Palomino

21

The phone rang at the Lord ranch at six o'clock that evening as Sam sat in her apartment in a bathrobe, once again looking around at the lifeless decor. She decided as she waited for the phone to be answered that she was going to have to do something about the way the place looked, if she stayed there.

“Hello?” It was Caroline, and Sam immediately broke into a smile.

“Boy, it's good to hear your voice.”

“Sam?” Caroline smiled in answer. “Are you all right?”

“I'm fine. I'm just working on a crazy project. And aside from wanting to know how you all are, I wanted to ask you a favor, but you have to say no if that's what you want.”

“First tell me how you are, and how it feels to be back.” Samantha noticed that Caroline sounded tired, but she put it down to a long day's work and reported in full on her return, how grim the apartment looked, what it felt like to go back to the office, and then her voice came alive with excitement as she explained about the commercials and her search the following week for other ranches.

“And you know what that means, don't you?” Her voice fairly flew. “It means that maybe, just maybe, if I get lucky”-she barely dared to do more than whisper-“I could just find Tate. Hell, I'm going to be all over this country.” For a moment, Caroline said nothing.

“Is that why you're doing it, Sam?” Caroline sounded sad for her. She wanted Sam just to forget him. It would be better for her in the end.

“No, it isn't.” She withdrew a little. She had heard the dismay in the older woman's voice. “But it's why I'm so excited about it. This is a great opportunity for me.”

“I'd say so professionally, in any case. This could be very important for you, if the commercials come out as well as you seem to think they will.”

“I'm hoping they do, which is part of why I called. Aunt Caro, how would you feel about our shooting at the ranch?” It was a candid, open question but there was a moment of silence at the other end.

“Normally, Sam, I'd have loved it. If nothing else, it would give us an excuse to see you. But I'm afraid that right now it's out of the question.” There was a catch in her voice as she said it, and Sam frowned, is something wrong, Aunt Caro?”

“Yes.” A little sob shook her, but she pulled herself together quickly. “No, really, I'm all right. Bill had a little heart attack last week. Nothing major. He's already back from the hospital, and the doctor says that it's nothing to be unduly alarmed about, but…” Suddenly fresh sobs shook her. “Oh, Sam, I thought if something happened… I don't know what I'd do. I couldn't live without him.” It was the first time that they had faced that, and she was terrified now that she'd lose him. “I just couldn't go on if something happened to Bill.” She sobbed softly into the phone.

“My God, why didn't you call me?” Samantha looked stunned.

“I don't know, it all happened so quickly. And I stayed at the hospital with him, and I've been awfully busy since he got home. He was only there for a week, and the doctor says it's nothing…” She was repeating herself in her anxiety and Sam could feel tears sting her eyes too.

“Do you want me to come out there?”

“Don't be silly.”

“I'm serious. I don't have to be here. They lived without me all winter, they can manage fine. Especially now that I've done all the groundwork for them, all they have to do is find the locations and then have a production house do the film. I could be out there tomorrow, Aunt Caro. Do you want me?”

“I always want you, darling.” The older woman smiled through her tears. “And I love you very much. But we're fine really. You take care of your commercials and I'll take care of Bill and he'll be fine. I just didn't think that right now the disruption-”

“Of course not. I'm sorry I asked you, but I'm not really. If I hadn't asked, I would never have known about Bill. You're a rat not to have called me! You're sure you can manage?”

“Positive. And if I need you, I'll call you.”

“Promise?”

“Solemnly.” Caroline smiled again.

And then Sam asked the next question gently. “Is he staying at the house?” She hoped so, it would be a lot easier for Aunt Caro, and a lot more agreeable for him.

But Caroline sighed and shook her head. “No, of course not. He's so stubborn, Sam. He's staying at his old cabin. Now I'm the one sneaking in and out all night long.”

“That's ridiculous. Can't you pretend to put him up in the guest room? Hell, he's been the foreman there for almost thirty years, would that be so shocking?”

“He thinks so, and I'm not supposed to upset him so I let him have his way.”

“Men!” Sam snorted as she said it and Caroline laughed.

“I completely agree.”

“Well, give him my love and tell him to take it easy, and I'll call you in a few days to see how he is.” And then just before she hung up, she called out to her old friend, “I love you, Aunt Caro.”

“I love you too, Sam dear.” And now they were bound in a common secret, the lives of women who loved ranch hands, who had to live shackled by the insane rules of courtship peculiar to ranch hands and ranchers. And now that Caroline had almost lost her beloved foreman, she suddenly knew how great was Sam's pain.