Chapter Eleven
James and Viola sat in front of Nate's desk. Tears were already falling.
"I will take of it, I promise. Just like I am going to take care of you and our baby."
Nate entered the office from his back door just to hear James's words. He lunged for him and grabbed his neck. He was full of rage and started choking him. The stronger James pushed him off and he fell across the chairs. The sound of breaking chairs is what the Barkley boys heard and they rushed into the office.
Heath pulled Nate off James who was almost allowing the older man to pummel him.
"Whoa! James isn't your problem." Nick yelled.
"I heard him myself." Nate tried to wrest away from Heath and Jon.
Viola found her voice, "Papa, please listen. I am carrying your grandchild and James is willing to marry me. But—" and she broke down in sobs hysterical.
Nate was still straining to get loose.
Jarrod intervened, "Nate, do you remember when James went to jail in San Francisco for the fight after the party? Senator Allen? Son? Well, I bailed him out but he would never tell me why until today."
"Papa, he forced me into the gardens at our city home. Said if I told he would say I was forward and people always believe the man. James came out to find me. He had left by then but I told him. He went to kill him." she whispered.
Heath released the slack on Nate and he slumped into a chair. Broken.
"Honey, couldn't you tell me?"
"You would have ruined your life too. Mine was already and I love you, Papa."
"You aren't ruined, baby." Nate swallowed hard.
James went closer to Nate now, "She rode up to the camp last night after the doctor confirmed it. I want to marry her and claim the child."
Nate put his head in his hands and took a deep breath, "I always wanted you as a son. In a few years. You know people will assume the worst."
"Yes sir but the people that count, you sir and her family and my family will know the truth. That's all that matters. Don't want Viola shamed. I want the child because she's carrying her. It's part of her. Not the bastard that did this." and he put his hand on her shoulder. She reached up and clasped it.
Nate got up and walked to James. He held his hand out to shake.
"You are a man I am proud to give Viola to you." and he pulled him into a bear hug with a choked voice, full of pain.
"Yes sir. While all my family is in town? Can her sister get here from the city?"
"I will send a wire."
"Oh thank you, Papa. I love you."
"And Viola, that child is yours and James's. No one else but a Barkley and a Springer." with firmness in his voice.
"Yes sir."
"Nick, Jarrod, Heath will you stay? I want to talk about a few details."
James and Viola stood up with Jon and Alexander on each side.
"We will go tell Mother if that is alright with you both."
Nick arched his eyebrow. "Better go too if that is ok, Nate? Y'all all know Miranda. She may head off to kill the boy herself before one of us gets to him. Jarrod and Heath can speak for me."
They all nervously laughed at the idea knowing it was quite possible.
—&—
"Jarrod, Heath—-what do I do? I can't let that boy get by with what he did to my daughter. He will or has done it again. You know how these animals are— but if I do something, I expose my daughter, my grandchild to public ridicule and talk. Jarrod, you saw the Senator when he didn't press charges—do you think he knew? From what I heard James was close to killing the boy when the law got there. I was expecting jail time and he came back to Stockton with you."
"Yes Nate, the Senator was very shaken. Just wanted it to go away. At the time, I assumed it was his image and didn't want the headlines for his re-election. Now it makes sense. James wouldn't say a word all the way home. I say once they marry, James is the father. I would like to take care of this for you. I will go to San Francisco and my Pinkerton contacts. Figure a way to stop the kid."
"I want to kill him with my bare hands. She is just sixteen."
"We do too, Nate. We do too." Heath said quietly.
Nate put his head in his hands, "Thank you, friends." in a small voice.
Jarrod reached over and patted his shoulder, "We aren't just lifelong friends, Nate. We are family."
—-&—-
Nick, James, and Viola walked silently over to the Cattleman's. They had rented several rooms for the families to rest and freshen up between the festivities.
"James, take Viola to Uncle Jarrod's office. Let me bring your mother to you. I don't want her waking the dead or letting those thin walls into our family business, just in case."
Viola's eyes grew wide; James gave her a grin that mirrored his father's.
"Vi, Mother will be understanding and still love you as she has for years. Madre loves big. Pa is worried about what she will say about who hurt you—-and she won't care who knows—-until Pa or Maria Victoria calms her down. She yells first—-"
Viola nodded and went with James.
He turned around, "Pa, if Maria Victoria is around, go on and bring her too. She's got a cool head."
"Got that from me," Nick laughed for the first time.
—-&—-
Miranda and Maria were in the restaurant drinking coffee and discussing the last-minute plans for the birthday dinner. They both looked up to see Nick enter.
Her heart shivered as she looked at her handsome husband. His silver hair, his tall strong frame in his new suit with his black cowboy hat sauntered towards the table. Nick Barkley was still an imposing man at 66; he walked commandingly into the room with only a slight limp when his left knee gave him fits.
He kissed his wife and oldest daughter but he didn't sit down.
"Ladies, don't start peppering me with questions but I need the both of you to head over to Jarrod's office with me."
"Is someone hurt, Papa?" Maria Victoria asked as she stood up.
Maria answered for him, "No Nina, he wants to tell us something privately. If they were hurt, he would have raged in here and we would be going to Dr. Merar's. Correct, Nicholas?"
Nick laughed, "Yep honey. No one has ever known me like you." and he lowered his voice, "Especially in the biblical sense."
Maria Victoria rolled her eyes in exasperation and smiled. For as long as she could remember, her parents' passion was never hidden and she was quite used to their discourse.
They walked over to the office and Nick used his key to open the door. Viola and James were embracing and quickly pulled apart.
Miranda arched her eyebrow and began to speak, "So this? I thought —-"
"Miranda, shut up. Let the boy talk."
Maria Victoria was shocked at her father's tone and more shocked that her mother did it and humbly at that."
"Madre, Maria Victoria, I am glad you both are here. Viola and I are to be married tomorrow. We are going to have a child in about six months. I am claiming the child as mine. She was ill-used at her sixteenth birthday party. I tried to rectify it then but I ended up in jail." He spat out his quickly rehearsed speech.
"Oh, my precious" and Miranda rushed to Viola. She hugged her and kissed her. Maria put her hand on her brother's arm and kissed him on the cheek.
"I am proud of you," she whispered.
Nick watched the scene with pride.
"A baby is a blessing no matter the timing. Let's talk about tomorrow" and Miranda guided Viola to the settee.
Nick lit a cigar and went out the back to smoke. His mind wandered thirty-eight years ago to Sonora.
—&—
He awoke in the dilapidated mission, thirsty and disoriented. He tried to push himself up but he was too weak. His clothes were gone and he felt stubble on his chin. His head throbbed.
"How long have I been here?" he asked aloud.
"Miranda?" he had whispered over and over to the priest. The elderly priest was wary of a "gringo passing through" after the debacle with the necklace and Matthew Hollis. He would not send for her in case it was a trap set by the government. He would wait until she came to see the traveling la comadrona.
A young boy brought him water.
"Where am I? Have you seen Miranda, a woman from Sonora?"
"No English." He answered and quickly ran out of the room. The padre listened from the outer chamber. He opened the altar chest holding his guns, gold, and papers.
"Nick Barkley, are you friend or foe to our heroína?" he wondered.
He peeked through the curtain and Nick had fallen back to sleep.
The cowboy had collapsed with a high fever and the padre found two sources: an infected gunshot wound and a calamity of the throat. He cleaned and cauterized the angry wound; the throat concerned him. He had seen many die of the white patches.
He nursed the man for several weeks. He fed him broth and water. When he was lucid, he asked for his family in California. The rest of the time he cried out for Miranda. There was a bounty on her head. Why else would this Americano carry so much gold. So he waited until she showed up.
"Padre? Padre?" Miranda and her entourage called into the mission at midnight.
"Sorry to waken you but the la comadrona is here tomorrow or the next. Her nephew sent me a message. My men have hidden the horses."
"Senorita, I have waited for you to come. Do you know Nick Barkley? He has been my patient for several weeks. He asks for you daily. I give him, peyote button for the pain and to sleep—-until you come."
"Oh Nicholas," and she raced into the room.
He opened his eyes and shook his head, "Another dream?"
"No hombre, it is your Miranda."
She took over nursing him and getting him off the peyote. It took a day before he realized she was real and there with him. His head finally cleared.
He overheard a conversation between the priest and her that shook him awake fully.
"La comadrona? Isn't that midwife?"
He forced himself out of bed and wrapped the sheet around his waist. He stumbled to the curtains and looked at the padre and Miranda.
"Baby?"
She smiled resignedly and patted her noticeable bump, "You are to be a Papa. I was going to come back when the baby was born if you still wanted me?"
"The hell I don't" he bellowed. She was non-plussed by his loud voice and she shrugged.
The Padre and the boy scurried away. Miranda motioned for her guards to leave.
"Nicholas, I should not have left you."
"You are damn straight about that."
She laughed and walked toward him, "I dream of you every night. I want our child to look just like us— but have better sense. That is my prayer."
"It's a good one."
He reached out and held her tight. The baby decided to kick and Nick felt the movement on his stomach.
"Was that?" he stammered.
"Si, little Nicky, and Miranda's child."
"Heaven help us."
And he kissed her.
She pulled away and started laughing.
"You lost your sheet and you are very glad to see me again."
He grabbed the sheet and tied the waist again, "Woman, you vex me."
"I was thinking of becoming a nun, Nicky."
He laughed way too loudly and said, "Nope. Heath already drove one of his lady loves into a convent and I have never let him forget it. You'll not do the same, you will be Mrs. Nick Barkley whether you like it or not. And you ain't a nun!"
—-&—-
The Padre married them the next day. They stayed at the mission another week until Nick felt strong enough to drive the stolen buggy; Nick left some money for it but he didn't dare assume it would get to its aristocratic owner. He harnessed Coco and her horse, Adelita to the front, they neighed and kicked, slacked, and keened as they would tandem.
"Just like us." Miranda laughed.
They made it to the border ranchero where Nick bought her the beautiful garnet and pearl cross from a Spanish estate sale. They had stopped at the hacienda for water and food and to rest the horses. The sale was to start the next day. The auctioneer showed them the items as he put them out for bid.
The cross caught both of their eyes.
"Good taste, Mr. and Mrs. Barkley. It is an old piece. Not in fashion but good stones. The family wasn't keen on it. Likely sell just for the gems. It was a wedding gift from the owners. They died without heirs. Married fifty years and died within a day of each other. Their nephew in Mexico City hired me to sell their property and goods."
"Garnets and pearls and diamonds—-in Mexican silver. Hmmm, reminds me of another necklace."
Miranda smiled and giggled, "It does."
Nick paid the man double the asking price without hesitation before the auction.
"Abraham can fix the chain and settings."
"Miranda, I promised God if he led me to you, I wouldn't let you go again and I would do right by you. This is my vow to you and the good Lord."
"I will wear it proudly. And I hope to have as many years with you as they did. And this bebé will only know love."
"Cause I love you, missy. You don't have to steal any more necklaces 'cause you got me and one of your own now. And dern, I am going to be a Pa."