A/N: Up next is Yonder Man. Since Candy was mostly slipping around in the background of this one, I chose to have him and Annie continue that track instead of shoving them front and center. So, we don't get all the meat of this episode, but I hope it fills in some of the gaps where Candy just popped up, then disappeared again. And we get some more Annie/Candy moments, so there's that to look forward to. As always, I don't own Bonanza, only my OC. Enjoy!
Fixed line breaks 2-20-21
"That's Cochise." Annie let the sack of sugar hit the wagon bed harder than necessary. She tracked the man who'd tied the pinto at the hitch rail as he went into the Silver Dollar. "But that's not Joe." Candy stacked the bag of flour he was hauling and dusted off his hands.
"Let's go." They ambled away from the wagon and took up positions outside the saloon. Men came and went, offering nods of greeting, or a tip of the hat to Annie.
"He might be a while."
"Yeah." A man stormed out of the saloon, crushing his hat back on his head. "Wonder what that was about."
"Overpriced whiskey?" Candy shook his head, an amused smile touching his lips. They waited several minutes, then the stranger in buckskins pushed through the swinging doors and made his way to Cochise. Candy straightened.
"Howdy." The stranger turned around. Candy gestured at Cochise. "That's a nice looking horse you got there." The man followed his gaze.
"It's tolerable. He'll do till the next one." Annie pushed off the support column she was holding up and crossed to Candy's left side.
"You plan to get the next one the same way you got this one?" The stranger glanced between them, a frown lining his forehead.
"I'm afraid I don't follow you." Candy laughed.
"You hear that, sweetheart? He doesn't follow us." He shook his head, still laughing, then snapped his fingers. "Of course, you don't. We follow you." He drew his gun and cocked the hammer. Annie followed suit.
"That's my brother's horse, by the way."
"Right down there to the sheriff's office." Candy motioned with his gun and the stranger shrugged. He held out Cochise's reins and Annie took the pinto in hand. Whoever the stranger was, he was as cool as could be, nodding to women they passed, making polite comments.
"Beaudry?" Her pa's voice brought them all to a sudden stop, no one more so than the stranger. He focused on Ben standing in front of the general store. "Beaudry!"
"Ben Cartwright!"
"Beaudry!" Ben tossed his sack to Hoss and hurried into the street, clapping the stranger on the back and shaking hands. "You son of a gun, I thought they hung you up years ago."
"Ben Cartwright, you are a sight for saddle-sore eyeballs!" Annie blinked several times and traded confused glances with Candy.
"You know him?"
"Know him?" Ben chuckled. "Yes, we know each other. We had some dealings here and there."
"Ain't that the gospel, Ben?" The two men laughed while she, Hoss, and Candy stood around staring. Cochise nudged her shoulder. "You old tiger, you remember the time you were standing off a whole battalion of Santy Ana's best just to kiss that sloe-eyed senorita good-bye?" They laughed again, Ben's a touch forced as he glanced at them.
"Long time ago, Beau, long time ago."
"Long, long, road. Say, which one was she, now? Teresina or Margarita?"
"Come on, now, forget that." Hoss cleared his throat and crossed his arms.
"Pa, this is a little bit of your past you ain't got around to telling us about, ain't it?" Beaudry chuckled.
"Ben here never was much for talking. Just doing." He regarded Hoss. "And if this here young bull's your son, you did all right. Not to mention that pretty little filly over there." Candy cleared his throat and stepped forward.
"How about you ask him about your other son. He came in riding Joe's horse." The next second, Candy was flat on his back in the street. Annie blinked, her mouth hanging open, as they all stared at Beaudry. Candy scrambled up onto his hands and knees and glared at Beaudry, who raised an eyebrow.
"Nobody ever tell you? It ain't polite to interrupt when men are talking. Here's your gun, boy." He tossed Candy his gun. Annie threw him a dirty look and went to Candy, leaving Cochise ground-tied. Beaudry nodded to himself and turned back to Ben. "Now these two are under the impression I stole that old hayburner." Ben folded his arms and gave his old friend a knowing look.
"Yeah, I been waiting for you to tell me how you came by him."
"Well, your son told me his name, I saw your brand on his horse, and I just couldn't resist having a little fun. So I foxed him." Hoss frowned.
"How'd you ride him?"
"Forget that," Annie said as she helped Candy brush the dust off his clothes. "How'd you get him away from Joe?"
"I think I know how," Ben said with a grin. "You pulled that old watch trick on him, didn't you?" He punched Beaudry's arm.
"I sure did. Just like thieving Red did before he got himself hung." They shared another round of laughter. "Ben, what do you say we sweeten the hinges of our tonsils over at the saloon?"
"Oh, there's plenty of time for that once we get to the Ponderosa. Hoss, take the wagon home. Annie, you and Candy see if you can find Little Joe, give him a ride home. Beau and I got a lot of talking to do. Come on." Ben headed for Buck and Beaudry collected Cochise's reins and swung into the saddle. They rode off down the street at a lope, leaving Annie with her mouth hanging open.
A state that was shared by Hoss and Candy as well. They traded looks and Hoss shook his head. "I'm not even going to try." He made his way back to the wagon and the waiting supplies.
"I guess we ought to go find Joe." Candy made a face. "Is he ever gonna be hot under the collar."
"Wouldn't you be?"
"Yeah." Candy grinned. "If I was dumb enough to let a stranger sit my horse in the first place." Annie snickered, the sound morphing into a full-blown cackle worthy of Joe at his best.
"I can throw this in his face for at least the next six or seven months," she said as she swung into Reno's saddle. "Let's go find him, he'll be as grouchy as a bear over having to walk." Candy chuckled and they rode out of town. "I can't believe Pa knows that old varmint."
"Can't say I'm surprised, your pa seems to know just about everyone. Where was Joe heading this morning, anyway?"
"North pasture, checking for strays. But where in the north pasture is anyone's guess. We could start at the line shack in the cavern, work our way home. He usually always checks and makes sure everything's stocked before winter."
"Let's go, then." Candy threw her a look and she grinned back. "Count of three. One, two, three!" They leaned low over their mounts' necks and leaped into a full gallop, laughing the whole way across the sprawling range.
They didn't slow until the line shack came into sight as they crested the final hill. Annie led the way up to the rear of the shack, past the corral, and under the connecting overhang. She snatched Reno up short next to the corral, her hand going to her gun. Candy mirrored her move.
A man lounged next to the corral, polishing his boots. He looked up at them, squinting against the sun with dark eyes in a weathered face. "Buenas dias, senorita. Senor."
"Howdy." Candy slid Scout past Reno, putting himself between her and the stranger, and walked the gelding over to the hitch rail. Annie followed slowly, her hand still on her gun.
"There's water in the bucket. Step down, take a drink."
"I think I will." He dismounted, but Annie stayed where she was. The stranger lazily polished his boots, watching Candy watch him. Once or twice, his eyes flicked up to her, but they always went back to Candy.
"Many tracks for such a lonely place, huh?"
"Quite a few," Candy agreed.
"Before I came," the man went on, "a man walked through this cavern. And one rode. Then one rides away, and the other one walks. But the man who walked away is not the one who walked here."
"You read tracks pretty well," Annie commented.
"Oh, something to do, you know." The man waved it off.
"A man that interested in tracking is usually looking for somebody," Candy pointed out.
"Isn't somebody always looking for somebody?" The man smiled. "But there is a man I would like to see. He comes this way from Crease, Montana. A big man. Stands tall." He added something in Spanish. "Have you seen a man like that?"
"The man you're looking for," Candy said slowly. "Is he on the run?"
"From who?"
"Maybe you." He threw her an appraising look, then laughed.
"From me? If he comes from the north and I come from the south, how could he be on the run from me?"
"It's a good question."
"You know, I think this friend of mine, he went to Virginia City. I've never been there. I think I will go there myself."
"Fine." Annie cleared her throat and Candy nodded once. "And would you close the door when you leave?" The man nodded and Candy turned to mount up.
"Eh. You never take your drink of water."
"Decided I wasn't thirsty." He turned Scout and the man raised a hand.
"Adios."
"Hasta luego." They rode out, Annie's hand on her gun, and an itch at the back of her neck. But she wasn't about to turn around and look. "I'm thinking he had a knife in that boot."
"Yeah. He described Beaudry pretty close, too. And if he came from the south, how did he know his friend came down from Montana way?"
"That's another good question. Let's find Joe, then see if Beaudry can give us some answers." They headed for the house, but there was no sign of Joe anywhere.
"I bet the stubborn jackal walked home," Annie muttered. Candy chuckled.
"He might have, at that." They pulled up in front of the house and swung down. Candy led the way inside. Ben and Beaudry looked up from their drinks in the main room.
"Mr. Cartwright, we went all the way up to the cavern, but there was no sign of Joe." The two men laughed.
"Oh. Yeah, well, he – he found his way here. He walked all the way. He's upstairs soaking his feet right now."
"That's about what we figured." Annie tilted her head. "Mr. Beaudry, we also ran into a man we think is looking for you."
"Oh?"
"Yeah," Candy added. "He's Mexican, a big man, very dark, soft-spoken. You know him?"
"No, no, I don't, Candy. No."
"Hm." If Beaudry thought they believed that, he was stupid. "Well, we still have some miles of fence to ride, we might as well get to it."
"Fine. Thank you, both."
"Later, Pa." She followed Candy out the door and they mounted up without a word and rode out of the yard at a fast trot.
"Virginia City?"
"Yeah." Candy swung Scout, and they rode up the ridge, taking up positions above the trail to watch and wait. They swung down and hid behind some bushes. He nudged her arm a few minutes later and she followed his eyes. "There's one." Their Mexican friend sat his horse on the other side of the valley below, halfway up the ridge.
"Yahoo!"
"And there's Beaudry." The Mexican's head swung around.
"Hey, amigo!" He booted his horse into a lope and the two men met on the valley floor with back slapping, laughter, and hand shakes. She and Candy looked at each other, eyebrows raised.
I'm thinking he lied to us, sweetheart.
I'm thinking you're right.
Roy?
Annie shook her head. "He might be almost as suspicious as we are, but what do we really have? As much as I don't like him, it's not a crime to say you don't know someone when you really do." Candy nodded and they went back to watching the scene below.
What had just happened? While they were talking, the mood down below had changed to a tense-looking stand-off.
She squinted, but they were too far away to read expressions. Beaudry stalked back to his horse – how many was he going to borrow from the Ponderosa? – and mounted up. The Mexican followed him, stopping a few feet from the bay. The two stared at each other for a moment, then Beaudry pulled his horse's head around and trotted off towards Virginia City.
"Well." Candy fiddled with his reins. "He certainly does know him."
"Yeah." Annie watched the Mexican ride off in the other direction. "Question is, what are they up to?"
"That I don't know. Yet. Should we follow them?"
"Pa and Roy would both say what for."
"But not you." She settled her hat back in place and mounted up.
"Let's follow our lazy friend a ways. He told us he was going to Virginia City, too. I'd like to know why he changed his mind." Candy grinned and jumped into the saddle. They reined their horses around and tucked in well back on the Mexican's trail.
"I'm beginning to think he knows we're back here." Candy dug out a rag and wiped the sweat from his face. He pointed at a tree with a broken branch. "That's the second time we've passed that tree." He stuffed the rag back in his pocket. "I bet he's up there having a good laugh."
"He can't be that good if he just now figured it out. He wasn't turning circles until twenty minutes ago and we've been tailing him for three hours."
"Maybe he got bored and decided to liven things up."
"If that's all he wanted, he could have fired off a couple shots and watched us scatter." They climbed the ridge and scanned the horizon from just below the crest. The Mexican had dismounted on the valley floor and lay sprawled in the sun, hat over his eyes, his horse cropping grass a few feet to his right.
"We're not gonna find anything out today."
"No, I don't think he's going to be leading us anywhere interesting at that. Might as well go back and finish riding fence. We'll try again tomorrow." Annie snorted. "He's obviously not going anywhere." They turned their horses and rode back.
It was after dark when they got back to the house. Candy put the horses up and Annie went on into the house. Ben sat in his usual chair, sipping a glass of brandy. He looked up as she closed the door and unbuckled her gun belt. "Any trouble?"
"No, not even a broken wire."
"Good. I was worried, it doesn't usually take that long."
"We just enjoyed the ride."
"Oh." He took a drink. "We have another guest, Noreen. She's heading for San Francisco in two days, I said she could stay with us until her stage leaves. Beaudry didn't want to leave her in the Silver Dollar."
"Oh?"
"They took the buggy out a couple hours ago, he wanted to show her more of the Ponderosa." Ben heaved a sigh. "I'm selling him some cattle, he's settling down at last, going to build his own dream down in Miraflores."
"Mexico?"
"Yes."
"So, what does that have to do with Noreen?"
"One of the Lazy Y hands is bothering her, Beaudry's helped her twice now. Considering the second time he about tore the Silver Dollar in half, I figured it would be best that she stay here." Annie nodded and placed her hat and gun belt on the old sideboard.
"Is supper ready?"
"Hop Sing was holding it until everyone got back." She looked around.
"Joe still soaking his feet or soothing his pride?" Ben chuckled and left his chair.
"Beaudry pulled a good one, didn't he?" He patted her shoulder and headed for the kitchen, humming under his breath. Annie raised an eyebrow, then about got whacked in the rear when Candy opened the front door.
"Sorry." He shut the door and tossed his hat next to hers. "What's going on?" She shook her head slowly.
"If I figure it out, you'll be the first to know."
"Come on, you two." Roy shook his head. "I got no reason to talk to him, no reason at all." The grizzled sheriff rounded his desk and sat down. Candy slapped his hat against his leg.
"Doggone it, Roy, he looked me straight in the eye and said he didn't know this charro. Next thing we know, he's falling all over him."
"Maybe it was a mistake."
"No, I don't think it was a mistake." Annie perched on the edge of his desk. "If you'd seen them, you wouldn't think that."
"And what about this friend he didn't know? He's Mexican, mid-forties, dark, soft-spoken man. He led us a wild goose chase for three hours yesterday! Have you got anything on him in the posters?" Roy sighed.
"Not that I recall, but feel free to take a look." He passed the short stack over to Candy. Annie leaned in over his shoulder as he flipped through the wanted posters. The door opened and she glanced back, noted the star on the newcomer's vest, and turned back to the posters.
"Howdy. Roy Coffee's my name." The sheriff stood and offered his hand.
"Deputy Stryker."
"Glad to know you. What can we do for you?" The newcomer held out a folded paper. Roy took it and settled his glasses on his nose. "You've come a long way." Candy glanced up.
"I've made shorter rides."
"Well, this is Annie Cartwright of the Ponderosa, and their foreman, Mr. Canaday, though we all call him Candy."
"A pleasure." They all shook hands.
"This man's from Crease, Montana." Annie stiffened; Candy jumped like he'd been stung. They traded a knowing look.
"Crease?" Candy got it out first. The deputy nodded and Candy dropped the posters to the desk. "I'd say you were looking for a man named Beaudry."
"That's the name on the warrant," Roy said after a second look. He handed the warrant back and took off his glasses. "I had a man named Beaudry here for busting up three cowboys in a saloon all by himself. Could that have been him?"
"That's Beaudry. Which way did he go?" Annie jumped off the desk.
"He's at the Ponderosa, we'll be glad to show you."
"I don't want to put you out none."
"Oh, it's no trouble." Candy grabbed his hat and stuffed it on his head. "Come on." He led the way out of Roy's office. Annie collected Reno and mounted up. The deputy settled into his saddle and tipped his hat.
"After you." Annie took the lead and they rode out of town, the deputy on her left, Candy on her right. The man was silent for a few miles before he spoke up again. "Ms. Cartwright, you wouldn't happen to be related to a Ben Cartwright, would you?"
"He's my father."
"Looks like he's done well for himself."
"He has." The deputy went silent again and she looked over to Candy, who shrugged. They finally rode into the yard, pulling up sharp when she noticed the bay standing saddled in front of the barn.
"He must be inside the barn," Candy said in a hushed voice.
"Beaudry!" The deputy's shout nearly had her jumping out of the saddle. "Hyah! Beaudry! This here's Stryker! Come on out!" Silence followed his call.
"You'll have to go in after him," Candy said. "You want some help?" The deputy studied both of them.
"It's an idea." He dismounted and they followed suit. "I'll go first. You two be careful, I'd especially hate to have Ben chewing my tail for getting his daughter hurt."
"You wouldn't be the first," she replied. Candy touched her arm.
"We'll be careful." The deputy nodded and they made their way across the yard and into the silent barn. Too quiet, that was her first thought as they stood just inside the door. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up as they moved deeper inside.
"Behind you, tad!" She whipped around, gun in hand, to find Beaudry crouched in the doorway, his gun aimed at them. A giant smile split his face. "Stryker, you old polecat, you!" In seconds, she and Candy were the only ones still holding their guns. Both men laughed and Beaudry straightened from his crouch. Stryker turned to them.
"I said it was an idea, boy. I didn't say it was a good one." He hurried over to Beaudry and they shook hands. She turned to Candy and they stared at each other in silence.
"Pure porcupine, those two, quills out all the time." Beudry said with a laugh.
"Kinda reminds me of you. And that there's a compliment," Stryker said with a nod at them.
"Thanks," Candy said. "I think," he muttered so only she could hear. Not that they would have noticed.
"I see somebody hung a tin badge on you."
"Yeah, I'm deputying out at Crease these days." Stryker shifted his weight. "Fact is, I'm here on business. I reckon you know what it is." Beaudry said nothing for a second, then he grabbed the deputy by the arm.
"Listen, you'd never believe who's running this spread, you know?"
"Ben Cartwright!"
"How'd you know?"
"That's his daughter, ain't she? She told me on the way out. Why, I haven't seen old Ben since he took the salute after the battle of Churubosco." The two men ambled towards the house. Annie reached out, resting her arm on Candy's shoulder, and they watched as the door closed behind them.
Their heads turned slowly, eyes meeting. "That make any kind of sense to you, sweetheart?"
"Not a lick." She sighed and propped her other hand on her hip. "Only one thing to do now."
"Find the Mexican?"
"Find the Mexican." They darted out the barn doors and rode out of the yard at a full gallop. If anyone could make sense of this, it would be him. Buying cows, saloon girls heading for San Francisco, a deputy on business that suddenly doesn't matter …
There were pieces missing, and dang-blasted, they were going to find them if they had to follow that Mexican all the way to Mexico and back. "Let's see if he's gone back to the line shack up in the cavern."
"If he's not?"
"Then we'll see if he's still sleeping where we left him."
In the end, they didn't have to. The man was lounging near the corral at the line shack, in pretty nearly the same position he'd been in the first time. He smiled and waved, his other hand tucked down inside the boot he was polishing.
"Buenas dias, amigos." Candy drew his gun and cocked the hammer.
"Get that hand where I can see it. And I wouldn't get any funny ideas about throwing that knife. You might get me, but she'd get you." Annie cocked her gun for emphasis. The man shrugged and withdrew his hand, laying the gleaming knife on the ground.
"What is it you want, amigos?"
"Answers," Annie snapped. "You can give them to us or the sheriff, it makes no difference to me."
"I'd listen to her, friend. It ain't pretty when she gets her dander up." The man sighed and rolled up onto his feet.
"Very well. I work for Cardone, the man in charge down in Miraflores. Once, we were all friends, but now that Cardone sits in power, all that means nothing and Beaudry has a price on his head. If he returns …" The man shrugged. "I do not wish to oversee his hanging."
"And of course the big oaf thinks it's a game," Annie stated. The man nodded thoughtfully.
"Perhaps."
"Let's go." Candy motioned to the man's horse. "You're going to tell Mr. Cartwright everything you just told us." The man shrugged again and tugged on his boot, then mounted up. "After you." They followed him back down the trail, breaking into a lope once the ground flattened out.
He looked back every now and then for directions, but other than that, didn't acknowledge them. They finally rode into the yard, the harnessed team and buggy taking Annie by surprise. Beaudry and her pa stood at the back of the buggy; they looked up at the clatter of hooves.
"What are you doing here?" Beaudry's face darkened. They jumped down and Candy motioned with his gun.
"Come on, hombre, get down. Tell Mr. Cartwright."
"They forced me, comprade." The man stepped down and stabbed a finger at them. "They were going to take me to the sheriff. My guerilla badge means nothing here, I can cause no incident."
"This is the man Beaudry said he didn't know. He has something to say I think you ought to hear." Her pa nudged Beaudry's arm, then pointed at the stranger, a shocked look on his face.
"That's Matar." Beaudry hummed agreement. "Matar!" Ben stepped forward and shook hands.
"You remember me, senor?"
"Yes!"
"From Miraflores."
"Of course I do. Of course I do." Behind his back, Beaudry tossed them a knowing smirk. She and Candy traded looks; she shook her head, he holstered his gun and propped his hands on his hips. What were the odds? "What are you doing up here?"
"I came to warn Beaudry." Ben looked over his shoulder at the man in question.
"Warn him about what?" Matar hesitated.
"Tell him," Candy snapped. Matar said nothing. Ben frowned.
"Well?" Annie sighed.
"Beaudry's got a price on his head in Miraflores. If he goes back down there, they'll kill him." Ben looked at her, then Beaudry, who hadn't moved a muscle, still standing there with his arms crossed, a smug look on his face. Matar shifted his weight.
"He's my friend. I … I had to warn him." Ben sighed, then choked on a short laugh.
"Well, well, well. Isn't that perfect?" He sauntered over to Beaudry and looked him in the eye. "How long have you known?" Beaudry didn't blink. "You lied about Miraflores."
"Who would I hurt, Ben? You?" Annie noticed a piece of paper he had in the crook of his arm. Odds were, that was a bill of sale for some Ponderosa cattle.
"What about Noreen?"
"I need her, she's gonna help me settle down," Beaudry spit.
"You settle down?" Ben scoffed. "You're gonna be on the run for the rest of your life." That finally got a reaction. Beaudry stalked away from Ben.
"Stryker's squared things in Montana. What have I got to run from?"
"Yourself," Ben said quietly. Beaudry spun.
"I need them beeves, Ben. A deal's a deal. You got no choice." Ben snatched the paper from his clenched hand.
"You've got a choice: them beeves, or that girl." Annie blinked. What had they missed? Noreen was headed for San Francisco, how did she figure into this mess?
"But they don't mean nothing without that girl left to believe in me. I need her, Ben!" Unnoticed, the front door opened and Noreen came out carrying a suitcase. Annie nudged Candy and his face fell.
"Oh, no," he breathed.
"What will you do once you've run through her money?" Noreen slowed, then stopped on the porch. "When you've used her up? How's she gonna feed on those glory tales of yours when you leave her behind to go off yondering again?"
"I won't leave her!"
"Well …" Ben fixed his old friend with knowing eyes. "You can tell her that. Maybe she'll believe you, but I don't." Ben shook his head. "Beaudry, you're a liar." The man's face changed in an instant.
"Pa!"
"Beau!" Beaudry threw a punch that knocked Ben to the ground behind the buggy. Noreen dropped her suitcase; Candy pushed past Annie and lunged.
"Stay out of this, Candy!" He pulled up short, looking from one man to the other. Beaudry snarled and clenched his hands.
"Come on and get on your feet, Ben! Call me a liar!" Noreen ran at him.
"Beau, stop it, please!"
"Get out of my way!" He grabbed her and threw her away from him. She hit the ground beside Ben. Everyone looked at Beaudry.
"Still faster with your fists than with your head." Ben glared at him and Beaudry seemed to shrink. Annie bit her lip and crept up next to Candy, her hand touching his arm. Beaudry swallowed hard, his head lowering. Ben got to his feet, then reached down for Noreen. She blinked, then shook him off.
"Beau." She ran to him and grabbed his arms. "That's all right, Beau. Look, just you and me. Five hundred dollars can get us clear out of here." Beaudry didn't so much as blink.
"No." He drew in a breath. "No, Noreen, nobody puts a brand on Beaudry." Her face twisted and Annie had to look away.
"You need me, Beau."
"I got things to do and places to go and I aim to be free, and I got no need for nobody." The poor girl's face crumpled, and she stared at him like she'd never seen him before. Maybe she hadn't, maybe he'd spun his pretty stories and she'd fallen for it without seeing the substance of the man telling those stories.
Beaudry set her away from him and stalked past them all without a backwards look, or an ounce of regret. Matar grabbed his horse and started walking after his friend. Noreen shook her head and darted forward. Ben stopped her.
"Let him go, girl. Let him go." Her face crumpled and she dissolved into tears, sobbing into his shirt. Annie shook her head and looked up at Candy. He sighed and slipped his arm around her waist. Annie leaned against him gratefully.
There had been a flicker of something in Beaudry's eyes, right after he'd pushed her away, that made Annie think that maybe he really had cared for Noreen. But if he'd let her go with him, she'd have hated him for it someday, after he'd used her up and left her behind in some backwater town.
But she wouldn't see that now, and not for a good long time to come. Eventually, though, she'd understand, and thank him for it, wherever he happened to be.
"I hate to leave." Noreen fiddled with her handbag. "I keep thinking he'll change his mind." She looked up at Ben from her seat in the buggy. Ben sighed.
"Beaudry's a man who never looks back."
"What's gonna happen to him? Mr. Cartwright, do you think he'll ever settle down?" Joe looked around nervously and Annie caught his eye with a wicked grin. She hadn't forgotten about how Cochise landed in Beaudry's hands, nor was she going to let him forget it anytime soon. Joe swallowed hard and focused on the horse in front of him.
"I don't know. Hope so. By the way, the Perrys will be waiting for you when you get to San Francisco. They're nice, quiet folks and they'll see that you get the right start." Unlike Beaudry, but that was over and done with.
"Thank you." She leaned over and gave Ben a kiss on the cheek.
"Bye."
"Bye." Joe slapped the lines over the mare's back and drove them out of the yard. No sooner had they disappeared from sight, than the barn door cracked open and Beaudry led out the bay he'd borrowed, followed by Matar. Ben parked his hands on his hips.
"Well."
"Stayed out of sight." Obviously. "Didn't want to spoil the good byes. But I want to say goodbye to you, Ben." He held out his hand and they shook.
"Those beeves are in the northwest pasture. You better take them along with you."
"Oh, now, Ben …"
"For old time's sake. For the fights we once had. And the one we didn't have." Beaudry smiled sadly.
"All right, Ben." Her pa smiled back, then looked to Matar.
"You going with him?"
"Si, senor. A man has to have a compadre along, someone he understands, swap lies with." Laughter broke out and Ben shook Matar's hand.
"Adios." Beaudry held out his hand to Candy.
"No hard feelings?" Candy sighed.
"No. Guess not." He shook, then Beaudry tipped his hat to her.
"Adios, Ms. Cartwright."
"Adios."
The two men mounted up, then rode off without a backward glance. Candy sighed again. "Mr. Cartwright, how much of Beaudry's a lie, and how much is really the truth?" Ben chuckled.
"I don't think even Beaudry could answer that."
"Hey, Pa?" Annie sidled over and tucked her hand into the crook of his arm. "You ever gonna tell us about Churubosco and Teresina?"
"No, it was Margarita, wasn't it, Mr. Cartwright?" Ben huffed and untangled his arm.
"You two … that was … oh, get! Scram the both of you before I have Hop Sing rustle up more potatoes!"