Diamonds or Dirt?

Chapter 7: Sam's POV

I can't believe I did that! I say mentally kicking myself for being so stupid. Why did she have to be so dang pretty? I knew I shouldn't have kissed her hand, but I just couldn't help myself. Now Mr. Tough Guy is gonna be angry. Why is Toby so protective of his women? If I so much as look at one of them the wrong way I'm a dead man.

Whatever. He will just have to get over it. I need to think about something else now. Maybe saddling the horses will get my mind off of things. I go to the barn and get out Lilo and Otis. Toby doesn't have a favorite horse. In fact he doesn't even ride horses unless he has a guest. He will never know the difference.

Just as I finish saddling up Lilo my mind drifts off again as I tie the knots. I think of how soft her hand was against my lips. I imagine my lips pressing against hers. I still feel the rush of heat that flooded through my body when I touched her. I want to feel it over and over again. The way she smiled at me made me want to sweep her up and take her away so that Toby wont ruin her.

He will ruin her just like he did Avery, Lily, Makenzie, Taylor, Marla, and Sydney. All of them had a spark in their eyes just like Rylee, and once Toby had his way with them and left them, the spark was gone. I can't let that happen to her. I can't let him take the joy she has inside away. He thinks he loves every beautiful girl he meets. He honestly thinks he will stay with them, but every time someone new comes along its only a matter of time before he is tired of the same old thing.

I refuse to let him steal everything good about her away. As I'm going on and on about this I don't see the knots come loose, I don't hear the doors open, but the next thing I know Otis and Lilo go shooting past me into open pasture.

I sigh and run after them. It takes around 3 hours to get them back in the barn and fix the saddles. By this time I'm sure Toby and Rylee are waiting for me to come get them so I head on over to the house. I knock on the door and I'm surprised to hear Rylee's voice.

She opens the door when I tell her its me and I can't help but stare at her. She tells me about Toby and how she doesn't know when he will be back, and when she asks me to give her a riding lesson how can I say no?

We head out to the barn and I bring Otis outside. He has always been the gentle horse. She steps up to him and literally looks up at the saddle and I realize there is no way she is going to be able to get up there all by herself. I take a step forward and run my hand through my hair worred that if I offer to help her up on the horse that she will tell Toby later.

I suggest that I could help her, or that I could go get her a box. When she says she would rather me just help her happiness floods through me. I tell her to put one foot in the stirrup and when I throw her up to swing the other leg over the saddle. My hands touch her waist and I can hear her slight intake of breath.

The warmth that floods through my fingers where they are touching her freezes me in my place and I stare at my hands. When I see Rylee's head turn to look at me I quickly look away and still destracted I throw her up onto the saddle, but as she is swinging her leg I didn't get out of the way fast enough. Her shoe connects with my face knocking me to the ground. My head is swimming and I feel blood running out of a cut on the side of my face.

I bring my hands up to try to stop the bleeding where they are replaced by cloth of some sort. I dont hear anything she says through the blood pumping behind my ears but I nod and she helps me stand up.

Before I know it we are in the house and I can feel her working on the side of my face. My pulse is slowing down and I can hear again. When she hands me the pills and the glass of water I take them without asking what they are. She seems to know what she is doing. Before I know it I'm out.

I wake up to a scream and then sobbing. My head has cleared up and my face doesnt hurt any more. I stand up to find where the sound came from when I see Rylee on the floor crying. I scoop her up and hold her against me to comfort both me and her. I ask her what hurts and when she tells me her ankle I know its either sprained or broken I take a look and it makes me grimace in pain.

It's not broken but it is one of the worst sprains I have ever seen. She tries to look at it.

"I wouldn't if I were you." I tell her and she seems to accept that. I put her on the couch and go grab the medicine, gauze and an ice pack. I come back and wrap her ankle trying to cause her as little pain as possible. Once it's done I sit the ice pack on it and give her the medicine then I start to walk away.

She calls my name and I walk back over to her. "What is it ma'am?" I ask sinking to my knee beside her.

"Will you do me a favor?" She asks me her eyes half closed. The innocent sound of her voice makes me smile.

"Sure will Miss." I tell her, because it's true I will do anything she asks of me. I've only known her for a few hours, but what I feel for her no words can describe.

"Will you kiss me?" She asks and it takes all my strength not to just wrap my arms around her and pull her lips to mine. I consider carefully what to say next.

"But Miss you are here with Toby." I say hoping she denys it.

"Please stop calling me Miss, and ma'am. I'm neither of those things. I'm Rylee. You can come up with your own nickname for me if you'd like to, but until then Rylee would make me much happier... at least when Toby isn't around." She tells me and those words give me confidence. She isn't like the others. She doesn't want a title. She just wants to be herself maybe I do have a chance after all.

"Alright then Rylee. I would  love to kiss you, but like I said before aren't you here with Mister Toby?" Is how I reply to her.

"Please Sam. It's just an expierement. Toby will never have to know. It's something I've been wanting to do ever since I saw you. Please kiss me Sam." She says begging me to kiss her. The way she says my name makes my heart beat faster and I swallow hard once.

I look her in the eyes and nod. She lifts herself up onto her elbow and closes her eyes. I inch my face closer to hers and just as my lips brush hers giving me chill bumps I hear the sound of gravel under wheels. I jump back from her just in time for the headlights to shine into the windows illuminating my figure beside the couch. I better get my story straight now.

I look down at Rylee to see if she is worried and I find her sound asleep. I guess I'll have to give her that kiss some other time. I think smiling slyly, and with her ankle the way it is I know she wont be leaving the house any time soon. I'll wait until the time is perfect, and then I will follow through on her favor.