Brazos Bride (22 page)

He leaned over and kissed Hope’s cheek. “Thank you, sweet Hope, for your faith in me.” He gave a slight bow to her and Ramona. “Ladies, please excuse me.”

Pride in her cousin’s demeanor warmed Hope. For a moment she forgot her anger toward him for conspiring with her husband without telling her.

Eduardo smiled at his father. “Shall we go now, Papa?”

Hope blinked when Ramona left her side and followed Eduardo and his father onto the boardwalk.

Ramona touched Eduardo’s sleeve to stop him. “I know you are innocent of this murder. Have I not known you all our lives? Did we not play together as children? Are we not good friends? Always you protect women.”

Eduardo stopped, and he smiled at Ramona, but stepped away from her hand. “Thank you for your faith. Please excuse my father and me, but we must hurry home so Mama will know I am free.”

“
But of course.”

He bowed slightly and long strides carried him toward where his father waited. Ramona appeared to stare after the two men, but her face was hidden from those inside the sheriff’s office.

Hope rose and excused herself before she walked out of the sheriff’s office. “Ramona, I must call on your
abuela
while I’m in town. Is she settling in?”

“
Very well. Now she realizes how nice it is to do only as she pleases. Perhaps it is time I moved back to your hacienda.” An intense expression on her face, Ramona studied Hope. “That is, if I am still welcome.”

Hope clasped her friend’s hands. “Of course you are welcome. Your room is just as you left it.” She turned to Micah, who followed closely behind her. “Did you hear? Ramona is ready to move back home now.”

Micah stopped to help her into the buggy. He offered a brief smile. “That’s good news, Ramona. I know my wife has missed having you nearby.”

Hope thought he looked displeased in spite of his words.

Ramona tilted her head. “You don’t mind?”

He helped Ramona sit beside Hope. “Certainly not. Hope has said you are like her sister. My brothers are there with me, so how could I object to you also living there?” He walked around and climbed onto the seat.

Ramona leaned forward to speak to him. “Your brothers live with you? Have they no homes of their own?”

Micah clicked the reins and the horses moved along the street. “Yes, they do, but they’re helping me with a problem. It’ll be settled soon enough, and then they’ll return to their homes.”

Joel, Zach, and Wooster followed the buggy.

Hope also knew Micah would return to his home as soon as the
problem
was solved. A sharp pain centered in her heart. She’d grown used to his presence and that of his brothers. And Maggie and Lizzie, how she would miss the aunts
. Face it Hope, you’ll miss each of them, but Micah most of all.

She sighed. “You’ll love the aunts’ cooking, Ramona. I know Annunciata is a wonderful cook, but wait until you taste the meals Micah’s aunts prepare. Pure heaven.”

Ramona snapped, “Please do not say so to
abuela
. She is just now content, but would find your statement an insult.”

Hope stung from her friend’s reaction. “Surely you know I meant no offense.”

Ramona faced her and smiled. “
Por favor
, I thought only of my
abuela
’s feelings.”

“
Of course.” Hope told Micah, “It’s the
casita
on the left under the large cottonwoods.”

“
Nice place.” Micah pulled the buggy into the small yard and climbed down and assisted both women. “I’ll wait outside while you two take care of whatever it is you plan.”

Micah watched the women hurry into the cottage. He studied the newly painted adobe with a red tiled roof. The one-story house appeared large enough for a couple of bedrooms. From where he stood at the building’s corner, he spotted a garden in the backyard. Hens scratched the dirt, and a shed housed a cow. “Looks like the old cook is set up pretty well.”

“
Miss Hope has always been generous,” Wooster said. He shifted from one foot to the other. “Reckon I ought to head back to the ranch?”

“
Restless?” Micah laughed. “Don’t blame you, but I have a better idea. Head over to the Red Horse Saloon and see if you hear anything helpful.”

“
I’ll go with you, Wooster,” Joel said. “I don’t think any of us should ride alone until this thing’s over. Micah, Zach, you wait here and help shepherd the women. Wooster and I’ll head back to the ranch after we listen around.”

Micah wondered if his big brother would ever relinquish command to him. He shouldn’t complain, not after both Joel and Zach had dropped their lives to rush to his aid. But he had to admit that at times he tired of being treated as the youngest. Surely they were old enough to be equals now.

Instead of the sharp comment that sprang into his mind, he said, “We’ll pull out as soon as we pry the women away from town.”

He watched as Joel and Wooster let their horses amble along as if they had all the time in the world. The men dismounted, tied the horses near a water trough, and strode inside the Red Horse.

At a corner of the former cook’s house, Micah focused on the saloon’s doorway. “Wish we could see inside. If the three hardasses are there, wonder if they’ll cause a ruckus?”

Removing his hat and wiping the hatband, Zach settled it back onto his head. “Could they have known Daisy watched them and killed her?”

“
Wondered the same thing. Damn, I’m sick of not knowing. Someone’s playing us for fools.”

“
Not just us, Micah. Look at Hope’s family. Parents murdered, her near to death before she figured a way to save herself. Cattle missing. Eduardo wrongly accused. There’s crafty planning going on and it didn’t start with you.”

“
You’re right, but I’ve been treading water, getting nowhere, and about to drown. By now we should have caught the skunk. Only thing I can figure is there’s more than one person involved in this scheme.”

“
We’ll catch the bastards. Saints be praised, here comes Hope and her friend. Let’s get out of this place.”

Micah lifted Hope onto the buggy seat, then took Ramona’s bag and stowed it before helping her beside his wife. He wished he could be happier about Ramona returning to the ranch, and felt small for begrudging Hope her friend’s company. He saw little enough of his wife now. With Ramona back, would he and Hope ever be alone?

He clicked to the horses and the buggy had started moving. Suddenly the Red Horse doors opened. Wooster and Joel walked out and mounted their horses.

Micah halted the buggy. “You did some quick reconnoitering.”

Joel and Wooster caught up with them.

“
Bartender kicked us out. Said he’d had enough trouble from our crowd.” Joel’s stoic expression gave no hint to his thoughts, but Micah knew his brother was plenty mad. “Told us he didn’t need our business or our money.”

Zach asked, “The men Eduardo told us about hanging around?”

Joel’s composed façade slipped and anger sparked from his eyes. “Yeah, they were there and laughing at us. Do I have to tell you that I don’t like being the butt of a joke?”

Wooster scratched his chin. “First time I ever been thrown out of a saloon. Agree with Joel. I don’t like it.”

“
Let’s head for the ranch.” Micah snapped the reins.

Joel, Zach, and Wooster dropped back to ride behind the buggy.

The women chattered and Micah halfway tuned them out. He concentrated on watching for mischief while he mulled over questions swirling in his mind. Only when Hope nudged him, did he jerk back to her conversation.

“
Micah, did you hear? Ramona asked your plans for the ranch.” She widened her eyes and pulled a face.

Micah smiled at her. “I’ve no wish to change anything my wife has set up. Did you have a suggestion?” He loved saying
my wife
. How he wished Hope truly was his wife in deed as well as name.

“
No.” Ramona fluttered her hand in a dismissive gesture. “But of course, I know nothing of such things. Always my concern is only for Hope and for my
abuela
.”

Hope patted Ramona’s arm. “And Alejandro. Don’t forget your brother.”

Whoa! Micah thought. “Ramona, Alejandro is your brother? I didn’t know that.”

Another fluttery gesture from Ramona accompanied, “But he can look after himself. He is very strong and does he not ride like a true
vaquero
?”

Hope clapped her hands together. “Oh, yes, he rides very well. Remember when we were children and he stood on his horse and execute many tricks to entertain us? After we saw the circus performers and he wanted to impress us.”

“
Sí
, this is true. He tried all the tricks he had seen done by the acrobats. I thought he would break his neck, but he did not.”

Micah considered this while the women chatted about their childhood. How had he missed knowing Alejandro and Ramona were siblings? What else had he overlooked? He paid close attention to the women’s conversation now in case more facts came up in their reminiscences.

The women had shared a lifetime of experiences. Perhaps his jealousy for his wife’s attention created his opinion, but he disliked Ramona. Lines in her face bore witness to her usual somber expression. Her eyes were too close set to be pleasing and he thought they lacked any hint of kindness. He wished she would remain with her grandmother. Too late. They had turned onto the ranch road and neared the house.

Zach rode beside him. He spoke low, so only Micah could hear. “I get that right about Alejandro being her brother?”

Micah turned toward his brother. “Interesting news, right?”

“
Keep your ears open. No telling what we’ll we find out next?” Zach kneed his horse and rode toward the stables.

Chapter Twenty-four

Once her friend Ramona’s belongings were back in her room and she joined Hope on the parlor sofa, Hope sighed with contentment.

“
I have missed having you here, Ramona. Now that my health is nearly restored, I can enjoy spending time with you, my friend. We can go riding now.”

“
I am pleased to see you looking so well. When I left with
abuela
, I feared I might never see you again. You were so frail.” She made a tsking sound.

The time had come to share the truth with her friend. Hope peered around to be certain they were alone. “There is a reason why I was so sick. Someone tried to poison me.”

Ramona gasped and grabbed Hope’s hands. “But no! How can you think this? Why did you not tell me?”

“
You always worry so about me, and I did not want to increase your burden. But I assure you that it is true.”

She released Hope’s hands. “Can you be sure? The doctor, he said you have the same disease as your poor mama. Perhaps your case, it is not so bad as hers.”

Hope relaxed against the cushions at her back. “This is true, but only because I stopped receiving the poison. I believe Mama was poisoned also, but I cannot imagine why.” Hope twisted her handkerchief, as she would like to twist the neck of the person who’d created so much misery in her family. “Oh, when I think how Mama suffered all those months. Who would hate us so much?”

“
You are very wealthy. Perhaps someone is jealous of this. Could your husband have planned this to gain your water?”

“
Ramona! You must
never
accuse Micah or his family of such a terrible thing!” Waves of disappointment swirled around Hope. Why did Ramona dislike Micah so much? “You should remember Mama was already very ill and near dying before Micah moved here. And you know he was cleared of shooting Papa.”

“
Sí
, I remember.” Ramona’s hand fluttered to her throat. “You know I seek only to protect you.” When she faced Hope, Ramona’s eyes shone with sadness. “Your poor parents, and then you, too. I only mention your husband because who has more to gain from your death?”

“
My aunt and uncle would have inherited my estate if I had not married Micah. I hope it is not them, but we cannot know. That is why now Micah and his family protect me.”

“
Your uncle is a hard man, this is true.”

“
But I do not want to believe Tia Sofia or Tio Jorge would do such a terrible thing. Yet someone fed me poison to kill me, either in my food or in my tonic.”

Her friend frowned. “Surely you are not accusing
abuela
?”

Hope patted Ramona’s arm. “Of course not. She has a sharp tongue, but her heart is soft, is it not?”

Apparently placated, Ramona nodded. “
Sí
, this is true. She is a good woman. Perhaps the doctor who brought the tonic? But why would he do such a thing?”