Trail of Golden Dreams (20 page)

Josie nodded, but
didn’t reply.  It was clear all this new information about her pa was
overwhelming. 

Juanita paused for
a sip of tea then said, “I didn’t see Leroy for many years, not even after my
husband died.  I suppose he was happy with your mother.  He showed up
here a few weeks ago, quite unexpectedly.” 

Josie leaned
forward, anxious to hear more.

“I was so pleased
to see him.”  Juanita’s chocolate brown eyes sparkled with the
memory.  “It was as if a day had not passed between us.  He was still
my Leroy, but different somehow—changed.  He was harder than I’d
remembered. His eyes betrayed him in that way.  But this land does that to
a man.  I could tell he hadn’t shaved for some time, and he wore rags for
clothes.”  She stared deep into Josie’s eyes.  “He was running from
something, or someone.”

Grey spoke up,
unable to contain himself.  “He was trying to escape his conscience.
Juanita, you should know Leroy Hart was a thief.  He was running from me
and Josie, and whoever else he’d done wrong.”

Juanita narrowed
her gaze at him, while Josie said nothing.  After a moment’s silence,
Juanita calmly said, “I know what he’d become, Mr. Paladin.  Leroy didn’t
give me details, but I knew he was in deep trouble.  I also knew he loved
his daughter more than anything in the world.”

At this, Josie
hung her head and stared at her feet. 

“What else did he
tell you?” Grey asked.

“Nothing else,
except he wanted to do right by you, Josephine.”  She took Josie’s hands
into hers and squeezed them.  “He told me he was going back to Dry Gulch,
where he expected to be hanged for one crime or another.  He also said you
would be coming to my ranch.  He would make sure of it.  He wanted us
to meet.  I believe he wanted you to know he was a different man in
another lifetime.  He wasn’t always selfish or cruel.  Leroy asked me
to be kind to you, because you have had little kindness in your young life.” 
She caressed Josie’s damp cheek with a warm hand.  “I loved your father,
Josephine. He was a good man when I knew him.  All these years, I have
loved him.  I will miss him terribly.”  She touched her forehead to
Josie’s, where it remained for several moments. Then she said, “You and Mr.
Paladin are welcome to stay in my home as long as you’d like.”

There was no use
in asking Juanita more questions, Grey decided.  Apparently, Leroy had no
ulterior motive for leading his daughter here than to meet his old sweetheart,
as she’d said.  If some kindness from this woman helped Josie in some way,
it was fine with him.  Anyway, it would do both of them good to rest in
comfort for one night.  He was already thinking about sleeping in a soft
bed.

“Tonight, we will
have a party,” Juanita announced.  She jumped up and clapped her hands
together. “We will celebrate our new friendship.” 

Grey looked over
and saw Josie’s face come to life.  Juanita pulled her off the couch by
her fingertips while Grey stood up and stretched his legs. 

“We will have food
and music and dancing!” she promised.  Does that sound fun?” Juanita
looked between the two of them.

“Sounds fun to
me,” Josie replied.  “What do you think, Grey?”

Her eyelashes
fluttered, and the innocent, childlike expression on her face tugged at his
heartstrings.  She deserved some good times, a few hours to forget about
her pa, the posse, the gold, shootings and people dying, and the long road
still ahead.  He smiled and answered, “Whatever you want, Josie.  A
party sounds real nice.”

Juanita grinned
from ear to ear and tossed an arm around Josie’s shoulders, and they started
down the hallway.  “I’ll show you to your room, and I’ll have Marcella
prepare a hot bath.  Would you like that?”

Josie
nodded.  “Yes, ma’am, I would.”

“Don’t just stand
there, Mr. Paladin,” Juanita called over her shoulder.  “You come,
too.  I’m sure you could use a wash-up yourself.”

Grey grabbed his
hat off the couch and fell into step behind them.  “Yes, ma’am.  That
I could.”

* * * *

With her head laid
back against the cast iron bathtub, Josie never dreamed hot water could feel so
good over skin.   Marcella had given her some nice smelling soap and
suggested she step into the tub while it was empty and use a bucket of water to
wash and rinse with, since there was so much dirt covering her body. 
After she was clean, she could wrap in a towel and Marcella would fill the tub
with hot water.  That way, she wouldn’t have to soak in dirty water.

Josie had never
soaked in a tub before, but it was something she decided she could get used
to.  At home she’d washed up in the porcelain bowl. That made washing her
long hair difficult, since it was hard to soap all that hair and then dump a
bucket of well water over her head by herself.  That was the main reason
she kept her hair in a braid all the time.  She didn’t have to clean it so
often. 

An apothecary
bottle of thick amber liquid, with a label reading
Dr. Hunter’s Hair Wash,
sat on a small table next to the tub.  She slid under the water and scrubbed
her scalp with the concoction until it tingled. 

I wonder if
Grey is taking a bath, too
, she thought when she surfaced.  She didn’t
take him for a bath-soaking man, but the image of him sitting in a tub naked
caused her heart to skip a beat.   She couldn’t stop thinking about
the way he’d kissed her and put his hands on her body.  When she
remembered his passionate kisses and how taut his muscular body had felt
pressed against her, her stomach fluttered, like a million butterflies had been
set free inside.

A knock at the
door interrupted her daydreams.

“Josephine,
Marcella is washing your travel clothes.”  Juanita stepped into the
room.  “I’m spreading some clothes out on the bed for you to try on for
the party.  If they need alterations, I will have my seamstress take care
of it.”

“You have a
seamstress?” Josie asked, amazed at yet another extravagance. Juanita was like
the queen of a castle, with servants to handle every household chore, yet she
didn’t appear haughty or boastful.

“Oh, yes,” she
sighed.  “Pilar came with the rancho.  She’s been here for
years.  I sewed my own clothes when I was younger, but if I did that now,
what purpose would Pilar serve?  She knows nothing about cooking or
cleaning.  Sewing is her life.”

Josie’s nose
tipped into the air.  Delicious scents wafted in through the open
door.  “What do I smell, Juanita?  And what’s all that noise I hear?”

“The head cook is
preparing a pig for the party.  It’s already roasting on the spit. 
The others are working in the kitchen, and my ranch hands are setting up tables
and chairs outside.  I’ve told them they can have the rest of the day off
once they’re finished, so they have time to get cleaned up.  I’ve sent my
foreman to town to bring back some girls.”

“Girls?”

“Of course. 
My boys can’t dance with each other tonight!”   Juanita laughed and
then asked,   “Are you enjoying your bath, dear?”

Pausing before
answering, because no one had ever called her
dear
before, and this was
the second time Juanita had used the pet term, Josie replied, “Yes.  It’s
wonderful, but I’m beginning to wrinkle like an old apple. I think I’ll be
getting out soon.”

“Take your time,
Josephine. Nap on the bed if you’d like.  You’ve traveled hard. 
There’s time to rest.  Come out when you’re ready.”

Josie heard her
footsteps retreat, and then return. “I forgot to tell you, I’ve also selected
some of my personal jewelry and put it on the dresser.  Feel free to
choose some to wear tonight.”

“Thank you,
Juanita.”  The words came out choked.  She’d never met anyone so kind
and generous.  A woman she barely knew was throwing her a party and
letting her borrow some pretty clothes and jewelry, all because of her pa,
whom, it seemed, she’d loved most of her life.  It was like a dream, and
Josie felt like a princess.

She slipped out of
the tub and dried off. After brushing out her long hair, she fingered the
dresses laid out on the bed and suppressed a gasp.  They were so beautiful
and elegant.  After trying them all on, she finally decided on a
floor-length periwinkle blue linen dress with cap sleeves and embroidery of
white and golden yellow flosses.  It fit perfectly, like it had been made
for her.  Several shawls were also left on the bed.  Josie decided
she’d wear the solid white.

Like a child, she
perched on the edge of the bed and bounced up and down gently.  It was so
soft.  Sleep would come easy tonight.  Her dirty leather saddlebags
sat in the middle of the floor where she’d dropped them upon entering the
room.  They looked out of place in the lovely bedroom.  Josie shoved
them under the bed with her foot and strolled to the dresser. 

She took a gander
at the silver necklaces, turquoise rings, and beaded jewelry Juanita had set
out.   It was a difficult decision, but she finally chose a string of
lapis lazuli beads, which she felt would complement the dress
beautifully.  As for her hair, she considered fixing it into two braids,
and then changed her mind.  Grey had told her he liked her hair
down.  That was how she’d wear it tonight, loose and free.

There was no need
for her to pull out the hand mirror Molly had given her, because there was a
full-length oval mirror propped in the corner of the room.  Josie stood in
front of it and didn’t recognize herself.  She gazed into it for some
time, staring.  Finally, a smile spread across her face. 

“I look like a
real lady,” she said aloud.  As she twirled in a circle, she laughed and
wondered what Grey would think when he saw her.

Chapter Thirteen

When a horse-drawn
wagon pulled up to the house, the ranch hands rushed from the bunkhouse and
circled it like a bunch of wild Indians.  They elbowed each other in the
ribs and pushed each other out of the way while trying to catch the eye of the
lady of their choice. Grey leaned against the adobe wall with his arms crossed
over his chest and watched as a dozen chattering women accepted the hands of
the men and clamored out of the wagon, all dressed in party finery. 

When the couples
had disbursed to the back patio, he walked over and introduced himself to the
Mexican wagon driver.  “
Hola
.  I’m Grey Paladin.” 

“
Hola
. 
Manuel Ortiz, rancho foreman.”  They shook hands. 

“Pleased to meet
you.  Looks like it’s gonna be a good time tonight.”

“
Si, señor
. 
The boys have been working hard for months.  They deserve some fun. 
We’re all glad you and the Indian girl showed up.”

Hearing Josie
referred to as an Indian took Grey aback.  He hadn’t thought of her that
way since the first night they met in the cave and he’d made that crack about
her being a half-breed. Her skin was bronze, but Grey’s own skin was as brown
as a nut from being out in the sun every day.  Those brilliant blue eyes
of hers were what differentiated her from all the Indians he’d ever been
around.  “Where’d you find the ladies?” he asked Ortiz to change the
subject.

“Oh, here and
there.  It’s easy to find ladies with a wad of cash in your pocket.”

Grey
grinned.  He could just imagine where Juanita’s top man had picked up
these fallen women.  They didn’t exactly look like schoolmarms or Sunday
school teachers with their painted lips and form-fitting saloon dresses.

“There are plenty
to go around,” Ortiz told Grey.  “Do you like redheads or blondes?” 
He didn’t give Grey time to answer.  “Me, I like blondes,” he said. 
“Blondes with
mucho grande
che-chees.”  He winked and led the horse
and wagon to the outbuilding next to the barn.

Grey chuckled and
shuffled behind the house.  From the looks of things, the party was
starting off with a bang.  Lights had been strung from the portico
rafters, and vases of flowers and brightly colored cloths decorated the
tables.  A pig had been taken off the spit and was being sliced by a cook
wearing a white smock.  Several servants hurried back and forth between
the house and the patio carrying platters of food to the tables. 
Fantastic smells drifted through the air, causing his stomach to grumble in
anticipation.  He was going to eat high off the hog
tonight—literally! 

Mariachi musicians
were setting up on a makeshift stage.  The three-man band was composed of
a violinist, a trumpeter and a guitarist.  They were dressed in
traditional waist-length jackets and tight fitting pants, which opened slightly
at the ankle, exposing short riding boots.  The outfits were turquoise in
color and ornamented with embroidery and silver buttons.  Each man also
wore a black hat on his head, with brims that flipped up on the ends.

As Grey looked
around, he was amazed at how fast Juanita had put the party together, and she’d
obviously spared no expense.  He still found it hard to believe that a
sophisticated, elegant lady such as herself had fallen in with that scoundrel,
Leroy Hart.  Oh, well.  She appeared genuine in her desire to give
Josie a night to remember, and he was glad about that.

Not seeing Josie
for several hours had made him think about her more than usual.  He’d
gotten used to being near her every minute of the day.  After his bath and
shave, he’d stretched out on the bed in his room.  It’d been like sinking
into a cloud.  He’d lain there, naked, letting his imagination soar,
picturing her in a bath, her breasts bobbing in the water as she ran soap down
her flat belly and between her legs.  He’d visualized her stepping out of
the tub straight into his arms, with the two of them falling into the bed
together, rolling around in the cool sheets with their legs entwined and their
bodies melding into one.  It’d taken only moments for him to grow
stiff.  He’d gritted his teeth and pounded his fists into the springy
mattress, and then jumped off the bed and paced around the room.