Runaway Summer {Sam}

[Tiggs]

Dark shadows. Hard hands. Loud voices. Molly shivered, hiding around corners, behind straw bales, in bushes, up trees. It was her most frightening memory, and it replayed in perfect horrific clarity. All the fear and then some she had felt took hold of her heart and squeezed until she was sobbing from it. She ran and she hid, but it was never enough. He found her, and she couldn’t get away. The dream looped, making her run until she was exhausted. Only when she gave up did the dream take a different turn, and that smile came out at her through the dark, like a frightening parody of the Cheshire cat.

Molly screamed, bolting up and backing away from the shape. She couldn’t escape. Hands on her shoulder were warm and gentle. It was those hands that shook her from her dreams, saved her. She blinked repeatedly, eyes accustoming themselves with the lamp-lit room. The man in front of her now was far different to the one in her nightmare. “Sam?” Sam. Warm, calm, confident Sam. She breathed out a quick expulsion of breath, and without thinking leaned forward to hug him.

Her hands shook on his back, and she buried her face in the crook of his neck. Silent tears dampened his shirt, and for once she stopped thinking and clung to the only person she felt safe with in this cold hard world.

[tingara]

The fear in Molly’s eyes was very real, making the man’s heart ache and an overwhelming urge to protect her take hold. It was a desire to keep her safe from everything she feared in the world and to protect her from that that had ill intentions for her. ”It’s okay, I’m here,” Sam said gently. Before he’d met Molly that tone of voice had only ever been used on horses as the only other humans he’d really worked so closely with before had all been male.

Of course he would have been happy just to sit with her awhile, no touching or talking necessary so the hug caught the wrangler completely off guard. Sam’s breath hitched in surprise and for a moment he resisted touching the woman even though she was practically clinging to him. After his hesitation the man let go if his inhibitions and wariness to hold her close in a comforting embrace. Hands rubbed gently up and down the woman’s back, sliding easily over her silk night shirt. Of course Sam was careful not to let his hands get too low and he tried to ignore how beautiful she looked in her night clothes, even in her fear.

”Hey, it’s okay,” Sam sighed softly as he felt Molly’s face bury into his neck and tears dampen his skin. ”Do you want to talk about it?” he asked seriously before quickly adding, ”If you don’t then I understand.”

[Tiggs]

Molly could have controlled herself up until the point Sam wrapped his arms around her. Then it all came flooding out. She clung a little tighter, glad for the stability and warmth. She couldn’t think about how close she was, because then she would have to let go, and she just couldn’t face being alone. She shuddered with unspent sobs, trying so hard not to break down completely.

Bless Sam, he could do no wrong tonight. Molly shook her head, gasping a breath though her tight throat. She couldn’t talk about it, her throat was to tight with tears she doubted that words could even come out. Did she want to talk about it? ... She didn’t know. Despite her sudden dependence on him, trusting him enough to comfort her like this, could she really share her nightmares with him? Not yet.

She concentrated instead on his hands, comforted by their warmth and movement. She let herself snuggle a little closer, though not driven by fear this time. She could feel it draining out of her, leaving her tired and empty. She loved that feeling, it was so rare. Nothing gripped at her insides, there was no fear, no suspicion, no worries. It was just her, and Sam. No more angry shadows, just the warmth and comfort of his embrace.

[tingara]

There was nothing else in the world. There were brumbies or brumby runs, no horses to be trained or dogs to be fed. There was only this moment and nothing else. There was only Molly, sobbing in Sam’s arms and nothing else mattered. For the first time in a long time the man stopped thinking about what he was going to do and let go to the here and now. His arms wrapped around the girl tighter, holding her ever closer in an act that’s sole purpose was to give her as much comfort from what had made her so distraught as he could.

”Hey, if you don’t want to talk about it, that’s fine,” he whispered softly, rubbing his hands up and down her back like his mum had done to make him feel better so many years ago. Sam rested his head gently on the top of Molly’s head, content to sit in silence for the moment. When she was ready she would talk to him but he didn’t want to push her into it. If she didn’t want to share what had made her so upset then that was her prerogative.

The embrace, so warm and peaceful, was making the wrangler sleepy –a nice, content sleepy. He wanted to stay like this, with Molly in his arms, all night and he tried valiantly to ignore the old saying that all good things must come to an end. Sure they had to end but you could prolong the inevitable as long as you could.

[Tiggs]

The woman felt more like a little girl in times like this. Except this time she had a rock to cling to in the torrent of memories and fear. Sam’s voice was soothing and rumbled through his chest. Molly rested her ear against the broadness of it, comforted by his mixed scent of man and horse. She could tell him, he deserved to know why she needed him, but when she opened her mouth, a lump swelled in her throat and she shook her head apologetically. She couldn’t talk about it. Not yet.

She settled against him, letting the cocoon of warmth and safety envelop her. She was soon drifting to sleep, no shadows chasing her this time. One of her arms was draped across his chest, and her fist clenched around the fabric of his shirt. If Sam wanted to leave, he would first have to untangle himself from the sleeping woman.