Chapter 12 [High Chaparral]
John worked with some figures at the kitchen table. A cattle drive to the US Army fort would start in two days. He, Buck, Pedro, Joe would keep the stock in line. He'd sent Sam into Tucson to hire additional ranch hands. It'll be a day and a half each way. That doesn't include how long it takes to bargain with that captain! He took a gulp from his coffee. At least Victoria and Annie can take Jennifer for a ride. I'm sure they'll enjoy the new house. He set down his pencil.
The new house and ranch….
Mindset split on the new rancho. On the one hand, Support poured forth from the High Chaparral for Blue, Manolito and their wives. He'd observed wagonloads of materials and supplies coming up the northwest road. He'd watched the house rise from the ground. He heard stories about the garden and fruit trees. Appreciation eased his mood due to the Chaparral's cattle grazing on Rivertree's East Meadow. Still Loss ate at him over Experience's exodus up the northwest road. In addition, Manolito had somehow recruited Bart, Ira and Reno away from his potential supply of ranch hands.
Competition nagged at him.
It's just a part of the business. Can't fault Manolito for doing it either. If they can make all of that work, it'll sure be something else! He could visualize that rancho coming to fruition. Besides the cattle and horses, a sizable vegetable and herb garden would supply the kitchen and root cellar with produce. Apples would come off the trees for pies or other desserts. That is if they weren't sold or traded for other things. Ricardo's silver operation could give another financial leg up. Perhaps he could sell hay from the meadows or lumber from the trees.
Instinct groused at him to take care.
Before he mused any further, two gunshots jarred him from Reverie's grasp.
"Now what?" He pulled himself to his feet. Grabbing his hat, he stalked out the front door. "Hey, Simmons! What is it?"
Simmons looked down from the house's roof. "Mr. Cannon! Buckboard's sure coming quick from the northwest!"
From the northwest? That would be from the new ranch! What in blazes? John narrowed his eyes. He strode three steps out onto the compound's dirt surface. His fingers brushed across his pistol's hilt.
Victoria pushed the horses and buckboard hard into the compound. Once through the gate, she started to slow them. She took an extra half circle on the dirt to bring it to a halt.
"Victoria? Now what's going on? Why did you come in so fast? Is everything all right?" John hustled up to the buckboard. He helped Annie and Jenny down from the seat.
"John, I am sorry if we scared you." Victoria frowned. Anger stabbed a glare over her shoulder and to the back of the wagon.
John followed her glance. Surprise found Buck sulking by the back panel. "What in Tarnation is he doing back there? Why didn't he drive you all back?"
"We did not want to even look at him!" Indignation sparked in Victoria's eyes. Deeper lines stabbed into her face. Her frown twisted even more upon itself than a coiled rattlesnake. She accepted his hand and help down from the seat. "Thank you, John." She kissed his cheek.
John considered Victoria. He saw Embarrassment's tears still wetting her cheeks. He saw her tremble. Within a heartbeat, he held her closely against him. "What happened? Please tell me nobody got hurt."
"No, John. Buck insulted Mercedes and Don Ricardo. I thought we were past this! I know Papa and Doña Lupe still have bad feelings over it. I know he is angry about Manolito going away but he apologized! Now he does this? I do not understand!"
John frowned. He looked toward his brother who was getting out of the wagon. "I think I know at least some of it. Go and make sure Annie and Jennifer are all right. I'm going to catch up with Buck."
Memoria recalled the verbal and emotional eruptions between Buck and John. Reluctance did not wish to see such a scene again. Still, she knew that Buck needed that wake-up call. "All right, John. Just do not hurt him. We will be waiting when you are finished. I go to put on some coffee?"
"You'd best do that." John sighed. "I'm more worried about Mano when he finds out." Realization twisted his mouth into a grimace.
She winced. "Settle this, John. I do not want blood between them or Don Ricardo."
"I don't either, Victoria. Let's hope we can deal with this before it's too late." He stalked toward the barn.
¿Madre de Dios, why is this so hard? ¡Ay! She headed for her kitchen and that coffee pot.
Common Sense would try to make itself felt….
Buck grabbed Rebel's bridle and saddle. Frustration and Self-Loathing lashed at his heart. Can't even have feelings to myself. Even when I try to do the right thing, I can't! I end up hurting everyone. I didn't want to hurt Annie or Jenny. I just was going to say nothing. I wanted the whole thing to drop. Why wouldn't she? Dang it! He stomped back toward his horse.
Rebel looked at him. A pronounced grunt came from his throat and mouth.
"Yeah I'll bet you got an O-pinion too! Don't you?" Buck narrowed his eyes. "Well, Mr. Smart Horse! I think I know what's good for me and you!" He put the saddle onto Rebel's back. Then he put the bridle over the horse's head. "We got ourselves a long ride. I got stuff to work out."
"You hold up there, Buck!" John hustled toward him. "We need to talk!"
Buck rolled his eyes. "I ain't in the mood, Big John! I got bigger fish to stew over than that."
"Oh I'd say you do." John frowned. Patience somehow restrained him. "Sounds to me like you made a mess up at the Rancho just now."
Buck shook his head. "Victoria told you. Didn't she? Confound it! Nobody lets me have my own thoughts to myself! I just went quiet but…oh no! Mercedes—she just had to make her point!"
John sighed. "And that was?"
Buck rolled his eyes. "She wants everything the way she had it with her Daddy!"
John narrowed his eyes. Understanding dawned on him. "And I don't suppose you want everything the way it was before Manolito ran into her? Or before Blue met back up with Penny again? Am I right?"
"We had it real good, John! I mean it ain't so bad here at Chaparral!" Buck insisted.
John shrugged. He felt Frustration coming off of Buck in waves. This situation reminded him of the recurring eruptions between them. Transference however shifted the cause from him to Manolito and Blue. "I'd like to think so, Buck. We have had our challenges. We also had a lot of good times here as well. Those are worthy remembering. Look I love Victoria with everything I got. I haven't forgotten Annalee. Blue hasn't forgotten her or Moon Fire but he loves Penny. Yes we hold onto those memories. We cherish them. Then we have to move forward." He rubbed Buck's arm. "We're changing. Question is how to deal with it. How are you going to deal with it?"
"It wasn't easy between Victoria and you at first," Buck recalled.
John coughed. "No. It sure wasn't. Sometimes she and I argue about things. But we care enough to move forward together. Annie and Jennifer need you, Buck, to do the same thing. And just because Manolito and Blue are on another ranch, they're still on our side." Realization rode that last sentence straight into his own psyche. "In fact, I just realized the same thing."
"Realized what?" Buck arched his eyebrow. "That you ain't the only big man in the territory? About time!"
John rolled his eyes. "Yeah that's right! We have allies! Just now, I was going over in my head about the competition from that ranch. Yeah there will be some of that I suppose. But we also have someone to watch our back too. But that won't happen if there's bad blood between our ranches. Look, Buck, you've got to accept that Manolito and Blue aren't going to be able to do what they did before. You can't do that either. You've got a wife and a little girl to think about now."
Fire blazed in Buck's eyes. "COURSE I KNOW THAT! I JUST WANT…I WANT…!" He stewed in his juices. "CONFOUND IT!"
John sighed. Once again their Father's dying words echoed in his mind. Take care of Buck. Some people just need more care than others….. He put his hand on Buck's shoulder. "Buck…"
"EVERYONE ELSE WANTS WHAT THEY WANT! THEY KEEP TAKING AND TAKING!" Buck railed. He ground his teeth. He clenched the wooden corral slat.
"Buck, you love Annie. Right?" John put to him.
Buck's eyes went wide. "What kind of dumb question is that? Course I do!"
"Well we've all made adjustments to have Jennifer and her around here. We're glad to do it too. Buck, you have to make those same adjustments for everyone else as well. Victoria shares in our dream. Yes it started as my dream. She made it hers too. Annie wants to be included. Why would she have come back here if she didn't? She still loves you. Jack knew that. Victoria saw that. I saw it as soon as we ran into her in Tucson. And that's a good thing. Go with it. Let go of this jealousy and anger. It's pointless! I don't want Manolito or Don Ricardo showing up here and challenging you."
Buck shook his head. He still remembered the scene at Rancho Montoya where they'd avoided a duel between Ricardo and Sebastian by the thinnest of hairs. "They'd do that? Nuts!"
"Buck, you owe them an apology for starters. Let's hope we keep it to words." John motioned toward Rebel. "Keep him tied there. Follow me back to the house. I think you've got something to say to the ladies. If you want to ride off after that, that's up to you. But you aren't leaving until we all say what we have to say. That's being a man."
Buck conceded a nod. "Yeah, Brother John." He checked the reins one more time. "Let's go." He walked briskly toward the hacienda.
Let's hope this doesn't blow up too much. John exhaled sharply and followed.