“Should we all come?” Juniper gathered her feet beneath her to stand.
But her sister shook her head. “There’s not enough rocks to cover us all. I’ll just go make sure those two behave. Lor can watch a couple races from there, then we’ll walk back up here.”
Juniper nodded and sank back to sit on her heels as Rosie ducked low and followed their younger sisters. Though noise from the men sounded in the distance, a kind of quiet awareness settled between her and Riley as they watched Rosie, Lorelei, and Faith perch on the rocks below.
Thankfully, a new group of horses were almost ready to race. A welcome distraction. Three horses would run in this match—a compact bay, a sorrel with a splash of white over one eye and a rear leg, and a roan with spots covering a patch of white on its rump.
Riley pointed toward the animals. “See that one closest to us with the blanket of spots on its hindquarters?”
She nodded to show she saw the horse.
“They call animals with spotted markings like that Palouse ponies. They’re bred by the Nez Perce villages across the mountains.”
She glanced toward the peaks he meant, as though she could see the natives who lived beyond. Then she focused back on the horse. “It’s striking. How did they get those markings?”
He shrugged. “Not sure. But those animals are also known for their speed and endurance. If I were wagering in this race, I’d put my bet on that mare.”
The starting gun sounded, and she sucked in a breath when the horses charged forward. The roar of the crowd drowned out the thundering in her chest as the animals tore down the raceway. As Riley predicted, the Indian pony pulled ahead and held that position, winning by over a horse-length.
While the crowd whooped and cheered, she sank back on her heels and turned to Riley with a grin. “You were right.”
His eyes sparkled, and his teeth flashed white. “I’ve never seen one of those horses that doesn’t stand out when tested. They can be feisty, though, some of them.”
She studied him as she thought of his own riding horse, a simple bay with no unusual markings. “Have you ever owned a Palouse pony?”
He shook his head, his expression growing thoughtful. “They’re more expensive to trade for, and I don’t do much buffalo hunting, which is where they really excel. Maybe someday.”
There was a hint of wistfulness in his tone that reminded her of his othersomedaydream. If only she could help him accomplish at least one of these secret hopes.
Was there a chance they ...?
It might not work out, but perhaps. She had to ask. “When we head north tomorrow, is it possible we couldtravel through the mountains, over the ... What did you call it? The spine of them?”
His eyes softened, and his mouth curved in a sad smile. “The backbone of the Rockies. And that would be too far west from where we need to travel, and the terrain too rough for what we’re looking for. We want to find all the native camps we can, and those will mostly be on the plains or in the valleys.”
Disappointment pressed through her, though she’d known it would be unlikely. Still, what other way could she help him accomplish the dream? Maybe simply planning it out would give him the start he needed to carry it through.
She adjusted her seat so she was perched on the ground instead of on her legs, which had grown numb from her weight. This moved her a little closer to Riley, which would make it easier to talk without raising their voices over the men’s shouts from below.
She turned to him. “I guess it may not work for you to start the trip this summer, then. You said the travel would have to be through the spring, summer, and autumn months? And that it might take more than one year? So it would be better to start off next spring. What month is best to set out? And where would you leave from?”
The sadness had left his eyes, replaced by a glint of humor. A half-chuckle even shook his chest. “Well ... yes and yes to the first two questions. I want to start from the lower end of the Rockies, the place where the soil loses its red coloring. The snow likely melts earlier there than in the larger mountains farther north, so I might be able to set out at the beginning of May. Maybe even late April, though that might make the going hard at first.”
Something like hope and maybe even muted excitement had crept into his expression and voice. But it fled now, his features settling into resignation. “It would be too hard to make the trip alone.”
She shifted toward him, coming up on her knees again as she had to work to keep her frustration contained. “You don’t have to make it alone. You have friends. I suspect Dragoon would think it a fun challenge. Ol’ Henry might even want to join you. I’ll bet a dozen men would jump at the chance if you only asked them.”
Shewould love to go, if only to see Riley come alive as he fulfilled his dream. But the idea was too far-fetched. She couldn’t leave her sisters and their plans for such a lark.
Riley shook his head, as though he could hear her thoughts. “The cold and hard travel might be too much for Ol’ Henry. I’d never say it to him directly, but the harsher elements are getting to be hard on his body. He’s not a young pup like he was when he first came to this land.”
The weather did seem to affect his ease of movement, poor fellow. “I’m sorry things are harder for him now. But I still think you could have your choice of companions if you only asked around. Who would you choose to go with you?” It might be a while before she had another chance to speak alone with Riley, a time like this when he would be willing to dream and make plans with her. She needed to accomplish as much as possible now to ignite the spark of action.
The corners of his eyes crinkled in what could almost be a smile, but their depths held little pleasure. “I don’t know. I’m not sure there’s anyone I could count on to stick with me. It’ll be a hard journey through much of it. There are somany things they could do that would be far more enjoyable.” His attention had shifted to the rocks beside them, as though he could no longer meet her eyes.
Her heart ached for him. Why would he think others wouldn’t jump at the chance? Was this because of his father? She had a feeling his love for adventurous journeys had been planted in him back in those early days. But had his father’s choice to leave him made him think everyone else would too?
She reached out and laid her hand over his, curving her fingers around his palm. “Riley, look at me.”
