“I’ll be right back.” She raced across the field, into the tack area of the barn. Rummaging through the brushes and other equipment, she found a tin of salve. A loud clank echoed at the far end of the barn. She glanced that way but didn’t have time to investigate. One of the dogs must be nosing through the stalls back there.
“Is this what you need?” Out of breath, she knelt slowly so she didn’t startle the foals.
“That’s it. Set the tin down over there, where it won’t get trampled.” Lucio had his hands full as the filly thrashed, trying to get free.
“Can you go fix a stall?” Tomás wiped the sweat from his forehead. The long ocotillo sticks were hard to work with. “When we get them free, we’ll need a clean, dry place for them. If you could put down some straw in one of the empty stalls, that would help.”
Chiquita trotted back to the barn. The tension exhausted her. She wished Eduardo would return. He would want to help with this. Midway down the aisle of the barn, she peered into an empty stall. The floor, clean-swept, would be easy to prepare. She only had to spread some fresh straw to have it ready.
“You won’t get away this time.”
Her breath caught at the voice behind her. Closing her eyes, she prayed for strength and help. Turning, she faced Diego. He stood close to her, an unlit torch in one hand, a cigarette dangling from the corner of his mouth. A tendril of smoke curled up past one eye.
“What do you want?”
His eyes widened. For a moment he stared at her. His eyes narrowed, turning his expression to one of hatred. “All those years, you pretended to be dumb. Now, you marry someone with a little money, and you think you’re better than we are.”
“You’re the one who made me marry Eduardo. He thought he was marrying Teresa, but you tricked him with me, remember?”
“Shut up.” He slapped her hard enough to knock her back a step. She resisted the urge to touch her stinging cheek.
“I’m here to take care of you myself. I sent that incompetent fool to get rid of you, and look what happened.”
“What are you talking about?” Apprehension clutched at her. Had Diego been the one trying to kill her? Why?
His lips turned up in a sinister smile. “You have to die, you see. I should have gotten rid of you years ago, but you were a hard worker, so we kept you around. That was a mistake.”
“I don’t understand.”
“I guess it doesn’t matter if I tell you now. By the time those vaqueros get the foals loose, you’ll be dead anyway.”
She shuddered. He’d deliberately hurt the horses so he could get her alone. How could she have lived in the same house with this man and never realized how devious he was?
“You were brought to us when you were a little baby. Your mama, my uncle’s daughter, wasn’t married when she had you. Some drifter passing through caught her out alone and took advantage of her. After you were born, my uncle said she had to get rid of you.” He took the cigarette from his mouth.
“Your mama knew she couldn’t go against her papa. He was a hard man. She convinced José to bring you to us. She paid us to keep you. That’s where we got the money for the place we have.” He gave a malevolent chuckle. “You bought that for us.
“Everything went along just fine until right after you were married. José showed up saying my uncle died. Your mama, Bella, is now a wealthy woman. She’s been looking for us since we disappeared years ago. We didn’t want her to know how we used the money. I couldn’t let you tell her how you’ve been raised. She wouldn’t approve, and that means we wouldn’t get any more money from her. That’s why we hid from her years ago. We were only waiting to hear about her inheritance; then we would let her know where we were.”
He touched the end of the cigarette to the torch, then dropped the cigarette in the dirt, grinding it out with the toe of his boot. The cloth smoldered, then caught. Chiquita’s heart pounded. She wanted to scream that this couldn’t be true.
“Now you understand. If we get rid of you, we can give her a sob story about how you died of disease a few years back. José and I even put in a grave with a marker so she can go there and cry awhile. Part of the bargain was that if we did our best by you, she would reward us handsomely when her father died. Her brother is in charge of the estate, but she received a large share under his authority.”
The torch flame burned brighter, dark smoke spiraling upwards. The scent of fire made the few horses in stalls restless. Diego glanced at the door.
“I’ve talked enough.” He took two strides and reached a lantern hanging from a nail in the wall. After twisting off the cap to the oil reservoir, he tossed the lid on the ground and plucked the lantern from the wall. She knew, without asking, what he intended to do as he walked toward her.
“Diego, no.” She tried to stand strong against him, but the venomous gleam in his eye sent a tremor of fear through her. The fear of fire that plagued her since childhood overwhelmed her.
CHAPTER 20
Her senses heightened. She took in every detail—the dirt under Diego’s fingernails, the faint crackling of the flames, the crunch of the straw littering the aisle as Diego walked toward her, the all-too-familiar smell of cigarettes that clung to him, the acrid taste of fear in her mouth. Faint thunder rumbled outside.
Catching the bottom of the lantern in his right hand, Diego lifted it high. Chiquita’s skin began to prickle as terror shot through her. Unexpected energy washed over her. She jumped to the side as Diego began the downward motion intended to douse her with oil. Her hand jerked up, knocking his arm aside.
The thunder grew louder. Three horses raced up to the barn, their hooves sending a shower of dirt into the air as they slid to a stop. She heard Eduardo yell. She tried to turn and run to him. Her foot slipped. The fall knocked the air from her lungs. She could almost feel the heat from the torch. The stench of oil and smoke filled her nostrils as she finally drew in a breath. She rolled, trying to get away from Diego, praying for Jesus to help. Someone screamed, a horrible, fear-laden sound. The stench of burning flesh made her gag.
Eduardo leaned over El Rey’s neck, urging the stallion to run faster. Rico and Jorge followed behind him, their grim and determined expressions matching his own. The horses’ hooves thundered on the road leading back to the ranch house.
When he left the Garcia place, following Diego’s cousin, José, Eduardo hadn’t gone far before he realized José was taking the back way to the Villegas ranch. Taking a shortcut, Eduardo came around in front of José and stopped him. The man tried to put up a front, but Eduardo had little trouble convincing him to tell the truth about Diego. While he was getting the answers he needed, Rico and Jorge rode up to see if he needed help. He couldn’t have been more grateful when he found out that Diego had gone to find Chiquita in order to make sure she was out of the way.
Leaving José behind, the three rode hard and fast to the ranch. Eduardo couldn’t remember when he’d prayed so hard. He knew Chiquita would be outside working in the garden or doing other chores. Diego would have little trouble getting to her. Even with Tomás and Lucio watching, any little distraction would keep them busy elsewhere long enough for Diego to harm Chiquita.
For the first time in years, Eduardo realized he wasn’t filled with anger. He did feel concern and determination, but this had nothing to do with the unhealthy rage he would have felt a few weeks ago.
As they raced from the river road toward the barn, Eduardo could see Lucio and Tomás in the field with the horses. He wanted to shout at them. What were they doing there rather than watching over his wife? Lucio glanced up, saw the riders, and motioned wildly at Eduardo to join them. He knew he couldn’t possibly see what Lucio wanted until he found Chiquita and made sure she was all right.
The rumble of hoofbeats echoed as they hit the hard-packed ground of the barnyard. Hauling in on the reins, Eduardo’s gaze was drawn to the open barn doors. In an instant, he took in the scene. Chiquita stood with her back to a stall, facing Diego. Diego he
ld a lantern over his head with one hand and a burning torch in the other. Eduardo’s heart thudded. Even someone as cruel as Diego wouldn’t do something this evil.
“No!” He hit the ground running almost before El Rey slid to a stop.
He saw Chiquita fall. Diego’s arm, knocked aside by Chiquita, flew up. At the same time, Diego must have heard Eduardo’s yell. He pivoted. The oil from the lantern splashed across his shirt and his face, then ran down his chest and back.
Squinting his eyes closed to keep the oil out, Diego began to wipe the liquid away. The torch, brushing by his face, flared. The flames touched the oil, igniting and spreading rapidly, following the trail across his body. Diego screamed. Dropping the torch and lantern, he ran from the barn. Eduardo tried to intercept him, but Diego moved too fast.
As Diego raced across the barnyard, the flames leapt higher, fueled on by the fresh air and wind. Rico and Jorge both ran after him. Eduardo turned back to the barn. The discarded torch had caught the straw-littered floor on fire. Snatching up a saddle blanket, Eduardo began to beat at the flames. The need to get to Chiquita urged him on. He had to get the fire out first before he checked to see if she was hurt. Finally, he knelt beside his wife. She lay curled in a ball on the ground.
“Chiquita.” He touched her. She flinched. “It’s me, my love.”
Her tear-streaked face turned to him. “Eduardo?” She almost flung herself at him. He pulled her close, sitting down on the floor to rock her as she sobbed. An unbelievable peace stole over him. Despite all that had happened, he knew everything would work out just fine.
“Come on, keep your eyes closed a minute longer.” Eduardo led Chiquita by the hand, his pulse racing in excited anticipation. One of the things he recalled about his parents was their ability to have fun together. After all that had happened to him and Chiquita since they married, he knew they needed to find a way to laugh.
Chiquita had difficulty sleeping some nights. The image of Diego’s burned body haunted her. She often struggled with guilt over not being the right kind of daughter that he could love, even though he wasn’t her natural father. After Diego’s death, Lupe insisted on returning to California with José, choosing to go home to relatives there. Eduardo made Lupe tell them the whole story. He wanted Chiquita to realize her mother, Bella, had to do what she’d done, and the deception and cruelty were Diego and Lupe’s fault. Lupe admitted that Bella had been a virtual prisoner in her own home. Although Lupe said Chiquita could have the land and house she grew up in since they’d used her money to purchase the place, Eduardo still insisted on paying her something. He couldn’t see leaving her destitute when she still had four daughters to raise.
“Can I open my eyes yet?”
“In one minute.” Eduardo positioned her so she would have the best view when he let her look. He ignored the drops of sweat trickling down his back. Placing the bundle he carried in the soft grass, he stood to one side of his wife. He wanted to see her reaction to this place. She’d never been here before.
“Okay, you can look.”
Her eyes flew open. She blinked. Her mouth dropped open, her eyes wide. A slow smile lit her face.
He glanced to the side, looking at the view she saw. This small, natural spring had been one of his parents’ favorite places. Surrounded by cottonwood trees, the oval pond formed by the stream looked cool and inviting. Sunlight rippled in sparkling waves across the half of the water that wasn’t shaded. Grass grew in abundance here, the blades reaching almost to his knees in spots.
“It’s beautiful.” Chiquita’s voice held a note of awe. “I didn’t know this was here.”
He put an arm around her shoulders and tugged her close. “My parents used to come here quite a bit during the summer. This was their special place. I thought maybe we could make this our place now.”
She looked up, her eyes shining. “I just can’t believe a place like this exists here.”
“Take off your shoes. The grass feels wonderful on your feet.” Eduardo sat down and tugged his boots off. Chiquita giggled and removed her slippers. He could see her toes wiggling through the soft, green blades.
He clambered to his feet. “Now, I want to show you what my parents used to do here.” She smiled up at him, totally unprepared for what he was about to do. He swept her into his arms and stepped to the edge of the water. Her eyes widened in shock as he swung her in the air and let go. The splash as she hit the water almost drowned out her gasp.
Spluttering, she floundered for a moment before discovering she could stand. He knew the water only came to her shoulders at the deepest part.
“Why did you do that? My clothes are soaked.” She started for the bank.
“Don’t you dare come out here, or I’ll throw you back in again.”
She glared at him. Tossing his hat on the ground, Eduardo jumped. Landing in the pond close to Chiquita, his resulting splash soaked her again. The shock of the cool water faded, replaced by sheer enjoyment. He laughed. Eduardo couldn’t remember the last time he’d laughed like this.
Chiquita stared at him. Her braid had come partially undone. Strands of drenched hair streamed across her face and shoulders. Her eyes began to twinkle. He couldn’t seem to stop laughing.
Drawing her hand back, she brought the palm forward through the water, lifting at the last minute to send a huge splash directly into his mouth. He sputtered.
“War it is, my love.” He sent a splash back at her, making her squeal and stumble away.
In minutes, she was using both hands to get him as wet as he was getting her. Her melodic laugh startled him. He realized he’d never heard her laugh before. Diving for her, he pinned her arms to her body as she squealed and fought him. Catching both of her hands in one of his, he caught her face with his other hand. She quit laughing as he gave her a long, lingering kiss.
“This is what I want for us, Chiquita.” His voice was husky with emotion. “We’ll have a lot of hard work, but I want us to laugh and enjoy one another. Do you think we can do that?”
She tugged one hand free and caressed his cheek. “Yes. I love you so much, even when you try to drown me.” She chuckled. “What if I couldn’t swim?”
“I would have been your handsome prince and jumped in to save you.”
She giggled. “I thought the prince always had his servant do the dangerous work.”
“Then I’ll be the servant who rescues you, my lady.” They both dissolved in gales of laughter.
The afternoon sun was waning as they strolled, hand in hand, back to the house. Eduardo had brought a change of clothes for each of them so they didn’t have to wear their wet things home. They waved to Lucio and Tomás, seeing the pair exercising the foals that’d been hurt. The babies would be fine after a few more days of pampering.
A buggy stood outside the house. Chiquita glanced up. “Were you expecting company?” Her hand lifted to her damp, loose hair.
He frowned in thought. “No, not that I know of. Whoever it is, Rico or Pilar must have let them inside.”
The door creaked shut behind them. As they entered the living room, an older woman rose. Her well-made gown suggested money. She looked familiar, but it took a moment before Eduardo knew where he’d seen her before. She was an older, darker version of Chiquita. This must be Bella, her mother.
“Estrella?” The woman took a hesitant step forward. “I’m sorry. I hear you are called Chiquita now. I’ve always thought of you as Estrella.”
Chiquita’s eyes widened in understanding. She glanced at Eduardo. He smiled and nudged her forward.
“My name is Bella. I’ve waited so many years to see you.” The woman’s voice broke. She stretched out a slender, gloved hand to Chiquita. “I wanted you to know—I loved you so much. I’m so sorry your birth had to be kept a secret for so long.” Tears glittered in her eyes.
Chiquita hesitated only a moment longer. With a cry, she flew across the room into her mother’s arms. Eduardo left them to get acquainted. He would have time
to join them later.
That evening, after supper, they sat together in the living room. Eduardo held his wife’s hand as she snuggled next to him. After her mother retired, they sat for a while, enjoying the quiet and each other’s company.
“I’ve tried to get used to calling you Estrella, but I can’t.” Eduardo spoke softly near her ear. “That’s such a beautiful name for a beautiful woman. You do remind me of a shining star, but somehow you’ll always be my Chiquita. Do you mind if I call you that?”
She shook her head. “I will always love you calling me Chiquita.”
He kissed her. “Can you tell me what you and your mother talked about?”
Chiquita gazed up at him, her expression more peaceful than he could ever recall. “She’s so beautiful, isn’t she?”
Eduardo caressed her cheek. “You look just like her.”
Chiquita lowered her gaze. “I don’t know how I could. For so long I’ve thought of myself as ugly, it’s hard to think otherwise.” She gave a sad smile. “My mother felt so bad. She already talked to José and found out how Lupe and Diego treated me. It’s nice to know she thought of me and wanted me all these years. Her father was a tyrant—almost as bad as Diego.”
“I’m glad you’re not angry at her.” Eduardo couldn’t seem to quit touching her.
“I think this is all such a shock. Maybe if I’d thought I had a choice, I might have been bitter. Although Jesus could take that bitterness away, I’m so glad that all I feel is love for her.”
“Come here. I want to show you something.” Eduardo pulled her up from the couch and led her to the mirror hanging on the wall. “Look.” His hands on her shoulders, he made her face the looking glass.
She stared at the floor. “I can’t. You know that.”
“Please, for me.” He brushed a strand of hair from her cheek.
Reluctantly, she glanced up. She’d never had the courage to look in a mirror. The young woman looking back caught her eye. She stared. The face was her mother’s, only much younger. She had lighter hair and eyes, but her features resembled Bella’s.
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