Arizona Territory Read Online Free Page A

and thinking hard about her. When they dismounted at the corrals, the smell of hay brought the memory of her back to him.
    That evening at supper, Bonnie sat at his side. She gently elbowed him. “Tell me about the Mexican widow you entertained yesterday?”
    â€œCole has been talking to you.” He laughed at her curiosity.
    â€œSince you all got me out of down there in Mexico, he and I are old friends. So, how about her?”
    â€œShe’s a widow, and has a big hacienda down there. She’s been a widow for a few years. And she and I just hit it off.”
    â€œWhy did she stop there?”
    â€œShe wanted a Barbarossa stallion. She said she’d heard that I sold them to a friend of hers in Mexico. I told her I never sold any, except the ones I sold in Texas for the train ride. That, instead, I had swapped them for a person’s life.”
    â€œYes, and, thank God, you did that for me.”
    â€œI’m still not sure she’s not a bruja . No, she is not. She’s very real. The two of us went off on a lark yesterday, and she waded in the river. We had a nice afternoon, and please keep this part to yourself, I started to kiss her. She stopped me and told me she would not kiss me for a horse, but she would kiss me for her love.”
    Bonnie stopped eating and put down her fork. “She told you that?”
    Chet nodded his head. “Powerful, huh?”
    â€œYou’d only just met her, and all that happened yesterday?”
    â€œYesterday was over a month long.”
    â€œWhat will you do now?”
    â€œDo my job here and up there. And think about her.”
    â€œIs she as beautiful as Cole said?”
    â€œMaybe more than that.”
    â€œNo one in our family will care. It’s time you had a life. Marge would want that for you. Why don’t you ride down there and grab her?”
    â€œI better let it mellow. She has things to attend to down there. And I have things to do up here.”
    â€œOh, Chet, it sounds like a romance made in heaven.”
    â€œTime will tell. But I had no intention of even looking for someone.”
    She rose and whispered in his ear. “Marge would never complain, knowing you were happy again.”
    â€œI hear you. Thanks.”
    The rest went easy. They had drilled two artesian wells on the ranch. The plan was to float some land cleared of greasewood and cactus, then plant alfalfa. Lemon and orange trees came next, then vineyards. Bonnie’s house was well designed for the hot desert, an airy structure that caught the prevailing winds. Maria’s house would soon be roofed and she’d move over there while her husband was on the south end, catching mustangs and shipping them to Mexico. JD promised him that the operation broke even, and it would eventually increase the range for cattle.
    On his final day, before he left, they brought out a sixteen-hand, high-headed blue roan. “This’s the horse we’ve been breaking for you,” JD said. “I wouldn’t ride him over the pass, but on the ground he should do alright. He’s just green broke.”
    â€œHow old is he?”
    â€œMaybe four. He’s a handful, but you won’t wear him out.”
    â€œGreat horse. Thanks, all of you,” he said to the gathered crew. “They will be adding onto your casas soon, and you’ll have gardens and even grapes. I’m very proud of all of you.”
    They applauded him as they left.
    Jesus had his lead rope and JD walked beside Chet. “You going to Sonora and find her? Bonnie told me all about her. She sounds good.”
    â€œI have lots of things to do first.”
    â€œHell, man, don’t lose her. Bonnie told me you’re afraid the family will think it’s too soon to consider anyone. No one will think that. You do great things for all of us, but you have your own life to live. Do something for yourself.”
    â€œI think it’s deeper than that. Hey,