Chapter 147 - Never As I Plan It - Fedds
Veronica
I went out with Miguel, we arrived in Blanco, we had many errands to run, including going to a courthouse. He was eager to learn about the procedures for a civil wedding. I was happy to see him so joyful. We had already gone to the employment agency, and they promised to send us several resumes in the afternoon. We found out where we could buy horses, and we were recommended a ranch where we bought four beautiful specimens.
There was a divine light brown mare, Miguel fell in love with a speckled white horse with small brown spots, and for his wife, he bought a pinto mare. It had two colors from the head to the middle of its body, brown, ending in white, and its legs ended in brown; it was very imposing. For Simon, we bought a dark brown thoroughbred with a white mane and tail. We instructed them to send the horses immediately.
Miguel made the payment transfer electronically, and we agreed to buy more later. Then we went to a veterinary store, and next door was a store selling saddles and everything related to the four horses. We also asked the seller if he knew anyone who needed work as a stable hand, and he recommended his cousin, who had arrived with his wife and two children.
He needed the job: he had a nineteen-year-old son and a seventeen-year-old daughter. Just one look with my friend and we knew we would give these people the opportunity. They were Mexican, and we gave the address for them to arrive today. One of the houses, which was set aside for important positions on the estate like the foreman and the housekeeper, could accommodate their families.
From the words of gratitude from the store employee, I guessed that his cousin needed not only the job but also a place to live. I hadn't yet toured the lands, and I hoped to do so in the afternoon; those houses needed to be occupied. We returned before noon to the house once more with the truck full of everything we bought. Cebolla would go in the afternoon to buy two trucks and return the one we had rented.
After lunch, I went to take a bath, washed my hair, and had to get used to the heat. It always hit me hard the first few days until I adapted. When I got out of the bath, I heard commotion outside the house. Looking out the window, I saw trucks arriving with the purchased horses. Like a madwoman, I dressed quickly: jeans, a black and white plaid shirt that closed with snaps, black boots, and a belt the same color as the boots.
I half untangled my hair and tied it in a messy ponytail with a scrunchie. The Veronica from this morning was different from the one who ran down the stairs. When I reached the stables, I realized I had left my wedding rings in the bathroom; every time I washed my hair, I took them off, along with the necklace. I didn't want to lose them; one of the diamonds, not that I was materialistic, but I took care of my wedding gift.
At that moment, the people recommended by the store seller arrived, and just by looking at them, I liked them. Their clothes showed their need; the young ones looked thin, they must have been hungry.
"Miguel, I'll leave the interview to you. I'm going to ride a bit. However, I like them." I saddled the mare by myself. "Let's go, Chocolate."
That's what I had named her; she was a chocolate-colored thoroughbred mare. Something urged me to go out, the morning anxiety intensified. I approached the newcomers with my friend.
"Nice to meet you, my name is Veronica."
"Ma'am, my name is Jacinto Sanchez, this is my wife Carmela, and these are my children Francisco and Guadalupe."
"The pleasure is mine. Miguel will interview you. Would it bother you if your wife worked?" The eyes of both adults intensified.
"Not at all, the more income, the better. You know, we have two teenagers."
"I'm already grown, Dad."
The young man lowered his gaze under his father's stern look, which I liked even more. He was a father who wanted to see his children become professionals. I looked at Miguel.
"Carmela, you will be interviewed by Ines, who is our housekeeper. Well, I'm going to explore the surroundings, see you in the afternoon." They had only two suitcases. "The job is yours. Miguel, the small house at the back seems comfortable, that will be where you live while you stabilize. We need to furnish it." Carmela's tears were noticeable, and before I got on Chocolate, she took my hand and kissed it. "No, don't do that again. Your work and loyalty are enough for me."
"You are an angel."
"She's more than that!" Miguel intervened.
"I don't want to be rude, the relationship between you..."
"The lady was the wife of one of my best friends, boss, and partner. My wife is the little one coming this way with my son."
"I didn't mean to be rude," commented Jacinto.
"You're not," I said.
"But it's true, Mrs. Veronica is an angel," Miguel continued. "And she's one of the women I would defend with my life if necessary, don't misinterpret my protection."
"Hello."
Diana arrived with Isaac in her arms, and Guadalupe extended her arms, and the child, without hesitation, allowed himself to be held.
"Well, we can count on a babysitter in the afternoons after school," commented Miguel. "Let me introduce you to my wife, and this is my son."
"Nice to meet you, ma'am."
"I'll have to get used to being called ma'am." We laughed.
"We're not studying," Francisco mentioned.
"We arrived a couple of months ago," Jacinto intervened. "The violence in Mexico forced us to move, and the strongest reason for leaving was my children."
"Jacinto, do you know about farming?"
"I was a foreman on a ranch. But I'll work wherever you need me, ma'am," I looked at Miguel, and he smiled.
"We'll help you. The boss has spoken, you already have jobs on this ranch. Jacinto, come with me while Carmela talks to Inés. You need to know everything so you can train the workers who will arrive. You are the foreman."
"We'll talk more later, for now, I want to see the land. See you in a bit!"
……
Roland
I sat on the bed. Last night, I got drunk alone, feeling like an idiot listening to vallenato and ranchera music. As far as I remembered, I wanted to show up at El Renacer. Lord, it was already late. I looked at my cell phone; I had several missed calls from my mother and Luisa. "You show up now?" I would call her back later; I was starving. I went into the bathroom, washed my face, brushed my teeth, and left the cabin. I saddled the horse, spurred Amon, and we galloped off.
My head felt like it was going to explode. I should have taken a painkiller. I hated hangovers. Since Veronica came into my life, I've been drinking more than I should. Veronica... I was lost in thought when I saw her get off a beautiful brown mare. My heart almost jumped out of my chest. Could she see me? But what?! That was what I wanted, to scare her. She was in front of the stream, which was now swollen.
Seeing her intentions, my heart no longer raced from excitement but from fear. I had heard in the region that the stream was treacherous when swollen. Had she gone mad? Did she want to kill herself? She didn't hear me arrive. When I got off Amon and focused on her again, she had taken off her blouse, and despite my efforts, my groin tightened; that part had a mind of its own.
At that moment, I forgot about last night's plans to punish her. Now look at me, wanting to hug and kiss her. I noticed she had headphones on, which is why she didn't hear me arrive. She was about to take off her jeans when I shouted.
"Are you crazy?! It's suicide to get into that stream when it's so swollen!"
All that planning, all those strategies, and she destroyed everything in an instant. My desire for revenge was thrown in the trash when those beautiful honey-colored eyes looked at me, and I saw them slowly widen. My damn heart wanted to burst out of my chest.
I hadn't realized I had gotten so close. The sight of my woman in a sexy bra and her jeans unbuttoned, showing matching panties, her body, though thin, was still perfect. Unable to help myself, my gaze traveled over every inch of exposed skin. When I returned to her face, I saw her pale and then faint. I caught her, not wanting her to get hurt.
"Shit! Beautiful."
I gently patted her face. After a few seconds, I stopped trying to wake her up. Like an obsessive psychopath, I caressed her beautiful face, her neck, my finger slid between her breasts, and I placed my hand on her waist. I leaned closer, dipping my other hand in the water.
"I'm sorry, my love, you need to wake up."
I splashed a handful of water on her face. When she opened her eyes, they were glassy, breaking my heart. To hell with any revenge; for a second, I lost myself in her beautiful eyes. Suddenly, with surprising strength, I found myself almost eating dirt from the hair pull my woman gave me, nearly ripping out my scalp.
"Ouch!" She stood up, grabbed her shirt, and put it on quickly, a bundle of nerves.
"You look just like my husband... Oh my God, then you must be the reason they left him." What was she talking about? "You're not him, but you look like him..."
She held her head and began to breathe heavily. I didn't want to intervene; she looked beautiful, so close, her scent.
"Because of you, they abandoned my husband!" she screamed.
"What?!" What was she imagining now?
"I don't want to judge your mother, but it's evident she was or is a selfish woman!"
She started to scream. Soon, Cebolla would come. She was very agitated. I looked at her hand; she wasn't wearing her ring. I realized she also didn't have the chain with my ring on it. That was a low blow. Didn't she love me anymore? Did that mean she was serious with Juan? I looked at her.
"Don't you remember your twin brother?"
"Are you on drugs? Everything you're saying is complete madness."
I was furious. She wasn't even wearing the rings anymore. What had changed since Saturday?