Chapter 25

On the following Monday, at first light, carrying biscuit sandwiches of scrambled eggs and chorizo sausage—compliments of Sage’s early rising—Malik, Gabriela, Wren, and one of the ranch hands headed out for Dorado Springs. They intended to catch the three-fifty-five northbound train the following afternoon. Toomey, Sage and two others would follow later in the week, to attend the wedding. Two men, who’d drawn the short straws, were detailed with tending the ranch in everyone’s absence. They’d earned a later week off, with a generous travel allowance, for their bad luck in the draw.

Everyone but Wren was heavily armed, though even she carried a single-barrel shotgun in a saddle scabbard. Gabriela had determined to outfit Wren with a pistol like her own.

They made good time, rose early the next day, and were in Dorado Springs with several hours to spare. Malik excused himself to make a visit to the Sonora County Courthouse, while the rest of them loaded horses and tack into the stock car that Gabriela had ordered through Toomey when he’d had his days-off in town. The hired horses had been returned by Toomey on the same trip.

To avoid being seen, as much as possible, Malik persuaded the conductor to stop the train a few miles from Waypoint so they could all transfer to the stock car and saddle their horses. They would then exit when the car was spotted at the stock ramp north of town, rather than disembark at the depot.

They were met at the stock ramp by six armed men from the Malik ranch. Cowboy caught up with them a few miles east of town, after he had kept watch for any pursuit. He was fairly certain they had not been noticed by anyone who would be informing the sheriff. They camped at their usual spot at Halfway Wash, in terrain that was easily defensible, and finished the trip to the Malik hacienda the next morning. This time, it was a warm and joyous homecoming.

Gabriela had sent ahead a cream-colored satin dress that she had worn but once, to a governor’s ball in Austin. She quite liked it and felt it showed what figure she had to good advantage. Plus the blue trim perfectly matched her eyes.

Malik had a seldom-worn, formal black suit with a frock coat and dress shoes more than adequate for a ranch-style wedding. On Christina’s advice, he opted to wear a blue four-in-hand rather than a less formal string bow tie. It also matched Gabriela’s eyes and the trim on her dress.

As guests began to arrive the day before the wedding, including practically the entire Tsosie clan, the fiesta began in earnest. Impromptu music groups assembled and spontaneous dancing broke out at intervals on the plaza near the ramada, which had been decorated with bunting and lanterns. The guests’ tents, interspersed with bedrolls that had been laid out under the open sky, lined the grassy banks along the river.

On the eve of the wedding day, Malik sat with Gabriela under the ramada, accepting congratulations—and ribald comments—from relatives and friends. They resisted dance offers, saying that their next dance would be as husband and wife on the morrow.

At one point, when everyone’s attention was on a lively reel being danced out on the plaza, Malik pulled an envelope from his inner breast pocket and handed it to Gabriela, saying quietly, “My gift of love to you.”

She looked at him quizzically and accepted the plain parchment envelope. Turning it over, she noted the Sonora County seal in the red wax securing the flap. She looked at him once again, still wondering what this might be, then slid her thumb under the flap and tore it from the wax. She withdrew a sheet of parchment: the deed for sixteen sections of land. She looked quizzically at her betrothed. Malik said, “It’s a square property four miles to a side, beginning and centering at the ridge line above where Anna rests.”

After a moment, her face scrunched up and the tears began to flow. She hid her face in his shoulder while gripping his upper arm. He reached into a pocket and retrieved a white handkerchief.

Christina, dragging Andy with her, had just left the reel in search of some lemonade. She saw Gabriela crying and came over and wrapped an arm around her. “Are you alright?”