A/N: So sorry this was not up sooner like I planned. Full-time student plus full-time job and an out of town horse show last weekend didn't help the writer's block I ran into while working on this one. I knew it wouldn't drag out near as long as the canon episode since this wasn't Hoss and Joe involved, but for a while I couldn't make it work and be believable. I hope the way I settled on makes sense. Next chapter will be another original creation and may involve Griff's introduction depending on how long they linger in St. Louis. Tonight is Customs of the Country and as always, I own nothing but my OC and created plots. Entertainment only. And a big thank you to my recent reviewers and those who have PM'd!
September, 1870
"Agua Santos," Candy mused. "Don't know if I'd even call it a one horse town." Annie glanced around the nearly deserted square.
"I wouldn't. And a small town like this, he'd stand out like a potato in a bushel of tomatoes." They'd do better to keep riding … but where? He could have gone as far as Mexico City or turned back for the border, there was just no way to know until they finally crossed paths. If he'd even ventured into Mexico at all. She sighed. "What do you think?"
"I'm thinking we keep riding." He turned to her with a grim look. "I happen to recall a certain little town by the name of Los Robles, among others. Let's get that shoe fixed and get out." He scanned the buildings and nudged her arm. "There's a blacksmith." They led their horses to the hitch rail and went inside to find a crowd of people gathered around the forge and a restrained young woman. They froze and eyed each other.
Here we go again. She could hear it as clear as day without even trying. Candy drew his gun. "Hold it, amigo!" Everyone whipped around, staring at them in shock. "Put down that iron."
"Are they bandits?"
"How dare they!"
"That one's a girl, she should understand!" Whispers flew and Annie found herself buried in dark looks. The girl shook off the hands holding her and flounced across the room, a look of disgust on her pretty face.
"How dare you interrupt my betrothal?" She half turned. "Salazar, you must defend my honor as your own, take care of them!" The young man she'd addressed paled considerably as his gaze lowered to their guns. Annie blinked.
"Betrothal?"
"Yes!" the girl snapped, and a man with a bushy beard cleared his throat.
"Perhaps they do not understand, Rosa. It is our custom."
"Custom?" Candy echoed, and the man nodded.
"When a girl is betrothed, our good blacksmith fashions her band, usually with her chosen's initial and perhaps some other engravings that have importance to the couple."
"May we get on with it? The metal is cooling." Candy blinked, his mouth opening and closing. Annie shrugged.
"As long as it's what she wants," they said together. "We thought she was being forced into it," Candy added. Everyone laughed and chattered among themselves as the blacksmith reheated the band. Candy holstered his gun and they watched as the girl excitedly removed the padding around her leg and showed off the band to her huddled friends.
"See? I wanted a rose because when we met he gave me roses." Still talking, the crowd left the shop. Candy shook his head.
"Where we come from, a fella puts a ring on her finger." The man with the beard chuckled.
"I have heard of this, senor, and while it is easier to put on, it is also easier to take off. With the garter, a girl has the time to think twice, three, even ten times before she removes it." He gave them a broad smile and walked away.
"What do you want, senor?" the blacksmith questioned.
"We need to get a shoe fixed."
"After you ruin poor Rosa's big moment? No, senor. My shop is closed."
"But –"
"Don't bother." Annie rubbed her hands together. "We'll do it ourselves if you'd rather not earn a few extra pesos."
"Not in my shop."
"Watch us, senor." Her eyes darkened. "That horse needs his shoe fixed, then we're riding on. And you happen to be in my way." The blacksmith stared at Candy in open-mouthed shock. Her husband shrugged.
"In my experience, the best option is to move. When little sister gets like this, there's no stopping her." It was still odd to hear him call her sister, but they'd decided in Los Robles that a brother and sister looking for their other brother would attract less notice than a couple who may or not be married – depending on the opinions of whoever they ran across. "We've been looking for our brother for a real long time and she's getting a might impatient. Can't you just shoe the horse? How were we to know we ruined an important moment? To err is human, to forgive is divine, or something like that," Candy quoted with a wry smile as he tugged a few bills from his vest pocket. The blacksmith studied them – the money? – a moment, then called over his shoulder.
"Boy, bring that horse in here and stoke up the fire."
It was quick work for him to replace the shoe and they were back outside within ten minutes. Candy shook his head. "I'm thinking we ought to head back north, ain't no one we've come across in the past three months has seen hide nor hair of this fella." He scraped a hand through his hair. "It doesn't make sense, there were no sightings in the paper, no rumors, nothing. He had to go to ground somewhere."
"Just not here." She leaned back against the pinto. "What are you thinking?"
"I don't know, sweetheart. They said he rode south, but did he really? He could have doubled back. How do you feel about seeing … I don't know … how's Montana sound?"
"You do realize that by the time we got there, we'd be covered in more snow than we've ever seen?"
"More than you've seen," he corrected with a grin. "I've been there before, it's pretty country, even covered by eight feet of snow." Annie held back a snort.
"We went south in the summer, why not north in the winter?" Candy shrugged.
"Most people would expect the reverse." Which was exactly why they were doing it. Those bounty hunters/outlaws aside, the trip south had been quiet. Of course, some pursuers might have believed them already in Mexico long before they were and beyond the reach of anyone save bounty hunters. And some of the law may not care where they were as long as they didn't have to be the ones to deal with their sudden appearance or the kid sheriff out of Carson City.
"Yeah." Candy looked around, his gaze landing on the adobe church and the bell in its tower. "What do you say?" She followed his gaze and nodded slowly, a lump rising in her throat. Some might say they were simply lucky thus far, but she knew what her pa and Padre Javier would insist. Once, she would have agreed, but how could a loving God let this happen when He could have stopped the whole thing? He could have stopped the lies … made them all believe the truth … so why hadn't He? The padre insisted it was all part of some big plan, but she wasn't so sure. What good could possibly come out of this mess? They'd already lost everything that mattered except each other … how were they supposed to get it back? She wasn't so sure about anything anymore, but if it made Candy happy, she'd go along with it. Besides, it certainly wouldn't hurt.
"Alright," she whispered, and they made their way to the church, stepping into the cool interior one behind the other. Candy took his hat off and a crash sounded from the other side of the room, followed immediately by a shocked gasp. Annie turned and found the brown-robed priest bent over, collecting a scattered pile of candles. He dropped them on a nearby table and crossed himself, muttering in what she assumed was Latin because it sure didn't sound Spanish and it certainly wasn't English.
"My son, you do not know what you have done, may the Father forgive you." He crossed himself again and rushed over. "You have desecrated this ground!" Eyes wide, the man darted past them and ran outside. Eyebrows raised, they glanced at each other then looked around slowly.
"How?"
"I'm almost afraid to ask, let's get out of here before he comes back." Annie grabbed his arm. "God only knows what other crazy customs they have around here." They spun around and fled the church, only to run headlong into a crowd of people swarming outside, led by the padre and the bearded man from the blacksmith's shop.
"That is him!" The bearded man held up his hand and the padre quieted.
"We meet again, senor, senorita. I am afraid it is a most serious crime you have committed." Air backed up in her throat, and all she could see was a gallows, noose swinging in the breeze. Her hand dropped to her gun, the movement hidden behind Candy's back. He smiled easily and spread his hands, his boot nudging her foot.
Hold.
It went against every instinct she had, but he'd been on his own since he was nineteen and he knew far better than she did how to make like a snake in lard. If Candy thought they could talk their way out of this, they'd talk. For now. Her eyes measured the distance to the horses, then glanced around the crowd, finding no guns in sight except in the bearded man's hand.
"I'm afraid I don't know what it is you think I've done," Candy said with an easy laugh. "We just wanted to visit your church, maybe pray we'd find our brother."
"And instead you desecrated it," the padre said in a hushed voice, crossing himself again, the rest of the crowd following suit.
"How?" she said slowly.
"He took his hat off inside," the padre hissed in a low whisper, almost like he was ashamed to even say the words. Annie barely held back a snort, but managed it just in time, turning the sound into a cough. What?
"Where we come from that's considered respectful," Candy said, but the padre shook his head.
"In Aqua Santos, one must cover their head in church to show the proper humility before the Father."
"I do apologize, deeply, for the unintended offense, and I can assure you it won't happen again."
"We know it won't, senor," the bearded man said, and something about his tone set her heart racing. "I must ask you to come with me." Candy tensed slightly; anyone who didn't know him wouldn't notice, but she did, and her hand drifted towards her gun.
"Where?"
"The jail. There will be a trial to decide your punishment."
"For taking his hat off?" Annie burst out. "That's ridiculous." He nudged her foot again, this time a little harder. Her heart skipped a beat. A trial meant judge and jury which was bad enough, but if they brought in someone from outside … if they were recognized … visions of bounty hunters and a posse of lawman sweeping out of the desert made her throat close. There'd be no easy resolution to that, and that was for damn sure.
"Can't I just pay the fine and be on my way?"
"I cannot allow that, senor. We have not had to deal with a crime of this nature before, and the mayor must decide how to proceed." He stepped aside and swept an arm out. "To the jail, senor, if you please." Annie held her breath. He said there wasn't a jail built that could hold him if he didn't want to be there, but she wasn't keen on testing that assertion.
"I hope you don't intend to make my sister stay in jail, too." The bearded man looked scandalized at Candy's words.
"Of course not, senor, it would be very inhospitable of us, would it not? Your sister has done no wrong, she shall be a guest of the mayor himself until your case comes to trial. And, forgive me, senor, but I do not recall your name, or that of your lovely sister."
"I didn't give it," Candy said evenly. "But you can call us Andy and Sam, short for Samantha," he said with a twinkle in his eye. Annie forced a tight smile. They'd picked those names for a reason: she wasn't sure she couldn't stop herself from using his real name if they ran into serious trouble and Andy was close enough someone would likely assume they'd just misheard. And Candy had always insisted Sam was a miniature her, so that name had quickly become the obvious choice. It wouldn't fool anyone who'd ever met them before, of course, but that was a long shot considering how far afield they were. "We're looking for our brother Jake, but we don't know what name he's using now. He looks just like me, folks back home would get us mixed up all the time. You wouldn't happen to have seen another me wandering around, would you?"
"We have not seen him, no. The jail, senor?" The man had a smile on his face, but there was a look in his eyes that warned he wouldn't be dissuaded. She knew the more they protested, the more suspicions they'd raise, but she really did not want Candy back behind bars and her somewhere else entirely.
"If you insist, senor." Candy shrugged and headed for the jail. "It'll be fine, Sam. You'll have to tell me what the mayor's house looks like, it ain't likely to be something we've seen every day."
"Senorita Samantha will be most comfortable, Senor Andy. And you will not have to stay in the jail all the time, you may stay in the plaza during the day and return at night."
"You do have some strange customs here."
"It is Agua Santos." A door closed and the crowd's attention shifted to a woman leaving the biggest house in town and making her way to the fountain in the plaza. Everyone stepped back, giving her a wide berth, and Annie barely caught a brief flicker of something cross the bearded man's face before it was gone. He was smiling at Candy a split second later and she might have thought she imagined it, if he hadn't glanced at the woman again as she filled her jar, head bent and ignoring the almost hostile looks of the rest of the townspeople. "It is our way." A muscle twitched in his jaw. Annie glanced at Candy and the look in his eye said he saw it, too.
"If you're so hospitable, how come none of the men standing around help her with that jar?" Annie nodded at the woman. The bearded man swallowed hard.
"We do not speak of it."
"Well, then I will." Candy brushed past them all and collected the woman's jar from the ledge on the fountain. "Allow me, senorita," he said easily in Spanish, then hefted the earthen jar and carried it back to the house for her. Annie's heart squeezed. Even in the middle of this mess, he hadn't changed, and it only made her love him more. He returned moments later and gave her a hug, hissing low in her ear, "Figure it out, sweetheart," before his voice rose. "Have to give my sister a hug since I won't see her until tomorrow morning." He released her and rubbed his hands together, reminding her of Joe. "Lead on, senor."
"Simone."
"Ah, Simon." He quirked an eyebrow at her over the man's shoulder and she wanted to shake her head. This was not a good idea, they needed to get the hell out of here and keep moving before someone ran across them.
But how could they ignore someone in need of help? She knew what her pa would do, what her brothers would do if it were them, and a part of her wanted to figure out what the town wouldn't speak of, why they ignored this woman. If they changed what made them them, wasn't that a loss itself? They already had blood on their hands that would never wash away and she was afraid there would be more, perhaps a lot more, before they finally proved his innocence. How could they not help this woman when they had the chance to do so? She sighed. "I'll tell you everything tomorrow, Andy." Candy's eyes danced and he gave her that grin that always melted her heart.
"Don't leave out a single detail."
"Please accept my humble hospitality, my dear senorita." The gray haired man who had introduced himself as the mayor offered her a chair in his spacious parlor and moved to pour them some wine. "Agua Santos makes the best wine in the world, you must try it."
"Really?" She raised a brow and cast a quick glance around the room. "I've never heard of it." It was the same house the mystery woman had come from and she was betting it was the mayor's daughter which only raised more questions. The man laughed as he poured.
"This is because we drink it all ourselves." He handed her the glass and she studied the burgundy liquid.
"Ah." Annie took a sip and nodded appreciatively. It wasn't as good as anything her pa had at home, but drifters wouldn't likely be able to afford good wine, so she had to look suitably impressed. "How long will my brother be in jail?"
"It is a most serious charge and we have not dealt with the like before." The mayor shrugged just as the bearded man arrived in the parlor. "Ah, Simon, is the prisoner settled in?"
"Si, senor." Simon eyed the wine with interest, but the mayor shook his head.
"You know what the padre said."
"I know." But he certainly didn't look happy. Annie took another slow sip, wondering if they could use that to their advantage somehow. Footsteps tapped on the tile floor and the woman from the fountain entered the room, pausing when she realized the mayor wasn't alone.
"Ah, Ines, stay a moment, por favor. Samantha, my daughter, Ines. Ines, this is Samantha, the sister of our prisoner. She will be staying with us until her brother's trial. If you could show her to her room?"
"Of course." Dark eyes swept over her face. "Come with me." Annie took one last sip of wine and stood, gathering their saddlebags and following the woman up a gracefully winding wrought iron staircase to the second floor. She opened a door halfway down the hall and stepped back. "It is our finest room."
"Thank you."
"Your brother is a fine man," Ines whispered and Annie turned.
"Yes, he is."
"No man has met me at the fountain for many years."
"Why?" Ines lowered her gaze.
"I cannot say. It is my shame. Please excuse me." She hurried away and Annie closed the door, then dropped their saddlebags on the bed and crossed the room to peer through the lacy curtains at the plaza below.
Honeyed words didn't hide the real reason they wanted her separate from Candy. Though if they thought he really wouldn't be able to escape and find her before they could get to him, they were dead wrong. Agua Santos had no chance if they decided they weren't staying. She glanced back over her shoulder at the closed door.
Why did everyone they ever ran across feel like they had to hide things that didn't even really matter? What had she done – look at a man deemed not worthy of a mayor's daughter? It wasn't like there were a lot of options in this tiny town. Annie bit her lip. Had she herself been born the daughter of a rancher other than Ben Cartwright, she knew her love for Candy would most likely have resulted in her being sent back east and him fired. They had to help Ines.
"Before you ask, your brother is enjoying his own breakfast as we speak." The mayor dished up a portion of spiced eggs. "You are free to join him in the plaza whenever you wish." He glanced at his daughter. "Ines, why don't you join them?" She dropped her fork, but Annie was more focused on the mayor. Visit in the plaza with complete strangers? While she would be the first to admit she didn't understand every little nuance of Mexican culture, she knew enough to know that unmarried women didn't wander around outside their homes without a chaperone, especially in the company of a strange man. What game was this fellow playing at?
"When will the trial be?" The mayor blinked and shrugged.
"When I decide."
"And when will that be?"
"Surely you do not wish me to rush my decision? This is a most serious case."
"We need to be on our way so we can find our brother."
"How long has it been since you last saw him?" Ines' soft voice startled her; the woman hadn't spoken all morning. Which one?
"Five years," Annie said, and her voice broke without meaning to. It didn't matter anymore that he'd left without a word, it really didn't; she'd moved on and grown up without her oldest brother. But the memory of that last night of yelling, then waking up to find Adam had left without so much as a word of goodbye to any of them still hurt. Ines' face shuttered.
"I am sorry."
"He wanted more." Annie sipped at her wine, forcing her hand not to shake. They had more important things to worry about than what Adam had done.
"Perhaps he does not want to be found, eh?" The mayor raised his glass and drank deeply. Oh, she knew he didn't want to be found, but they would find him if it was the last thing they did, and she wasn't referring to Adam. That man wearing Candy's face had almost gotten him killed and she could never forgive that, anymore than she could forgive Emma Smith for her lies.
"Then he can tell us that to our faces." She set her glass on the table and pushed back her chair. "Excuse me."
"You gave him Adam's story?" Candy whispered during a rare moment they had alone a few hours later. The unmarried girls in town were swarming around him like flies as he lounged in a hammock strung between two columns supporting a second floor balcony. She nodded slightly. "Good idea. Here they come again," he whispered as the girls gathered around again, this time bearing lunch, which Annie knew he'd never turn down. They always ate when food was offered. "It smells wonderful."
"I am a very good cook, senor Andy," the girl named Carmen said with a sultry smile and a flick of her lashes, and Annie saw red. That slinky, little hussy … the worst part was not being able to stake her claim as she had in Jocova's camp.
"I'm sure you are," Candy said evenly. "Sam was just telling me about the mayor's house. He really has pet birds in his parlor? I wonder if they sing."
"Probably depends on the bird," Annie said, and he nodded absently while chewing on a bite of beans. "There's one that looks like it wants to, but I guess it just doesn't have a reason." Their eyes met, and the message was delivered. Now they just had to figure out what – or rather who – could make Ines sing. Preferably now.
"Makes sense, hey, any of you ladies hear anything about when my trial is gonna be?" They all shook their heads and he sighed theatrically. "I hope it don't take too long to set up, me and Sam need to be finding our brother sooner rather than later."
"I am sure it will not be too long," the girl named Raquel said soothingly. Carmen gave her a little bit of a sideways glare and Annie's eyes narrowed.
"You do not like it here?" she pouted and a metallic taste coated Annie's tongue. That one was trouble.
"Oh, we like it here, but it's been five years since we've seen our brother and we'd like to find him. Surely you can understand that?" He gave her a smile and the girl fluttered her lashes until Annie was ready to kick her.
"You could all come back once you have found him."
"Maybe." Candy handed Raquel his empty plate, lay back in the hammock, and pulled his hat over his face, peering at Carmen from under the brim. "We'd be a sight more likely to return if that trial comes up real soon." The girls eyed each other and scurried away. Candy snorted. "I could see it easier if it was Joe, but all I can think is they don't have many options around here if they're that interested in me."
"Any woman who can't see how good you are is blind," Annie hissed under her breath. He gave a noncommittal hum and glanced up.
"I'm looking at the only woman that matters, sweetheart." His voice lowered. "I'd love to give you the world, but we've got each other and that's enough. We've just got to hold on." Her eyes stung and she blinked back tears.
"We will."
"If we survived that damn mine, we can survive anything."
"Which one?" They looked at each other and his eyes glowed.
"Both."
"Ines, you must speak to your father for us. Every day we are delayed, Jake gets farther away and the trail goes colder. Winter is coming and he's bound to hole up somewhere and we may not pick up his trail until spring if we lose him." She hated lying like this, but it was what it was now. If they were to survive, they'd have to ride a fine line that some might never accept.
"What if you find your brother and he does not wish to come home?"
"Then at least we'll know we did all we could." Ines looked thoughtful, a tiny frown pulling at her brows. She bit her lip.
"If I convince my father to set a date for the trial … I ask only one thing in return."
"What?"
"I … I want you to take me with you." Annie's eyebrows flew into her hairline.
"Why?" Ines lowered her head and stared at her hands.
"Here everyone knows my shame and … I wish to make a new start." She glanced up, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "I am told the world is very big and I only want a very small piece of happiness." Annie leaned back in her chair and picked up her wine, taking a slow sip while her mind spun.
She hadn't expected that. There was no way they could take her with them, no way at all. Only if they left her in some town along the way and there was no guarantee she wouldn't end up in a worse situation. Unless her pa would allow her to stay at the Ponderosa ...
"What is your shame?" Ines' face flushed red and her eyes misted.
"I – I cannot say."
"Tell me or I'll bust him out tonight and we'll be so far gone by morning no one could ever track us down."
"You would really do this?"
"I've done it before," was all Annie said as she set her glass on the table between them. "So what'll it be?" They didn't have time to beat around the bush. Ines lowered her head again and fiddled with the hem on her sleeve.
"I … I was only a girl," she finally whispered. "My father put the garter on me, betrothing me to a boy I … I could not love." Her head came up, tears trickling down her pretty face. "I had given my heart to another and I … I took it off. And now I cannot marry a man of Agua Santos." Ice cold water splashed over Annie. They wouldn't dare … she straightened in her chair.
"Is my brother's penalty to be marriage to you?" Ines shook her head slowly.
"I do not know. My father speaks much with Simon and the padre. He does not tell me anything of details." She leaned over the table, reaching for Annie's hand. "Do not mistake me, Samantha, if I could love another man, it would be your brother. He is a fine man, but he does not hold my heart."
"Who does?" If they could just get the two to sit down and talk … it wasn't lost on her how similar this was to their own situation.
"He does not care for me."
"Did he say that?"
"He does not have to." Annie wanted to scream. Now she understood how Padre Javier felt. Who could it be? He was obviously here in Agua Santos or there wouldn't be a problem. "It is not meant to be."
"How do you know that? What if he's just afraid to tell you how he feels because he thinks you don't like him?"
"I cannot say such things to a man. And there is the custom."
"Hang the blasted custom." Ines' eyes went so wide they reminded Annie of one of Hop Sing's favorite skillets. "Love is nothing to be ashamed of. You don't wonder why I'm out here riding with my brother when most women would be sitting in their parlor stitching?"
"It would be rude to ask such things of a guest." Ines drew herself up. "It is none of my business."
"I'm in love with a man I never thought would love me and I swore I'd never say anything so I didn't lose his friendship." She swallowed hard, the memory of that terror-filled day returning like a winter storm. She couldn't tell Ines the whole story, but she could come up with some semblance of the truth, just not enough of it they could be traced. "He – he died without ever knowing how I felt and now I have to spend the rest of my life wondering if we could have had something special." She let a tear slip over her lashes and trickle down her cheek. "Don't make that mistake, Ines. Even if he doesn't share your feelings, you'll at least know."
"If he does not … will you take me with you?"
"Yes." They could give her stage fare to the Ponderosa if that's what it took, even though they'd be leaving a trail a mile wide for the law to follow. Actually, if they ended up in Agua Santos, she might almost pity them.
"I … I will think on it. Please excuse me." Ines swept away and Annie fiddled with the end of her braid, then eyed the wine left in her glass and grabbed the delicate goblet, downing the burgundy liquid in one gulp. Please, God let it work.
"As mayor of Agua Santos, I have decided on a date for your brother's trial." He held out his goblet to Ines, standing behind him with the wine jar. "It will be next month." Annie sat bolt upright in her chair.
"Next month?" She glanced at Ines, who didn't move. The mayor glanced over his shoulder when no wine appeared in his glass. He coughed.
"Actually, next week would be better." Ines still didn't move and he looked flustered. "Or I could move it up to tomorrow." Ines gave a small smile and filled his glass. Annie sagged in relief. It didn't give her much time, but she'd come up with workable plans in far less. Compared to breaking Candy out, this should be simple since all she really had to do was figure out just who it was Ines loved.
Getting them to admit it was the hard part.
"Run that by me again, sweetheart." Candy scrubbed a hand over his face. "We're taking her with us if this mystery fellow doesn't like her?"
"We'll send her to the Ponderosa, you know Pa would never turn her away."
"Oh, that's not what I'm worried about. How are we gonna get this fella to open his mouth when it's been shut for years? Cause if she comes with us, she's gonna find out real fast we ain't brother and sister."
"We give him a reason. Ines hinted that your penalty might be marriage to her." Candy jumped a foot in the air.
"What?! If they've got their britches in a knot over a hat –"
"I know. All we have to do is make him think he has a rival. Ines is talking to her father right now, I told her what to say. It'll work, I promise."
"What do I need to say?"
"Whatever you said in the middle of the night to convince yourself you should keep your feelings hidden."
"I call this court to order." The mayor took his seat behind the ornately carved parlor table they'd hauled out into the garden. Simon and the padre flanked him on either side and Ines stood back against the wall, her gaze shifting to Candy every few minutes. "As is the custom for all public occasions, the beautiful daughter of my late wife's cousin Hernando, will entertain us with a native dance. Carmen Martinez!" Annie rolled her eyes as the girl stood and began to dance to cheers and applause. She should have known. She flicked a glance at Ines and the other woman shrugged. If they didn't have a price on their heads, she might not have bothered, but they did, and there was no time for this.
"Wait a minute!" She jumped to her feet and Carmen froze mid-spin. The mayor's eyebrows rose. Annie propped her hands on her hips. "I thought this was supposed to be a trial."
"It is customary," Simon said as he pushed back his chair.
"Well, that's all fine and dandy, but can she dance after the trial? We have to get back on our brother's trail before it runs cold." Ines made a small sound in her throat and met her father's gaze. The mayor swallowed and glanced at the padre, then Simon.
"I suppose that will be alright." He cleared his throat. "This trial will commence and the bailiff will read the charges." Simon took the leather book he handed over and flipped it open, clearly fumbling to find the right page. Could he not read that well? Her eyes narrowed as she thought back to the meeting at the fountain. It is not meant to be …
Because the man she loved was considered beneath her?
"Senor Andy Stoddard." Simon must have found his place at last. It was jarring to hear the maiden name of Adam's mother, Elizabeth, called out as their last name, but they'd had to pick something and her father's first wife was practically unknown to anyone, even in Virginia City. "In the year of our Lord, 18 –"
"Simon, we understand the charge and he's guilty, there's no doubt about it, Andy is guilty." Simon looked to the mayor, who glanced at Ines and swallowed hard.
"Are you sure you do not wish to take a few days to consider your defense?" Candy shook his head. "Very well. Padre Fernando, since you are the principal plaintiff, perhaps you should decide the penalty." The man shifted in his chair.
"Oh, well, how about a dozen Ave Maria's and a sincere act of contrition?"
"I promise I'll say my prayers all the way home, Padre," Candy said with a grin. Annie glanced at Ines and nodded. The woman made to turn away and the mayor swallowed hard.
"To which I add that he must make right what he has done. To properly reconsecrate the church, we must light candles and say prayers, which Padre Fernando has already done, after which, there must be a sacred right."
"Such as?" Annie's voice rose, and the man swallowed again, looking decidedly uncomfortable.
"He must marry my daughter, Ines." Annie sat down hard as though the news shocked her, and Candy froze. She looked around, hoping whoever it was Ines loved did love her back and would betray some sign of emotion when he heard that.
Gotcha. She signaled Candy with a boot against his foot and he followed her gaze with his eyes, nudging her foot in return to signal he'd seen it, too. He glanced at Ines and walked over slowly, taking her hand in his. He sighed heavily and turned around.
"Your Honor, any man would consider himself lucky to be able to call a woman such as this his wife. But I cannot accept that honor." He glanced at Annie. "You see, I see the same look in her that I've seen in Samantha's eyes and I cannot ever hope to take his place, whoever he is.
"She loved a man she didn't think h-our pa would accept, him being only a hired hand and all. So she told herself he didn't feel the same so she could sleep at night, that they were from two different worlds and it would never work." Candy glanced sideways and she caught a glimpse of moisture in his eyes. "That loving him from afar would be enough so she didn't lose what little of his company she could already share without reproach." He swallowed hard and she snuck a glance at their target to see if it was working, hoping she looked suitably unhappy in the process. "And then I watched her fall apart when there was an … accident … and he died. And I knew I should have said something, should have made her face her feelings, should have spoken to our … our pa and … but it was too late. She'd lost her chance. I can only imagine the depth of her love for this man should Ines feel the same as Sam, and I cannot take that chance at happiness away from her while it still exists."
"Perhaps he is only thinking of her happiness," Simon spoke up, and Annie wanted to celebrate. Ines had gone as stiff as a board at Candy's side. Her husband stabbed a finger at Simon.
"How can he when he'd allow her to be forced to marry me when she clearly doesn't love me?"
"But, Ines, you told me –" the mayor began, but Simon wasn't about to stop yet.
"No girl who takes off the garter can ever marry a man of Agua Santos." He looked at Ines, his eyes suspiciously close to red. "It is a venerable custom." Just a little more …
"Then, I'll put one on her and take it off myself, then she can't marry anyone, how's that?" Candy reached for Ines' hand, and Simon shot to his feet.
"Don't you touch her, senor!" He whipped around to face the mayor. "It's me she loves, and I'll protect her with my life!"
"Simone!" Ines launched herself at the bearded man and wrapped her arms around his neck, tears falling like rain.
"Bravo! Bravo!" The crowd cheered and clapped, none louder than Annie and Candy. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. The mayor smiled happily and shrugged.
"Court is adjourned."
"We cannot thank you enough, senor, senorita." Simon held Ines close, the lace of her wedding mantilla floating in the breeze and Annie swallowed the lump in her throat as memories of their own wedding came flooding back. "If there is ever anything we could do to thank you …"
"If you'd happen to see our brother, don't say anything to him, in case he doesn't want to be found, just write a letter to Padre Javier in Los Robles, California, and he'll see that we get it."
"Thank you, both," Ines whispered, her face glowing with happiness. "I only wish you had not lost your own chance at love, Sam."
"Life doesn't always work out the way you hope," Annie said softly. "Be happy for the both of us." She mounted the pinto and turned its nose to the north, Candy at her side. The crowd cheered and waved goodbye until Annie couldn't see them anymore when she looked back.
"I don't know about you, sweetheart, but I don't think he's down here. What do you say we work our way north? We could stop off in St. Louis if we wanted to, might as well see what sights we can while we're alive to see them."
"Isn't that where the photographer put two of you on one picture?"
"Yep. But we haven't been there together."
"Is that really how you slept at night?" she whispered.
"I saw more than one cowboy let go over the years for showing an interest in the boss' daughter. If no one knew, I could at least see you every day."
"I shouldn't have waited so long. We lost years …"
"But we're together now, and no one can take that away, even if they catch us tomorrow." He slowed his horse and caught her hand. "It's our lives, now or never, Annie. Let's live while we're alive. Don't get me wrong, I plan to find this guy and drag him back to Carson City behind a horse, but if we have to bury ourselves somewhere, at least we'll have the memories."
"Okay." Her throat closed and her eyes stung. "All I need is you, I don't care about the rest."
"You've got me, sweetheart, as long as we're alive." He kissed her hand and stared off to the north. "Montana by way of St. Louis." He laughed. "Joe would say we're crazy, but let's go."