Chapter 20

The following morning, Pilar wanted to take Mariah up on the invitation she’d extended last evening at dinner to visit her dress shop. Noah’s plan for the day was to ride into town with Max and Logan and lend a hand with the ongoing construction.

As they got dressed, he noticed her smiling to herself.

“Why the smile?”

“Just thinking about last night. With all this lovemaking there’s a good chance we’ve made a child.”

His eyes shone with pleasure. “Would you prefer a girl or a boy?”

“Having seen the havoc Tonio causes in just the short time we’ve been here—definitely a girl.”

He laughed.

“What about you?” she asked. “Do you have a preference?”

“Yes, a boy. It’s what most men want, I think. Either way you’ll make a wonderful mother.”

“I’m glad you think so. I’m not so certain.”

“You’ll do fine.”

She hugged him tightly, then raised herself on her toes and placed a soft kiss on his scarred cheek. “Thank you for your confidence. I’ll see you when you return from town.”

“It will probably be late in the day.”

“As long as you come home to me, I won’t care.”

He drew her into his body and held her as tightly as she’d held him. “Thank you for marrying me.”

And as always, she quipped, “I didn’t have a choice.”

He gave her a swat on the behind. Laughing, she left the room.

Alanza was seated on the patio having coffee when Pilar stepped outdoors.

“Are you off to Mariah’s?” she asked in Spanish.

Pilar smiled at this very special woman and responded in her native tongue. “Yes. She said to follow the trail out front, correct?”

“Yes.”

“Is it okay if I ride over? It’s been so long since I’ve ridden on a regular basis, I’m enjoying being on horseback.”

“Of course. Feel free to ride anytime, anywhere—except back to Florida of course.”

Pilar inclined her head. “I’m afraid it’s too late to get rid of me, now.”

“Then you’re enjoying being here?”

“I am. More than I ever believed I would. Your family has been very kind.”

“We take our family ties very seriously, and thank you for what you’ve done for Noah. He hasn’t been the same since being shanghaied but he seems more relaxed now, and I attribute that to you.”

“I’m not sure that’s the reason but I enjoy being with him and hope he feels the same way.”

“He does. I’ve seen the way he watches you. Having him back is more precious than anything I can ever possess. You’ll stay in my heart forever.”

Pilar found the words very moving. “Thank you.”

“Now go before I begin to cry, but don’t forget, we’ll be leaving for the train early tomorrow for our shopping excursion.”

She’d announced the outing last night at dinner and although Pilar was a bit apprehensive about having to pick out clothes and such, she was looking forward to getting to know the three women better. “I will be up and ready. Oh, before I go: I received a telegram last night from my sister. She and my mother will be here soon.”

“How exciting, then we’ll wait and have the party for you and Noah when they arrive. Would that be okay?”

“That would wonderful. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. I’ll see you later on.”

She inclined her head and struck out for the stables.

When she arrived at Mariah’s house, she was surprised at its size. Unlike Alanza’s big sprawling home, this one was smaller and cozier and the bright flowers blooming on both sides of the porch framed it beautifully.

Mariah opened the door to her knock. “Morning. Come on in.”

The interior was as lovely as the exterior. It was well furnished but not extravagant.

“My shop’s in the back.”

Her second surprise was to see Billie there. Pilar had enjoyed her company immensely at the gun club meeting. “Morning, Billie. I wasn’t expecting to see you here, too.”

“I didn’t want to hear all your secrets secondhand. You’re our new sister and ’Riah and I want to know everything, especially how you and Noah met. He seems so mysterious.”

Mariah laughed. “Can I at least take her measurements before we subject her to the ‘Inquisition’?”

“Of course. I’ll go out and make sure the prisoners haven’t escaped.”

Pilar’s confusion must have shown because Billie explained,. “Our babies. They’re playing in the pen we call the Baby Jail.”

Pilar laughed.

“And with a third prisoner coming in the spring we may have to add a wing.”

“You’re carrying?”

“Yes and praying every night and day for a girl this time.”

Pilar thought back on the conversation she and Noah shared earlier. Would she be next in line to bring a new Yates baby into the world? Setting that aside, she glanced around Mariah’s small shop and was amazed at all the fabric and notions stored and displayed so neatly. A few dress forms held gowns in progress. “I must say I admire you being able to do all this. I can replace a button and do a few stitches but not much more.”

“I grew up working in my mother’s dress shop in Philadelphia.”

“That must’ve been fun.”

“No. My mother’s a witch. I couldn’t wait to come to California.”

“Do you have family here?”

She shook her head. “Alanza ran an advertisement in the Philadelphia newspaper for a housekeeper for Logan and I got the job and wound up being his wife.”

“How long have you been married?”

“Just two years.”

“And Billie and Drew?”

Billie stepped back in on the heels of the question and provided the answer. “Drew and I have been married since May.”

Pilar was confused.

“I know,” Billie replied. “He and I knew each other in the past, which is why our son is older than our marriage. And before you hear it from someone outside the family, I was Drew’s whore in those days.”

Pilar began coughing, which put quiet smiles on the faces of her sisters-in-law.

“Let’s get you measured while Billie tells you the whole sordid tale.”

So Pilar listened while Billie talked and Mariah had her turn this way and that, and wrote down numbers. Pilar had no idea what she was being measured for but assumed she would be told the purpose at some point. Billie’s story of the abduction of her and Tonio was as heartbreaking as it was frightening.

“But DuChance fell into the bay and drowned,” she said, winding down the tale. “Drew found our son and we all came back to the ranch.”

Pilar was pleased that the ordeal had ended happily.

“So, Pilar, now your turn. We know you were the pirate that took his boat, but why?”

“Needed it to pick up some guns.”

Twin mouths dropped.

Pilar chuckled. “Let me start at the beginning.” So she told them about her ties to the rebels and her need of a ship and then about Noah’s abduction.

Mariah said, “He was very upset about it when he came for Alanza’s wedding but he said nothing about being abducted.”

“Manly pride, probably,” Billie cracked.

Pilar then told them about Noah showing up at her uncle’s birthday party, the sword fight, and his demanding her hand.

“You fought him with a sword?” Mariah gasped.

“And here I thought my marriage was a story for the ages,” Billie said in a wondrous tone. “Mine is a child’s bedtime story in comparison.”

She then told them about the visit from Calvo. “So I had no choice but to ask him to marry me and now, we’re here.”

“Smart woman,” Mariah said. “He probably fell in love with you the moment he set eyes on you that night though.”

This was the second time Noah being in love with her had been mentioned that day. “Not sure he loves me, but we’re getting along rather well.” She thought about last night on the table and couldn’t hide her smile.

As if possessing the abilities of a mind reader, Billie quipped, “Our husbands are known for their manly talents.”

“Billie!” Mariah gasped around a laugh.

“What?” Billie countered. “Are you saying Logan doesn’t make you scream?”

Mariah’s fair skin showed her blush to the roots of her hair.

Pilar raised a hand. “No bedroom complaints here.”

Laughter greeted that confession and Billie announced, “Pilar, you are now an official member of the Yates Sisters-in-Law Society. Glad to have you aboard.”

“Thank you.”

In town, Noah was working on the new roof that would top off the new general store when Will Sally appeared below and called up, “Message just came in for you, Noah.”

While the rest of the crew continued to work, he came down the ladder and took the message from Will’s outstretched hand. “Thanks.”

“You betcha.”

It was from Lavinia Douglas. His lips tightened.

Will be in Stewart tomorrow.

Father wants to talk to you.

Business proposition.

He wondered what the business proposition entailed. Walter Douglas was one of the most well respected shipyard owners in San Francisco. Whenever the Alanza had been in need of repairs, Noah had taken her to Walt. With no way to answer his questions, he pocketed the message and climbed back to the roof.

After leaving Mariah and Billie, Pilar mounted her horse and decided to tour the ranch. She saw the orchards and the grapes, the fields where vegetables were grown, and the small army of workers tending them. She marveled again at how large the Yates enterprise was and the bustling air of the place. It was so different from where she’d grown up. There’d be no foraging for food here or nights sleeping on an empty stomach, which is why she was so set on finding a way to contribute. It would be her way of saying thank you.

Heading back to the house, she came upon some corrals holding horses. She knew from talks with Noah that Logan often rounded up wild horses and brought them back to the ranch to sell. One of her uncles had been an excellent horseman and spent his life breaking them in for the wealthy to ride. She and her cousins often helped and it was a task Pilar particularly enjoyed, but the method being used by these ranch hands made her stop her mount and watch. Apparently preparing the horse for the saddle involved nothing more than a rider mounting and letting him be thrown until the horse tired and gave in, or at least that’s how it appeared. Granted, she hadn’t seen the earlier process, but she found the practice quite strange. Standing outside of the corral were a group of men egging the rider on and howling gleefully each time the rider sailed off the back of the bucking horse. She watched for a moment more and dismounted.

The animal was a beautiful cinnamon-gold stallion and from the way he was charging around and bellowing, he was not pleased. She walked to the fence and stood next to a man watching the show inside the enclosure.

“Hi there, little lady. Are you Noah’s wife? Name’s Eli Braden.”

“I am. Name’s Pilar. A pleasure meeting you.”

The rider was tossed again, to the sound of much laughter and razzing. He dusted himself and scrambled out of the way of the rearing and bellowing stallion.

“What’s going on here?”

“Breaking a horse. Been at it a couple days. Doesn’t want to take a rider or the saddle.”

“I wouldn’t want a stranger on my back either after living my entire life free.”

He paused and raised an eyebrow.

“It’s not my place to tell you your business but an animal as beautiful as that deserves better than to have his spirit broken just so he can be ridden.”

“Are you speaking from experience?”

“Yes.”

Once again the rider tried to get into the saddle and the stallion did his best to flatten the man against the rails of the fence in an effort to keep that from happening.

“We’ve been doing this for years, Mrs. Yates.”

“Understood, but there are other ways. May I go into the ring?”

“No.”

She watched the horse tear around the enclosure at full speed as if seeking the exit. Upon not finding one, it reared angrily and the rider ran to the fence to keep from being a victim of its hooves. “Why not?” She felt sorry for the animal.

“Because if you get hurt, Logan will kill me, and whatever is left, your husband will kill.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Does the horse have a name?”

“No. Only been here less than a week.”

Pilar debated what to do. The stallion continued to storm around the pen. “I will take full responsibility if anything happens.”

“Doesn’t matter. Logan will still feed me to a buzz saw.”

She sighed. “Have you ever struck or hurt a woman, Mr. Braden?”

“Of course not.”

“Good.” She climbed the fence and dropped down into the pen.

“Hey!”

The men went silent as the dead. The rider stared at her in confusion. Pilar asked him “What’s your name, sir?” The horse reared and bellowed again.

“Uh, Danny, ma’am,” he said keeping one eye on her and the other on the horse.

“Danny, I’m Pilar. Nice to meet you.”

He swallowed. “Same here.”

“Would you do me a favor and remove the horse’s saddle please?”

His eyes shot to Eli.

The horse, breathing heavily, reared and screamed his anger.

“I don’t think he’s going to let me do that, ma’am.”

“Okay. Leave me alone with him then.”

His alarm mirrored the others. “I don’t think that’s wise.”

“It’s okay. Bring me a bucket of water please He’s probably thirsty.”

He looked to Eli, who leaned against the fence and asked, “Mrs. Yates, please come back out here before you get hurt. If something happens, I’ll never forgive myself.”

“I’ve done this many times, and please call me Pilar.” She made deliberate eye contact with the stallion for the first time. It stared back angrily.

“Please, Pilar.”

“A bucket, Mr. Braden. I promise you, I won’t be hurt. I know what I’m doing.”

As if sensing her determination, he sighed and surrendered. “Okay. Danny, get the water, and Pilar, when your husband and his brothers kill me, have them send the pieces to my lady Naomi in town.”

The water was delivered and handed over. Pilar carried the heavy container to the center of the pen and set it down. She sat in the dirt beside it. “Mr. Braden, I need you and the men to move away from the fence and to stay very quiet.”

They reluctantly withdrew and once they did, they watched and waited.

When Noah and his brothers returned from town one of the stable hands told them what was going on over at the horse rings and they hurried over. He expected to find her on the ground broken like a rag doll, but instead found her simply sitting in the dirt and talking to the stallion in soft Spanish as it stood watching her warily from the corner of the pen.

Noah asked Eli, “Why’s she sitting down? Was she thrown?”

Logan asked Eli, “What the hell is going on?!”

“Keep your voices down. She wants everybody to be quiet.”

Noah scanned for any injuries. “Is she hurt?” he asked urgently.

“No. She hasn’t tried to ride him. She’s just been sitting talking real quiet. Been in there about thirty minutes now. Told me the way we were trying to break the stallion was the wrong way.”

Logan gritted out, “Noah, go get your wife.”

Noah ignored him for the moment to ask Eli, “Why’d you let her in there?”

“Had no choice. She climbed the fence over my objections. What is it with your wives? They don’t listen very well.”

Drew cracked, “Aren’t you the one marrying Naomi Pearl in less than two weeks?”

“Touché,” Eli replied.

Noah was still concerned about her safety. The huge stallion could charge and kill her if he decided to, but she seemed to be perfectly calm.

“Noah,” Logan warned. “If she gets hurt, Lanza will feed us to the bears.”

“She seems fine, Logan, besides, she might take a machete to us if we make her come out. How about we just wait and see what happens.”

Logan threw up his hands.

Drew asked, “Does she really know what she’s doing?”

Noah shrugged. “I’ve no idea.” This was an aspect of his wife he knew nothing about—probably one of many.

Eli said in a loud whisper, “Keep your voices down.”

So they quieted.

Logan quietly fumed.

In the pen, Pilar, speaking Spanish, was telling the horse a fairy tale about a poor little country girl who married a prince. She knew the horse had no idea what she was saying, but it was the sound of her voice that she wanted him to become familiar with and when his ears went up a few minutes ago, he apparently was. She also wanted to remove the saddle. It was far too soon in the process for the men to have put the weight of it across his back, but she doubted Titan, as she’d name him, would let her get close enough to do so. For now it would have to remain. “I know you’re thirsty,” she cooed softly. “Crazy Americans have bruised your pride by capturing you and putting you in this pen.” She slowly moved her hand back and forth through the water letting the horse hear the sound. “I’d be angry, too. Come and drink. I won’t hurt you or even touch you this time. I promise.”

Every now and then the horse would rear and race around the enclosure as if wanting her to know who was really in charge. Pilar kept a keen eye on him but she didn’t move.

An hour after taking her seat, half the ranch had drifted over to watch the goings on, including Alanza, Billie, Mariah, and the children.

Finally the horse began a slow approach and then stopped about three feet away. He reared and called a challenge. Pilar eyed him. He eyed her. She continued to speak softly. “I’m not going to move, my bronze titan, so come and drink and we can get to know each other.”

And to the amazement of everyone outside the pen, the horse slowly closed the space, dropped his large head and drank. A few cheers went up, but were sharply silenced by those nearby and Pilar was grateful. She’d come too far to have the stallion spooked by loud noise now. He drank almost greedily.

“You’ve had a pretty rough day, haven’t you?” she said sympathetically.

Once the horse drank his fill, he retreated to the far side of the pen.

She didn’t mind. She’d accomplished her goal for the day. Rising slowly to her feet, she walked over to the fence, climbed to the upper rung, and simply sat where the silent watching stallion could see her.

Out in the crowd, Noah was grinning from ear to ear. He now understood her request to work with the animals but he’d dismissed her out of hand. She’d certainly showed him.

Drew asked Logan quietly, “What’s she doing now?”

“How the hell do I know, but I think she just got hired, especially if he’ll let her ride him.”

Smiling at the pride in Logan’s voice, Noah turned from his brothers and turned his attention back to watching his incredible wife.

She sat for there for another thirty minutes, then climbed down.

As she approached him, Noah asked her, “Can we talk now?”

Amusement sparkled in her eyes. “Yes.”

“That was pretty incredible.”

“Save the applause for when he actually allows me on his back. And Logan, let him be. No one is to try and ride him. I’d like to come back later and take the saddle off and the bit out of his mouth. It’s probably hurting him.”

“Okay,” he said, eyeing her like he wasn’t sure who she might be. “Anything else, boss?”

“No. I think that’s it for now. Oh, and I’ve named him Titan in honor of Cuba’s ‘Bronze Titan’ General Antonio Maceo. I hope that’s okay?”

Logan grinned. “It is.”

“I know that my way of doing this will probably take longer than what you and your men are used to, but that’s a very special animal. Who will his owner be?”

“You. He’s the most bullheaded stallion I’ve ever had. If you can ride him. He’s yours.”

Her eyes widened with surprise and she glanced back at Titan. “Truly?”

“My wedding gift. So, work your magic, little sister. I just want to watch and learn.”

She threw her arms around his waist. “Thank you!”

“You’re welcome.”

Later, after dinner, night was falling when she and Noah went back out to the corral. Titan was still wearing his saddle. According to Logan in order to get it on him initially, they’d had to hobble his legs, and it had taken every hand he had to accomplish the task. Pilar didn’t want the stallion to suffer through that again, but it might be necessary in order to remove it.

Watching the horse race around, she marveled at his beauty. She called to him. His ears perked up and he charged in her direction but didn’t stop, and ran right by her. She laughed.

“You’re not going back in there, are you?” Noah asked in a concerned tone.

“No, but I wish I wasn’t going to San Francisco in the morning, so that I could when I get up.”

“You’d rather play with a horse than shop? No woman alive has ever said that.”

“Hush,” she replied watching Titan rear. “He’s showing off. He knows how handsome he is.”

“I think I’m getting jealous.”

“And you have good reason. I can’t believe Logan offered him to me.”

“My brother has a generous soul beneath all that crustiness. He just doesn’t like to show it.”

She shivered as the night air rolled in. “It’s getting chilly. Time to go.” She gave her stallion one last look. “Good night, Titan.”

He reared. She shook her head at the display and she and Noah walked back to the house.