Tía Laura scurried to the woman, who must certainly be Anna, and enveloped her in a hug. When she pulled back, Tía Laura bent down to Anna's swollen abdomen, speaking softly. It was such a tender moment, Alejandra had to swallow a lump in her throat.
Anna looked past her aunt and smiled at Mama Sarita and Alejandra, then said something. Tía Laura jumped in, and rattled off a string of American words. Alejandra smiled politely anytime someone spoke her name or pointed to her. The dialogue moved too fast, though, for her to keep up with the conversation. Would she ever be more than an outsider?
Mama Sarita, in her everlasting kindness, must have sensed Alejandra's frustration. She turned to speak in Spanish. "Anna says the child inside her has moved a lot lately. She is sure it must be a boy."
"Sí," said Anna, her eyes brightening as Spanish rolled off her tongue. "Él es grande y activa, al igual que su papá."
Alejandra stared at the woman, then closed her open jaw. Anna spoke almost perfect Spanish. But how? She looked so…American.
"How is it you speak Spanish?" Alejandra finally asked in her native tongue.
Anna smiled, laughter lighting her brown eyes. "Most of our ranch hands are from Mexico. Juan and the others have taught me much over the last ten years."
A smile parted Alejandra's lips, too, and she didn't try to hold it back. Two people now who could speak her own language. It was a good thing she came to visit this ranch after all.
Anna reached for Alejandra's hand and led her to the couch. She had to let go so she could use both hands to lower herself. But when Anna was settled, she patted the seat next to her. "Come and tell me about yourself, Alejandra Diaz. In which part of Mexico did you live?"
Time moved without notice, as Anna peppered Alejandra and Mama Sarita with questions. None of it seemed like prying, though. How could it when such innocent interest widened her eyes?
It wasn't long before Emmaline started to squirm in the chair beside her mother. Tía Laura rose and spoke something to Anna in American, then extended a hand to the little girl, and they left the room.
Anna turned back to Alejandra with an apologetic tilt to her mouth. "My aunt says she's going to have to learn Spanish to join our conversations."
Oh my. The last thing Alejandra wanted to do was displease Tía Laura. She started to ask Anna to call her back, but the woman placed a hand on Alejandra's arm. "She was teasing. Emmaline misses her aunt, so they've gone to prepare lunch together."
Mama Sarita scooted to the edge of her seat. "I should go try to help, too. Or is there something else I can do, Anna? Housework or laundry?"
Anna shook her head, but a double line pinched her brow. "Our neighbors' daughter has been coming to help after school. We get enough done to keep things around here working. My husband, Jacob, keeps telling me I need to hire a full-time helper to handle either the house or cooking for the vaqueros. I just can't bring myself to do it, though." A soft smile touched her lips. "Cooking for the men is why I came to the ranch all those years ago. It's special to me."
Mama Sarita rose, releasing a tiny groan as her limbs unfolded. "I'll go see what I can do to help my sister then."
Alejandra started to join her, but Anna pressed a hand to her arm. "Stay and visit with me. Please? I haven't had company in so long, and I can't get out like I used to."
Anna's face looked so hopeful, it forced down the guilt of sitting while the older women worked.
Alejandra nodded. "Sí. I am happy to talk to you."
They chatted for a while longer until a tantalizing aroma captured Alejandra's senses. She stopped in the middle of her question to Anna about how much land the ranch covered. "Do you smell that? I think Mama Sarita's made her famous chicken tortilla soup."
Before Anna could respond, the front door opened and boot thumps echoed in the hallway.
"Who is it?" Anna called in American, as she watched the open doorway.
A man strode through it, tall and lean and dressed like a vaquero, with a leather vest over his long work shirt. He said something in American as he strode toward Anna. A smile lit his crystal blue eyes as he gazed at her. No doubt about it, this had to be Emmaline's father. Anna's husband. Her suspicion was confirmed when he leaned over Anna and lowered his mouth to hers.
Alejandra turned away to give the couple privacy. And to fight the moisture building in her eyes. Would she and Luis have been like this, if he'd lived longer? He'd never looked at her the way Señor O'Brien looked at Anna. But Luis had seemed to enjoy being with her. Now she would never know.
Anna's voice broke through Alejandra's thoughts. In Spanish, the other woman said, "Jacob, I'd like you to meet Alejandra Diaz. She just moved here from Mexico with Aunt Laura's sister, Mama Sarita."
Señor O'Brien smiled from his place beside Anna's seat, as he answered in Spanish. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Señorita Diaz. Any friend or family of Walter and Laura is always welcome here."
Alejandra allowed a smile to bloom over her face. So many people that spoke her language here. "Thank you, Señor."
~ ~ ~
Señor O'Brien joined them for the midday meal. But he left again soon after, and Mama Sarita urged her sister to leave the kitchen and spend time with Anna and little Emmaline. While they cleaned the dishes in the kitchen, Alejandra eyed the room. Dust and leaves had gathered on the floor in the corners, and rings of dried liquid marred the smooth surface of the table against the wall.
"Mama Sarita, do you think Anna would mind if I swept and wiped the tables? Should I ask her?"
A smile lit Mama's face. "I was just thinking the same. Poor girl is so big with child, the cleaning is hard. We'll do all we can, and let it be a surprise."
They set to the tasks, but it was amazing how cleaning such a grand house didn't feel like work. Alejandra had swept all the downstairs rooms, dusted the furniture and drapes, and emptied ashes from the stoves, by the time Mama Sarita began preparations for the evening meal.
"Can I help you, Mama?" Alejandra asked as she tucked the whisk broom into a corner of the storage room off the kitchen.
"Sí, mija. We'll have beef tamales tonight, with frijoles refritos. And maybe we can find some dried pears or apples for sweet tamales after the meal. Will you shred the meat while I cook the peppers?"
They worked for over an hour, preparing the food in tandem. They made such a great team, she and Mama Sarita. Warm, spicy aromas filled the house, bringing Tía Laura, Anna, and Emmaline in to peek at the food.
"Those tamales look amazing," Anna said in Spanish. "I've never been able to make mine stay wrapped in such neat bundles. The men are going to beg you to come cook for them every day."
Mama Sarita dismissed her comment with a wave. "Not at all. But we've made plenty so they can take some for the noon meal tomorrow." She stepped back from the work counter to examine the food laid out there. "I think we are almost ready. Just the table to prepare. How many places should we set?"
Anna's brows scrunched. "Let's see, there are sixteen men including Jacob and my brother. Plus the five of us ladies." A merry grin spread over her face. "It's a good thing our table is so large."
The lines deepened on Mama Sarita's forehead. "Alejandra and I can eat here in the kitchen." She motioned to the round table by the wall. "We don't want to crowd your family."
"Absolutely not. You're honored guests in our home. If I thought there wasn't room I would let Emmaline eat early. But that's not the case."
"What's not the case?" A deep voice resonated from the dining room, and moments later Señor O'Brien appeared in the kitchen doorway.
"I was telling Mama Sarita and Alejandra we wouldn't dream of letting them eat alone in the kitchen. There's plenty of room at the big table for us all."
Señor O'Brien's brows lowered and his blue eyes darkened. "Of course there's room. You'll eat in the dining room with all of us." Then his face softened. "You're family, after all."
As he left the room, Alejandra set back to work organizing the ap
ple tamales on a clean tray, so they would be ready after the meal. Without warning, a rumbling sounded, along with the bang of wood on wood from the front of the house. The floor beneath her vibrated, and it took her a few moments to realize the rumble was the thud of many boots in the hallway. Tiny clinking noises sounded from the shelf where the serving dishes were stacked, as they, too, started to vibrate. Was this the vaqueros coming in for the evening meal? How did the house stand up to so many men filing through every day?
Anna stuck her head in the door. "Alejandra, we're ready to sit down for the blessing."
"Sí. Coming now." She settled the last two tamales on the tray, wiped her hands on her apron, and scurried toward the door.
The dining room hummed with conversation as some of the men stood and others settled into chairs. After a quick glance around to find Mama Sarita, Alejandra dipped her gaze and tried to be as invisible as possible while she slipped toward the seat where the woman motioned. What a relief to be seated between Mama Sarita and Tía Laura.
Señor O'Brien cleared his throat, and conversation quieted, replaced by the scraping of chairs as all the men settled in. They bowed their heads almost in unison, and Señor O'Brien offered a prayer in American.
Alejandra pressed her eyes closed, trying to understand some of the words. She was getting used to a prayer being spoken before each meal, since Tía Laura and Tío Walter followed the same tradition every time they sat down to eat. Señor O'Brien spoke some of the same things Tío Walter did, but the earnestness with which he said "Thank you" and "Father" made each word seem so heartfelt.
He ended with "Amen," and after she made the sign of the cross on her chest, Alejandra peeked around her lashes to make sure everyone else had opened their eyes. The last thing she wanted to do was offend these people by appearing irreverent if they had any strange customs after prayers.
When she did raise her head, she scanned the faces around the room. Anna was right, most of the vaqueros were Mexican.
And then her gaze skidded to a stop.
That face. That man. She blinked to clear her vision. Could it be him? It had to be. As if he could feel her gaze on him, he glanced up from the tamale on his plate, and a slow grin spread over his handsome face.
The cowboy from San Antonio. Edward Stewart.
Chapter Seven
For a long moment, they stared at each other. What was he doing here? Had he said something about working at a ranch outside of Seguin? Maybe—now that she thought about it. His deep brown eyes held hers as his grin produced a dimple in one cheek. That smile made her stomach do a funny flip.
"Alejandra, have you met my brother yet?" Anna's voice rose over the clatter of plates and forks.
Alejandra brought her head around to see who Anna was talking about. But Anna's smile was trained toward the cowboy. Señor Stewart. Edward. Her mind strained to understand what Anna meant, but it was like trying to run through deep water.
"I've had the pleasure of meeting Señorita Diaz." Señor Stewart's deep voice rumbled from across the table, pulling Alejandra's attention to his face. His mouth formed an amused tilt. "I'm glad to see you made it to our humble ranch."
Heat flamed up Alejandra's neck. He hadn't actually told the others they'd met before today. Should she say something about it? If she didn't, it would be like their own secret. Not that it was a bad secret. He'd saved her life, after all. Shouldn't they all know of his bravery?
But before she could speak, Anna said something to him in American. It sounded like she introduced him to Mama Sarita.
Señor O'Brien changed the conversation back to Spanish, as he addressed Mama Sarita and Alejandra. "Have you met the rest of the men? We've a good group of vaquero's on the Double Rocking B." He pointed to the man beside him. "This is Monty, our foreman. The place wouldn't run without him."
Monty dipped his chin in a sheepish grin. It was a nice smile, though, with his white teeth flashing against his tanned skin. He looked about Señor O'Brien's age, but a little more trail worn, perhaps.
"Then there's Miguel, and Juan." As his name was spoken, the old man who'd greeted them in the yard now grinned with a bob of his head. Señor O'Brien kept listing names as he pointed to each man around the table.
Alejandra offered a polite smile to each—almost all the men being her own countrymen—but she couldn't help darting glances out of the corner of her eye at the American across the table. And every time she did, he was watching her. It sent a flush of heat through her chest. What was it about this man that made her react so?
The conversation turned back to American, and Alejandra kept her eyes on her food while she tried to pick out words. They must be talking about the cattle. And something about cold. A river. Longhorns. Some of the words were close enough to the Spanish ones, she could understand if the person spoke slowly enough. She would get this. She had to.
After the men polished off the apple tamales, chairs scraped against the floor and boots thumped as the group rose. It had looked like there were a lot of people when they were all seated, but with so many men standing, their presence overpowered her small frame until there was hardly room to breathe. Alejandra slipped from her chair and into the kitchen. Whew.
Striding to the sink, she rolled up the sleeves of her best white shirtwaist. From the bar on the window sill, she scraped a few soap shavings into the bucket of wash water where the frying pans had been soaking.
"Alejandra?"
Whirling, she found Anna in the doorway, a friendly smile on her face and one hand settled on her middle. "Sí."
"Jacob thought you might like to walk out and see the horses with me and Emmaline. I haven't been out of the house all day." She brushed a hand over her wispy brown hair. "I could use some cool air."
Alejandra slipped her gaze from Anna to the near vacant dining room behind her. There was a table full of dishes to wash. No way could she leave with all this work to be done. But would it be rude to deny a request from their host?
Mama Sarita appeared in the doorway behind Anna, shifting her to the side with a gentle hand. "Alejandra." Her voice was stern. "My sister and I will take care of this washing. Go with Anna and let us work in peace."
With that command, Mama Sarita strode to Alejandra and pulled the cast iron pan from her hand. She dropped it into the water bucket with a "clunk." Then she propped a hand on each of Alejandra's shoulders, spun her toward the door, and pushed.
Alejandra fought to turn herself around so she could speak to the forceful woman. "Mama," she hissed. "I should stay in here to help. There's too much work to be done."
"Go with Anna." Mama Sarita had her at the door to the hall by now. With a firm pat on the back, she said, "Enjoy yourself," then spun back toward the kitchen and set to work.
A chuckle sounded from Anna as she stepped up to Alejandra and linked a hand through her elbow. "Let's go get some fresh air. I think these ladies want to work without us."
Emmaline scampered to meet them in the hallway, and Alejandra fought down her guilt while Anna helped her daughter with hat, coat, and mittens. Mama Sarita did deserve a chance to visit with her sister alone. After all, they'd been separated for all those years. If only she could have talked both women into letting her clean the table and kitchen, while they relaxed by the fire.
"All set?" Anna turned a cheery smile on Alejandra.
Squaring her shoulders, Alejandra grabbed her shawl from the peg, and stepped toward the door. "Let's go."
Anna frowned, not moving forward. "Do you have a warmer coat? The nights are getting cold."
Alejandra raised an arm to examine her wool shawl. Papa had brought home the strip of cloth as a gift, and she'd dyed it a deep red and embroidered blue forget-me-nots around the edges. It was one of her few luxuries. A special adornment that made her feel beautiful.
Anna examined the flowers in one corner. "This shawl is lovely, Alejandra. The needlework is amazing. Did you buy it in your hometown?"
"Sì. Papa bought the mate
rial, and I added the flowers."
Anna's gaze drifted over Alejandra, a new respect sparkling in her eyes. "You're so…" she paused, as if trying to think of the word in Spanish. "…talented."
Heat raced up Alejandra's neck, and her eyes fell to the shawl. "Gracias."
Anna slipped an arm around Alejandra's shoulders. "We'll need to make you a warmer coat, too. Texas winters can be awfully cold, with snow lasting for days or sometimes weeks. Jacob said he didn't think this winter would be as bad. But you'll still need something besides this lovely wrap."
She lifted a lantern from the wall as Emmaline led the way out onto the porch.
"Look, Mommy." The child spoke in a hushed tone, her face turned to the sky. "The moon's bigger tonight."
The mother and child discussed the night sky and the patterns of the moon as they walked. Alejandra lagged behind, staring up at all the twinkling lights against the black background. There were so many tonight, just like she used to see back home. The three stars of Orion's belt. The lion Leo. They were all familiar. Like a comfortable blanket. So many things of this place reminded her of Mexico. The language the people spoke. The food. The stars overhead. Could it be, on this cattle ranch in the middle of Texas, she wasn't so very far from home?
After a pleasant quarter hour with Anna and Emmaline in the barn, Anna looped her hand around the crook in Alejandra's arm again and strolled toward the house. "You know, Alejandra. You're welcome to come ride any time. That Palomino mare is a good saddle horse. I can't go with you quite yet, but maybe Edward can, if he's in town. Or Jacob could send one of the hands out with you."
"Gracias." Alejandra's heart soared at the offer. A chance to ride again? The way she used to ride bareback through the dawn at Rancho Las Cuevas. But no. She had to rein in her daydreams. They lived in town, and it was a two hour wagon ride to this ranch. Her chances of riding at all were not likely, and certainly never in the first light of dawn.
The Ranger Takes a Bride Page 5
