Texas Desire

by Holly Castillo

  The last thought chilled him more than the icy ground. If something happened to him, who would take care of Bella? Where would she go? Probably back east to be with her snobbish grandparents who thought he was out of his mind to go and build a new home in wild territory. Which, if he died out here, they were probably right.

  They were about one hundred yards away from the camp when they came face-to-face with two muskets pointed at them, the tips nearly touching their noses. “Looks like we found some certified Mexican scum looking for secrets about us,” one man spoke, then turned and spit the juices from his tobacco on the ground.

  Cade was grateful Olivia wasn’t talking, and was staying put. It was best for her to go along with what he did. He raised his hands and held them over his head and, to his relief, she did the same.

  “We come to you in peace. We are Texians who have been hunting Santa Anna’s men for the past couple of months. We have valuable information to pass on the General Houston.”

  The other man attempted a laugh that was much more like a snort. “They just want you to take them straight to the general. Well, they get points for having big—”

  “Shut up, Gomez.” At least now they had one name and knew who was in charge, at least, for the moment.

  “Where you from?” he demanded from Caleb.

  “Originally Columbus. Most recently from San Antonio.”

  “No one survived the attack on the Alamo, hombre, so you just lost your life.” He cocked his gun and settled his finger on the trigger.

  “Wait!” Olivia cried out desperately. “I can vouch for this man. He was badly injured by the Mexican Army and came to my home naught but a day before the battle at the Alamo. He wanted to fight so much. When he learned the Alamo had fallen, he was devastated.”

  “I’m sure he was, sweetheart. Now say goodbye.” He spat another stream of tobacco.

  Olivia stood slowly and the men became nervous, not sure whether she was the immediate threat or if Cade was. She stood tall and regal, much like he remembered seeing her the first time he had met her. And then she did something that made his heart nearly stop.

  She stepped in front of the gun.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  “Olivia!” he growled. “Get behind me.”

  “You’re-you’re one of the Torres sisters, aren’t you?” The second man said stuttered.

  “Yes, I’m one of the Torres sisters. And I can vouch that this man is a Texian, same as you and I, and we have been within Santa Anna’s camp. We have valuable information to share with your officers.”

  The man holding the gun on Cade seemed mesmerized by Olivia, and Cade took full advantage of the opportunity. He grabbed the gun and shoved it backwards, hard, and the butt of the gun slammed into the young soldier’s nose. He yelped in pain and Cade ripped the gun free of the man’s hands and turned it on the two privates, obviously just farm boys who had wanted to see a little action but had no idea what war was really about.

  Cade stood slowly and, with his free arm, he grabbed Olivia and wrapped his arm around her waist. Then, amazingly, he handed the gun back to the other soldier. “I’m sorry about your nose, but it was my only chance. Now, would you mind taking us to see Sam? General Houston, I mean.”

  The two men looked at both of them with wary eyes. Finally, the second man stepped forward and lowered his rifle. “I will, sir.”

  Cade smiled at him and clapped one of his big hands on his shoulder. “Thank you, private. But I must ask...where did either of you get tobacco when you are so low on supplies in general?”

  He grinned and Olivia guessed he was probably only sixteen or seventeen years old, far too young to witness the horror of war. “Not anymore, sir. We, uh, well, we commandeered one of their supply boats.”

  The other man next to him rolled his eyes. “What he is tryin’ to say is that we stole it.”

  Olivia and Cade both fought hard to contain their laughter, and their eyes met, full of mirth. “I’m very glad you were able to get some vittles for the men,” Cade spoke calmly, even though all he wanted to do was set his head back and laugh heartily.

  “Now,” he continued, “will you take us to General Houston?

  “Yes. But you gotta look to be prisoners we’ve caught. If we just show up in camp with two strangers, we could all be shot.”

  “I take no issue with that,” he said, and again he spoke calmly, even though his nerves were starting to fray. They could very well have killed both of them for being Mexican spies and never said anything else on the matter.

  “Put your hands back up, now, and walk in front of us. If you even attempt something suspicious-like, we’ll shoot you. Ya’ll understand what I’m sayin’?”

  “Yes,” Cade and Olivia said in unison.

  Their eyes met and he wanted to be mad at her for placing herself in the line of fire to protect him, but her beautiful eyes glittered with hope, and he lost all desire to be mad at her. He would talk to her about it later. He had to make her understand how valuable her life was to him. He had to let her know how much he loved her.

  That thought made his palms sweat more than having the gun pointed at his back. How could he tell her he loved her when he didn’t have anything to offer her other than his heart? And, on top of that, she’d gain a daughter instantly. Could she love Bella the way he did? Could she be the mother that Bella needed? Or did Olivia want to only have her own children and would decline his love because of what came with it?

  All along he had been thinking he had nothing to offer her if he fell in love with her. Now he realized he had many things to offer that would drive away most women. He felt as though his heart was suddenly being clamped tightly. He loved her—he needed her. And she had already professed her love to him. But he couldn’t give her what she needed.

  The eyes of many Texian soldiers turned on them as they walked into the camp. Olivia followed his instructions and didn’t make eye contact with anyone. He did the same, though his eyes did scan over the faces quickly as he kept his head down, making sure no one could see him. And his heart began to race.

  They were paraded through the camp towards one of the larger tents, and Cade did everything he could to keep his face averted from all within the camp. He couldn’t afford for anyone to identify him.

  One of the Texian soldiers nodded at the two men that were escorting them and held open the flap to the tent. They were pushed inside where a few men sat around a wooden table, discussing the Mexican Army’s position.

  “What is the meaning of this?” A voice boomed with indignation, and the two soldiers that had escorted them inside stepped forward, their chests puffed out proudly.

  “We caught these here Mexican spies trying to sneak into our camp,” one of them, the one chewing the tobacco, announced proudly.

  Cade finally lifted his head and smile broke out across his face. “Sam,” he said with warmth and respect.

  A towering man with large sideburns that went all the way down his face to his cheeks turned from the table and looked at Cade, his expression at first suspicious. But it swiftly changed and a smile touched his lips.

  “Cade Barret, as I live and breathe. You are a sight for sore eyes.” The giant man stepped forward and held out his hand and grabbed Cade’s extended one, and pulled him in to slap him on the back affectionately. “I’d heard you were either dead or stuck with the Mexicans, being tortured to death. I’m happy to see that neither are true.”

  The other soldier, the one who wasn’t chewing tobacco, stuttered, “B-but, general he’s—he’s a spy for the Mexican Army!”

  Sam Houston closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. Finally, he opened his eyes and looked at the soldier. “How old are you, son?” he asked, his tone not revealing whether he was mad, amused, or irritated.

  “Eighteen, sir!” The young soldier stood straight and rigid, his chin lifted with pride.

  “Eighteen,” Sam Houston sighed. “Son, go back out with your fellow soldier here and
take back your post. This time, watch for some genuine Mexican spies or soldiers.”

  The boy looked in disbelief at Cade, then at General Houston, then at his buddy, who was already turning and beginning to head out. He looked back at General Houston one more time, then raced after his friend out of the tent.

  General Houston turned back to Cade and placed a hand on his shoulder. “It’s good to see you, Cade. I’m sorry to hear about what happened to your family.”

  “That’s one of the reasons I’m here, general.”

  General Houston’s eyebrows lifted and his eyes finally drifted over to Olivia, who stood slightly behind Cade. He looked her up and down quickly, then let his eyes slowly drift back to Cade. “I certainly hope that you have a reason for bringing this woman into my camp.”

  Cade pulled off the wide-brimmed hat he wore and ran a hand through his hair, then placed the hat back on. “She’s helped me to get here and if it weren’t for her, I probably wouldn’t even be alive.”

  Sam Houston stepped around him and approached Olivia with a serious expression on his face. “I owe a debt to Mr. Barret, and therefore, I owe a debt to you, Ms...”

  “Torres. I am Olivia Torres.”

  General Houston hesitated, then a small chuckle escaped him. “You are the fria sister, aren’t you? From San Antonio? Your reputation precedes you.”

  Cade saw Olivia stand a bit straighter, her pose nearly becoming rigid, and her expression hardened. “You are correct, general. I am indeed the fria sister.”

  Cade wondered what would happen if he punched the top general of the Texas Revolution. He suspected he would be hung for treason but, at that moment, seeing how Olivia’s past haunted her all the way to this side of Texas made him want to force the general to apologize. But, it was foolish. Olivia had deliberately taken on that persona for more than one reason, and it was because of her choices she would be met with people who pictured her this way.

  “It is an honor to meet you, General Houston,” Olivia said politely, giving him a small curtsey.

  Again, General Houston chuckled. “I can’t remember the last time a woman treated me with such respect. Young lady, how did you end up all the way out here in the middle of this mess?”

  “I brought her with me to tend to my wounds,” Cade said, sliding his arm around her waist subconsciously. It was a movement that was caught by General Houston’s keen eyes, but he said nothing about it. Instead, he focused on what Cade had just said.

  “Wounds? I heard the Mexican Army took you prisoner, but I know nothing of your injuries.”

  “Colonel Ramirez is determined to see my death. He already killed my son, and he tried to kill me when I escaped them. He sliced my leg to the point that I couldn’t walk. I made it away from him, but I don’t know how. I made it to Olivia’s house, having heard they are Texian sympathizers. If Olivia had turned me away...”

  “Cade is a strong man. I only aided in his recovery.”

  “Sounds like you did more than that,” General Houston replied. He glanced around at the men that were in his tent. “Give me some time to catch up with my friend here.”

  “But General Houston!” one man exclaimed.

  “The Mexican Army could be on the move at any—”

  “I can have five damn minutes of privacy with an old friend!” He barked at them, and without saying another word, they took off out the tent, some of them still grumbling.

  General Houston sighed heavily and ran his hands over his sideburns, smoothing down some of the wild hairs that showed signs of turning grey. He turned back to the table and leaned upon it heavily, staring down at the map that had been sketched together. It showed the positions they held, as well as what they knew about the positions of the Mexican Army.

  “Tell me everything,” General Houston said to Cade as he poured a small cup with two fingers of whiskey, handed it to Cade, then did the same for Olivia and himself.

  Olivia stared at the whiskey she held as if she had never seen it before. Then she drew a deep breath, tilted her head back, and downed the whiskey in one large gulp. The expression on her face as the whiskey burned down her throat would have been comical had they not been in the middle of a war.

  “You’re at a major disadvantage, here, Sam. The two men who betrayed me to the Mexican Army are camped just about one hundred feet from you. It wouldn’t surprise me if they aren’t sharing all of your knowledge with the Mexican forces any time they get even remotely close.”

  “Damn it to hell!” General Houston slammed his hands down on the table, causing the lamp to vibrate dangerously close to the edge of the table. Then he straightened his tall frame and turned to the tent flap and marched to it in just a few long strides. He jerked open the flap and barked at one of his guards who came to him and listened intently to the general’s instructions.

  General Houston stomped back into the tent and a few minutes later there was a commotion outside, and it sounded as if two men were starting to voice adamant protests, and then there was sudden silence. “If that was only the worst of the problems I’m dealing with,” the general grumbled under his breath.

  He poured himself two more fingers of whiskey and downed it quickly. Then he wearily sat down in his chair, his knees bumping the bottom of the table. “Talk to me, Cade. Give me good news.”

  “I wish I could, Sam. God, you don’t know how much I wish I could.” Cade located another chair and urged Olivia to sit down, even though she tried to insist she was fine and could stand. The general watched them with a knowing eye.

  “So, tell me what the problem is with Colonel Ramirez? What does he have against you? Killing your family wasn’t enough for him?”

  “That’s just it, Sam. He didn’t kill Bella.”

  The general’s eyes narrowed. “What are you talking about?”

  “He took her hostage, sir,” Olivia spoke up. “He took her hostage to use for their cause.”

  “She isn’t—she can’t be the one... oh, God, Cade, is she the little girl they’ve been parading around on the trail?”

  Cade squeezed his eyes closed, then finally looked at the general, his heart full of fear, anger, and the mad craze for revenge. “Yes. Yes, she is. And we’ve heard on the trail that he has a boy, now, too. So he’s using two different children to manipulate the people to do what he wants.”

  “Good God, Cade... I can’t even imagine what you’re going through.” The general leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. “But knowing you as I do, you are doing something about it.”

  “Colonel Ramirez took me out of the game for a long time. A lot of time I could have spent looking for Bella. But, instead, I’ve been laid up, learning how to walk again.”

  “That would explain your limp.” The general’s eyes drifted over to Olivia, who had remained silent as the two men exchanged words. “So, young lady... how did you end up in this position of caretaker?”

  Olivia shook her head. “I’m not a caretaker at all, sir. I’m just as eager to find Bella as Cade. I’m here because I want to be, and, yes, Cade needed some help in the beginning, but he’s in fine health, now.”

  “That’s good to hear, because I need some reliable men. These men out here are just itching to cry mutiny and take over. I know they are thirsty for revenge but, hell, there has to be a strategy. There has to be a plan.”

  “I wish I could ride alongside you, Sam, but I’ve got to find Bella. I can’t let her be in the middle of a battle. Not my little girl.”

  The general shook his head. “I understand. Truly, I do. I wish there was a way I could force you to stay, but I know you already—you’d defy me anyway. What can I do to help you?”

  “We just need a safe place to sleep for the night. I’m not comfortable sleeping with the wolves. Can we bed down over here?”

  “There’s not much for comfort, but, yes, you can certainly stay here. Anything for my favorite lawman.”

  “I’m sorry, what was that?” Olivia had been
listening to the conversation, but the last sentence really grabbed her attention.

  The general chuckled. “He hasn’t shared with you some of his crazy stories? He’s one of the best lawmen I’ve ever had the pleasure to work with. He always made sure there was justice for all, and fought for it harder than anyone I’ve ever known.” General Houston looked at Cade with what appeared to be a sense of admiration.

  Cade could feel Olivia’s eyes boring into the back of his head and wanted to tell his good friend, even if he was the general for the revolution, to keep his trap shut. But he shouldn’t be keeping secrets from Olivia, and she should hear his past. But there were other things going on that had a higher priority.

  “My life as a lawman is in the past,” Cade said with determination. “I’m ready to help with the revolution as our top objective.”

  “Having you over there when we finally engage with them could be extremely helpful for us.” He hesitated, his eyes looking over Olivia and Cade. “You could start as soon as you get back, if you’re able to sneak around the camp enough. You could destroy some of their ammunition, keep their saddles far away from the horses, things like that.”

  “We won’t have to worry about that. They’ve used the saddles as part of their breastworks.”

  One of Houston’s bushy eyebrows lifted at Olivia’s words and he tilted his head slightly. “Ms. Olivia, are you able to help us with our map?”

  Olivia stood and looked over the map in a quick review and nodded. “Absolutely. They are located in some of these little island areas that are more of a swamp between the trees than land. So it may prove an opportune area for attack.”

  For over an hour, Olivia and Cade shared information with General Houston, making several marks on the paper that was their “map.” Finally, the general knew he needed to speak to those who were in his immediate command to lay out their plans for the following day. He gave Cade a firm handshake and embraced him briefly. “I look forward to seeing you on the other side, once we’ve defeated this tyrant.”