A/N: read and review!
Long Lost Lover
Chapter Seven
Little Joe knocked on the bedroom door. A distracted, "Come in," came through the rough wood, and he pushed it open to step inside. Raquel was sitting up and staring off towards the window that she had escaped out of the day before.
"Miss Raquel, how're you feelin'?
She turned to look at him and she seemed to focus on the present as she smiled. "I am feeling just fine, thank you young man."
Little Joe blushed a little. When any pretty lady gave him a compliment of any kind he blushed. "Can I ask you somethin'?"
She seemed hesitant, but she nodded and pointed to the chair beside the bed. "Yes, of course. Come and sit down."
He walked over and the let the door shut on it's own. Then he turned the chair around and sat down. Raquel smiled at him again and asked, "What do you want to ask me?"
"How'd you hide from Collier yesterday? I know you snuck out the window, but how come he didn't see you when he looked inside the barn?"
Raquel gave a sly grin and glanced toward the window again. "It was simple. I just stayed where he was not looking."
"I don't get it."
"You see, I heard him ride up. I knew he would come into the house, so I slid out the window and stood at the back of the house. When I heard him walk inside, I ran to the back door of the barn and hid just inside the door. I could see the house if I looked around the doorway, and I could hear almost everything as well. When Collier came back out of the house, I stood behind the barn until he was inside. Then I ran back behind the house. When he left and the rest of you came back in here, I opened the window and came back in."
Little Joe smiled. The plan was simple, and yet it had outsmarted Collier. Although it wouldn't take much to do that.
He was quiet for a minute, and then he decided to ask the question that had been on his mind since she'd come through the door. "How come you were all dressed up like a man?"
Raquel wasn't surprised by the question; that was obvious. She sighed. "Well, uh," she paused and shook her head. She had to come right out with it. "Well, you know all the things that Collier said about me?"
Little Joe nodded.
"Most of it was true."
His eyes widened. "You mean you're really a murderin' horse thief?"
Raquel laughed. She had never gotten a reaction quite like that. "When you put it that way it sounds horrible, doesn't it?"
He nodded again and she smiled and cocked her head. "Little Joe, you have to understand something. When my family died, I was angry. I was so angry, that I had to do something about it. Now what I did was not the right thing to do, but I can't change that now."
Little Joe stood up. "I understand, Miss Raquel. I need to go help pa."
"All right." The word barely left her lips before he was gone. She wondered if it had been a mistake to tell him that. No doubt he would tell his father.
Carlos had explained everything about the Ponderosa to her when she'd woken up, about righteous Ben Cartwright and his wonderful boys. The look in Carlos's eyes had been somewhere around envy, pride, and respect as he spoke of the man who had helped him turn his life around.
Raquel had only talked to Ben briefly, but she could tell that Carlos was right. She couldn't help but think that Ben would do whatever Carlos thought was the right thing to do about her. The only problem was Raquel wasn't yet sure what Carlos thought was right.
PONDEROSAAdam pulled his horse to a stop in front of the large, Mexican-crafted barn and dismounted, handing the reins to the vaquero whom came to hold the animal.
No one had sent him to do this, but he felt he had to. Isabella had the right to know that her friend was alive.
Adam stepped onto the porch of the Greene Ranch. All 1000 acres used to be Rivera land, but after the war, Luther Green had bought it for his family.
Just as Adam raised a hand to knock on the door it opened. "Hey, Adam," Tess Greene smiled as she greeted him. Adam removed his hat. "Hello Tess. I've got something important to tell Isabella."
Tess nodded and stepped back so he could enter the large house. "Come on in and I'll go get her for you." Adam walked inside and Tess closed the door behind him.
She followed him into the living room. "I'll be right back."
He nodded and fiddled with his hat as he tried to decide how to break it to her. It really wasn't bad news, but it sure would be shocking.
Footsteps caused him to look up at the doorway that Tess had disappeared through. Isabella stood there with a brilliant smile on her face. "Hello, Adam! I have not seen you for some time."
"Hey, Isabella." The sight of her made him forget what he'd come for momentarily. She stepped into the room and watched him.
"I, uh, well…" he broke off and laughed to break the ice. "Well, has Carlos come to see you recently?"
"No, I have not seen him since we had supper at your house last week." She cocked her head. "Is something wrong, Adam?"
"No, it's not that…it's just, well, we had a surprise visitor the other day." And with that, he explained about the strange woman who had crashed through the door, bled on their floor, and then pulled a gun on Carlos.
She gasped. "Why did she do that?"
"She didn't know where she was or who was with her." Adam paused. "Isabella, Carlos knew who she was."
Isabella's eyebrows raised. Adam knew what she was thinking; If Carlos knew this woman, Isabella probably did as well.
"Do you remember your friend Raquel Gonzales?"
Isabella's eyes were suddenly distant, lost in memories. "Yes, I remember her."
"She didn't die in that fire."
PONDEROSARaquel leaned against the chair that still sat beside her bed. She'd been shot before and she hadn't sat around all day and all night, why should now be any different?
She managed to get to the door rather smoothly, just with a wince every time she took a step. She didn't fall as she opened the door, so she decided she'd be just fine.
The house appeared empty as she walked into the main room. She'd expected to see Hop Sing, but the small man was nowhere to be found.
Raquel slowly ambled over to the fireplace that was surrounded by several chairs. She liked the Ponderosa. It was comfortable and homey, and despite the more modern appearance, something about it reminded her of her long lost home.
She sat down and sighed. If only she could stay here. Life would be perfect if I could stay here. No, that's not true. I would ruin life for the Cartwrights if I stayed here.
The front door opened and Hop Sing stepped inside. He was carrying a large pot of water, which he brought over to the fireplace. "You should not be up."
Raquel smiled. "I am fine. I was bored to death sitting in bed all day." She glanced back towards the front door. "Where's Mr. Cartwright?"
"He went to town with boys."
"I see." Raquel frowned. Just why had he gone to town? Was it to rat her out? "What about Carlos? Where is he?"
Hop Sing arranged a few logs in the fireplace to start a blaze. "I not know. His horse gone."
"Hmm." Raquel wasn't worried about what Carlos was doing, but she was worried about what he might do.
Both Raquel and Hop Sing heard horses approaching at a medium pace outside. Hop Sing stood and went to the window. "It's Adam."
"And the second horse?"
"He brought Isabella."
Raquel was on her feet in an instant, and she regretted it. But she hadn't seen Isabella in years, and Isabella had thought she was dead.
Had Adam told her about Raquel's past? Would she turn her back on Raquel?
She hurried to the door despite the pain and negative thoughts and stepped onto the porch.
Well, I'm going to warn you. There's only one more chapter…and the ending is too abrupt. But I'm sick and tired of working on this. Please review.