Gabe's Golden Girl (The Red Petticoat Saloon)

by Maggie Ryan

  “Now this, is a bandana,” he teased, ignoring the roll of her eyes as she snatched it from his fingers and blew her nose. “You do know that when we visit Mexico, you are going to be at a disadvantage, don’t you?”

  “Why? Because I’m a gringa?”

  He chuckled again. “No, because you are a gringa who might speak fluent French and English, but honey, you manage to mangle the few words of Spanish that you know.”

  “Oh, I’m not worried,” she said, giving him a smile. “I can pretend that everything that is said is praising me and, if I really want to know what is being said, I’ve got my very own, personal translator.”

  “Actually, my family speaks English when necessary.”

  She pulled his head down to plant a kiss on his cheek. “Are you really going to take me?”

  “Yes, if you still want to go after hearing my story.” She nodded and when he lifted her off his lap, she followed him to the tent. “After you,” he said, holding back the canvas flap. When she dropped to her hands and knees to crawl inside, he reached out and swatted her again.

  “Ow! What was that for?”

  “I just realized that you didn’t obey me when I told you to get into the tent an hour ago. I’d hate for you ever to wonder if I no longer cared if you are naughty.”

  “No hope of that,” she mumbled, rubbing her backside.

  Dropping to crawl inside, he reached for her again, this time causing her to giggle as arms and legs tangled together as he undressed her in the confined space. Once he’d stripped as well, he pulled her against his side, drew the quilts over them and ran his fingers through the strands of hair he’d unpinned a moment ago. Feeling her hand against his chest, right over his heart, he sighed and began his story.

  Chapter 8

  “I grew up outside Guadalupe Hidalgo. My father’s name is Enrique Gabriel Alberto Miguel Vasquez. He married his childhood sweetheart, Lupe Elena Margarita Delgado when he was twenty… my madre was sixteen. They were married five years before I came along. My mother had been an only child but wanted a large family. She had several miscarriages and, as I grew older, I saw the light in her eyes dim a bit more with each one. My father assured her that I was enough for him. The day she told my father she was pregnant again, my dad’s face was like stone… he had almost lost her the last time she miscarried but I remember that she looked… beatific. She took his hand, placed it on her stomach, and told him that this baby was her milagro, her miracle. When I was fifteen, she gave birth to my sister. They named her Elena Margarita Angeles. She was the joy of our lives.” He paused but Jewel said nothing, her fingers stroking over his chest, silently encouraging him to continue. Though she wanted to know about this man, she wasn’t sure she wanted to know what had put the sadness in his tone. Gabe continued.

  “It was a good life. We ran cattle and horses. My father was a peaceful man, a deeply religious man… content to provide for his family without the need for personal glory. But, then our country went to war to keep lands that had been part of Mexico for centuries. I remember the day the officials came to the ranch. By the time they left, we had our instructions. My father was to provide beef for the army and horses for the officers and his son to join the ranks. I was conflicted… we’d never truly considered a division between our lands and the new America. We did business with anyone who needed our beef… but that ended. Due to my father’s ability to provide much needed food and horses, I was commissioned as a teniente, a lieutenant when I was twenty-seven. I didn’t see my family for three years.”

  When his pause grew longer, Jewel turned her eyes up to his. “I hate war… I wish people could… I don’t know, just live and let live instead of causing so much heartache for so many.”

  His eyes met hers and he gave her a soft smile. “That would be wonderful but there have been wars since man began to walk the Earth. You’re right though… it isn’t something anyone should want. I saw men die… men who had become friends, and I killed men as well. I was torn when my country lost but grateful when the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed. It was to end the war between the United States and Mexico. I resigned my commission and returned home. I was so very tired of death and was looking forward to returning to my family and ranching.

  “Elena had grown into a real beauty. I’d left a gangly teenage girl behind and returned to a young woman. In my culture, when a girl turns fifteen, she is honored with what is called a quinceañera. It’s a party that celebrates a girl leaving her childhood behind as she comes of age.”

  “Fifteen is awfully young,” Jewel said.

  “Yes, but it is the way of our culture. Remember, my mother wed my father when she was but sixteen. Anyway, Elena was closer to sixteen at the time she gave permission for her party to be held. She had waited for me to return home. My father spared no expense. Not only was Elena his only daughter, but he saw it as an opportunity to begin healing among our people. Anyway, my parents invited everyone… more than five hundred people. My father, uncles, cousins and I spent days selecting and butchering cattle for the feast. My mother and aunts cooked and baked dozens and dozens of dishes. The celebration started at the church where Elena gave thanks for her life, her family, her church and received the Father’s blessings.

  “God, she was so beautiful. My mother had made her dress and the two had spent hours and hours sewing beads and small pearls all over it. That morning, before we went to the church, my mother and father presented her with a tiara… it was the same one my mother had worn for her quinceañera. My father was beaming as he walked her to the front of the church and my mother… I don’t think I’ve ever seen a woman so very happy. The young woman chooses her court and though I’d been gone, the moment I returned home, Elena informed me that I was to immediately begin practicing the court dance with the friends she’d picked to share her special day.” His tone had lightened to one of a man reliving happy memories.

  Jewel smiled, picturing him performing some intricate dance and knowing he would have given it his all because of his love for his sister.

  “The party went on for hours. We moved from the church to the ranch. There were paper lanterns hanging from every tree, dozens of flower arrangements. The food was plentiful and delicious. I had forgotten how wonderful it was to sit down with people you loved to eat a plate of enchiladas, to know that the tortillas you dipped into sauces had been made by your mother or aunts. The adults sat back and laughed and cheered as their children were spinning around like chickens with their heads cut off, swinging batons trying to break one of the piñatas which were filled with small prizes, toys, and candy. It was the first time in years I felt at peace.”

  “It sounds wonderful,” Jewel said. “Your sister loves you very much, doesn’t she?”

  “I-I like to believe she did…”

  Jewel hated the catch in his voice as much as she hated his answer. She felt a chill run through her and she closed her eyes, moving her hand from his chest to find his, to entwine her fingers with his. “What happened, Gabe?”

  “The war was over and yet there were still angry factions within my country about what they still considered theft of lands they felt were their birthright. They didn’t hide their absolute hatred of all things American. When Elena turned sixteen, my father gave his permission for her to wed a young man. But they were never given the chance to live their lives as man and wife.”

  “Why not?”

  “There was another man who wanted Elena for himself. He was twenty years older, a powerful man, and had held a high position in the army. His wife had died years earlier and he set his eyes on my sister to take her place. Elena never encouraged him. The bastard refused to accept the fact that she preferred to wed another… especially not a gringo by the name of Brian Thomas. Brian’s family owned a ranch next to ours and they’d known each other for years. They were like my parents had been… childhood sweethearts. The general threatened to bring charges against Brian of being some sort of spy. Hell, no one really paid
any attention as the war was over. When that didn’t work, he framed him… made it appear that he’d not only sold beef to the Americans, but sold stolen cattle meant for the Mexican army. Thievery is a huge crime, punishable by death. My father stood ready to be a witness for Brian’s defense but though he’d given so much of himself for his country, had not been paid in a year for his cattle or horses, had declared his loyalty to Mexico, he was never given the chance. The trial—what they called a trial—lasted less than an hour. When Brian was declared guilty… I’ll never forget the expression on Elena’s face. The sentence of hanging was to be carried out at dawn. Brian begged Elena not to come… insisted they say their goodbyes but she told him not to give up… that they were meant to be together forever. That night, when my mother went to check on her, she was gone. She left a note saying not to worry… that she knew a way to save Brian.

  “My father and I immediately rode out looking for her. He went into town… to the jail thinking perhaps she was going to attempt to break him out. But I remembered the look on her face… had seen her lock eyes with General Juan Hernandez… and I knew. I was on my way to his house when I came across her horse. I found her on the side of the road. She’d was bleeding profusely… she tried to convince me that she’d just injured herself when she’d been thrown from her horse, but I knew better. She’d been viciously beaten… raped repeatedly. She could barely move. She told me Hernandez had promised he’d get the judge to give Brian a new trial… one where further evidence would be allowed that would prove the charges were invalid. If she were willing to pay the price… give him her virginity. What she didn’t know… what I didn’t know until I got her home was that Brian had already been hanged. They’d taken him directly from the courthouse to the hanging tree.”

  Jewel didn’t speak or attempt to remove the tears that slid unheeded down her face to drip on their entwined fingers.

  “Elena’s injuries were extensive but I’ll never cease to believe that if her sacrifice had kept her love alive that she would have healed. Instead, I believe that she didn’t wish to live… not without Brian. We buried her next to him and I… I sought justice. I killed the general… left him hanging for everyone to see. I put a sign around his neck stating he was a liar, a murderer and a rapist. I didn’t try to escape… I just sat there beneath the tree until they came to get me. So yes, I was a bandido…”

  “No, you were a big brother… a loving brother and son who did what any good man would do. Exact justice for your sister,” Jewel said, the words forceful despite her tears.

  “I’d killed men in battle but this wasn’t the same. But, perhaps my town and its people had enough of bloodshed or perhaps they had known all along that Hernandez was a disgruntled, angry man… or most likely, they knew that he’d caused the death of not only Brian, but a young girl who’d given her life to helping others. Elena always had a smile on her face, a coin to press into a needy hand, or just an ear to listen or arms to hold, to offer solace. He’d destroyed what was a light in so many people’s lives. Whatever the reason, I was found innocent… I’m sure the fact that I’d been shot helped my case.”

  “Wait, he shot you?”

  Gabe hesitated and then shook his head. “No, my father did.”

  “What!”

  “He knew what I was going to do… tried to stop me. Told me he’d lost his daughter and couldn’t bear to lose his son. That it wasn’t up to us to judge… that was God’s job. I didn’t care… Hernandez deserved to die. When I called him out, the man told me he’d been cheated… that Elena was not the virgin she’d claimed to be. That she’d lain with that gringo. Called her a puta. Claimed her lies voided any bargain he might have considered. I knew he was a liar… not about her virginity… I actually hope that the two had shared their love for each other before their deaths… their murders. But I knew that Hernandez never intended to keep any bargain… I learned that before Elena ever went to him, he’d stood right beside the judge when Brian’s neck snapped. We fought and I won. He begged for his life as I dragged him to the same tree where Brian had been hanged. I put the rope around his neck but I didn’t give him an ounce of mercy… he’d given none to my sister, had caused an innocent man to lose his life. My father knew I’d be charged with murder… so he used Hernandez’s gun to shoot me. Then he went home and I waited. The wound was superficial but it was enough to convince the jury that it wasn’t murder… it was self-defense. Though how they could overlook the fact that I’d hanged him, I don’t know… didn’t really care.”

  “Because they knew he was the guilty one.”

  He shook his head. “Yes, but his death didn’t bring Elena back. It didn’t bring Brian back. My parents were devastated. I watched them age twenty years in two weeks. They’d lost their daughter and I had forced my father to go against his faith… I made him an accomplice to murder. Once I was released, I just left. I couldn’t face them… couldn’t cause them more pain. I gave up my citizenship.”

  “I don’t understand. How could you do that?”

  “With the signing of the treaty, Mexicans were given the choice to remain citizens of Mexico or become citizens of the United States. I chose to become an American. I left and came to California. I-I haven’t been back.”

  He’d sat up earlier and Jewel had crawled onto his lap. “I am so very sorry… for your entire family. I can’t imagine the pain you’ve been through. I know it hurt you to tell me… but I’m glad you did. It makes it so clear why you are the wonderful man you are.”

  “Don’t make me something I’m not…”

  “Gabriel, don’t you see? You are still protecting women. You’ve never judged me. You’ve never hesitated… not even once, to accept the women who’ve come to us. You’ve never judged them for becoming gems in our saloon… You’ve put your life on the line for them, encouraged them, made sure they know that no matter their past… they are worthy of happiness… of love. Elena would be so very proud of you and don’t you ever dare think for a single moment that she ever stopped loving you.”

  “Gracias, querida. I hope that’s true.”

  “It is, I promise. She loved you and I love you, too, Gabriel.”

  They held each other for a long time, gradually slipping back beneath the quilts.

  “Gabe?”

  “Hmmm?”

  “Your parents need you… to know you are all right.”

  “Jewel, I think sometimes it isn’t what we want that’s important. It is best I leave it as it is… allow them to forget… to heal with each other.”

  Jewel felt the opposite. Yes, she’d left her home and severed ties with her father… but this felt different. This family had gone through hell together and yet they’d had a strong family bond. Had loved and shared so very much. It just didn’t seem right but she’d heard the pain in his voice and simply placed her cheek on his chest, not willing to be the cause of more pain in his life.

  Chapter 9

  Jewel woke to the sounds of birds calling and the aroma of something delicious. Throwing back the quilts, she shivered in the cool air. Dressing quickly, she went to find Gabe. She was a bit worried that sharing his story would change him… change them, yet when he looked up from where he was frying thick slices of ham, his smile was big, his dimples deep and had her heart skip a beat.

  “Good morning, querida. Hungry?”

  “I’m starved,” Jewel admitted, an audible rumble of her stomach confirming her statement. “Where on earth did you get ham?”

  Gabe chuckled. “The cabin. I went up to see Carlos and Sam and let them know we were up here. By the way, Carlos is pretty amazed that some city gal actually preferred to sleep in a tent than in a cabin. He said the least I could do was make sure you had a proper breakfast. There’s eggs and even bread for toasting.”

  “A veritable feast,” Jewel said, sinking down to sit on the quilt. “But, as good as that all sounds, I need coffee… even that awful cowboy coffee is better than nothing.”

  “I tho
ught you said you enjoyed dinner.”

  “I said I enjoyed the fish. I can’t help that Nettie has spoiled me but I wouldn’t hesitate to give my right arm for a cup of her café au lait.”

  “You trying to get out of swinging a pickaxe?” Gabe teased.

  “Not at all, but I promise, you wouldn’t want me in some confined space with a sharp object unless I’ve had coffee.” Accepting a tin cup, she had it halfway to her lips before her eyes grew huge. “How did you make this?”

  “I didn’t,” Gabe said with a grin. “Nettie sent it with John.”

  Closing her eyes and taking a sip, Jewel moaned. She finished the cup in record time, holding it out for a refill. “Wait… you had this since last night but made me drink that sludge?”

  “Nope, John brought it up this morning.”

  “He did? Now I feel bad. He should be with Opal… he works so hard and I feel very selfish right now.”

  “Don’t feel bad. He wanted to be here.”

  “He did? Why?”

  “You’ll see,” Gabe said cryptically as he continued to cook. He placed slices of bread on a stick and set it over the fire and then scrambled eggs. After eating, and drinking another two cups of coffee, Jewel sighed. “That was delicious. Thank you.” Pushing up to her feet, she then bent to give him a kiss. “I’ll do the dishes and then, partner, I’m ready to find me some gold!”

  “From your lips to God’s ears,” Gabe said.

  Within a half-hour, Jewel was standing at the mouth of the mine. She smiled, running her hand over the sign that had been painted above the entrance… Corazón de Oro. “I know it’s silly but I can understand why so many people have flocked to California. Just knowing that there is a possibility of finding gold is like some magnet.”