Page 17 of The Bastard Heir
Mr. and Mrs. Bonham arrived with their three teenaged daughters as breakfast was coming to an end. They were friends of Tanner Jameson’s from another part of the territory. They’d spent the night in Helena before getting up early to make the ride to the ranch. Caroline was torn between welcoming the distraction and mourning the fact that more people meant she’d have less time to spend getting to know Castillo.
The activity for the day was a ride to the river where they’d have a picnic. It took over an hour to get everyone ready to go and then a little bit longer to get them mounted on horses. A wagon was brought around for the children. Emmy’s sisters, Ginny, who had proudly proclaimed herself almost thirteen when Caroline met her, and Rose, who was a few years younger, climbed into the back of the wagon, which had been filled with hay. The three Bonham children climbed in behind them. Hunter held the reins up front with Emmy beside him and, once everyone was settled, set off at a sedate pace across the field. Mr. Jameson rode on his horse beside them.
“Thank you,” Caroline said to the stable hand who brought out a beautiful chestnut-colored mare for her to ride.
“I’ll take her, Jim.” Castillo came up beside him and took the reins.
The boy, who couldn’t have been more than fifteen, nodded his thanks and ran back into the stable. On the tour Hunter had given them when they’d arrived, Caroline had seen a few men working the stables and the corral beyond, but today they were all gone, leaving the boy to do all the work of getting their mounts. Hunter had even helped him hitch the wagon. It made her wonder if their absence had something to do with Derringer’s possible presence.
Castillo led the gentle horse to the mounting block where he held her steady. “Her name’s Cinnamon.”
Caroline smiled her thanks and took his outstretched hand as she mounted. Even through the leather of their gloves, the electricity found a way to spark between them. Instead of lingering, she focused on getting herself settled in the saddle and withdrew her hand.
“She’s a beauty,” she said, running a hand over Cinnamon’s neck. The horse gave her a look before nudging Castillo for a treat. He laughed and obliged by taking a sugar cube from his pocket and holding it out on his palm. Then he ran his hand affectionately down her nose while murmuring something in Spanish. His touch was gentle and confident, as if he knew exactly how to touch her. An irrational pang of jealousy tore through Caroline. “Cinnamon likes you,” she added, to cover up her envy. She refused to be jealous of an animal.
He smiled up at her. It was a smile that momentarily lightened the heaviness in his eyes, giving her a glance at the man he might have been without this horrible tragedy hanging over his head. “She’s a good horse. Stroke her the right way, give her a little sugar and she’ll follow you anywhere.”
Caroline had to look away, afraid that her face had turned red. She was sadly aware that it wouldn’t take much more than that to make her forget her scruples and follow him anywhere he asked her to go, and she barely knew the man.
“Are you coming, Caroline?” Mrs. Bonham laughed as her horse, eager for exercise, trotted after the wagon. She was an astute horsewoman, though, because she easily controlled her enthusiastic mount, and her husband caught up with her.
“Yes, coming,” Caroline replied. “Aren’t you joining us for the picnic?” Caroline called to Aunt Prudie who stood perched on the porch steps.
“No, I’m staying behind. Your father has challenged me to a game of chess and I cannot let him go on thinking the last time he beat me proves anything.”
Her father laughed from his rocking chair on the porch. “The only thing you have to prove, dear sister, is that you can maintain your grace in losing. Have a good time, Caroline.”
Caroline smiled. “I will,” she called back and started off behind the Bonhams. Though she’d barely cleared the stable yard before she was looking back to check on Castillo. Just as she did, he came riding out of the stable on a beautiful chestnut. He hurried to catch up to her but slowed his mount to ride beside her.
They rode in amicable silence for a little while. Caroline took in the big mountains in the distance, rising up to meet the even bigger sky. She’d never seen anything so beautiful. She loved Boston, the people, the variety, the culture. But this was different. It was what she imagined heaven might be like. Everything was so green and fresh, like it was created brand new every morning.
“It’s so beautiful. I can understand why Hunter prefers it here over Boston.” She swung her gaze over to Castillo to see that he was staring at the mountains before them, his shoulders a little tense. Alert.
“It’s one of the most beautiful places on Earth,” he agreed, his eyes roving over the hills in the distance. A little bit of the tension seemed to leave his shoulders.
Their horses waded through the knee-high grass that swayed in the cool breeze blowing in over the hills. Butterflies fluttered happily from one bluebonnet to another. The girls’ excited voices could be heard from the wagon far ahead, but it was tranquil where they were. Quiet enough to allow her to ponder the man beside her.
Caroline hadn’t considered his life outside of the train incident and the Jameson Ranch. He’d told her last night about his mother and his grandfather, but she hadn’t considered that he had an entire ranch back in Texas. For some reason, the conversation at breakfast had made her heart drop into her stomach.
“Is Texas as beautiful?”
“It’s different. Flatter. With blue sky as far as the eye can see.” He gave her a little smile before looking ahead again. “It’s home.”
Something passed over his face. It was difficult to tell from his profile, but the corner of his mouth tipped downward and she thought it might be sadness. Was he thinking of his grandfather and all he’d left behind in Texas? Did he have a woman waiting for him? He’d said that he wasn’t married, but maybe he was involved with someone. Maybe she was waiting for him to complete his vow to find this criminal and then return home and marry her. A twinge of guilt for forcing him to play this charade twisted in Caroline’s chest.
What sort of man would devote years of his life to chasing the man responsible for the death of someone he loved? She found the quality admirable and decided she’d try to learn more about him in their brief time together at the ranch. When he caught her looking at him, his gaze dropped to her lips, making them tinglealmost as if he’d touched them. She licked them and looked away. Best to keep her interest purely on the side of intellectual curiosity. Anything more would be too dangerous. “Will you tell me about your grandfather?”
He looked away, and she wasn’t certain he’d answer. She certainly had no right to ask him anything so personal, but she wanted to know what would push him so far for justice. He’d apparently been hunting this killer for years, when most men would’ve given up.
“My grandfather was a good man,” he finally said. “Devout in his faith, tireless in his work, uncompromising in his character and demanding when it came to instilling those same values in me.”
“He sounds…formidable.” He sounded harsh.
Castillo laughed at her word choice.
“That means difficult?” he asked.
“Yes, and tough, intimidating.”
