Rafe didn’t want the responsibility of sorting out Henry’s financial dealings. He hadn’t wanted anything to do with the funeral, either, but when it turned out Henry had no known relatives, he didn’t have a choice. Broc had laughed at the irony.
The sheriff was the only one who knew the real story of what had happened on the mountainside. Everyone else was allowed to believe Roger had died in an unrelated accident. Roger’s family had taken responsibility for his burial.
“You’ll have to look around for another lawyer,” Maria said as she and Rafe left the sheriff’s office. “There aren’t many in Cíbola to choose from.”
He didn’t want to think about that now. He just wanted to go back to the ranch. If Henry had been embezzling from other clients, his several bank accounts would probably take weeks to unravel. “Do you know a lawyer to recommend?”
Maria looked at him in surprise. “You’re asking me?”
“I’ve been gone so long that I don’t remember anybody.”
“My father would never have asked my mother’s opinion in any business matter. I doubt your father would, either.”
“I have three friends with very capable wives who’ve taught me a different way to look at women. You’ve been running a house hold since you were fourteen. In my mind, that qualifies you as a capable person. Now stop acting so surprised and tell me whom you think I should hire.”
“You should ask the sheriff. Or better yet, Miguel. I haven’t spent enough time in town to know people well.”
Rafe thought Maria was probably being modest.
“Well, we’re likely to be in town for another day or two, straightening things out. Is there anyone you want to see? Anything you want to do? Anything you want to buy?”
Maria hooked her arm in his and leaned into him as they walked. “What a generous offer. It could take days just to consider all the options.”
There were many things Rafe liked about Maria, but one was her ability to take him by surprise. He had a feeling that once the serious issues in her life had been dealt with, she would have a lively sense of humor and would take great pleasure in keeping him guessing. He decided that wouldn’t be so bad.
“I wouldn’t want you to wear yourself out trying to do everything in one day. Make a list. What we can’t do now we can do later.”
Maria pinched his arm. “I don’t want to do anything as much as be with you, but I expect Luis and Broc are getting hungry by now. Why don’t we go by the hotel and take them out to lunch? I know Luis has a list of things he wants to do, and most of them have to do with a horse. I’m not sure I’m going to forgive you for turning my sweet, studious child into a horse-mad boy.”
“Then I’ll have to see about giving you a child more like you. How about a little girl with big brown eyes and a button nose?”
It amused Rafe to see Maria blush at the thought of having his children. He was equally surprised to find it gave him a funny feeling all over. A son or daughter would be his flesh and blood, his responsibility to support, to guide, to love no matter how difficult that might be at times.
“There’s a lot to be worked out before we think about children,” Maria said.
“What?”
They’d entered the hotel and Maria put her finger to her lips to indicate that she didn’t want to talk about such personal matters where strangers could overhear them. But all thoughts of children went out of his head when he opened the door to Maria’s room to find Broc lying on the floor, bound and gagged.
Chapter Twenty-six
Where’s Luis?” Maria asked.
“Laveau kidnapped him,” Broc said the moment the gag was out of his mouth.
Maria had never trusted Laveau, but his dislike of children had been displayed so openly and so often, she’d never thought he would kidnap Luis. From what Rafe and Broc had said about him, she should have realized Laveau would have abducted the devil himself for the sake of money. Yet that same thought afforded her slight comfort. Laveau would have no desire to harm the boy. He wanted only the money Rafe would pay to get Luis back.
“How did you end up gagged and lying on the floor?” Rafe asked, starting to untie the ropes that bound Broc’s hands.
“Laveau. And don’t tell me I should have kept an eye on him. That bitch Dolores was in on it. She smothered Luis in so much false affection, I was worried the boy was going to develop a fever. I was trying to get her to leave him alone when Laveau came at me from behind. When I came to, I was like you found me.”
“Why did you let them in?” Rafe asked.
“Dolores.” Broc rubbed his wrists to restore the circulation while Rafe worked to remove the rope tying his feet. “As much as I dislike her, Luis still loves her. Laveau was acting so cool and aloof, like he couldn’t wait to be gone, I didn’t pay him any attention. I know. I should never turn my back on that man, but Dolores got me off balance.”
“Do you have any idea where they went?”
“None whatsoever.” Broc kicked aside the loosened ropes and rose to unsteady feet. “They couldn’t have left long ago. If we hurry, we should be able to find which road they took and maybe catch up with them before Laveau stashes the boy where we’ll never find him.”
“How did he know you were going to be alone with Luis?” Rafe asked. “Maria and I haven’t been gone more than a couple of hours.”
“I think he has spies everywhere.”
“Do you mean he pays people to watch what we do?” It had never occurred to Maria to look over her shoulder.
“Not with money,” Broc said as they hurried out of the hotel and toward the nearest livery stable. “He smiles and simpers and looks so damned superior that when he turns his fake charm on people, they can’t stop themselves from telling him anything he wants to know.”
When they reached the livery stable, Rafe ordered one of the stable boys to saddle his and Broc’s horses.
“Mine, too,” Maria said.
“Stay here,” Rafe said. “Laveau is dangerous.”
“Either I go with you or I follow after you’ve gone,” Maria said. “Which do you want it to be?”
“Neither,” Rafe snapped, “but I don’t have time to argue. Wait here. Broc and I will see if we can find anyone who rented horses or a buggy to Laveau. I just hope we can find someone who saw him leave town.”
“Everybody knows him,” Broc said. “He’s made sure of that.”
Maria was worried about Luis. How was a child supposed to get over his mother’s helping a man he distrusted kidnap him? How could she explain Dolores’s actions in a way that wouldn’t leave a permanent scar on the boy’s heart?
Maria felt guilty about the many times she’d explained away something Dolores had said or done to hurt or disappoint Luis. She’d always finished by assuring him his mother loved him and would never do anything to hurt him. Now she wondered if it might not have been better if she’d let Luis see his mother as she really was. But how could she have done that when she herself had refused to see her sister for the selfish, manipulative woman she was?
Maria held herself almost as much to blame for Dolores’s behavior as Dolores herself. Her loyalty, love, and continual forgiveness had enabled Dolores to indulge the worst attributes of her character. Maria’s deep love for Luis had prompted her to keep the truth from him. A reluctance to tamper with a marriage that wasn’t her own had kept her from asking Warren to take a stronger hand with his wife.
It was too late to be sorry now. All she could do was try to comfort Luis when Rafe found him. She never once allowed herself to think they might not find him. That possibility was too horrible to contemplate.
She was relieved when she saw Rafe coming toward her. “What did you find out?”
“Dolores picked up a buggy at the livery stable across town. Laveau was carrying Luis in his arms. The stable boy had no idea where they might have gone.”
“Do you think Laveau would hurt Luis?”
“No. I’m sure his only interest in L
uis is the ransom he’s going to demand.”
Maria didn’t like the tightness around Rafe’s mouth. He was trying to reassure her, but he didn’t put much faith in Laveau having enough human decency not to hurt a child. She could only hope Dolores would see to it that nothing happened to her son. Despite her flaws, Maria couldn’t bring herself to believe Dolores would knowingly let anyone hurt Luis.
Dolores must have believed Laveau was helping her gain possession of her son, that Laveau would marry her, and they would all live happily together. Maria knew her sister would do a lot to regain the lifestyle she had had when Warren was alive.
She was relieved when she saw Broc round the corner of the stable at a run.
“I know which road they took,” he shouted. “They can’t be very far ahead.”
In a matter of moments they were mounted and on their way out of town. Maria had always wanted to ride slowly, but today she kept urging her mount forward despite Rafe’s warning that it was necessary to conserve energy.
“If you drive him too hard now, he’ll be exhausted after a few miles and we’ll have to leave you behind.”
It was difficult to throttle the fear that if they didn’t ride as fast as they could, she would never see Luis again.
They rode by scenes that at any other time would have drawn her attention for their beauty, serenity, and sheer majesty. She took no notice of the forested flanks of the mountains or the snow-covered peaks in the distance. She saw no abundance of flowers in fields, along hillsides, or on creek banks. She heard no birdsongs, saw no butterflies, nor did she feel the warmth of the sun on her cheek, the breeze that ruffled her hair. She didn’t smell the heady aroma of water lilies in a shaded pond or taste the crispness of fresh country air.
She heard only the rhythmic tattoo of the horses’ hooves on the hard ground, the squeak of saddle leather, the clink of metal against metal. She saw only the empty road that stretched endlessly before her. She felt only the tears that ran down her cheeks. She smelled only fear, tasted only the bitterness of regret.
Her vision narrowed to a mental image of a frightened Luis being carried farther and farther from the people he loved and trusted. He was old enough to understand what was happening to him but not why. He was young enough to give unconditional love but not old enough to understand that love rarely came without conditions. He was too young to understand that for some people the love of money could be more powerful than love for a person.
He would never understand why his mother would betray him; he might end up thinking it must be due to some fault in himself.
That single thought exploded in her head with a force that was almost blinding. Was that how Rafe had explained his father’s choosing Dolores over him? Had he spent the last ten years feeling that the reason for the tragedy stemmed from some flaw in himself?
She had always seen Rafe as a strong, confident man who had no doubts about his worth or his ability. He seemed to have an answer for everything and make decisions without needless vacillation. He trusted friends implicitly and distrusted enemies with equal directness. He held no secrets and expected others to be equally open with him. Could all of that be a painstakingly pieced together defense to cover up a deeply buried fear that he might not mea sure up?
She glanced at the profile of the man who rode alongside her. He leaned forward in the saddle, the reins loose in his hands, the horse moving fluidly between his powerful thighs. He faced forward, his gaze focused on the trail ahead. She couldn’t read his thoughts, but the hard set of his jaw, his compressed lips, the rigidity of his body all spoke of strong, focused determination to face the challenge ahead without hesitation. They spoke with equal clarity of a determination to succeed.
She didn’t know whether he could see she was staring at him, but when he looked over at her, his expression changed instantly. Grim determination became a gentle smile. The hard gaze vanished and his eyes filled with the warmth of love.
“Don’t worry.” He rode close enough to give her hand a comforting pat. “We’ll get Luis back safe and sound.”
She tried without success to smile. “I know, but he must be terrified.”
Rafe’s expression hardened. “It’s my fault. I should have known Laveau sent me that newspaper ad for a reason. He knew my father was wealthy.”
“Pilar still sends him his share of the profits from the ranch,” Broc said. “And that doesn’t count what he made rustling cattle or robbing that banker in Galveston. He ought to have plenty of money.”
“No amount of money will be enough for Laveau as long as Cade has control of the di Viere property. He hates all of us for depriving him of his position as head of the family.”
“Laveau hates cows. He ought to be glad Cade took over. At least he has an income.”
“This has nothing to do with logic or fairness. Laveau betrayed us so he could be on the winning side. In his eyes, we cheated him by surviving. We cheated him again by making it impossible for him to go home. This is about vengeance as much as money.”
“Do you think you have enough money to pay a ransom?” Maria asked.
“I’ll pay what ever I must to get Luis back, but I doubt Laveau will be able to resist the chance to use Luis to hurt me even further.”
Maria could have done without hearing that, but she took consolation in one thing: No matter what doubts Rafe might have had about himself ten years ago, he’d gotten over them. Maybe it was surviving the war. Maybe it was the love and loyalty of friends. Maybe it was becoming mature enough to know that even if he had been flawed, it didn’t excuse what Dolores and his father had done to him. She hadn’t fallen in love with a man racked by doubt or living with the fear he had a fatal flaw. He was strong and confident, a man a woman could depend on.
“How far ahead do you think they are?” Broc asked Rafe.
“I don’t know. I can’t read a trail like Cade. I grew up a rich man’s son. I never had to trail cows over ground as hard and dry as clay.”
Maria turned worried eyes to Broc. “You said they’d been gone only a short time.”
“Don’t worry,” Broc assured her. “Rafe has a clock in his head. He can calculate how fast the buggy is probably going and how many miles it can cover in a given period of time. I’m not as good as Cade at tracking, but I grew up hunting in the Tennessee mountains. Between Rafe and me, we’ll find them.”
Dolores often said women weren’t made to handle facts, that they dealt in emotions. But right now Maria would have appreciated a lot of facts. She had plenty of emotions, and none of them were contributing anything to Luis’s rescue.
The minutes seemed to drag by. Maria questioned Rafe’s decision to slow their horses to give them a breather.
“That will give Laveau time to get farther ahead,” she protested.
“Laveau grew up on a ranch and spent three years with an army troop that fought on horse back. He knows how to spare his horses. He won’t put them into a drive unless he sees us on his heels.”
“He’s got to know we’ll follow him at some point,” Broc added. “He’ll save something for a chase.”
Maria tried to be content with that answer. Nothing really mattered but Luis. He’d been the center of her life for so long, she couldn’t imagine what she would do if anything happened to him. She breathed a sigh of relief when Rafe said it was time to put the horses into a fast canter once more.
She was as surprised as Rafe when the buggy tracks turned off the mail route onto a rough track leading up into the foothills. “Do you know what’s up there?”
“No, but this was gold mining country before the war. I expect there are cabins or buildings still there.”
“What would Laveau want them for?”
“To hold Luis while he negotiates with me.”
“I can’t imagine Dolores being willing to step inside an old mining cabin, much less stay in one,” Broc said.
“Laveau won’t give her a choice.”
Maria wondered if Dolor
es realized by now she wasn’t going to get what ever Laveau had promised in return for her support. Would she attempt to rescue Luis on her own? No matter how much trouble she caused, Dolores found a way to make sure she was never the one at risk.
The trail climbed farther up the hillside. It was rough and overgrown in places, but it remained passable. “Where’s he going?” she asked Rafe.
“Most of the gold from this side of the mountains was extracted by panning in streams and gulches, but I remember there was a mine in this area. I don’t know how Laveau learned of it, but I expect he’s headed there.”
“Why?”
“It was abandoned a long time ago, and I doubt anyone has a reason to come here. He’s probably brought supplies to last for as long as he thinks it will take me to find the money to pay the ransom.”
“Do you think he knows we’re following him?”
“He will keep that possibility in mind.”
Maria decided it would be easier to be ignorant of all the possible dangers and leave everything up to Rafe, but she’d been in a position of responsibility far too long to totally abdicate to anyone, even him. “What do you want me to do when we get there?”
“Stay back until Broc and I have time to assess the situation. If you were to fall into his hands, he’d really have me over a barrel.”
“There they are!” Broc shouted.
“Where?” Rafe and Maria asked together.
“I got a brief glimpse of them through the trees.”
Maria followed where Broc was pointing, but she couldn’t see anything.
“The trail will get rougher as it goes higher,” Rafe warned. “It could be blocked by a rockslide.”
“Then he won’t be able to reach the mine,” Maria said.
“He’ll reach it if he has to carry Luis and drag Dolores every step of the way.”
Someone Like You (Night Riders) Page 29