first, and then to Señor O'Brien who still passed out packages.
Anna's eyes shimmered as she met the older man's gaze. "You're welcome, Juan. It's only a small token, but given with all our love and appreciation."
Alejandra had to swallow down the lump in her throat. These people acted like part of the same family.
Someone tapped her shoulder. She turned to find Señor O'Brien holding a brown paper package out to her, a warm smile twinkling his blue eyes. "For you, Señorita."
What? She took the bundle without thinking. He moved on, leaving her to finger the coarse surface of the paper. The package was small—not much larger than the length and width of her hand. Alejandra glanced at Mama Sarita, who held a similar package, but she watched Alejandra.
"Open it, mija."
Her fingers found the slit, and eased the two edges apart. White cloth peeked up at her. Alejandra opened the paper wider…and gasped. A beautiful white handkerchief lay in her hands, edged in lace, and with her initials A.D. embroidered in lovely script in a corner. She lifted the fabric and fingered the delicate edging. Something hard rolled out, and Alejandra grabbed at it. She caught it by the edge, and raised up a shiny gold coin.
Turning to Anna, she found the woman watching her with a soft smile. "It's been a long-standing custom that Jacob's Pa would give the men a five dollar gold piece each Christmas. My first year here, when I was just the cook, I made them all a new handkerchief. Papa O'Brien's not with us anymore, but we love the traditions."
Alejandra gazed at the elaborate handkerchief in her hands, then looked back at Anna. "You made this? Anna, it's beautiful."
Anna's smile wobbled and her chin ducked just a bit. "You like it?"
"I love it." A rasp tinged Alejandra's voice, as the sting of tears burned her throat.
~ ~ ~
Edward nudged his horse into a canter as the Guadalupe River came into view on his right. After two weeks, he was getting close to home, and his muscles itched to be off the horse. If he was honest, they itched to take Alejandra in his arms, but that wasn't likely to happen. Not unless she'd had a sudden change of heart, or maybe hit her head with a frying pan. Not that he wished for the latter.
If she would just look at him without venom in her eyes. She acted like she had some kind of vendetta against him. Like she saw in him all the evil soldiers she'd met in the past. But how could a simple metal badge stir such a reaction? Whatever happened to her at the hands of soldiers in her past, must have been horrible, indeed.
As he neared the fencepost that marked the turn-off to the Double Rocking B, Edward reined his gelding down to a walk. The animal would need the long driveway to cool his muscles before they reached the barn.
The ranch buildings nestled at the end of the road struck a chord in his chest. He'd been gone a lot the last couple weeks since Christmas. Most of his trips lasted several days, and the most recent had kept him away almost a week. It had never bothered him before to travel all over the Southwest section of Texas. But the ranch had a new draw these days.
Alejandra was such an amazing woman. A hard worker, for sure. She had that house and kitchen in perfect order the first week she arrived. And her devotion and kindness to Mama Sarita were admirable. They weren't even blood relatives, from what he understood. She'd become a good friend for Anna too, especially now that the doctor told her to stay in bed until the baby was born. Not many women could be patient when Anna got cranky.
So why did she hate only him? He had to know. Had to find out how to fix this. Before it killed him.
After unsaddling the gelding and leaving him in Juan's capable hands, Edward jogged up the porch stairs and into the house. The place was quiet, almost eerily so. If Anna was following the doctor's orders, she would be in her bedroom on the lower level. He headed there.
Knocking on the open door, he
Anna's eyes shimmered as she met the older man's gaze. "You're welcome, Juan. It's only a small token, but given with all our love and appreciation."
Alejandra had to swallow down the lump in her throat. These people acted like part of the same family.
Someone tapped her shoulder. She turned to find Señor O'Brien holding a brown paper package out to her, a warm smile twinkling his blue eyes. "For you, Señorita."
What? She took the bundle without thinking. He moved on, leaving her to finger the coarse surface of the paper. The package was small—not much larger than the length and width of her hand. Alejandra glanced at Mama Sarita, who held a similar package, but she watched Alejandra.
"Open it, mija."
Her fingers found the slit, and eased the two edges apart. White cloth peeked up at her. Alejandra opened the paper wider…and gasped. A beautiful white handkerchief lay in her hands, edged in lace, and with her initials A.D. embroidered in lovely script in a corner. She lifted the fabric and fingered the delicate edging. Something hard rolled out, and Alejandra grabbed at it. She caught it by the edge, and raised up a shiny gold coin.
Turning to Anna, she found the woman watching her with a soft smile. "It's been a long-standing custom that Jacob's Pa would give the men a five dollar gold piece each Christmas. My first year here, when I was just the cook, I made them all a new handkerchief. Papa O'Brien's not with us anymore, but we love the traditions."
Alejandra gazed at the elaborate handkerchief in her hands, then looked back at Anna. "You made this? Anna, it's beautiful."
Anna's smile wobbled and her chin ducked just a bit. "You like it?"
"I love it." A rasp tinged Alejandra's voice, as the sting of tears burned her throat.
~ ~ ~
Edward nudged his horse into a canter as the Guadalupe River came into view on his right. After two weeks, he was getting close to home, and his muscles itched to be off the horse. If he was honest, they itched to take Alejandra in his arms, but that wasn't likely to happen. Not unless she'd had a sudden change of heart, or maybe hit her head with a frying pan. Not that he wished for the latter.
If she would just look at him without venom in her eyes. She acted like she had some kind of vendetta against him. Like she saw in him all the evil soldiers she'd met in the past. But how could a simple metal badge stir such a reaction? Whatever happened to her at the hands of soldiers in her past, must have been horrible, indeed.
As he neared the fencepost that marked the turn-off to the Double Rocking B, Edward reined his gelding down to a walk. The animal would need the long driveway to cool his muscles before they reached the barn.
The ranch buildings nestled at the end of the road struck a chord in his chest. He'd been gone a lot the last couple weeks since Christmas. Most of his trips lasted several days, and the most recent had kept him away almost a week. It had never bothered him before to travel all over the Southwest section of Texas. But the ranch had a new draw these days.
Alejandra was such an amazing woman. A hard worker, for sure. She had that house and kitchen in perfect order the first week she arrived. And her devotion and kindness to Mama Sarita were admirable. They weren't even blood relatives, from what he understood. She'd become a good friend for Anna too, especially now that the doctor told her to stay in bed until the baby was born. Not many women could be patient when Anna got cranky.
So why did she hate only him? He had to know. Had to find out how to fix this. Before it killed him.
After unsaddling the gelding and leaving him in Juan's capable hands, Edward jogged up the porch stairs and into the house. The place was quiet, almost eerily so. If Anna was following the doctor's orders, she would be in her bedroom on the lower level. He headed there.
Knocking on the open door, he
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