Winning the Lady (Book 4 of the Red River Valley Brides)

by Hestand, Rita

  The marshal scoffed at him.

  "I would think that would please you, Marshal." Sister Ann cast him a quick glance.

  "Don't matter one bit to me. I'm just doin' my job, Sister."

  "A rather unpleasant one, I would think," Gil added.

  "Not fer me it ain't. I'm seein' justice done. That pleases me." The marshal frowned at them all. "You people sit here with your self-righteous attitudes, but you don't know what it takes to chase someone like this down. The hours spent in the saddle trying to find him. The people you have to talk to, the dangers that come with it. It's a nasty job, and sometimes we bring back what looks like pure innocence, but I assure you, he is not. It's my job, and no one thanks me for it. For some reason, so many find their sympathies for the prisoner, not the one who brought him in. It's a thankless job."

  "You chose the job, didn't you, Marshal?" Gil asked, his eyes narrowing.

  "Shore I did. I am fast with a gun, and fast-witted. I know how to track a man or a beast. I'm good at what I do, but I get no thanks for that either. There are two little boys back there who will be thankful someday. I can tell you that."

  Sister Ann nodded as she searched the marshal's face. "You are right, Marshal. You have a hard job, and you get very little thanks for what you do. But God knows what you do. He sees it. It is what is truly in your heart that counts. Good deeds mean nothing to God."

  "Don't bible preach to me, Sister," he fretted.

  "Very well, I'll simply pray for your soul, Marshal." She smiled.

  "We'll all be there, Juan. Maybe you'll go with a smile on your face," Gil assured him.

  Juan smiled at him. "Thank you, Senor. I will do my best."

  "Sister Ann, are you going to be taking care of a church of your own?" Trish asked as she shot the marshal a frown.

  "Oh, no, but I will assist the Father in both places. One of the churches is quite famous, San Fernando Cathedral. It was just built in '74. It is too much for him, without help almost impossible. The size of the congregations has grown so. Since the battle of the Alamo, the town has flourished. San Antonio boasts nearly twenty thousand people now. That's the largest populated town in Texas."

  "San Antonio is a pleasant place to visit. I'm always in awe when I see the Alamo. Beautiful country, too." Gil smiled at Sister Ann.

  "Oh, yes, very much so. It is a beautiful city, I cannot wait to get there." Sister Ann took out her rosary and handed it to Juan. "For you," she whispered.

  "Gracias." Juan took the rosary.

  The marshal glanced at Gil. "What exactly do you do for a living, sir?"

  Gil put his arm around Trish. "I'm a gambler. I figure you already guessed that much."

  The marshal almost smiled, but it didn't quite reach his lips. "I figured as much. Are you an honest gambler?"

  Gil smiled sardonically. "If I wasn't, I'd probably be dead by now. Don't you think?"

  "Probably," the marshal muttered. "Gambling is not an ideal occupation for staying alive."

  "Then we have something in common, Marshal, however I think that depends on the man and his talent." Gil stared at him intently. "Do you gamble, sir?"

  "Don't make enough to indulge in the sport myself. Got better things to do with my money than that anyway."

  "You know, come to think of it, I've known very few lawmen who gambled," Gil commented.

  The marshal took out a flask and took a drink. "We don't make enough money to throw it away, sir."

  Gil smiled at the irony of his actions and his words.

  Sister Ann turned her head, as though to say she was disgusted with the ill-tempered marshal.

  Juan glanced at them all and smiled. "This will probably be one of my last days on earth. We should be celebrating and making merry, not stone faced. Do you not agree?"

  Trish smiled at the young man. "You are right. Your life is what you make it, Juan. Although your time is short, you can still make the best of it."

  Sister Ann agreed.

  Gil squeezed her hand in his.

  "I only wish I had found a woman. Perhaps she could have kept me in line," Juan suggested with a smile.

  "Do you have family, Juan?" Trish asked.

  "Si, a big family. That is why I left. My parents could not afford so many mouths to feed. So I left home early. I was fourteen. I did odd jobs around town for a while. It kept me eating. But when there was no work, I had to eat, I stole my food."

  "How big a family do you have?" Sister Ann asked.

  "I have seven brothers and three sisters. I miss them a lot, but it is best that I am no longer there."

  "Do they know about you about… tomorrow?" Sister Ann removed another rosary from her pocket.

  "No, they do not know. I don't want them to know until it is over. Then…"

  Sister Ann looked at him. "Then let me know where they live and I will get word to them."

  "They live in the hills…"

  "What hills?" Gil probed. "That takes in a lot of territory. If you want the sister to help, you must tell her exactly where."

  "The hills of Mexico," he explained. "The Sierra Madre Mountains."

  "It is no matter. I have friends there who can help. What is your family name?" Sister Ann persisted.

  "Martinez. My father is Luis Martinez, and my mother is Rosa. Do you think you could reach them?"

  "I do. It might take some time, but at least they will know what happened to you. Otherwise they might look for you for years and never find you. If I had some paper and a pen, I could write it down."

  "We will write it down when we get to San Antonio," Trish assured her, taking her hand in hers.

  Sister Ann smiled. "The Lord provides us many friends along the way to make things easier. We will get this information to them, Juan, I promise."

  "Thank you, Sister. I wish I could pay you or something." Tears ran down Juan's cheeks. "I never gave much to the church…"

  "It's the Lord's work. No pay is needed for that, Juan. Would it be possible to take him to confession, Marshal, before…"

  "I'd have to accompany him, and it would have to be quick. Is it really necessary?" He sounded put out.

  "It is very important. Confession for a Catholic is one of the most important things in their life. To any Christian," she assured him. "Are you a Christian, sir?"

  "I am not!" The marshal frowned at her. "I don't have time for such foolishness. As many killings as I've seen, how could I believe there is a God?"

  "It seems you don't have time for much, do you, Marshal?" Gil asked.

  "Will you take the time to take him?" Sister Ann persisted. "It is very important that he confess his sins to God before…"

  "I guess I could take him, although he never bothered confessing in court. What good will it do to take him to church now?"

  "You might be surprised. Thank you, Marshal." She glanced and nodded to the marshal.

  He stared at the nun but didn't say anything..

  The rest of the ride was quiet.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  "Have you ever been to San Antonio?" Sister Ann asked as they neared the city.

  "No. I've heard it is big and modern and hosts many things, including a railroad." Trish smiled, remembering the things Gil had told her about it.

  "Not only that, but it has hospitals and it is where the cattle drives usually begin. They are making their streets more travelable, and so many inventions have occurred. San Antonio is comparable to New Orleans. Have you been there?" Sister Ann asked an excitement building in her voice.

  "No, I'm afraid not." Trish glanced at Gil.

  The marshal shook his head. "There ain't no industry except cattle. Got all kinds of foreigners. It's too big, bigger than Ft. Worth. Lots of military, though."

  "Military?" Trish twisted her head in surprise.

  "Yeah, it's the headquarters for the border patrols at the Mexican border. It's a rich city full of big cattlemen. I like Dallas myself," The marshal commented, seemingly forgetting his animosity towar
d any of them. "Dallas is more civilized, with less violence there."

  "Still it is an exciting city to see for the first time," Gil commented offhandedly. "Some of the most beautiful missions are here. The Alamo being the most famous."

  "It sounds exciting to me." Trish glanced out the window to see a lot of activity going on in the streets.

  Their chatter woke Juan. His expression was serious. The closer he got to their destination, the more nervous he became.

  As they arrived in the city, there was much hustle and bustle even at this time of evening.

  The stage pulled up to the depot and everyone got out slowly.

  "We must hurry. I want to get a room at the Menger Hotel. It's really the best in San Antonio." Gil told Trish.

  "Oh, yes, of course." She turned to the sister. "I'll write down the information and see you tomorrow then," she said, glancing at Juan who had turned white as the marshal took full custody of him and headed him directly to the jail.

  She watched Gil rushed over to the Marshal before he left. "What time will it be?" he asked, glancing at Jaun and not wanting to mention the hanging in front of anyone else.

  "Noon tomorrow." The marshal pulled Juan by the collar to the jail.

  "Right." Gil ran back to Trish's side and nodded to Sister Ann. "See you tomorrow then."

  She smiled and went her way.

  They rushed to get a room at the Menger and managed a small room, that was left.

  Gil grimaced apologetically. "Sorry for the size of this one, but it's such a good hotel. You'll be glad we stayed here."

  "It's beautiful." Trish smiled at him. "And it's heaven being off that coach. I was getting numb."

  "Yeah, me too. Are you hungry?"

  "Starved." She whirled around the room and admired the details the room presented. "If I keep eating this way, I'll be big as a cow."

  Gil shook his head. "You have no idea how beautiful you are, do you?" When she didn't answer, he went on, "They have a café right here, The Colonial Dining Room. It offers all sorts of wild game and even mango ice cream. They even serve turtle soup."

  "Imagine that!" She tried to sound enthusiastic, but the mention of a eating a turtle turned her stomach.

  "I'm sorry about the one bed. I'll have them bring in another."

  Trish nodded and took his arm to go downstairs.

  She didn't want to say anything, but she relished the hours and days she had spent with Gil and hoped there would be many more. But that was a big hope. He hadn't declared his love for her.

  Trish ordered Snapper, while he ordered steak as usual. She looked amused. "You never try anything new."

  "Force of habit, I guess. I just happen to believe you can't get much better than steak, myself." He smiled as they poured a light wine for them.

  A fiddle player came and serenaded them. It was so romantic, and the looks Gil sent her made her tingle with anticipation. She almost wished he wouldn't order another bed, but she couldn't be that bold and ask him not to.

  The candle light flickered in his eyes.

  "Do you want to walk about the tow, or rest tonight and maybe see some things tomorrow?" Gil asked as they finished they dinner.

  "I'm very tired tonight. Do you mind if we stay in?"

  "Not at all. The ride was pretty rough. Even I felt it."

  She sighed. After trying the mango ice cream and delighting in it, she allowed him to take her hand and they walked to their room.

  She went to stand at the glass door to gaze outside. "It's beautiful here."

  "Yes," he said, standing right behind her.

  "I know this is going to sound funny, but this town reeks of ghosts, don't you think? So much so I can feel it. As we walked down the hall I got the faintest cold breeze, but it was coming from nowhere, it seemed."

  "The Alamo… of course. Yes, it does. You cannot be here and not be aware of what happened."

  She eyes glistened with tears, as she and turned, but he was right there.

  "My daddy used to tell me about the Alamo and the men there. How they had a choice, they could have left, and didn't. He said that was what true courage was all about. And now that I'm here, I can almost feel those poor souls."

  "Trish," he called her name in a whisper. Staring down into her tear stained eyes, her emotions bare, he was pulled toward her.

  The intimacy of his velvet voice and the way he touched her face, his knuckles gently smoothing her cheek, he cupped her chin as his head bent.

  Once their lips met, control began to slip away from them. It was futile to deny their needs at this point. She wanted him as much as he wanted her. Their breaths mingled, his lips feather-touched hers at first, but he brought her against him as their kiss became more demanding than ever.

  "Trish," he whispered her name over and over as he explored her face.

  She was breathless. All her emotions, and feelings came rushing out. She whimpered in her throat as his kiss took her to a new dimension. She suddenly knew this was where she belonged, in his arms. Crushed against his hard frame, desire speared through her like a hot knife, melting away all the doubts and fears she had carried with her so long. The velvet touch of his mouth, touching and retouching hers, yes, this was where she wanted to be forever, in his arms, possessed.

  He held her away for a moment, and stared into her eyes. "You're pregnant, Trish. I don't want to hurt you. I don't ever want to hurt you. But I want to make love with you."

  She stared into his eyes. A tear gathered in the corner of her eye.

  He pulled away. "I didn't want to make you cry."

  Even though he hadn't said a word about love, she didn't want to stop him. If this was all she could have of him, then it would have to be enough. She was on fire for his touches, needing this closeness. No man's kiss nor touch had ever torched her heart so.

  She shivered. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her once more, this time with the force of emotions and feelings poured between them.

  His arms went around her, tightening his hold of her. His hand rested at her breast once more, tempting her with his magic thumb. She sighed against him.

  "If you want me to stop, say it now," he whispered into her ear.

  "For some reason beyond reason, you set me on fire," she whispered. "You're the only one that ever has. Don't stop…"

  "Trish…" He sunk his head against the curve of her neck and kissed her hotly.

  She threw her head back so he could explore her neck more easily. Her hand went to his shirt, and she began to peel it from his shoulders.

  Her soft body molded to the harder contours of his as his hands explored her. Suddenly he whisked her off the floor and into his arms, his mouth freely exploring what she offered him.

  Their lips met and re-met in breathless wonder.

  He eased her onto the bed and stood over her. "Now's the time to stop me, if you don't want this," he cautioned.

  She stared into his desire-ridden eyes, the moonlight streaming onto the bed. "But I do want this," she admitted boldly.

  He pulled her to her knees and up against him, and she knew he was already ready for her. She smiled to herself that she had caused this reaction in him. His eagerness pleased her.

  He unzipped her dress, and she wiggled free of it. He began kissing her neck and her shoulders as he released the camisole and pulled her bloomers down. She shimmied out of them shyly, her gaze never leaving his.

  The night air made her tingle, or was that him? The way he stared at her with such desire gave her the courage to reach out for him. She waited for him to take what she offered. She'd never been eager for a man before. Never felt anything sexually. Now was different. She was eager for him to be inside her body to be one with this man.

  Slowly he took his clothes off and let them fall to the floor. His gaze never left her as she stared at his magnificent body. She saw how ready he was. Her hand itched to touch him there, but she wanted him to initiate the moment. At that moment, she knew she was his. Trish sensed
the intimacy of this moment with Gil. He stood, letting his manhood announce his eagerness as he pulled her unresisting body toward him. She was on her knees against him.

  They fused together.

  He picked her up in his arms and kissed her on the mouth as a groan older than time itself echoed through the room. His eyes captured hers as he laid her gently on the bed once more. Then he joined her. For long moments, he stared at her perfect body. She'd never seen such appreciation for the human body as he touched, first with a finger then with his whole hand. Then ever so slowly, he bent to taste her. His hand smoothed over her growing belly, and he smiled. His touches lit a need within her to be closer, ever closer to him.

  She moaned as his hands began to know her…

  His lips surrounded one pert breast as his tongue tantalized her nipple with soft flicks. She squirmed. His hands went down her slowly, and as they passed her womanly folds, she nearly jumped against him.

  "Easy, darlin'. We have all night," he whispered.

  "I know you won't believe me, but I've never felt this way before. I never would let myself feel anything. You probably think I'm crazy. I've been with many men, and yet not one did I ever care about!"

  He smiled. "Then I'm doing something right. I've wanted you since the first day I set eyes on you. But now, to finally be with you, I feel I've died and gone to heaven. Just looking at you is a feast for me."

  "I’m pregnant. How can I be a feast?"

  "It makes you all the more lovely to me," he whispered. "And when I say lovely, I'm not just talking about your body, but what is on the inside of you. You are beautiful."

  She stared into his eyes. "I've always refused to feel anything. Always. I never let myself go… never wanted to until now. Show me how it's supposed to be."

  He ran his hand over her belly then downward as his fingers gently teased her. His actions made her squirm.

  "Trish…" He paused. "You know I’m in love with you, don't you?"

  "Gil, oh, dear God. Do you mean it?" She lifted onto her elbows to look at him. It was too good to be true, how she wanted it to be true. It would make this night so perfect. Her feelings had grown so for this man, and only now did she realize how much.