Chapter 5 [Outside—Fifteen Minutes Earlier]
Manolito rubbed the back of his neck. He rolled his eyes at Temper in Mercedes' eyes. Blue, you just had to say it! He frowned.
"Manolo, how could you just ride off and not tell me?" Mercedes demanded. "What if something had happened? I cannot lose you! DID YOU NOT THINK OF THAT?"
His lips pressed down on each other. They curled together tighter than a coiled snake. "¡Si! ¡Por supuesto lo hice! ¡Tengo este rancho los hombres y Usted debe considerarlo! Soy Padron, Mercedes. ¡Es mi responsibilidad! ¡Mía!" Frustration shook his head.
She slapped at the fence post to her right. "¡NO! ¡ES NUESTRA RESPONSIBILIDAD TUYA Y MÍA!" She stomped her foot on the ground.
"Mercedes…" He shook his head.
"CÁLLATE Y ESCÚCHAME!" She got right up in his face. Her face turned deepest crimson. Storms flared in her eyes.Her hands flew up in the air. ¡No me excluirás como Papá hace con Mamá! ¡Este es nuestro rancho! ¿Entiendes me?"
"I am Padron, Mercedes." Manolito set his jaw.
She nodded. "Si eres el Don pero soy la Doña, Manolo. ¡Somos socios!" Her eyes met his. "Quíero escuchar lo que pasó. ¡Dentro!"
He shook his head. He stormed into the hacienda. He glared at Blue. "Not a word, Amigo! Not a single…"
Blue looked at Penny. Then he turned back to Manolito. "Nope. I ain't getting between you and her. Penny and I said what we needed to. This is your plan."
Manolito scowled at the younger man. "You are more and more like your father. You know that?"
Blue tilted his hat up. He looked Manolito right in the eye. "Yup. I saw too many fights between Victoria and him. This is yours. That's why I shut the door before."
"It is all right, Blue. I want Penny and you to hear us. Somos familia." Mercedes muttered a few choice Spanish curses. She slammed the door behind herself. Her eyes turned to the ceiling. "¡Señor, dame fuerzas!" She crossed herself. "Manolo, the trip tomorrow is muy importante!"
"I know that!" Manolito slapped the table. "Do you not think I do not know that? ¡Ay! Mercedes, I can pack in one hour! I wanted to do something to take to my father!"
Mercedes rubbed her forehead. "¿Entonces eres el Hombre de su padre? ¡Antes de que fueras Padron! ¡Manolo, no tienes NADA que demonstrarle a Don Sebastían! ¡NADA!" She shook him. "He wants to play his games with all of us." She shook her head. "You are the Don of Rancho Rivertree. Not my father and not your father."
Manolito nodded. Tularosa's accusations about his still being Big John's man rang back in his mind. "I said as much about Blue and me to Chief Tularosa not one hour ago, Mercedita. You are right."
Mercedes gasped. "What? Manolo, you said the Apaches were still in their winter place!"
"I believed so." Manolito squirmed. "We saw three warriors in the North Pasture. I turned us around and started back toward here. Chief Tularosa had more warriors with him at the West Pasture. He and I declared a truce. We talked in the middle of the field with no weapons."
"That's the truth, Mercedes." Blue confirmed.
Manolito rolled his eyes.
"Hey! I'm just backing you up. That's it!" Blue shook his head. "All right! Fine!" He drank from his coffee.
"Blue makes it easier on you, Manolo. You should be nicer to him." Mercedes raised an eyebrow at him.
"Fine." Manolito frowned. He shrugged at Blue.
"I get it." Blue nodded. He motioned back at Mercedes.
"Gracias, Amigo." Manolito turned back to his wife. "We talked. I assured him that this rancho is not part of High Chaparral, Mercedes. I told him that I speak for Rivertree and not for John's rancho. He mistrusts us. Still I agreed to let the Apaches graze their cattle on our pastures. They are but two dozen vacas. We can plant our trees and crops. We should leave open grassland for the cattle and horses. We can share in the woods' game. He would like pine sap and pine cones from our pine trees. I told him we would help his village as we can."
Mercedes mused over his words. She nodded. "Eso es mejor. Si. Ese es un acuerdo justo para los Apaches y nosotros. Somos afortunados." She poured another cup of coffee and handed it to him. "And with no fighting. I am proud of you." She smiled at Blue. "Both of you. I will tell your father on the trip down."
"Mercedes!" Blue grimaced.
"No, Compadre. She is right. You did not act like a fool. You did what I asked even if you did not agree. Your pine cones will be a great help." Manolito took a draught from his cup. "Our history helped us today, Blue." He sucked in a deep breath.
"Now if we can keep the men from shooting at them. We sure don't need anything setting things off," Blue reminded him.
"So why don't you two talk to everyone?" Penny interjected.
"Si, Penny. You are right." Manolito drank the rest of his cup. Then he set it down. "Blue, get the men who are here out in front of the hacienda. I want them to hear what you just said. Make sure everyone hears those words. Those who are riding herd will hear when they return. We will have an understanding with Tularosa. Practicaremos la convivencia." He finished his coffee. "I need to pack. Then we can do that?"
Mercedes softened her facial expression. She motioned toward the stairs. "You should."
"Gracias, mi Mercedita." Manolito kissed her forehead. Then he walked up the stairs.
"I'd better get everyone together." Blue tipped his hat again. Then he walked out the door.
"Feeling better, Tia?" Penny sipped on her coffee.
"I am glad Manolito had a plan. Now we make sure everyone understands." Mercedes collected the used cups and brought them back to the sink.
And so, Understanding was reached….
