A Bride's Agreement

by Elaine Bonner

  “We stopped by the jail, but you weren’t there yet.” Conlon grinned. “Taking the day off?”

  “Naw. Jonathan spent the whole night crying. Kathleen thinks he has colic.” He led them into the kitchen and poured some coffee. “I stayed home a little late to see if I could let her get some rest. Right now, they’re both asleep.”

  They all settled down at the table. Quinn took a long sip of coffee before speaking. “So, what brings you to town, Eduardo? Tired of married life already?”

  When not even Conlon chuckled at the joke, Quinn turned serious. Eduardo didn’t know how or what he wanted to ask his friend. Finally, he started at the beginning, with the discovery that someone on the hillside watched the ranch, to the final attack on the road to Tucson. With the retelling of each event, Quinn’s expression looked grimmer.

  “We left Chiquita with Glorianna and came here to see if you have any idea why someone is trying to kill my wife. I don’t know if this is a grudge against me or my family. I can’t imagine how Chiquita could have incurred someone’s wrath. She’d never been away from home until we married.”

  “Do you think the man who chased you on the way to town is the same one who tried to kidnap Chiquita at the ranch?” Quinn asked.

  “I never saw the man who tried to take Chiquita.” Eduardo cradled the warm cup in his hands. “I did think to ask her if she recognized him. She thinks it was the same man.”

  “We need to try to find him, then.” Quinn drummed his fingers on the table. “If we could talk to him, we could clear up this mystery. I haven’t heard anything about someone being after you or your wife. It doesn’t make sense to me either.”

  Conlon cleared his throat. “As soon as Eduardo told me what happened, I sent some men out looking. Last night, they reported finding the horse several miles downstream from the crossing where Eduardo and Chiquita were attacked. The horse was dead, tangled in brush and drowned. There was a boot still lodged in the stirrup but no sign of the rider.”

  “If the flood was that bad, he probably didn’t survive either.” Quinn frowned. He absently rubbed the badge pinned to his vest.

  “I sent them back out again this morning with orders to go farther downstream. They have enough men to search along both sides of the wash. He may have only been injured and crawled into the brush to recover. If so, my men will find him.”

  Quinn nodded. “That’s a good start. I’ll ask around town. I have some sources who might help.”

  They were all silent as Quinn brought the coffeepot and refreshed their cups. Sitting back down, he tilted his head as if listening for something, then relaxed.

  “I thought I heard Jonathan.” He shrugged. “I think I’ll go see Lavette Washington in a bit and ask if she’ll help out Kathleen. Otherwise, I might never get any work done.

  “Now, Eduardo, I want you to tell me everything you know about the man who’s been watching your place. Any little clue you can remember will help. I haven’t got any authority where you live, but that doesn’t mean I can’t help you.”

  “I know he smokes.” Eduardo tried to picture the scenes he and Rico had examined. “His horse wears an unusual shoe on his left hind foot. It isn’t curved quite right.”

  “That’s good. I’ll talk to Josiah Washington and see if any of the horses he’s shod have that kind of shoe. What else?”

  “The day they shot at Chiquita in the garden, there were two men.”

  “Two?” Quinn’s eyebrows rose.

  “There had to be two, because one couldn’t fire the shots from those angles. He would have had to move, and Lucio would have seen him. When the boys trailed them, the riders went into the river. They lost the trail.”

  “What direction were they heading at that point?” Conlon asked.

  “East.” Eduardo didn’t know if he should say more. Diego’s place was east of his, but he hesitated to point a finger at his father-in-law without substantial proof.

  “Diego lives east of you.” Quinn’s flat statement echoed Eduardo’s thoughts.

  “I have no way of proving he’s involved in this. Besides, why would he trick me into marrying Chiquita, then try to kill her? That makes no sense.”

  “I’ve found murder rarely makes sense.” Quinn’s grim words sent a chill of dread through Eduardo.

  “Eduardo, I have an idea. Why don’t you bring Chiquita here? You can stay with us. She can help Kathleen with the baby while you and I look into this matter. Would she be willing to do that?”

  “I think so.” Eduardo finished the last of his coffee. “I wanted to take her to the mercantile, anyway, to pick out some material for a couple new dresses. She’s having to tailor and wear my mother’s old ones.”

  “Didn’t she bring her clothes with her?” Quinn looked puzzled.

  Anger crept into Eduardo’s tone as he related all that had gone on the day he married Chiquita. “I burned the dress she wore. It wasn’t even good enough to tear into rags.”

  Conlon’s jaw tightened. “I have trouble finding a decent Christian thought when it comes to Diego Garcia. That man has a streak of meanness a mile wide.”

  “By the way, did you know Diego was in town last weekend?” Quinn walked with them to the door. “He was drunk, as usual, and bragging about some relative dying. He claimed he was going to inherit a fortune. He sure had plenty of friends all of a sudden.”

  Chiquita tried not to cling to Eduardo’s arm too tightly as they walked to the mercantile. She’d never imagined there could be so many people. Eduardo told her there were more than seven thousand residents in Tucson. How could so many people stand to be so close together? Just being in town made her long for the quiet of the ranch.

  Tucson had to be the noisiest place. Dogs barked. Mules brayed. Men shouted. Sometimes she could even hear a gunshot. Last night, she’d been afraid, but Eduardo assured her the shots were only some men who’d had a little too much to drink. The ground shook as a couple of huge freight wagons lumbered past. They were so tall, she thought she could sit upright beneath them and never have them touch a hair on her head. The driver cracked his whip and let loose with a stream of words that made her want to hide her face.

  Eduardo patted her hand and gave her a reassuring smile. Her breath caught. Even with the white bandage on his forehead, he was the handsomest man in all of Tucson. She thought back to the time when he’d been unconscious. She’d spoken to him then and hoped to be able to continue when he awoke. For some reason, she couldn’t. Every time she tried, the words stuck in her throat. Fearing to say the wrong thing and make him angry with her, she’d kept quiet. A few times, she caught him looking at her with a strange expression—as if he knew she talked once and wondered why she didn’t again.

  The door of the mercantile creaked as Eduardo pushed it open. Chiquita stepped inside and halted. Her eyes widened. There were shelves full of different food items, things she’d never thought could be bought in a store. Along one wall were stacks of already-made clothing. Bolts of material in varying colors and patterns caught her eye. In her whole life, she’d never had a dress that no one else wore before her. She’d never imagined there could be so many choices.

  Eduardo herded her to one side so other people could use the door. She flushed, embarrassed by her intent scrutiny of the store and her lack of courtesy to other people.

  “Don’t worry.” Eduardo’s breath tickled her ear as he spoke. “Take your time and look around. I have to talk to Sam over there about some things we need at the ranch.” He motioned toward the man standing behind the counter. “After I’m done there, I want to help you pick out a pair of shoes and at least three lengths of material for new dresses.”

  Chiquita caught her breath. She stared up at Eduardo. Had he really said she could have new dresses? Her gaze flew to the bolts of material. Excitement made her shaky. She glanced back at Eduardo, and his smiling gaze held her. He made her feel so loved at times. Why couldn’t she tell him that?

  Eduardo spent a long time go
ing over a list of items with the storeowner. At one point, they even traipsed outside to see something. Eduardo gave her a brief smile before leaving. For a while, Chiquita wandered past the tables and shelves of goods, puzzling over some items. She had no idea what they were.

  At last, she stood before the material, her fingers brushing the different types of cloth. Many were darker colors, good for work clothes, but not very attractive. A few were a shiny material she’d never seen before. Those felt soft and rich to the touch but seemed impractical for everyday use. The more vivid colors caught her eye. One bolt of bright pink with tiny white flowers kept her enthralled. No matter how many others she looked at, her gaze always returned to that one. The material would never do for working in the garden, but the thought of wearing a dress out of that cloth thrilled her. She tried her best to examine only the more practical fabrics, but the pink seemed to draw her back again.

  “We’ll need a dress length in this pink one for sure.” Eduardo’s voice at her back startled her. She hadn’t heard him or the shopkeeper approaching. Whirling around, she gazed at him wide-eyed and shook her head. He couldn’t waste his money on something so frivolous.

  “I want you to have something pretty, Chiquita. This one suits you. I can tell how much you like it. Antonio showed me the chapel he built near his house. He plans to have services there on Sundays as soon as he can get a pastor. I want you to have a pretty dress or two to wear then.” His warm gaze made her wish they were alone. She thought he wanted to kiss her as much as she wanted to be kissed.

  “Which other ones would you like?” Sam tugged the bolt of pink cloth from the pile.

  Eduardo gestured at the stack. “Pick out two for everyday, Chiquita. They don’t have to be dull, but they should be serviceable.”

  Trembling, she indicated her choices. This was too much. She didn’t know how to react to Eduardo’s being so kind and generous. Following the mercantile owner, she picked out the thread she needed and, at Eduardo’s insistence, a packet of needles and other necessary notions.

  “She also needs some new shoes, Sam. My mother’s didn’t fit her.”

  Chiquita longed to hide. She didn’t want anyone to see the condition of the slippers she wore. Going barefoot was almost better than this. Her face filled with heat as Eduardo pulled her shoes off and helped her try on a new pair. This would be the first time she’d ever gotten a pair of shoes just for herself, too. She felt like a princess.

  Loaded with packages, they left the mercantile. Eduardo carried most of them, but Chiquita insisted on carrying the package with her sewing items. The new shoes were on her feet. Eduardo told Sam to throw out the old ones.

  The afternoon sun was sinking behind the mountains as they headed back to Quinn’s house. The streets were quieter as people quit work for the evening and went home for supper. Balancing the parcels in one arm, Eduardo kept his other hand on her elbow, guiding her around the various piles of refuse in the streets. She wrinkled her nose at the smell.

  Across the street, a door slammed, accompanied by raucous laughter. Two men staggered around horses tied at the hitching post outside the saloon. They spotted Eduardo and Chiquita and halted. Swaying like a gale force wind blew on them, the pair stared openmouthed at them. With the sun setting behind them, Chiquita couldn’t make out their faces, but something made her uncomfortable. She edged closer to Eduardo.

  “Villegas.”

  The roar sent chills through Chiquita. In an instant, she was a child again. She wanted to whimper, run, and hide, but her spine stiffened. She faced her father as he wove his way across the street.

  “What kind of man are you, Villegas?” Papa’s words slurred. His breath stank of alcohol, a smell Chiquita would always hate. “I give you my daughter in marriage, but here you are with another woman, parading her through town.”

  From the moment her father spoke, Eduardo’s grip on her elbow had become almost painful. She could feel the waves of anger rushing through him at the accusations.

  “You’re not making sense, Diego. This is your daughter.”

  “Are you saying I don’t know my own girl?” Papa stumbled closer, the whites of his eyes red. His companion, a man Chiquita had never seen before, grabbed him by the arm.

  “Diego, look at her.” He waved a hand at Chiquita. “She looks just like Bella. This is her.”

  “Who is Bella?” Eduardo spoke the question Chiquita wanted to ask.

  “Why, her mother, Bella Garcia de Noriega.” The man continued to gaze at Chiquita as he braced her father.

  Chiquita barely noticed the package falling from her hands. Her gaze flew to her father’s face. He whirled on the man who’d spoken, his eyes blazing. She needed no further proof for the truth of the words. With a sob, she jerked free from Eduardo and raced away.

  CHAPTER 18

  Chiquita, no! Wait!” Eduardo almost raced after her, torn between catching his wife and finding out about this mystery. Chiquita’s mother was Lupe Garcia. He’d never heard her called by this Bella name before. Besides, Chiquita looked nothing like her mother. In fact, she looked nothing like any of the others in her family.

  Dropping his parcels, he grabbed Diego’s shirt, dragging the drunken sot close. “Who is Bella?” Rage simmered inside him.

  Diego’s eyes rolled back in his head. He crumpled, his heavy weight pulling him from Eduardo’s grasp. He sank into the dirt of the road, unconscious.

  Before the other man could run, Eduardo caught hold of him. “Oh no you don’t.” He jerked the man back, glad that the street was fairly deserted. The few who were out didn’t seem to care about this small altercation.

  “Let me make this clear.” Eduardo ignored the man’s frightened gaze. Twisting the neck of the man’s shirt, he gave a little shake. “I want to know who you are and how you know things about my wife that she doesn’t seem to know. You have about one minute to start talking.”

  “Sí Señor.” The man’s voice shook almost as much as the rest of him. “I am Diego’s cousin, José. From California.” He swallowed. “I bring him news of his family there.”

  “Who is Bella?”

  “She is the daughter of our uncle. I came to tell Diego that our uncle passed away a few months ago.”

  “Why did you say Bella is Chiquita’s mother?”

  “Please, Señor, I was mistaken. It is the drinking. I didn’t think clearly. Lupe is her mother, and Diego is her father.”

  “You’re lying.” Eduardo shook the man again. “I want the truth.”

  “I’m telling the truth, Señor. Please don’t hurt me.” Jose tried to pry Eduardo’s fingers loose. “You need to go and find your wife.”

  Glancing down the street where Chiquita had disappeared, Eduardo knew that was true. Where had she gone?

  Dragging José a step closer, Eduardo gritted his teeth. “Are you and Diego staying in town?” José nodded. Eduardo released him, and he stumbled back a few steps. “I’ll find you. Even if you leave town, I’ll find you. I want some answers, and I can see I’ll have to corner Diego to get them. Just remember: You can’t run far enough or fast enough to escape me.” Picking up all the packages, Eduardo strode down the street.

  He hoped Chiquita had found her way back to Quinn’s house, but when he got there, Quinn and Kathleen hadn’t seen her.

  “I’ll help you look.” Quinn slapped a hat on his head. “Then, if you want, we’ll go see Diego together.” He gave Kathleen a quick kiss. “Don’t wait to eat. We’ll get something when we get back.”

  Lies, Chiquita thought as she ran, my whole life has been a lie. No wonder Lupe and Diego hated me. They didn’t want me because I wasn’t their child.

  She didn’t know who the stranger was, but the instant he’d stated that Bella was her mother, Chiquita knew he told the truth. Now she understood the reason she never fit in at the Garcia household. This explained why her sisters were treated differently. She’d always been the outcast, the unworthy one. Even her real mother hadn’t wanted
her. Her mother thought it would be better to give her to someone like Diego than to be troubled with raising such an unworthy child. Hurt burned inside her.

  She didn’t know how long she ran. Even the direction didn’t matter—she just had to escape. Too exhausted to take another step, Chiquita sank down on the steps of a building. The sun was down now, and the steps were in shadow. No one could see her here. She covered her face with her hands and sobbed. Now Eduardo would understand how awful and unacceptable she was as a wife. Would he make her leave? She wouldn’t blame him if he did.

  “Child, are you all right?”

  The man’s touch startled her. Chiquita gasped and scrambled away. A man in a plain brown robe knelt at the spot where she’d been. He didn’t move but gave her a kind smile. Although she usually feared men, this one seemed different. Something in his expression and his eyes told her he wouldn’t hurt her.

  He held out a hand. “The wind is rising. You have no wrap. Come inside the church so you won’t catch a chill.”

  She glanced up at the façade of the building. She hadn’t realized these steps belonged to a chapel. Scrubbing at her cheeks, she tried to wipe away all traces of tears.

  “Come, child.” The priest stood and held out his hand.

  All fear left her. She allowed him to help her up, then followed him inside the small church. She hadn’t realized how harsh the wind was until she walked through the doors. Warmth enveloped her. The priest led her into the wooden pew-lined sanctuary.

  “Sit here.” She sank down, still tired from her run. “Would you like to talk? I’m a very good listener.”

  His gentle voice soothed her ragged nerves. Urgency built within her. She needed to talk to someone. Maybe this man knew the Jesus Eduardo knew. Maybe he could tell her what to do to make herself worthy of such a Savior. She ducked her head. Oh, please, let me be able to talk to him.

  He waited in silence. Without passing judgment, he appeared willing to give her all the time she needed. Once again, she could feel the warmth she’d felt the day she spoke to Eduardo when he’d been unconscious. Her throat relaxed. She knew she could talk again.