Read Online Cactus Flower (Gone-to-Texas Trilogy) by Shirl Henke - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Shirl Henke
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was rich 'n high up in th' gover'ment afore th' Texians ever won free o' Mexico. Will Slade come here from Virginey even afore Colonel Austin got here with th' first big bunch o' settlers. Married into th' Sandoval family 'n set out gettin' this spread ta prosper.”
“Then that explains why he doesn't look like the Mexicans in town,” Charlee said, recalling with a blush her words when she had first found out Slade was the half-Mexican owner of Bluebonnet.
Weevils watched her consternation in amusement. “Yew noticed who he favors, huh? Wal, fact is, them yeller eyes come from th' Sandoval side 'n the yeller har comes from ole Will. Yew kin look all ya want, but—”
Indignantly she cut in, “I wasn't ‘looking,’ leastways not the way you mean it! I was only interested in him because he's my boss 'n was my brother's, too.”
“Uh-huh,” Weevils snorted, unconvinced. “Thet's why yew couldn't take yer eyes off'n him whilst he walked down th' hall a few minits back. I seen 'nough females moonin' over Mr. Jim, 'n thet's a fact.” He paused. “All 'cept fer Miz Sina. She always seems kinda cool. Mebbe cause she's th' onliest one whose sure o' him.”
Charlee almost sliced off a finger at that last remark. “What do you mean, ‘sure of him’? I thought she was newly widowed,” she said, still hating the beautiful black-haired woman who had laughed at her.
“She's a widder right 'nough. Ole Jake's been daid nigh onta three months now, I reckon. Hoss throw'd him 'n busted his neck. Right sad, specially considerin' how good a rider he usually was. Anyways, Miz Sina 'n Mr. Jim wuz engaged afore she up 'n married ole Jake. Jim never did git hisself hitched after thet, despite a passel o' females from here ta Houston tryin' their damblastedest ta trap him.”
Charlee said sullenly, “You mean he's still in love with her, even after she jilted him for an older man?”
“Somethin’ like thet, 'cept now him 'n th' widder lady is fíxin' ta get hitched soon as her year o' mournin' is over. It's not supposed ta be fer everbody ta know yet, but I figger yew kin keep yer mouth shut, caintcha?”
Glumly, she nodded. Things were increasingly disturbing at Bluebonnet. The beautiful Tomasina had her boss in thrall and they planned to marry. Charlee was shocked at the pang she felt when she envisioned Jim Slade married. Pushing that aside, she had another disquieting thought: Richard Lee wasn't the only man to die an unlikely accidental death recently. If her handsome employer's possible motives for killing her brother were uncertain, they were clear as glass where Jake Carver was concerned.
* * * *
I hate being gone from the ranch for this long, Slade thought in agitation as he paced in President Houston's outer office. The capital was once more in Houston City, but the public clamored for it to be moved back to the northern outpost of Austin. At least Austin is closer to Bluebonnet than Houston, he considered ruefully, thinking over the past six years and all the traveling he had done for Sam Houston.
Just then, the man himself came through the door with his usual flourish, motioning Slade into his office. “Felicitations, Jim-boy. I do appreciate your promptness. Even my loyal Miller is late from his midday repast this afternoon.”
“I wondered where your shadow was,” Jim said, referring to Sam's indispensable secretary, Washington Miller. “I trust Mrs. Houston is well, sir?”
“Indeed, splendidly so. One of the best things about having the seat of government in this city is having her nearby. Austin as the Republic’s capital is merely a pipe dream!”
He walked briskly to his large, cluttered desk and sat down behind it, while Slade cleared a chair across from it and did likewise. Jim glanced over the strewn correspondence,
“Then that explains why he doesn't look like the Mexicans in town,” Charlee said, recalling with a blush her words when she had first found out Slade was the half-Mexican owner of Bluebonnet.
Weevils watched her consternation in amusement. “Yew noticed who he favors, huh? Wal, fact is, them yeller eyes come from th' Sandoval side 'n the yeller har comes from ole Will. Yew kin look all ya want, but—”
Indignantly she cut in, “I wasn't ‘looking,’ leastways not the way you mean it! I was only interested in him because he's my boss 'n was my brother's, too.”
“Uh-huh,” Weevils snorted, unconvinced. “Thet's why yew couldn't take yer eyes off'n him whilst he walked down th' hall a few minits back. I seen 'nough females moonin' over Mr. Jim, 'n thet's a fact.” He paused. “All 'cept fer Miz Sina. She always seems kinda cool. Mebbe cause she's th' onliest one whose sure o' him.”
Charlee almost sliced off a finger at that last remark. “What do you mean, ‘sure of him’? I thought she was newly widowed,” she said, still hating the beautiful black-haired woman who had laughed at her.
“She's a widder right 'nough. Ole Jake's been daid nigh onta three months now, I reckon. Hoss throw'd him 'n busted his neck. Right sad, specially considerin' how good a rider he usually was. Anyways, Miz Sina 'n Mr. Jim wuz engaged afore she up 'n married ole Jake. Jim never did git hisself hitched after thet, despite a passel o' females from here ta Houston tryin' their damblastedest ta trap him.”
Charlee said sullenly, “You mean he's still in love with her, even after she jilted him for an older man?”
“Somethin’ like thet, 'cept now him 'n th' widder lady is fíxin' ta get hitched soon as her year o' mournin' is over. It's not supposed ta be fer everbody ta know yet, but I figger yew kin keep yer mouth shut, caintcha?”
Glumly, she nodded. Things were increasingly disturbing at Bluebonnet. The beautiful Tomasina had her boss in thrall and they planned to marry. Charlee was shocked at the pang she felt when she envisioned Jim Slade married. Pushing that aside, she had another disquieting thought: Richard Lee wasn't the only man to die an unlikely accidental death recently. If her handsome employer's possible motives for killing her brother were uncertain, they were clear as glass where Jake Carver was concerned.
* * * *
I hate being gone from the ranch for this long, Slade thought in agitation as he paced in President Houston's outer office. The capital was once more in Houston City, but the public clamored for it to be moved back to the northern outpost of Austin. At least Austin is closer to Bluebonnet than Houston, he considered ruefully, thinking over the past six years and all the traveling he had done for Sam Houston.
Just then, the man himself came through the door with his usual flourish, motioning Slade into his office. “Felicitations, Jim-boy. I do appreciate your promptness. Even my loyal Miller is late from his midday repast this afternoon.”
“I wondered where your shadow was,” Jim said, referring to Sam's indispensable secretary, Washington Miller. “I trust Mrs. Houston is well, sir?”
“Indeed, splendidly so. One of the best things about having the seat of government in this city is having her nearby. Austin as the Republic’s capital is merely a pipe dream!”
He walked briskly to his large, cluttered desk and sat down behind it, while Slade cleared a chair across from it and did likewise. Jim glanced over the strewn correspondence,
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