By noon, my back ached, my muscles burned, and my feet had blisters. It was a cool and cloudy day, and rain threatened as wind pushed dirt against us. I wanted to complain, but the reason we were walking was because the mules were laden with gold. I couldn’t whine about that, nor did I want Sam to think less of me. Part of me wanted to prove I was strong enough for this wild and untamed land. I liked to see approval in his gaze as he watched me contend with the river and the gold and the harsh conditions. His good opinion of me mattered more than it should.
My foot slipped on a jagged rock, and I winced, sucking in a breath at the pain from my blisters, not wanting to cry out or draw Sam’s attention.
He was leading us, but he turned, concern on his face. “Did you hurt yourself?”
“I’m fine,” I said, trying not to let the pain show in my voice or face.
“We can rest, Ally. There’s no need to push ourselves.”
“I promised you that we’d only be gone from San Francisco for three weeks, and we’ve already been gone for two. It will take us a week to get back. I don’t want to make us late.”
He pulled his animal to a stop. “I’m not concerned about getting back in time if it means that you will suffer. I’d be a month late if I had to.” He walked closer to me, the rope allowing him some leeway. “Are you in pain?”
I knew if I said yes, he’d stop and make camp. But the longer we stayed in the mountains, the longer we were at the mercy of robbers and thieves. “I’m fine. I just slipped on a rock, and it surprised me.”
He studied me as if he didn’t believe me, then shook his head. “If you’re lying to me—”
“What would you do?” I asked with a teasing smile.
He also smiled, and it caused butterflies to fill my stomach. It wasn’t just because he was handsome, but because he was Sam. I couldn’t describe it, but there was something about him that was unique and special. Perhaps it was because the more I learned about him, the more I discovered that he was a man of integrity, faith, and justice. Each time something hard was thrown at him, he didn’t let it break him. He was more noble than anyone I’d ever met.
And when he smiled at me, when his full attention was directed solely toward me, I felt like the most important person in the world. That a man as good and honorable as Sam found something desirable in me meant more than all the accolades of screaming fans in 1929.
“I’d throw you over my shoulder and haul you out of these mountains if I found out you were lying.”
My lips twitched as I said, “I’d like to see you try.”
“Don’t tempt me, Miss Adams.”
We kept walking, and I had to force myself not to cry out in pain or let on that I was hurting. When we stopped for a quick lunch to allow the mules to eat and drink from the nearby river, I tried not to limp and sat on a fallen log as we ate our beans.
Soon we were back on the trail, and it was wide enough to walk side by side again.
Though the mountains were wild, they were also beautiful. And even though I was in pain, I still loved being there with Sam. Sometimes we spoke, and sometimes we were silent.
It was in the silence that I realized how comfortable I had become with him over the last two weeks. We were familiar with each other’s habits, moods, and preferences. More importantly, I’d learned about his character. It shone through in moments of difficulty and uncertainty, just as it did during the lighthearted, easy times.
“What did you do before—” I paused, not knowing how I should word my question but deciding that being frank was the best approach—“before you were sent to Australia?”
“You mean for work?”
“Yes.”
“I was studying at the Inns of Court in London, apprenticing to become a barrister.”
His response surprised me, but it shouldn’t have. Sam was an intelligent man, and the law would suit him. “Have you thought about returning to that profession?”
He glanced at me. “Practice law in San Francisco?”
“Why not?”
Sam chuckled, but it wasn’t a mirthful sound. “Who would want me to represent them in a court of law?”
“I would.”
“A man needs to be respected to be a barrister, and the people of San Francisco see me as nothing more than a hardened criminal.”
“Because you won’t let them forget. And you won’t let yourself forget, either.”
