The Cowboy Soldier (14 page)

“I know racism is worse in small towns. Especially border towns.”

“Oh, yeah. Cattlemen have never liked sheep or sheepherders to begin with. History books won’t tell you that, but it’s because Mexicans and Indians introduced the sheep into south Texas. Ask any old-timer around. They’re blunt about it.”

“I hope times are changing for the better, Rafe.”

“Me, too,” he muttered, his mind flipping back to her parents.

Alexa suddenly let up on the gas. “Oh, we’re here. The town is quaint, Rafe. I love the old frontier-type buildings.”

“All built for tourists. You can park at this end and we can walk through town to reach Connie and Hector’s shop. Or you can drive through town.”

“I see a spot. Let’s park here and walk.”

They got out with Compadre and meandered down an uneven plank sidewalk. When Rafe tripped for about the third time, Alexa asked, “Did the military give you a prescription for a white cane, Rafe? It would help you get around better in unfamiliar places.”

“No cane,” he snapped. “I don’t want people’s pity, Alexa.”

He hadn’t meant to sound so harsh, but Alexa said nothing. A minute later, though, he felt her slip her arm through his.

“I know you’re starving, Rafe, but slow down,” she said.

“You don’t have to baby me, Alexa. You know I can manage.”

At his words Alexa loosened her grip a bit and he lengthened his stride.

Compadre sidled up to Rafe and he realized the dog was doing his best to keep Rafe from stumbling over the side of the raised walkway.

“I see the taco sign straight ahead,” Alexa said.

Rafe dropped his arm and took her hand. “There are tables out front, and more on the side, under shade trees. If any of them are empty, let’s sit there.”

Hector and Connie were doing the cooking and serving as usual. “Hey,” they both greeted him. “How’s it going, Rafe?”

“It’s going good,” Rafe answered. “We’ll take four courageous tacos, Connie. What would you like to drink?” Rafe turned to Alexa.

“I’m afraid to ask what a courageous taco is,” she said in a low voice.

“Oh, everyone calls them that because Hector fills his tortillas too full, and you have to be courageous to eat one in public.”

“Okay. I’m game. I’ll take bottled water to drink. I’d also like a plain hamburger, a cooked patty if possible. For the dog.”

“Sierra was here half an hour ago,” Hector said. “She and the younger twins. Didn’t say a word about you being in town, Rafe.”

“Sierra doesn’t know. Hector, Connie, this is Alexa Rob…uh, Dr. Robinson. She treated me, and dropped in for a visit after Sierra had already left.”

“A doctor?” Connie sounded envious. Rafe could hear her ringing up the tacos her husband would have wrapped. “Are you thinking of moving here? We have a midwife, but that’s the extent of our community medical care. For real doctoring it takes a full day to drive round-trip to Alpine. Lord help us if there’s any kind of an emergency.”

“I’m sorry,” Alexa murmured. “I’m not an MD, and I’m just visiting.”

Rafe felt her fingers tighten on his arm. He sensed Connie’s query had made Alexa uncomfortable. After he paid the bill, she led them to a table. “Are you mad at me for saying you’re a doctor?” he asked.

“Not mad, Rafe. I worry someone will recognize my name and connect me to those old Houston news stories.”

“You’re being a little paranoid, don’t you think? Hardworking folks around here don’t have time to focus much on outside news. And didn’t it happen a while ago?”

“Um, five years ago. The story and my picture were plastered in every paper and on TV for months. And, well, you didn’t see your friend’s curious expression.”

Rafe decided to lighten the mood. “Pretty blondes aren’t the norm in Lajitas. I thought if I told them you’re my doctor, it’d quell rumors I kidnapped you.”

“That’s ridiculous.”

“Aha! I’m sure I warned you about my bad-boy reputation.”

Alexa laughed. “Now you’re bragging.”

Rafe asked her about Esperanza and how her menagerie was faring. More than once it was on the tip of his tongue to admit he wanted to return to her ranch. But he couldn’t seem to find the right opening. But then, he also needed to get his ducks in a row.

“Boy, I’m stuffed,” Alexa said after they’d each polished off a second taco.

“I should have only ordered us one taco each. Sierra will kill me if we don’t have room for supper.”

Alexa said nothing but Rafe decided not to push. He knew Sierra would never let Alexa leave without feeding her.

“Sierra’s like our mother. She loves to cook for people.

“Mmm,” Alexa said noncommittally. She told him she was taking their trash to the red and white barrel that Rafe knew stood outside the taco stand. “Thanks,” she called to the owners. “Those tacos were the best I’ve eaten in ages. Maybe ever.”

“Glad you liked them,” Hector said. “Come again. Rafe, bring her, you hear?”

Rafe grinned as he threaded his hands through hers for the walk back to Alexa’s pickup. “You won them over.”

“They’re nice,” she said. “It’s too bad I probably won’t get back this way again.”

Not if he had his way, Rafe thought. But he said nothing.

“But you didn’t. Next time, for pity’s sake, leave me a note. Uh…hi, Dr. Robinson. Was there something you needed? We’re sort of out of the way….”

Alexa got out of the truck. “I wanted to make sure Rafe knew about an interesting study I came across on the Internet.”

Rafe turned to her eagerly. “Why didn’t you say something before? Do you need me to come back to your ranch?”

“Uh, no. This is an experiment the military is doing in San Antonio.”

Sierra caught Alexa’s eye. “Come in, come in. Let’s not stand around out here. The wind is kicking up.”

“Sierra, I invited Alexa to stay for supper,” Rafe said.

Alexa raised a hand to protest. “I don’t want to put you out, Sierra. Besides, we just ate lunch.”

“Of course you’ll stay. We wouldn’t dream of sending you out on that long drive home on an empty stomach. I’m fixing pot roast.”

“We had huge tacos,” Alexa and Rafe said simultaneously.

Sierra held the front door open. “Okay, then supper will be something light. Kids,” she said, making shooing motions at her offspring, “take your things to your bedroom. Uncle Rafe has company and we don’t want to trip on your toys.”

“Let them stay,” Alexa said quickly, and asked Sierra to introduce her to the children. They smiled at her tentatively but were more interested in Compadre.

Rafe had allowed the dog to follow him in, and suddenly the gentle collie was being mauled by four excited kids.

Sierra directed Alexa to a chair across from Rafe, who sat on the sofa. “So what’s this study that might interest Rafe?”

“I don’t want to get your hopes up,” Alexa said, leaning out to touch Rafe’s knee. “But, since Ms. Holmes said you needed to keep an appointment at the VA, I think it’d be worth your time to check out what they’re doing with hyperbaric recompression in San Antonio. Here, Sierra. I printed off a few paragraphs from the military hospital tip sheet.” Alexa sat back, dug in her purse and passed a wrinkled page to Rafe’s sister, who ran an eye over the highlighted paragraphs.

“I’m afraid this is pretty much Greek to me.”

As succinctly as possible, Alexa put the experiments in laymen’s terms.

“Have they actually reversed anyone’s blindness?” Rafe asked.

“Not yet.” Alexa bit her lip. “It’s all so new,” she explained.

“I’m not going to be anyone’s guinea pig.”

Sierra darted a worried glance at her brother, and another at Alexa, as if urging her to convince Rafe.

Instantly Alexa pulled back. Those were the same words Bobby had thrown at her. Bobby said he was sick of being a guinea pig for his team of doctors.

Rafe drummed his knee with fidgeting fingers. “What you said sounds like science fiction. Anyway, I told Sierra I’m not fooling with the VA. I’d like to come back to your ranch, Alexa. Not as a patient,” he added quickly. “As a ranch hand, if you’ll have me. Or we can work a deal so I can train additional horses if you have room. I’ll pay, of course.” He strained toward her, as if trying to gauge her response.

Thrilled as she was by Rafe’s statement, Alexa couldn’t, in good conscience, agree. She wasn’t going to let him pass up a chance to at least find out if VA doctors thought he’d be a good candidate for the hyperbaric studies. But before she got beyond the shock of his statement and could offer to drive him to San Antonio herself, Sierra leapt up, saying, “Rafe, you know Ms. Holmes said if you don’t show up for that appointment tomorrow, you’ll forfeit all of your VA benefits. That’s stupid.”

Rafe reared back, sputtering.

Alexa opened her mouth to intervene, but Sierra spoke again, more calmly this time. “I made arrangements with Doug’s sister to keep Melina and Maris. And I promised Curt and Chloe that they could come with us. They’re looking forward to visiting the Alamo while you’re at the VA. You can’t disappoint them.”

Rafe ran a hand through his hair, apparently struggling with this decision, then acquiesced with a brief, “Okay.”

Disappointed not to be taking Rafe herself, Alexa got down on her knees and admired a dollhouse Chloe dragged out to show her. “This is a wonderful dollhouse.”

“My mama and daddy made it,” the little girl pointed out.

Not to be outdone, Curt brought Alexa a fire truck he said his daddy had bought especially for him. Soon all four kids were laughing and playing with Alexa. One of the younger twins dragged out a box full of barnyard animals. The other dumped out a set of building blocks and asked if Alexa would help her build a barn.

Sierra had gone into the kitchen. She stuck her head around the door frame and called, asking Rafe to join her for a minute. He got up and started across the room, heading straight through the children’s toys. His foot landed on a cow that squeaked. Compadre loped over to investigate the noise and the kids stopped talking. Curt mumbled an apology and swept a path clear for his uncle.

Not wanting Rafe to feel awkward, Alexa motioned the kids to her. “Hey, let’s move all this stuff out of your uncle Rafe’s way. We can build a barn and corral in this corner with your blocks.”

That kept everyone busy for a while, but when Rafe returned, he accidentally kicked a block under the couch. He bent down and patted the floor. In a flash Maris scrambled over, saying in a tiny voice, “I’ll get it for you, Uncle Rafe.” She held out the block to Rafe, who’d reclaimed his seat on the sofa.

Alexa realized the little girl wanted her uncle to play with them.

“Rafe, Maris wants to give you a block,” she said. “Would you like to join us on the floor and build a roof the barn?”

He reached out to take the block, but it fell through his fingers. It bounced and everyone watching drew in a collective breath.

Scowling, Rafe sat back and dropped his hands to his sides.

Alexa felt discouraged to see how quickly Rafe withdrew into a stony shell. She kept shooting him surreptitious glances while she and the kids finished building the corrals and populated them with plastic cows and horses. It was evident something had drastically changed since Rafe first invited her to join his family for supper.

Had he and Sierra had words over her when Rafe went to the kitchen? The children soon tired of playing with the farmyard and ran off to their room, leaving her alone with the dead-silent Rafe.

She got up from the floor and collected her purse. “You know, Rafe, I’m having second thoughts about staying. I’ll stop by the kitchen and tell Sierra I’d really rather not drive home after dark.”

He stood up right away. “I’ll tell her. It has gotten late.” He began herding Alexa toward the front door as if he couldn’t wait to see the last of her.

Pausing at the threshold long enough to call Compadre, Alexa shifted from foot to foot, and finally stepped outside. “Rafe, I wish you the best of luck at the VA. Make sure you ask them about the possibility of getting into that hyperbaric study.”

“I’ll think about it. Thanks.”

“I’ll see you later?” Alexa tossed the question out carelessly, doing her best to sound upbeat.

Rafe made some noncommittal sound, and as Alexa drove away, she wondered what had caused his mood to change. And whether this might be the last time she would ever see him.