Untamed Fire (25 page)

Good God! He was in love with a peasant girl
and a thief. A smile faded his frown. He was in love? He had played
with the strange thought in his mind. At first he assumed it was
lust, nothing more. But if it was lust, he’d want nothing more than
to bed her as often as possible, although the thought appealed to
him, it wasn’t his only thought. He found himself full of rage and
fury when another man spoke with her. He often sought her out
during the day just to look upon her smile. There was a brightness
about her that was contagious. His spirits always lifted when she
was about. She had returned life and love to the hacienda.

Now what are you going to do
?

The nagging voice would not leave him alone.
It was demanding an answer. An answer he was not certain he was
ready to give.

He kissed Gaby lightly on the lips and left.
He once again kept to the shadows of the night for cover, not
wishing to hurt her by someone seeing him leave her quarters so
late at night.

He was deep in thought as he entered his
room, removed his clothes, and slipped into bed. His thoughts
flourished as he lay with his arms pillowing his head. His eyes
focused on the ceiling while an idea began to take seed in the
recesses of his mind.

It would take time. It wouldn’t be easy.
There would be many opposed to it, perhaps even Gaby herself. They
had been raised in different worlds, with different ideals and
expectations. Could those worlds merge?

The answer, he realized, could be found in
only one place... his heart. And there was no denying what his
heart told him. He loved Gaby and nothing—absolutely nothing—else
mattered.

He would find a way to make Gaby his
wife.

“You’re mine, Gaby. You will always be
mine,” he whispered into the darkness. “No one shall have you but
me.
No one
.”

“Is this yours, Gaby?” Lupe asked one
evening as she and Gaby sat in the cookhouse. She held the end of
the white ribbon between her chubby fingers and swung it back and
forth.

Gaby’s hand grabbed at her long braid that
lay draped over her left shoulder. It took a moment for her to
realize when she had last worn it. It had been three weeks ago. The
night of the holy festival; she had left it in Rafael’s room.

She stared across the table at Lupe, then
lowered her head to look down into her glass of lemonade. She tried
to find the courage to raise her head and face the plump woman of
whom she had grown so fond, but it was difficult. What she had done
was wrong.

Gaby took a deep breath and said the only
thing that would make any sense. “I love him, Lupe.”

Tears filled the older woman’s eyes and a
concerned ache touched her heart. She lowered the ribbon to the
table. “Oh,
nina
, no good can come of this.”

Gaby lifted her head. “I know. I’ve told
myself the same thing repeatedly. But it doesn’t do any good. He
looks at me and my heart melts. I try to stay out of his way, but
lately he always seems to be around. I can’t say no to him. My mind
tells me I am foolish, but my heart tells me it is right.

“It isn’t right,” Lupe said, reaching out
her hand to hers and squeezing it. “You are a good girl.”

Gaby shook her head in disagreement.

Lupe squeezed her hand harder. “You are a
good girl. And you deserve more than being a ranchero’s
mistress.”

Gaby winced at the word.

“I do not understand Don Rafael. He has only
been involved with the willing women of the hacienda. The ones that
make it obvious they are interested in him, but it never lasts long
and they, as well as he, are aware of this.

“He did not force me. I was willing.”

“You are young, inexperienced. He should
have known better.”

“But I wanted him. I still do. I love
him.”

“Nonsense,” Lupe scolded, “you think you
love him. He is handsome, strong, and powerful. These are the
things you see and mistake for love.”

“No, Lupe” Gaby said softly. “Those aren’t
the things I see when I look at him. I see a man who has locked
away his pain and refuses to release it. I see the deep love and
loyalty he holds under lock and key, afraid to give it away for
fear of being hurt again. I see a strong, yet sensitive man. I see
the man I will love... forever.”

Lupe crossed herself. “
Dios Mio
, you
really do love him.”

Gaby nodded while the tears ran down her
cheeks.

Lupe slipped out of her chair and around to
Gaby, hugging her to her ample bosom. “We must do something. This
cannot go on.”

Gaby pulled back. “I don’t know what to do.
I must serve my punishment. I just can’t leave.”

Lupe wiped Gaby’s tears away with the end of
her bright yellow apron. “You cannot stay. You will be the one to
suffer, not him.

Gaby wasn’t stupid. She knew exactly to what
Lupe was referring. She could get pregnant and then what?

“You must speak with Padre Jose. He will
help you.”

“I can’t,” Gaby insisted, unable to even
give thought to the idea of confessing such a thing to the
padre.

“But he can speak to Don Rafael, make him
see how wrong this is, and how he should release you from your
punishment.”

“I don’t think I can do that, Lupe. I would
be too embarrassed to discuss such a thing with the padre.”

Lupe placed her hand on Gaby’s shoulder. “If
you continue this way, you know what the results will be.”

“And what if they are already?”

Lupe was about to speak when Gaby stopped
her, holding up her hand. “Don’t, Lupe. Don’t tell me he’d marry me
off to one of his vaqueros. I couldn’t stand to hear that right
now.”

“Then you better think about what I
suggested,” —she warned— “before it’s too late.”

“I will give it thought.”

“Good,” Lupe said, satisfied that at least
she would consider it. She returned to her chair, refilling their
glasses with more lemonade.

“Lupe,” Gaby said with a bit of hesitancy.
“Does anyone else know of this?”

“Elena found your ribbon in Don Rafael’s
room. She remembered it from the Holy Day festivities,” Lupe
answered and seemed reluctant to continue.

“There is more?”

“Elena also saw Don Rafael leaving your room
the other night and... she’s noticed Don Rafael’s room remains
locked in the morning.”

Gaby blushed and buried her face in her
hands. She had not meant for those times to happen. He always
seemed to be around in the late evening. He’d look at her with such
passion, run a faint caress over her as he passed her, tempt her
with suggestive whispers or steal quick kisses when no one was
about, and she’d be lost, and soon after she would find herself
sharing his bed or hers.

“Don’t be ashamed, Gaby,” Lupe consoled,
“Elena and I are the only ones who know and we will say
nothing.”

Gaby tried to smile, but this time her usual
brightness didn’t make it to her lips. “I am lucky to have friends
such as you and Elena.”

“Yes, we are lucky to have each other, and
that is why you must think seriously about what I told you. We are
different from the rancheros. You must remember that.”

“I will give it thought,” Gaby said softly
and stood. She bid Lupe good night and went to her quarters
slipping into bed alone for the first time in many days.

~~~

The sun was bright and the day hot. Gaby
balanced the light basket of flowers on her hip as she walked
toward the courtyard. Dona Maria had the hacienda in an uproar over
the impending arrival of the Galvezes. They were due any day and
everyone was busy making certain everything was prepared.

Gaby must have changed the flowers ten
times, and still the matron insisted they weren’t right, so she was
sent out for more. She didn’t mind though. The chore kept her busy
and away from the hacienda and Rafael. Since her talk with Lupe a
few days before, she was doing well keeping her distance from him.
She had even managed to stay out of his way in the late evenings,
sneaking out after she had attended to Dona Maria.

She knew her luck wouldn’t last, but she
couldn’t bring herself to speak to Padre Jose. She just couldn’t
confess her love for Rafael to him. It was private, personal, and a
problem which she alone must deal with.

Her step was light and cheerful for the
first time in several days as she neared the courtyard. She heard
the soft steady whimper as she walked through the opening in the
brick adobe wall. She stopped a moment and listened. It was a
pathetic cry and it broke Gaby’s heart.

She looked about and saw no one. She placed
her basket on the wooden bench near the wall and followed the
woeful sound. It led her to the corner of the wall where it met
with the archway. There huddled in the corner was a small boy.

He jumped up when he caught sight of her and
braced his small frame against the wall.

Gaby recognized him. He was Carlos’s son
Nieto. He was only four years old. His chubby cheeks were flushed
from too much crying and his big dark eyes were wet with tears.

“What’s wrong, Nieto?” she asked in a
soothing voice.

He sniffled and wiped his nose on his
sleeve. “My straw hat is gone.”

Gaby bent down to his height. She reached
out her hand to him and he took it. “Can I help you find it?”

“No,” he said, walking into the circle of
her arms.

She hugged him and smiled. “Why can’t I help
you?”

He sniffed and sighed several times. “I know
where it is.”

“Then what’s the problem?”

He tugged at her hand and she stood,
following him. He walked to the opposite side of the courtyard,
turned, and pointed his plump little finger toward the tile
roof.

Gaby’s eyes followed his finger and there up
on the tile roof sat his straw hat.

“Don Raphael gonna yell at me,” he cried,
and the tears started again.

Gaby bent down and hugged him. “No, Nieto,
he won’t yell.”

“Yes. Yes, he will. This is my number two
hat. He says for me not to lose it this time.”

“You lost one before?”

He shook his head. “No, the big boys took
it.”

“And you didn’t tell Don Rafael?”

“No, they told me they’d hurt me if I
did.”

Gaby was angry, but guarded her tone when
she spoke. “Did the big boys do this?”

He nodded.

Gaby wondered if it was the same big boys
who had played pranks on her, although she had never seen them
about whenever something happened. Still, the thought that they
could even pick on such a small defenseless child angered her.

“I’ll get your hat, Nieto.”

Her voice was so full of strength and
promise that Nieto smiled and threw his small arms around her,
hugging her.

Gaby hugged him back. “Will you help me?”
she asked, standing.

“Yes,” he said, rapidly.

“Good. I need to move this bench over to the
end of the roof.”

The next few minutes were spent moving
things around, and by the time the unlikely pair finished their
task a small mountain of benches and tables sat beneath the roof’s
edge.

Gaby eyed it doubtfully. It didn’t look too
balanced or safe, but at the moment it didn’t really matter. She
had no intentions of disappointing Nieto. She was going to get that
hat, and that’s all there was to it.

“You stand back and watch,” she ordered the
boy, not wanting him to get hurt.

“Okay.”

She couldn’t help but grin at his jubilant
expression. It gave her that bit of extra encouragement she
needed.

Gaby’s bare feet tested the first bench.
Sturdy and sound. She made her climb to the next one and found it
sturdy too. She went on climbing, the structure swaying more
precariously as she neared the top.

She reached up, grabbing hold of one of the
red tiles that lined the roof. She tried pulling herself up, but
found it difficult. A good boost was what she needed, and without
giving thought to her actions, she gave a hard shove with her feet
against the small bench she was perched on.

It did the trick. She was up on the roof in
a flash. And she turned just in time to see her make-shift ladder
crumble to the ground below.

Nieto had run to safety, hiding behind the
brick adobe wall. When all the pieces had finally landed, he popped
up and waved to Gaby.

She waved back, calling, “Go get one of the
vaqueros to help me.”

He nodded and was running to do as he was
told when she called to him once more.

Nieto stopped and turned. There on the roof
sat Gaby waving his straw hat.

He gave her a big smile and took off.

In minutes Sanchez and Carlos were trailing
close behind a running Nieto. Both men stood looking up at her.

“How—” Sanchez began and then stopped.
“Never mind, I don’t want to know.”

Carlos laughed and slapped the young vaquero
on the back. “No one ever knows what Gaby will do next.”

“Unpredictable and willing to do almost
anything, I like that in a woman,” Sanchez said with a wicked
smile.

“Are you two going to talk all day, or are
you going to get me down?” Gaby called to them.

“We’re trying to decide the best way to go
about it,” Carlos called back.

“Catch,” Gaby yelled to Nieto and flung the
straw hat at him. He ran after the floating hat, laughing until he
caught it.

Gaby pulled her knees up and her skirt down
over them, locking her arms around them while she waited for the
two men to decide her fate. After a few minutes she grew
impatient.

“You know, it took only a short time for
Nieto and me to figure out a way to get me up here.”

“And you made the wrong choice,” Carlos
called out.

Sanchez walked to the edge of the roof and
looked up at her. “I think I have found the perfect solution.”

“And what’s that?” Gaby asked, wondering why
he wore a devilish grin.