Untamed Fire (7 page)

Gaby prepared two plates and quietly slipped
off to eat with Enrico, the gaily chatting couple never noticing
her departure.

~~~

Padre Jose gratefully accepted the cool
drink Lupe offered him. The ride from town had been hot and
tiresome, but Don Rafael had requested his presence at his earliest
convenience to answer questions concerning Padre Manuel. He hadn’t
waited; he had ridden out as soon as the message had been
delivered. He had prayed all night that the awful man be found and
brought to justice for the horrendous crime. And he knew that if
anyone could see that justice be carried out, it was Don
Rafael.

“Did Padre Manuel seem upset by this
stranger’s presence?” Rafael asked, taking the glass of wine Lupe
had poured for him.

“I’m not sure if upset is the right word. He
seemed to... expect him. I felt as though he was waiting for him,
although he was definitely unnerved by his presence.”

“But he didn’t know him?”

Padre Jose shook his head. “No, I don’t
think so. But then they didn’t speak in front of me so I couldn’t
be sure.”

“But you felt nervous about leaving him
alone with the stranger?”

The padre nodded. “Yes. If I hadn’t been
called away I would have returned to the garden to check on
him.”

Rafael sipped the wine from the crystal
glass enjoying the faint dryness of the golden liquid. “Describe
him for me.”

The padre placed his glass on the small
table next to his chair and settled a curious look on Rafael. He
appeared a king on a throne, sitting the way he did in the large
chair behind the massive desk. A fair king, though, one concerned
with his peoples’ problems.

“He smelled.”

Rafael couldn’t help but smile at the blunt
description.

“I meant he smelled as though he had been
traveling a great distance. No time for a bath or change of
clothes. He was taller than me but not as tall as you. And thin,
extremely thin. His face was a mass of lines and creases and he
wore no smile. Actually, he wore no expression at all. His hair was
dark and hung to his shoulders. He wore a holster with two guns. He
should be easy to spot.”

“Or impossible to find.”

Padre Jose scratched his head confused.

“The man you described sounds like a hired
gun. Not one to stick around after he finishes what he’s come to
do. The question is what did he want from Padre Manuel? Was there
any secrets shared with the padre that you are aware of?”

Padre Jose thought a moment. Many families
trusted the padres and would often confide in them. There was a
secret the old priest had recently spoken about, though it didn’t
seem likely that his death was related to it. And he had promised
the padre that he would keep the information strictly confidential,
particularly since there were people who could be hurt by it. No,
that secret certainly couldn’t have anything to do with his death.
So he answered, “No nothing that I can recall.”

Rafael didn’t believe the padre. He knew the
men of the cloth shared many secrets concerning the people of the
town. He only hoped the secret he kept had nothing to do with Padre
Manuel’s murder, or that it would bring more harm to the community.
“I’ll do the best I can, Padre, to find this man and bring him to
justice.”

“Thank you, Senor Cabrillo.”

Rafael stood after the padre rose. “It is
hot and the ride long. Please rest and enjoy a meal before you
depart.”

Padre Jose smiled. He loved Lupe’s cooking
and was hoping for an invitation. “Thank you again.”

“My pleasure, Padre. Please join Lupe in the
cookhouse. I am sure she has prepared something special for
you.”

Rafael walked over to the window and looked
out. This murder had him confused. It didn’t make sense. No sense
at all.

“Your meal, Don Rafael,” Lupe said, placing
the silver tray on the desk.

He thought about the padre sharing his meal
with Lupe and the house staff. Then he thought about his mother and
Gaby enjoying the picnic. He grabbed his hat from the hook by the
window. “I won’t be eating here, Lupe. I’m going on a picnic.”

~~~

Gaby wandered down by the river. She didn’t
want to disturb Dona Maria and Don Joseph. Their busy chatter was
frequently interrupted by spurts of laughter. They were obviously
having a good time, and she didn’t want to intrude on their
pleasure.

The afternoon sun was hot as usual,
especially out in the open away from the cool shade of the trees.
Her skin sparkled with a sheen of perspiration. She was glad she
had washed this morning with scented soap. She could smell the
sweet hint of fruit drifting off her and was grateful her mother
had taught her the secret of smelling fresh and pleasant. “Fruit
peels,” her mother had said, “adds fragrance.”

Gaby stopped by the river’s edge. She
stooped down and cupped the water up into her hands. It was clear
and cool. She sipped at it and patted her face with the
remainder.

She stared at the rushing water with envy.
It had been several weeks since her last swim. She had gone with
her brothers and sisters. She had been teaching Juan to swim. He
kept pretending he couldn’t learn. He had wanted her to continue
teaching him because she had made a game of it and he had been
having fun. She had discovered his trickery and soon they were
swimming together and splashing each other in even more fun.

“I could just wet my feet,” she whispered to
herself. The memories of how the cool water felt could not be
chased away so easily on such a hot day.

She quickly shed her sandals and hoisted her
plain brown skirt between her legs, hooking the material over the
waistband. She looked as though she wore short pants, perfect for
wading in the refreshing water.

Gaby surveyed the bank looking for a safe
place to enter. She didn’t want to get snagged by debris beneath
the surface or a slippery rock. She found a clear spot just a few
feet away where the bank gradually sloped down. She followed it and
dunked one foot in the water. The bottom felt smooth and clear, no
stones or debris. However, the current was more rapid than she
expected and she reminded herself to be careful.

She walked a little further out and leaned
over to scoop up a handful of water. She stood raising her hands
and letting the cool water run along her sun-drenched arms. The
refreshing douse brought a smile to her face.

~~~

Rafael watched Gaby from the blanket under
the tree. He had joined his mother and Don Joseph only moments
before. His mother had wasted no time in fussing over him, fixing
him a plate of cold meats and bread and pouring him a glass of red
wine.

He had tried to keep his mind on the
conversation at hand, but once his roving eyes found Gaby, he
couldn’t turn away. He watched her every move. His muscles tensed
when she approached the river. The current was strong and he
worried that her foolishness would bring trouble. It didn’t come as
a surprise to him when she hoisted her skirts up and entered the
water.

“Excuse me,” Rafael said and without
glancing at his mother or Don Joseph he stood and headed to the
river and Gaby.

“Come out of there,” he demanded
sharply.

Gaby startled and almost lost her footing,
righting herself quickly. “You frightened me.”

“You should be frightened that current can
be dangerous. You have no business being in there. Now come out
this instant.”

Gaby glared at him. He stood with his long
legs slightly spread, his hands on his hips and his blue eyes hot
with anger. “I will not. I’m enjoying the cool water on this hot
day.”

His hands went to rest on his hips. “You
dare disobey me?’

Gaby mimicked him, her hands going to her
hips. “I do my chores. I take care of your mother. But the decision
to cool my warm skin with the river’s refreshing water is mine to
make, not yours.”

“You are my responsibility.”

“I am responsible for myself.”

He raised his hand and shook a finger at
her. “You are obstinate and foolish.”

She laughed. “I’ll take that as a
compliment.”

“I can see that I have not used a firm
enough hand with you. Now get out of there!”

“No!”

Rafael gave a low, feral growl and advanced
on her.

Gaby instinctively took a step back, her
foot sinking into a deep hole. She lost her balance, teetering
precariously to and fro as she tried to stop herself from tumbling
over.

Rafael rushed forward, his hand stretched
out. Gaby reached for him, their fingertips touching.

“Grab hold,” Rafael shouted, fighting the
current to get closer.

His fingers were about to close around hers
when suddenly she went down, the current swallowing her and rushing
her downstream.

Rafael tore his jacket off and tossed it on
the riverbank, his boots followed, knowing both would slow him
down. Then he allowed the river to swallow him and the strong
current to carry him along.

Gaby was tossed about as easily as a small
stone. It took several seconds to gain control and get her head
above water. She had no doubt she could manage to swim to shore.
She was a good swimmer and her father had taught her the quirks of
the river. She would go with the current until she felt its
strength weaken, and then break out against it.

Rafael finally spotted her just ahead. The
river was sweeping her away. If he didn’t catch up with her soon,
the river would claim her. His muscles burnt from the force of his
exertion but still he battled the mighty current. His heart pounded
and fear gnawed at his stomach.

Gaby felt the slight change, as if the river
had taken a breath. This was her chance. She wasted no time. She
dipped beneath the surface and began her struggle for the
riverbank.

Rafael saw her go under and the fear that
she was drowning near burst his heart. He submerged and raced
toward her, his powerful arms slicing through the water. He spotted
her and surged forward. As soon as he was able, his arm went around
her waist and he locked her solidly against him.

He brought them to the surface coughing and
sputtering.

“You stupid —” were the only words she could
spit out before they went under once again.

“Stupid?” Rafael managed to yell as they
surfaced once again, his grip on her remaining solid.

Gaby, realizing he wasn’t about to let go,
hooked her arm around his neck, leaving her other arm free to help
swim.

The river carried them along, the current
having gained strength.

“I was doing fine,” she shouted fighting the
rushing water along with him.

“You were drowning,” he yelled back,
surprised that she wasn’t weeping and frightened beyond measure.
Instead, she knew what to do to help him rather than hinder his
rescue attempt.

“
Idiota
,” she yelled.

His grip tightened around her waist. “Call
me that again and I’ll drown you myself.”

The potent anger in his eyes astonished her
but what surprised her even more was that it was laced with fright.
Had he actually been frightened for her?

“I’m sorry,” she breathed near his ear
before the current swallowed them once again.

Rafael was breathless and Gaby was fighting
for air when they surfaced.

“We have to get to shore,” Rafael said
between breaths, “before we reach the bend.”

Gaby nodded. She knew the current worsened
after the bend and their chances of surviving slim.

“Hold tight,
querida
,” he urged with
a whispered breath.

She obeyed him this time, clinging so
tightly to him that she felt his hard muscles grow taut as he
warred with the current, demanding it release them. She aided as
best she could, but her meager strength did little, if anything, to
help.

She heard loud screams just seconds after
Rafael did. She turned in that direction and spotted Enrico on the
riverbank a few feet ahead. He held a rope, the other end attached
to the horn of his saddle. He gestured and pointed and Rafael
acknowledged his understanding with a wave.

The bend came into view up ahead. They had
precious little time.

“Wrap your two arms around me and hold
tight.”

Once again she obeyed, burying her face in
the crook of his neck.

In seconds they were jerked to a quick stop
and their bodies spun around as though the current was in a tug of
war with them.

“Hold tight,” Rafael demanded again.

Gaby understood and did as directed. Rafael
had grabbed the rope Enrico had thrown to him and struggled to hold
on to it as the horse fought to bring them to shore. Gaby was
dunked beneath the surface several times and each time she managed
to fight her way up, knowing Rafael was too busy keeping tight rein
on the rope, their only chance of survival.

Finally, they both lay on the grassy
riverbank, still entwined in each other’s arms, their breathing too
labored for them to speak.

Rafael refused to release her just yet.
Besides, her face remained buried in the crook of his neck. Her
full breasts were crushed against his chest, her slim legs tucked
between his thick one and their wet clothes made it feel as though
they lay naked together.

Rafael could not get the thought of her
naked in his arms out of his mind. It didn’t matter that they had
just nearly lost their lives or perhaps his improper thoughts
actually reaffirmed that they were very much alive. And he was ever
so grateful.

“Are you all right?” he asked gently.

“Yes,” she sighed, her soft breath tickling
the skin beneath his wet shirt.

“Can you stand?”

She knew she could, but she didn’t want to.
It felt so good being in his arms, too good.

“I’ll help you,” he offered when she didn’t
respond.

Reluctantly, Gaby untangled herself from
him. He assisted her to stand and she steadied herself by holding
tight to his forearms.