Carmen Morales by Harvey Stanbrough

Author:Harvey Stanbrough
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: StoneThread Publishing
Published: 2022-11-27T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 21

Carmen was always amazed how magic worked, and how things could change so drastically in such a short period of time. She walked slowly, pondering that, as she made her way to the top of the stairs and then descended step by step to the first landing.

She had told the capitán only yesterday, perhaps 12 hours ago, that she would leave for Logan Bluffs this morning. But Ranger Mendoza hadn’t come back. That by itself didn’t affect her decision, but it had affected Wes. During the few minutes she’d spent with him in the bar, she had witnessed the depths of his sorrow. That had led her to want to help him, and the only way to do that was get him up to his room and then watch over him. And that experience had changed a lot of other things.

The main change was that she would not leave for Logan Bluffs this morning. After all, there was no rush. The capitán had said so himself, or something to the same effect. And that main change would open the possibility of other changes.

Certainly she was not counting on the contents of a package that had yet to be opened, but during the night she had become even more enamoured of the young Ranger Crowley than she was when she witnessed his pain-driven heroics in Logan Bluffs.

But they had shared an intensely personal moment, and she had given him a dream to help him heal. She had never done that for any man. She didn’t even know whether it would work—it was only something she had heard from her mother—but the Ranger’s demeanor this morning inclined her to believe it was true. He had not forgotten his friend or his loss, but neither was the pain as sharply pointed as it had been in the bar last night.

She smiled as she stepped off the landing onto the next step down. She looked up to locate her hand on the railing, and—

Who was that?

A form was sitting on the first step at the base of the stairs, his back against the wall, his legs stretched across the bottom step. His hat was down over his eyes to block—but it was off-white and the brim was as wide as the brim of a sombrero. So it was the Ranger McFadden. Mac. He was one of Wes’ friends, at least according to him. Carmen had never heard Wes speak of him. Then again, he hadn’t spoken of much that had to do with himself.

Still, the night before, he had seemed very concerned for Wes’ wellbeing.

She smiled, then set one boot down heavily on the next step. She set the next boot down heavily on the next.

Finally, at the third overly heavy footfall, McFadden’s shoulders twitched and his head moved slightly. At the fourth, he jerked himself upright, tipped his hat back, and reached for his revolver. But as he looked up the stairs, he could only gape. “Carmen? I mean, Miss Morales?” He took off his hat and held it at his chest.

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