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Lightheaded from his touch, she gasped.
He tugged at her hand. “I’ve never stopped loving you.”
Despite her tingling skin, she pulled away.
“You love me, too. I know you do.”
“I did…until you were pronounced dead.” She clenched her fists so tightly, her nails cut into her hands. “Ramon’s my husband now”—tears welling up, she swallowed—“and I’m pregnant with his child.”
****
“November twenty-fifth. This morning, I woke spotting, cramping, and crying. I’m afraid I’ve lost the baby.
“November twenty-sixth. Spotting stopped.
“November twenty-seventh. No spotting. Praying the baby is safe.
“December fifth. I signed the divorce papers. Still waiting for Mateo’s signature.
I skimmed the entries, gently turning the crumbling pages as I mumbled phrases. “December twelfth…baked Christmas cookies…fifteenth…saw…Ah, now we’re getting somewhere.
“December twenty-fourth. I saw Mateo at the feedstore and asked about the divorce papers. He said he wouldn’t sign, that his brothers had told him a different tale. Instead of them forcing me from our home, they said Ramon and I had disgraced the family name. “If that’s what you believe, divorce me.” But Mateo shook his head. “Never.”
“How can people be so mean-spirited?” I glanced from the papers.
“Human nature.” Luke shrugged. “Some people will say or do anything to defend their actions…or their family.”
“It all boils down to greed or pride.”
“Sounds like that’s the case for Mateo’s brothers, but from the diary, we can’t know whether Mateo thought like them, or they blinded him to the truth.”
Agreeing, I turned back to the journal.
“December twenty-seventh. Mateo cornered me at the general store, saying he wanted me back, no matter what I’d done. I told him I’d done nothing wrong. Life had played him a terrible trick, but when he was declared dead, I’d acted in good faith. Now the honorable thing for him was to sign the divorce papers.
“He left the store, but I found a wrapped gift in the wagon. Inside the box was a dainty woman’s watch with a note in his handwriting: ‘until doomsday.’ I went cold, then rewrapped the box, took it to the post office, and mailed it back. Why won’t Mateo let me go?”
“Some people can’t take a hint.” Luke grunted as he exhaled.
“But Mateo’s tone is dark.” A shudder slid down my spine.
“December twenty-eighth. As I left the butcher shop, Mateo entered, and I told him to stop following me. He said he wasn’t, that this was a small town, and I couldn’t avoid him. I told him I wanted to divorce him, not avoid him. Then I tried to pass him in the doorway, but he stepped in front of me. I lost my balance and fell down the steps, twisting my ankle.
“When I told Ramon, he grabbed his rifle. I’ve never seen him so angry, but I begged him to let it go.
“December twenty-ninth. This morning, when I woke, I was bleeding. I’m afraid I’ll lose the baby. First Mateo’s baby and now Ramon’s—and I blame Mateo.
“December thirtieth. The baby’s dead. Nothing can bring him back. Mateo was once the love of my life, but the shock of his death, then his reappearance, his stalking me, and now my miscarriage have changed that. Ramon’s my husband, and I’m learning to love him. If Mateo won’t accept Ramon’s and my marriage, we have to move away.
“January first, New Year’s Day. Stayed up all night packing. Early this morning, Ramon’s father and Ben rode with us to the town line. Mateo and his brothers stopped us, but I reminded him that the War Department had declared him dead. With or without him signing the divorce papers, Ramon and I were legally wed. I spurred my horse and never looked back.
“January third, eighteen-ninety-nine. Arrived at the homestead.”
I turned to page sixteen. Except for the ink stamp, it was blank. “That’s all she wrote.”
“Nothing in these pages was incriminating. Why did she hide them?”
“I can understand her keeping her early feelings from Ramon.” I grimaced. “But those were traumatic times. She lost her first husband, lost his baby, and was forced from her home. Then after she remarried, her first husband reappeared, accused her of adultery, and prompted her miscarriage.” I winced. “Would you want any reminders?”
