Sam looked at her in a bit of happy wonderment.  Her offer to ride with him and help him took him a bit by surprise.  He hadn’t thought much about how their future might be.  He of course thought that she would probably stop being a courtesan, but he wondered about her bartending responsibilities.  He had no idea about how these things worked.  He was grinning though as she filled him in on how she’d make herself useful on the trail.  He leaned forward and kissed her softly.  Sam let the kiss linger as he stroked her sides.  He liked how soft she was and warm.<br/><br/>“So you wanna be my deputy, do you?  You know . . . and this isn’t anything against you Irene . . . but some of these men I’m after have a history that includes doing not very proper things to women.  I don’t want you in danger . . . plus sleeping on the trail ain’t exactly like sleeping in a nice clean bed.”<br/><br/>He could imagine her as a very tough woman, be he preferred not to.  Now helping her solve her husband’s murder was something else again.<br/><br/>“You wanna help me on a case?  There’ll be only one . . . then I’m hanging up the badge and settling down.  You up for that Irene . . . the one case and then we change our course?  It’d be your case . . . well your late husband’s case.”<br/><br/>He grinned at her fear that they’d be so tired that if they made love again they could fall asleep before cumming.  Sam was rather confident that it would be more likely that he’d fall asleep before they ever started.  Once started with Irene, he seriously doubted that he’d not finish it.  Sam chuckled.<br/><br/>“Don’t be silly Irene . . . there just ain’t no way I’m not finishing what I start . . . especially with you darlin’.  The question is, will we start anything before we sleep . . . or will it be while we’ve slept . . . or will the dawn come with us?”<br/><br/>Irene had a way with him of making him excited in anticipation of their next time. Innocent as it might have been in intent, she’d done it again.<br/><br/>“On the trail I sleep in my clothes.  In a bed I sleep naked.  How about you darlin’ . . . how do you sleep?  In a nightgown?  Mmmm . . . I like that . . . or whatever’s your practice . . . ’s long as it’s you in my bed . . . that’s my only care.”<br/><br/>He kissed her and held her warmly against him.<br/><br/>