Rosa's Land: Western Justice - book 1 (35 page)

She was quiet for a long time. “I still think you ought to go back East. You can be a great painter.”

“I’ll probably be a painter wherever I am. I’ve grown to love this country, Rosa. I didn’t think I would. It looks so barren to some people, but I like it. That’s the way God made it. And there are plenty of subjects to paint. Indians, for example. Nobody is really doing that.”

“But Henry will hear about it. How would you feel if you had to shoot him?” A long silence passed, and Rosa could see that he was thinking hard.

Finally he said heavily, “I don’t want to kill anyone, Rosa. I’d rather save someone, and that’s all I can say.” He thought for a while and then added, “My mother asked me why I had to leave to come after you. I told her I had to do it because it was the right thing to do … and I thought, too, that I might be falling in love with you.”

Rosa grew absolutely still. She did not know what to say, for no man had ever affected her like this.

Finally he reached over and pulled her so that she turned to face him. “Rosa, I can only tell you what’s in my own heart. For me, you are the only woman on earth. I love you for your beauty, but that’s not who you are. That may fade sometime, as it does for all of us, but I tell you what. When this beautiful dark hair is white, I’ll still love you, and when this strong figure is dim and bent with age, I’ll love you even more than I do now. After you’ve lost the bloom of life, I’ll love you, Rosa, for you’re the one woman, I think, that God has made for me.”

Rosa was moved. She leaned toward him, and he brought her to him with a quick sweep of his arm. When he kissed her, she felt the desperate hunger, a feeling that came to her as it never had before. She knew she had this power over Faye, this way of lifting him out of the ordinary, to touch the vague hints of glory a man and woman might know.

She moved to catch a better view of his face, and when she saw the heaviness of his lips, she thought she knew what he was telling her. And something like a pair of shears seemed to cut a restraining cord.

He put his arms around her and drew her into himself.

Even though he was saying all of these wonderful things, she was not yet completely sure of him, of how he felt, and she had a dread of making a mistake with him. For a moment, she watched him. She felt no anger and offered no resistance.

He lowered his head and kissed her again.

It was what Rosa wanted. She could sense that he felt the luxury of it as well. For her, it was a need that she could neither check nor satisfy. She knew the pressure of his arm and his mouth was too much for her, yet her own arms were tight about him, holding him as he held her.

Finally, with an effort, Riordan removed his arms and ended the embrace. He said simply, “I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Rosa.”

She was shaken by the kiss, and she said, “Your family wouldn’t like that, and I’m not sure I could live in the East. People would make fun of you for taking a Spanish woman, especially one who is also part Indian.”

“I think all couples have to make some adjustments when they come together, but God will help us. And if I could have my way, I’d live out here half of the year. Buy a ranch with some peace and quiet where we could come and be close to your family. And then have another home in the East where I could go to visit my family.”

“You think that’s possible?”

“I think it is. We’d better get some rest. Well, we only have one blanket. You wrap up in it.”

“No.” She smiled. “We’ll share it. I trust you, and I never thought I’d trust any man.”

They lay down on the blanket and pulled it around them.

Rosa felt him relax as he fell into sleep. She whispered, “I love you, Faye.” Then she went to sleep, a smile fixed on her face.

“Did you get Hannah on her way, Ringo?” Eileen asked.

“Yeah, I hired four men to take her to her new post. With that many watching her, she’ll be fine. Shame to waste a good woman like that. She’d make a fine wife.”

“She’s doing what she thinks is right,” Eileen said. They had finished breakfast, and no one spoke for a while, but she knew they all had the same thoughts—that Faye might be hurt or even dead. Eileen said, “I want us all to pray for Faye. He’s come a long way, but he’s in trouble, and I want us to ask God to keep him.”

She bowed her head, and the other members of the family did the same. Afterward the men left, and Eileen turned to Chenoa. “What do you think about my son marrying your daughter?”

Chenoa gave Eileen a direct look, and there was pain in her eyes. “You can’t know what a hard time Rosa has had. She had to give up everything that she wanted to keep the family together. We would have starved, Eileen, if she hadn’t helped us. She had to work in a terrible, despicable saloon just to make money to feed us.”

“I treasure her for that, Chenoa. She’s a fine woman. All she needs is to let God come into her life.” The two women had begun to grow close during the Riordans’ brief stay. Eileen had never been around people of the Ramirezes’ class, but she saw fine things in all of them. “You know, Faye loves Rosa, whether he fully realizes it yet or not. How would you feel about it if they married?” she asked again.

“We’re from two different worlds, Eileen.”

“I know, but if they love each other, God will make a way.”

Riordan and Rosa were so happy to see the familiar ranch come into view. As they rode closer, Riordan saw Ringo and knew the hand recognized them. He ran into the house, and Riordan imagined his telling all inside that their loved ones had returned.

Sure enough, there was a stampede as everyone rushed outside.

When Riordan and Rosa dismounted, Caleb grabbed Riordan. “Son, you’re back! Thank God, you’re back!”

Riordan was shocked. His father had never shown this sort of appreciation or love for him. It seemed to sink down into his spirit. “I’m back, and I’m all right.”

“As I told the boys and Eileen, the first thing I want to say is how proud I am of you. You are a real man, and I’m proud to have you as my son.”

Eileen was standing close. Riordan put his arms around her and saw the tears in her eyes. “You brought her back, son.”

The Ramirezes were gathered around Rosa, all of them trying to hold back the tears. Rosa could not.

“He brought you back,” Juan said. “I didn’t think anybody could.”

“He saved me, but I think I knew already what kind of a man he was.”

“Come on into the house,” Chenoa said. “The food’s ready. I know you two are starved.”

“We’re pretty hungry.” Riordan smiled. “Your daughter’s a pretty good cook, but even she can’t make beans and bacon burnt over a campfire taste very good.”

They all went to the table, and when they were all gathered, Rosa said, “There’s something I must tell you. While I was being held at Beecher’s house, they locked me in a room. I had time to myself, and I began to grow afraid. Not of what Henry would do, but of what I had been.” She went on in a steady voice, and finally she said, “So I asked God to save me, and He came into my heart and gave me peace.”

“Well, hallelujah!” Chenoa said. “That’s wonderful news!”

Leo demanded, “How in the world did you do it, brother?”

“Well, it was mostly Gray Hawk. He found me and guided me to them and helped me get her away.” He went on to tell the entire story. When he finally finished, everyone agreed what a wonderful thing it was that God had delivered them.

Finally Riordan said, “One other thing I want to make clear. I haven’t had a chance to talk to you, Mateo, to ask you to give me your daughter as my wife, so I’m asking you now, you and Chenoa. I love her, and I always will.”

His announcement brought smiles and cheers and applause and congratulations.

Finally Caleb said, “We’ll be happy to welcome you and your wife to our home, won’t we, Eileen?”

“Of course we will. We love her already.”

Caleb nodded. “I’ve been critical of you, Faye, but I’m so proud of you now I’m about to bust.”

Suddenly Mateo said, “What about Beecher? He’ll be after you for besting him again.”

“I don’t want to take a man’s life, and I’m not going to do it unless he absolutely makes it necessary.” He shrugged and said, “I’m handing in my badge as marshal, and Rosa and I are going to start a new life.”

Rosa came and stood beside him.

He put his arm around her and looked down at her. “Well, we’ve got everyone’s permission. Now all we need is somebody to marry us, and we’ll have our whole life together.”

A
slight breeze brought some comfort from the heat of the day as Caleb and Eileen sat on the front porch. They had spoken for a long time of the problem that Faye was facing, but no matter what, they could think of nothing that seemed certain to bring a solution.

Chenoa came up and leaned against one of the pillars of the post. She gazed out into the distance and said nothing.

The silence grew so heavy that finally Eileen said, “What’s troubling you, Chenoa?”

“I’m worried about Rosa and Riordan.”

Caleb instantly said, “You’re worried about their marriage.”

“Yes. Your son is a fine man, and we all have the utmost respect for him, especially since he risked his life to save our daughter, but I’m not certain that the marriage between them would be a good thing.”

Caleb shifted uneasily in his chair and glanced over at Eileen. Finally he said, “Why would you say that? Faye can give her a good life.”

“We’re hoping he’ll go back to the East with us,” Eileen said. “He’s becoming well known as a painter and could make a good living for her. Besides, we would help them.”

Chenoa turned and faced them both. There was a troubled look on her bronze features, and she said reluctantly, “I think it would be hard on Rosa because white people look down on other races.”

Mateo joined them now. He stood beside his wife and listened intently to what was being discussed.

“I think that depends on the people,” Eileen said. “Some dislike other races, but others have no problem with people of different ethnicities.”

Mateo said, “If they lived here, it would be different. No one makes anything of a white man who marries a woman who has Indian blood, but it would be different in the East.”

“You can’t know that, Mateo,” Eileen said quickly.

“You know it’s so, though, don’t you?” Mateo said, his dark eyes fastening on Eileen. “You’ve seen it happen, I’m sure.”

Eileen glanced at Caleb, knowing both of them had the same thought. They both had memories of people from their social class marrying outside the white race. Even though it was a European race, there were still problems.

“Rosa would be unhappy among the rich, white people,” Mateo said. “Many would not accept her. You know that’s so.”

A silence fell across the four of them, and finally Chenoa said, “Will your son want to take our daughter to the big city?”

“I haven’t heard the plan, Chenoa,” Eileen answered, “but I’ve got a plan of my own.”

Caleb instantly turned to face her. “What kind of a plan? You haven’t said anything to me about it.”

“I have my secrets, and besides, nothing may come of it. Let me think on it a little.”