Riley Calls on Justin

by Caitlyn Elisabeth

     

        Justin pushed back his chair from the table. He sighed in satisfaction. “That was a delicious dinner, Lucy.”
        His pretty, brown-haired wife gave him a teasing grin. “Good enough that you’ll do dishes for me?”
        Justin laughed. “I guess I could, tonight. That was delicious. Here, come Sammy!” He lifted the little boy to the ground. “Now, run along and play. Daddy’s going to do the dishes.”
        “Dises!” squealed Sammy, before running off to play.
        “Justin. I have a surprise for you. You’re going to be a Daddy to another child around the end of November.”
        Justin dropped the dish he was carrying. It shattered into a billion pieces on the floor. “Lucy! Really? Oh, my goodness! Why, no wonder you’ve been feeling ill.”
        At that moment a knock sounded on the door. When Justin opened it, Riley Prescott stood on the front step.
        “Riley! Come in, come in. Did anything happen on the ranch? Is Mother ill?”
        “No, no. Nobody’s ill. I came on, uh, personal business.” Riley handed his hat to Lucy and sat down on the settee in front of the cheerfully crackling fireplace.
        “Now, Riley, what is this personal business?” questioned Justin, settling down on a huge comfortable over-stuffed chair in the corner. He lifted Sammy to his lap and tickled him, smiling when the little boy squealed.
        “I came to......to.... to ask permission to c-court Andi.” The words left his mouth in a rush.
        Justin smiled. “I thought you might be around one of these evenings. Now, Riley, are you really serious, or is this just a boy’s fancy?”
        “Oh, no, sir, I promise this is the real thing. I love Andi.”
        “Alright, you have my permission to court my sister, so long as she is in complete agreement.”
        A smiling Riley left Justin’s house half an hour later, for Justin had asked Riley to stay and have a cup of tea, and discuss various subjects.
        But all at once, he stopped smiling. Oh dear. He was going to have to ask Andi if she would consider courting him. What a horrifying thought! He pictured various disasters, but this one kept returning to his mind:

        Andi was practicing the  stand-up trick on Shasta, while Riley rode behind her on Dakota.
        “Andi, I have a question for you,” he said when Andi flopped down beside him in the shade of the old oak tree overhead.
        She  turned her sweet blue eyes to meet his hazel ones. “Yes?” Her voice was clear, sweet, musical.
        Riley took a deep breath. “Andi, I-you- that is, would you consider courting me?”
        Instantly, her clear blue eyes turned a deep, angry blue-grey. “Riley! How dare you! I will not! You are one of my best friends, but.....” She blew out her breath in an angry huff. “There is no way I will court you. Listen to me: We are only riding partners and nothing else. Now get away from me.”
        She leaped to her feet and raced to Shasta. Mounting, she turned and galloped away as fast as she could go. Inwardly, she was steaming mad. What right did Riley have to ask her to court him?! She was a high-class, well-bred young woman, and he was a hired hand. The very idea!
        Riley picked up his hat and slowly mounted Dakota. He rode away from the pleasant spot under the trees, a broken and bitter man. The next morning he bought a train ticket with the last of his wages and headed back to his mother and father, a changed person. Never again would he rest his hazel eyes on Andi’s lovely body. He would never return.
        

         Riley shook his head to clear away these dark and gloomy thoughts. No, Andi wouldn’t turn him down like that. No, she would tell him differently that she didn’t love him. Suddenly, Riley found himself turning up the driveway of the Circle C. He was home.

Will Riley ever be brave enough to ask Andi to court him? Find out in Courageous Love.