Sharon Poppen (11 page)

“Yes. Looks like maybe a kidnapping. Happened yesterday.”

“Senors and senorita.” The Spanish woman touched Frank’s arm. “Please, come inside. Tomas will take your horses.” She pointed to a young man who had jumped from the corral fence and was walking toward them.

Hannah dismounted and handed the reins to Tomas as introductions began. The Spanish woman was Aunt Emiliana and the blond woman was a Mrs. Sara Jackson. Over cooled glasses of tea, the story was told.

A woman had arrived early yesterday morning claiming to be the sister of the baby’s mother. Said she’d been expecting her sister to arrive in San Antonio, but a sick husband had kept her from meeting the train. When she’d finally arrived in town and heard about her sister’s death, she was devastated, but happy to hear that her niece was alive.

“Why didn’t she contact us? We were still in town.” Liam asked.

“Said she heard that Daniel and I had taken the baby and just naturally followed us.”

Liam nodded. “Makes sense. What did she have to prove it was her niece?”

Frank dropped his head to avoid eye contact with his brothers.

“Senors, we had no reason to suspect she was being untruthful. We let her take the baby.”

Hannah turned to the blond woman who was silently weeping, while dabbing at her tears. “How does this woman fit into the picture?”

“She arrived about an hour ago and claims to be the baby’s grandmother,” explained Aunt Emiliana.

“I am the baby’s grandmother.” The woman’s voice was tearful, but firm. “Her mother, my daughter Caroline, fell in love with a Ben Stevenson, one of our ranch hands. He was lazy and didn’t seem to know much about ranching, but he was handsome and charming. We woke one morning and she was gone. Over the next year, we’d get letters from her but by the time my husband would get to the area from where the letters had come, she’d be gone. Her last letter told us of the birth of Jessica Marie and that she was coming home. Said she’d be on the train that arrived yesterday, but she must have caught an earlier one.”

“How’d you find out about your daughter and the baby?” Hannah pressed for more information.

“I checked with the ticket master. He told me about a woman being killed and that her unclaimed baby had been taken by two men to the Canady Ranch. After getting a description of the woman from the train conductor, I knew it was my Caroline.” Sarah Jackson paused for a moment as she struggled for control of her emotions. Aunt Emiliana urged her to sip some tea, then Sarah continued. “I didn’t even take the time to go back to our ranch to tell my husband. My ranch hand and I caught a couple of hours sleep at the train depot, and then I had him bring me straight here. My husband must be frantic.”

“What would this woman want with your granddaughter?” Hannah asked.

“In one of her letters, Caroline wrote that Ben said the baby was going to guarantee him a good steady income for some time to come. Since he was the father, no one could take the baby from him and if we wanted to keep it alive and healthy, we’d pay good money.”

“Blackmail money.” Liam named it.

“Yes,” Sarah managed before she broke into tears again.

To see a woman in such pain, stirred up painful memories of her own. Now, to add to that, Hannah remembered her promise on the day of the young mother’s killing. She’d promised that she’d remember for the baby. Hannah had seen to it that the killers were going to face justice, but now it seemed that the killers had created a new danger for the baby. Her face edged into a portrait of undisguised determination to help right this wrong.

She looked across at Liam. He nodded.

Hannah reached over to touch the woman’s knee. “Do you have any idea where they may have gone?”

Chapter 19

Offers and Promises

They were gathered in an open-air courtyard in the center of the house, or hacienda as Aunt Emiliana called it. Amid flowers and shrubs, they sipped at glasses of water that Aunt Emiliana had poured. Hannah and Sarah sat side by side on a gaily-painted bench while Aunt Emiliana, Frank and Daniel used a similar bench just across from them. Claiming he needed to stretch his legs, Liam stood next to Daniel and watched Hannah interrogate Sarah.

“No, I can’t imagine where this woman would take little Jessica.” Sarah dabbed at her eyes. “Oh, I can’t believe my daughter and granddaughter are both gone. I need this small part of Caroline, this baby.” She looked across at Hannah. “I just know Ben is involved.”

“Did Ben ever mention a family or where he came from?” Hannah asked.

“No. Said he had no family. Said he’d been drifting around since he was a boy,” she answered.

To give Sarah a moment to blow her nose and gather her thoughts, Hannah turned to Frank. “Can you describe the woman who took the baby?”

“A looker. Young. About your age, I reckon. Brown hair, near your height.”

“What was she wearing,” asked Hannah.

“Plain dress.” The tips of his ears colored as he turned from Hannah and spoke to Liam. “She …, ah …, oh hell, it was white. I think.”

With a hint of smile, Aunt Emiliana came to Frank’s rescue. “It was a calico dress, yellow with tiny dots of many colors. It was at least one size too small for her. The buttons on her bodice threatened to burst free.”

“Oh, so she was –

“Never mind, Daniel,” Liam interrupted. “Let Hannah go on.”

“Does the description of the woman bring anything to mind?”

“No,” Sarah’s jaw tightened. “Probably one of those women Ben dallied with from time to time. My poor Caroline refused to believe he had other women, but from the sound of her letter I think she finally figured him out and tried to leave.”

The desperation on Sarah’s face reaffirmed Hannah’s promise about remembering for the baby. She exchanged glances with Liam and was glad to see support in his eyes.

“I think you’re right, Sarah.” She touched the distraught woman’s hand. “Please know that we’ve come to love little Jessica and wouldn’t want anything to happen to her.” Sarah nodded and Hannah continued. “Now, we need to ask you if you can put your trust in us to track her down. Once we do, we’ll bring her to you and your husband.”

“My husband! He must be frantic with worry.”

“I’m sure he is. You need to go to him.”

“Oh, dear God! When he finds out what’s happened to Caroline, he’ll go crazy. He’ll chase Ben down and kill him.”

Hannah gripped Sarah’s hand tighter. “Or, Ben will kill your husband. That’s why I suggested that we find the baby. Ben would recognize you or your husband and move on the minute he saw you. He wouldn’t know Liam or me and this would give us time to ask questions and look around.”

Sarah’s forehead wrinkled with indecision and worry as she looked from face to face until coming back to Hannah. “Yes. I suppose you’re right. I just couldn’t bear the thought of another loss.”

“Of course not. Come,” Aunt Emiliana stood up. “Let’s get you some food and water together for your trip home.” She eased Sarah along toward the kitchen. “These young people will chase that horrible Ben down and find little Jessica. I’m sure of it. In the meantime, after you tell your husband, you’re welcome to come back here and we’ll wait together. “

Once the women were out of earshot, Liam stated the obvious. “The odds of finding the baby are a poor bet.”

Hannah nodded. “Probably, but I made a promise to the soul of that dead mother that her daughter would never forget her.”

*****

They stood on the veranda and watched Sarah’s buckboard create a cloud of dust as she and her ranch hand headed east.

“Which direction did the woman take when she left with Jessica?” Hannah asked.

“East,” Frank offered.

“Yes, east. Toward San Antonio.” Aunt Emiliana added as the buckboard rolled out of sight and the dust began to dissipate. “Poor woman.” She made the sign of the cross and went inside.

“Liam, come on inside. You really haven’t had a chance to meet Aunt Emiliana yet.”

“You and Daniel go on. I need to talk with Hannah.”

As soon as they were alone, Liam moved to stand behind Hannah and circled her waist with his arms.

So intent on thoughts about how to find the baby, his action took Hannah by surprise.

His words whispered against her ear. “So? What about us?”

Although the question bothered her, she relaxed back into Liam’s body and sighed.

His muscles relaxed as he pulled her closer. Minutes passed in silence as he waited for Hannah’s answer. After a few minutes, he tensed and uttered her name. “Hannah?”

Staying within the warmth and strength of his hug, she gave him an honest answer. “I don’t know.”

“That’s not what I wanted to hear.”

“I know.”

He caressed her upper arm and spoke into her hair. “You love me.”

“I do.”

“Then, there is an ‘us?’”

She turned to him. His hands moved to her shoulders as their eyes embraced. “Yes, there’s an ‘us.’”

He smiled.

“But, every time in my life there has been an ‘us,’ it’s been taken away. My parents, my husband ..., I just don’t ...” She put her head against his chest.

His arms circled her, their hug giving them both time to form their thoughts into words. “Hannah, I want you for my wife.”

“Liam, I –

He held her close. “I won’t rush you. I’ll be here, beside you. I’ll ride with you. I’ll love you. And, when you’re ready, I’ll be honored to be your husband.”

The lump in her throat blocked any response, so she kissed his chest.

Daniel barged out onto the veranda shattering the tenseness of the moment. “Geez, sorry.”

Liam and Hannah broke apart and turned to see Daniel looking off in the opposite direction while sporting a flush of embarrassment.

“I told Aunt Emiliana we hadn’t eaten since breakfast, so she fixed supper for us.” He glanced at the couple.

“Thanks, we’ll be in directly.” Once the door closed and they were alone again, Liam took her hands and smiled down into her eyes. “I meant what I said. You tell me when you’re ready.”

“Thank you. And, please know, that until I can offer you more, I’ll be your woman and all that goes with that description for as long as you want. That is, if you want me.”

Liam’s eyebrows arched in a frown.

“It’s the best I can offer, for now.” She reached up and took his face between her hands and kissed him gently. The sadness in his eyes tore at her heart and threatened her resolve. It lasted only a moment or two before he nodded. She was relieved when, if not a smile, at least a measure of acceptance softened his expression.

“If that’s all you can offer right now, that’s what I’ll take. But,” he took her hand and caressed her ring finger, “I live for the day when you’ll accept my offer.”

She nodded and they fell into a gentle embrace.

Eventually, he pulled back. “As for now, woman, I’m hungry for food. Let’s see what Aunt Emiliana has cooked up for us.” He took her hand and as they entered the house he added.  “Then we’ll make plans. God knows you are the master at making plans.”

Hannah allowed herself to be led into the house, but food was the farthest thing from her mind. She followed Liam, much as she had followed Caleb, in complete trust.

Thoughts of her dead husband threatened melancholy. He wasn’t dead a year yet and she had already found a man who offered many of the same things Caleb had offered.
Am I being disloyal? Is finding the baby more important than bringing Drake to justice?
She shivered at the sound of her name. Was she getting an answer from beyond?

“Hannah, what are you doing?”

“Caleb?”

Everyone was seated at the supper table, except Hannah. She stood by the window staring out into the sandy Texas landscape.

“Caleb?” Aunt Emiliana asked.

“It’s her late husband,” Liam explained as he went to her. He touched her shoulder lightly. “Hannah, what are you doing?”

His Southern drawl rested easy on Hannah’s ears and eased her from her guilt-laden mental lapse back into the warm, colorful kitchen with its rich, inviting aroma. It was an aroma of love and caring. It filled the emptiness left by Caleb’s death. As it surrounded her, she realized that this is what Caleb would have wanted for her. He was letting her go. She turned and smiled up at Liam. “Sorry. I just …”

“I understand.” He gave her shoulder a tender squeeze. “Are you all right, now?”

She nodded and glanced over at the concerned faces around the supper table. “Yes.” She reached for Liam’s hand. “And, I’m hungry,” she admitted as she led him to the food.

Chapter 20

Legalities

“Liam, I really think I should be going along with you to San Antonio to look for that baby.” Frank continued the reasoning that had been hashed over repeatedly after last night’s supper.

“The ranch needs a lot of work. Daniel can’t do it alone.”

“Aunt Emiliana has needed our help for a long time. It can wait a little longer.”