Renegade Love (Rancheros) (34 page)

His response was issued with strength and conviction. “I would be honored to lead.”

Don Manuel broke into a smile. “Good. Good. This is what we all prayed to hear. Now did your father send some of that fine wine so we could celebrate?”

Esteban shook his head, though smiled. “That is why he sent so much wine? My father knew of this?”

Don Manuel nodded. “He also assured us that you would accept. He knows his son well.”

“No, my father taught me well.”

Cheers were heard when the news spread through the ranch. Cesare vaqueros boasted of Don Esteban’s strength and courage and wine was passed around to all. Tears tickled Dona Valerianna’s eyes when she heard and Dona Elena let a few tears fall claiming the news wonderful and how now they would all be safe.

Dona Valerianna nodded, though could not help but worry over the price her son would pay to see that not only his family would stay safe, but others as well. Now more than ever he would keep his appointment with the devil. And she could do nothing but pray for his soul.

Dona Valerianna went to her son and hugged him when he entered the room with Don Manuel. And as she did, she whispered, “I am so proud of you.”

Esteban kissed her cheek. “Your words touch my heart,
Madre
.”

She hugged him again.

“Where is my wife?” Esteban asked as his mother took a glass of wine from the serving tray on the table and handed it to him.

“I believe she graciously slipped away to give two old friends time alone,” Dona Elena said.

Esteban nodded. “That’s why I saw her disappear behind the house.”

“The kitchen and servants quarters are there,” Don Manuel said.

Esteban was about to excuse himself and go fetch his wife when Don Manuel motioned to one of his servants.

“Go fetch Dona Rosa and tell her we celebrate her husband.”

The servant smiled, bobbed her head, and hurried off.

Esteban would have preferred to retrieve his wife himself and impart the news to her, wondering if it would upset her. While no doubt she would be thrilled that the rancheros now trusted and treated him with respect, she would worry for his safety, but then she would probably forever worry over his safety.

He was finishing his second glass of wine and wondering what was keeping his wife. His impatience was growing along with concern as he downed the last drop of wine in his glass.

“Another,” Don Manuel said, though didn’t give him a chance to decline, he filled the glass.

Esteban was about to take his leave and find his wife when the servant returned... without Rosa.

“Dona Rosa is helping to deliver a baby.”

“Take me to her,” Esteban ordered.

Dona Elena nervously stepped forward. “I will go see and send Rosa to you.”

Esteban realized he had been harsher in his order than intended, and he also realized that it wasn’t a man’s place to be around a woman, especially one he wasn’t familiar with, when she was giving birth. But he didn’t care. He wanted to make certain his wife was all right.”

“Thank you, Dona Elena, but I will collect my wife and return shortly.” He turned and left the room before anyone could object.

He followed the servant through the hacienda and through the back of the house, passed the kitchen, to the small huts that housed the servants. He didn’t have to be shown which hut it was. It was obvious. Women gathered round the place talking and waiting, though they grew silent as he approached.

He knew it wasn’t his place to enter the hut where the birth was taking place, but he didn’t care. He intended to make certain his wife was all right.

Rosa stepped out of the hut, a huge smile plastered on her face and called out, “It’s a boy. Rita and Jose have a son and Rita is doing fine.”

The women cheered and called out blessings to the new baby before drifting off.

Rosa was about to go back inside when she caught sight of Esteban and hurried over to him.

Her face was flushed and her hair, that looked to have hastily been pinned up, had loosened with strands falling haphazardly around her face and neck. Her sleeves had been pushed up and she wore the brightest smile. To Esteban she had never looked more beautiful.

When she reached him, her hand quickly went to rest on his chest. “Oh, Esteban, you must see him. It is so adorable; a thick head of dark hair and such full cheeks.”

He covered her hand with his, wanting to keep it there for as long as possible. “And the mother is doing well?” He worried that perhaps the trauma of childbirth would cause her to worry about giving birth herself. He knew he was worried about the prospect. He had seen too many women die in childbirth while in Pacquito’s camp.

“Rita is well and so happy. I must go finish helping and you must wait here so I can show you the baby.” She hurried off before he could say another word.

He stood staring after her and worry descended over him.

Fearless.

It had taken a certain amount of fearlessness to survive his ordeal, but he didn’t know how he was going to survive his wife giving birth to their children. He had heard the endless screams of the women who had given birth in the camp and he remembered the cries of the other women when death would claim one and often the child along with her. He didn’t want to see his wife suffer in such agonizing pain, and he couldn’t bear the thought of possibly losing her and his child.

He tried to remind himself that it was different here from the camp. That his wife would have good care and be with loving people who would tend her well. Still, the thought of her suffering and what possibly could happen, plagued him.

Esteban didn’t know how much time had passed. He had been too lost in his worries to realize, but Rosa was suddenly there with a small bundle in her arms.

“Isn’t he precious, Esteban? I can’t wait until we have a son or daughter, but then we’ll have plenty of both.”

Plenty of both.

Would she survive them all? Would he?

Esteban finally took a look at the small bundle and he couldn’t help but smile. A bush of dark hair atop his head, chubby cheeks, and sleeping peacefully, he really was adorable. His small mouth puckered once, then twice, and then it opened and puckered again.

“He’s hungry,” Rosa said with a laugh.

“How do you know?”

“I’ve helped birth babies before.”

“I thought unmarried women weren’t allowed to help birth babes?”

Rosa shook her head, smiling. “There are some that feel that way, but there are times when one has no choice. Marinda and I had to help deliver a babe one day when no one else was around. The woman had four children already and so she explained to us what we were to do.”

The baby gave a cry, a soft mewl almost like that of a kitten.

“I better get him to his mother.”

“Will you be long?”

“I’ll be done in a few minutes, so please wait for me?” she asked with a smile.

“I’m not going anywhere,” he confirmed determined to wait as long as it took.

It didn’t take long, she returned in a few moments, the sleeves of her dress once again down along her arms and her hair still pinned to her head but the lose strands now tucked away. Her cheeks remained slightly flushed and once again he thought how beautiful she looked.

As they walked back to hacienda he told her his news.

She stopped and stared at him.

He couldn’t tell if she was pleased or upset, her face showed not a sign.

Then she burst into a huge grin. “This is wonderful news. The rancheros have finally seen and admitted how badly they have treated you and realized you are and always have been one of them, as for being their leader... it causes me concern, but they could not have chosen a better man to lead.”

Esteban scooped her around the waist and lifted her to plant a firm kiss on her lips. When he set her down, her cheeks were flaming red. And he heard the servants around them giggling.

“Tonight we celebrate,” he said.

“With family, good food, fine wine, and—”

He kissed her again and whispered, “Making love.”

Rosa kept herself busy as routine settled over the hacienda in the days that followed their visit to the Garavitos. Meetings with the various rancheros were held, either taking Esteban away for a few hours or being sequestered away in the study for hours. He always found time, however, to seek her out even if it was only for a moment and only for a stolen kiss, and she loved him even more for it. But it was the nights she enjoyed the most with him. And it wasn’t that they would make love every night. Some night they would simply lie in each other’s arms and talk and drift off to sleep. It was having him there beside her that mattered the most to Rosa, for she feared soon the day would come when he would leave to meet the devil. And she worried over the consequences.

She jumped when arms circled her waist as she arranged flowers in the vase in the parlor. “You forever sneak up on me.” She swatted her husband’s arm.

“You should be more attentive to your surroundings,” he scolded playfully and turned her around to face him. “I am free the rest of the day, what would you like to do?”

“Truly?” she asked excited to have him all to herself.

He nodded. “I am all yours.”

“Hmmm... and you’ll do whatever I want?”

He cupped her bottom and pressed her against him. “I grow hard with anticipation to hear your desires.”

She laughed softly. “What if I want to pick oranges?”

He nuzzled her neck. “A good place to make love.”

“A picnic in the garden?”

He nodded and grinned. “A place to make more memories. I’ll take you against the tree as I did that day, perhaps twice.”

“A ride through the vineyards?”

He brushed his lips across hers. “Even better, I know the perfect spot near the vineyards where I can ride you like a stallion does a mare.”

Rosa shivered at the image and was oh so tempted, but she had a different thought in mind. With the day hot, she longed to strip and— “A swim in the pond.”

He grinned from ear to ear and gave her a kiss. “Oh,
Caro
, that’s perfect.”

“Let’s hurry,” she said grabbing his hand and tugging him along. “I want as much time with you as possible.”

They made a quick stop at the kitchen for a picnic basket, and then made their way to the pond. They didn’t wait to strip and hurry into the water. It was cool and refreshing against the hot sun, but then the many trees surrounding the pond offered shade.

They splashed and enjoyed like two children, though it wasn’t long before they were in each other’s arms, eager to make love... and they did.

Esteban lifted her and ordered, “Wrap your legs around me.”

She did and he easily slipped into her.

They stayed that way for a moment, their arms wrapped around each other.

“I love the feel of you inside me,” she said in a soft whisper and then laughed. “You fit perfectly.

“You were made for me and only me.”

She saw in his dark eyes that his renegade side had surfaced and waited for it to slip away, retreat somewhere deep inside him as it had done of late.

“You’re mine,
Caro
, mine and mine alone. No other shall ever touch you.”

He took her mouth in a hungry kiss, and then lifted her to bring her down hard on him.

She gasped as he drove deep inside her, and he did it again and again. She braced her hands on his shoulders to lessen the impact, but he was too strong for her. She landed harder and harder on him until she cried out, “Esteban, stop!”

He stopped immediately and looked at her with such horror, as if just realizing how harsh his love making had been that her heart went out to him.

“A bit softer,” she said and before she could kiss him, he went to lift her off him. “No!” she cried out, her hands going around his neck and holding tight. “I want you inside me.”

“I’ve hurt you.”

The pain in his eyes tore at her heart. “No, you didn’t.”

He gritted his teeth for a moment before he spoke, “I treated you savagely.”

“You would never do that,” she assured him and kissed his cheek. “You were overly eager.”

He shook his head. “No, I wanted to plant myself deep inside you, make you mine, only mine I—”

“I am yours and only yours and always will be. I love you and that, my dear husband, will never change.”

Esteban rested his brow against hers, and though he would speak these words to no other, he owed them to his wife. They not only spilled easily from his lips, but came deep from his heart. “I’m sorry.”

His sincere apology momentarily startled her. She couldn’t recall ever hearing him apologize and yet he did so to her. She hurried to say, “No need to be. You stopped when I asked, a savage wouldn’t. You are no savage. You are my loving husband who I trust without question.”

“But I could have—”

“You didn’t. You wouldn’t.”

“But—”

She kissed him silent. “You have never hurt me and you never will, unless...”

His eyes widened.

“If you don’t finish what you’ve started here, then you will have caused me to suffer greatly.”

A smile tipped at one corner of his mouth. The way it once had when she had first met him.

“I won’t see you suffer,” he said.

The sincerity in his eyes made her heart ache for she knew he referred to much more than what she was asking of him.

His hands went to her waist and he lifted her and brought her down gently. “You’ll tell me if—”

“Yes, yes,” she urged bouncing up and down on him.

He smiled this time and set a rhythm, though after a short time Rosa took over, urging him to go faster and he strained to hold her and not bring her down too hard on him. She would have none of it. He realized then just how hard he had forced her to ride him and he got angry.

“Stop frowning,” she ordered curtly. “You make me think you don’t want to be inside me.”

That was it. He lifted her off him, scooped her up and carried her out of the water. He laid her on the blanket they had spread out for the picnic and lowered himself over her.

“I’m going to show you just how much I love you.”