Texas Homecoming Read Online Free

the Union was going to win the war,” Pilar said. “He says they will make the Confederacy pay for the war. He said he could be of more help to everybody on the Union side.”
    “That lying, yellow-bellied son of a bitch!” Owen shouted. “Do you know what the bastard did?”
    The violence of Owen’s reaction caught Pilar by surprise. She wouldn’t have expected Laveau’s friends to like his defection, but she couldn’t understand why they would be so angry. “Changing sides isn’t so terrible. It’s not like he hurt any of you himself.”
    “Owen is an idealist,” Cade said, his calm voice at variance with the coldness of his eyes. He had gripped Owen’s arm, dug his fingers into the flesh. There was a momentary struggle before Owen angrily jerked his arm away.
    “All right,” Owen said. “But I can’t stand here and listen to her talk about him like he was some kind of hero.”
    “Why don’t you unsaddle the horses? Gramps can show you where everything is.”
    “That gal’s got to start cooking if she’s gonna feed this mess of men.” His grandfather cackled, his eyes alight with deviltry. “Might even have to drag the Spanish princess out of her room to help.”
    “My grandmother will
never
work in this house,” Pilar said, anger flaring with the speed of a lightning strike to dry tinder. Pilar had come to take pride in her cooking and her ability to give the old man as good as she got, but his attempts to destroy her grandmother’s pride made her angry. Her grandmother had lost everything else. Pilar intended to see that she kept her pride.
    “I’m sure Miss diViere can handle everything,” Cade said.
    “What makes you think so?” his grandfather snapped.
    “She’s put up with you for two years. That’s recommendation enough for me.”
    “I don’t care who cooks,” the old man said, “as long as it’s hot and plentiful.”
    “If it’s too much, one of us can help,” Cade said.
    “Ain’t no man cooking in my house when there’s a woman about,” his grandfather said. “What do you think she’s paid to do?”
    “Whatever you pay her, I’m sure it’s not enough to put up with you.”
    “You always did think you were smarter than anybody else.”
    “So you’ve told me.” Cade smiled despite his grandfather’s angry words. “I guess I haven’t changed too much. Now why don’t you show the boys where to put the horses?”
    “I guess you’re planning to take over,” his grandfather said, his eyes turning angrier. “Being leader of that troop has gone to your head. As I heard tell, it got shot to pieces. Some leadership.”
    “Look, old man, there’s a lot you don’t know,” Owen said. “That wasn’t Cade. It was—”
    “Not everybody can be right all the time,” Cade said, again cutting off his impetuous cousin.
    “If it hadn’t been for Cade, nobody would have gotten out alive,” Rafe said.
    “His friends always did side with him no matter what. One of these days he’ll get all of you killed.”
    “I figure the best chance to do that is to start them rounding up and branding our cows,” Cade said, his expressiontight. “Now you’d better show them where to put the horses.”
    “Come on.” The old man turned and walked away.
    “I thought Southern families stuck together,” Holt said as he turned to follow the old man.
    “Only against outsiders.” Cade grinned. “When there’s nobody else around, we don’t mind sharpening our teeth on each other.”
    “Let’s get the horses unsaddled,” Owen said. “If I know Cade, he’ll have us chasing mustangs first thing tomorrow.”
    “Sleep tight,” Cade said. “You’ll need all your rest.”
    Owen made a rude sign. Rafe and Holt followed without comment.
    Pilar had never liked Earl Wheeler. Setting aside what he’d done to her family, he wasn’t a likable man. He loved to criticize and humiliate people. Still, his sharp words for his grandson had surprised her. She didn’t believe Cade