he loves. He’s completely out of his element, which doesn’t bother him in the least, because he’s sure of himself and sure of his love for her.”

  Sarah stopped to reach for a tissue. She wiped her eyes… Abby rolled hers…

  “Sarah, you’ve got to quit idealizing these Western characters.”

  “He’s not a Western character…”

  “Yes, but he becomes one and settles down in the big country. I’ve seen this movie with you at least three times, that I remember.”

  “I’m not idealizing.”

  “Sarah. This is what you do with every Western you watch. The West is larger than life to you and as golden as it gets. It’s just a place, like any other… like Baltimore.”

  Sarah whipped her head around to confront her. “Are you nuts? The West is nothing like Baltimore…”

  “I didn’t mean they were just alike.”

  “Baltimore’s huge. It’s a port city. There’s a history dating back to John Smith coming to the Chesapeake Bay… steel and manufacturing businesses.”

  “Okay, so…”

  “The Old West had and has a different kind of color, a different flavor. The big landscapes. There’s hominess about it, with friendlier people. Cowboys and ranches, roping and riding, sleeping out under the stars… Did I mention cowboys?”

  Sarah grinned at Abby who smiled back. “Yes, you really have a thing for cowboys, don’t you?”

  “… Don’t know. I’ve never met one.”

  “Well, back to the movie, Gregory Peck isn’t a cowboy either.”

  “No, but he becomes one, showing that being different won’t stop him from eventually fitting in.” Sarah sighed again, then she looked angry. “And he travels clear across the country – you know what travel was like back then—It probably took him months to get to his girl in the West.”

  “Again…so?”

  “I have a boyfriend who won’t drive two blocks to see me.”

  Abby grimaced. “Yeah. Ben’s getting to be a problem.”

  “Getting to be?” she snorted. “I think he’s only interested in me because of my family. There’s not much in the way of romance coming from that guy.”

  “So break up with him.”

  She thought about that. “I should, shouldn’t I?” Pause. “But Dad really likes him and Grandfather wants to use him in the next campaign. He’s a lawyer after all.�
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  “So who cares? Do you?”

  “… I care what my family thinks.”

  “Come on, Sarah. Let’s get out of here and go to that farmers’ market down by the water. I want some crab for dinner tonight. You joining me?”

  “… Definitely.”

  “No Ben this evening?”

  Sarah shrugged. “He’s got a lawyer thing and not available.”

  “Good. Grab your purse and let’s go have some fun.”

  Sarah got up from the couch and hit the button on the remote to turn off her television. Abby looked up at her.

  “… Listen, I don’t mean to cause friction with you and Ben.”

  “That’s okay.”

  “It’s just that he really isn’t the guy for you. He may be the guy for your family, but not you… You know that, don’t you?”

  Sarah slid her eyes away. “Yes, I do.”

  “Sarah, I’m sorry to say this, but you really need something in your life, something different.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I don’t know… A shot in the arm, a new guy… maybe a new job… But something…”

  Sarah blew out a breath. “I could go for a new job, for sure.” She paused and looked over at Abby. “Real change is hard.”

  “But sometimes necessary.”

  “Whew… Too serious. Let’s get that crab and have a nice dinner.”

  “Great.”

  “Then I’ve got ‘Red River’ that we can see later.”

  “Sarah…”

  “You know, that great cattle drive movie with John Wayne?”

  Abby rubbed her forehead, like she was getting a headache and then laughed. “All right, my good friend, Sarah. It’ll be crab night and a Western movie. Is there anything better?”

  “No.” Sarah beamed at her, as she grabbed her purse and they headed out the door.

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