By JoAnn

It was the last bump we hit that made up my mind for me. I am getting off this stagecoach at the next town, and I don’t care if I ever get to Tia Cordelia’s house, I thought miserably. I wiped at my brow with a once-white lace handkerchief, acknowledging grimly that there was no relief in sight. The heat and dust were suffocating, and I felt another surge of nausea roll over me. The sun had reached its zenith on this stifling hot August afternoon, and it was by far the worst day of this entire trip. I tried to take a breath through my handkerchief, for just one gasp of air not riddled with dust, but even my handkerchief was now saturated with the stuff. I peered over the hankie at my traveling companions, a florid-faced, redheaded banker from Philadelphia, and a pale, lanky lawyer from Boston. Both men looked even worse than I did, if that were possible. I shifted in my seat, my green silk traveling dress looking like a fog of yellow had settled on it, and tried to find a comfortable position in which to sit. Why I wore my corset on this trip, I will never know. But it simply wasn’t proper for a woman to go out in public without one, and Papa had always insisted on propriety. No wonder I disappointed him so often, I mused. Being proper went against my grain in every way. But I would do what I had to do, to give honor to Papa’s memory, eternal rest, grant him, O Lord. That was the reason I was heading to Tia Cordelia’s home in Mexico City…to honor Papa’s last request to me. Proper ladies did not live outside their families until marriage, so I must go to live with my last remaining relative. I could see my life passing before my eyes, all of it cold and passionless… just like Tia Cordelia. “If only there were another way”, I said quietly, looking out the open window at the seemingly endless desert around me. I had never considered that fate would take a hand.

The stagecoach suddenly stopped, so violently that I was thrown across the seat and into the lap of the Boston lawyer, which seemed to alarm him more than the sudden stop did. He dumped me off his lap and onto the floor of the coach, and stuck his head out the window.

“You there, Driver! What seems to be the….oh, no…oh God…” He pulled his head back into the coach with a snap, looking even paler than he already was, and the banker asked his what was wrong. He swallowed hard, his prominent Adam’s apple bobbing up and down like a fishing lure. “Bandits, Philip….we are being robbed!” The banker gasped and stuck his head out of his own window for confirmation. At that moment, the door to the stagecoach was yanked open roughly, and I sat on the floor of the coach looking into the strangely kind eyes of the Bandito. He smiled, and extended his hand to me.

“Senorita…I hope our sudden arrival has not caused you injury.”

“Uh, no, Senor...gracias,” I said, taking the hand of the Bandito as he helped from the coach. The banker and lawyer both huddled in the coach like cornered rabbits, and I smiled in spite of myself at the sight. Kind Eyes looked at me with a raised eyebrow and a small chuckle. “Ah, the strength of Americano men, so apparent, verdad?” I did not reply. As Kind Eyes explained to the men that the contents of their pockets would be greatly appreciated, now, if you please, I turned and looked at the other Bandito, holding the rifle on the frightened driver. He had his back to me, and I allowed myself the rare chance to observe a man closely, without someone telling me proper women kept their eyes demurely lowered in a man’s presence. He wore brown leather pants, dusty and worn, but fitted to him like a glove. I had never considered how attractive a man’s backside could be. This was interesting. His tan jacket was of the same condition as his pants, with fringe hanging off the sleeves, which were flexed now as he leveled the rifle. His curling black hair came a bit over his collar, showing signs of a recent trim, but probably not trimmed by a barber...most likely it was trimmed by himself or Kind Eyes. I enjoyed the power I felt, being able to observe him, but his not being unaware of it. It was oddly exciting. But just then, he seemed to sense my presence, and he turned slightly, looking over his shoulder at me. He frowned the moment he set eyes on me, and his amber eyes narrowed as he quickly assessed me.

“Joaquin! What is she doing out of the coach?” he asked with a shout, looking me over now as if determining my worth on the open market and deciding I wasn’t worth the effort. “I think she appears to be taking the air, Alejandro,” Kind Eyes, whom I now knew was named Joaquin, said, giving a small bow to my direction. Alejandro growled at Joaquin, who merely laughed as he stuffed his pockets with the goods obtained from the men. “And now, the strongbox,, if you please,” Joaquin said to the banker. “Uh…uh…strongbox? What strongbox? I don’t know what you are talking abo….” At that moment, Joaquin pulled a pistola out from behind his leather vest, and said, “I do grow tired of these games…perhaps I will just shoot you, and then take care of it myself.” The banker appeared to be close to passing out, and I stepped back a few paces, afraid now, no matter how kind Joaquin seemed. Alejandro saw me and quickly shifted the rifle my direction, saying, “Don’t move!” At that moment the coach driver hit Alejandro hard in the side of the head with his whip, knocking him down into the sand. Joaquin turned quickly towards the driver, but the lawyer slammed the door on his hand as hard as he could, and Joaquin cried out in pain, dropping the pistola onto the floor of the coach. With that, the driver slapped the reins on the horses and the coach lurched forward, taking off down the dusty road as fast as the horses could pull it. Joaquin, Alejandro, and I were enveloped in a cloud of thick dust, as the laughter of the men in the coach rang out over the desert.

Joaquin and Alejandro lay in the sand, up on their elbows, facing each other. They said nothing for several minutes, and then Joaquin looked up at me and said, “Hmm…perhaps I was a bit quick in what I said about Americano men.” He looked over at Alejandro and smirked, apparently willing to take this in stride. Alejandro was not of the same frame of mind.

“God damn it!” he yelled, throwing a handful of sand at Joaquin, as the laughing man deflected the grains with his arm. Joaquin laid back on the sand and continued to laugh, as Alejandro got up and started pacing back and forth, yelling words in Spanish only Papa’s roughest ranch hands had used. I stood there a moment and then popped open my parasol, holding the green silk umbrella edged with ruffles over my head. “Excuse me, gentlemen,” I said, trying to keep the hysteria out of my voice. “I think there is a little something you forgot...me! The coach left without me! All my things are on it! I want to go home!” I wailed, suddenly feeling as if the heat and fear had sent me over the edge into dementia. At that moment, both men turned and looked at me as if seeing me for the first time.

“Damn…I forgot about her,” Alejandro said, looking at Joaquin with true fury in his eyes. “Just great! Now, thanks to you, we’re stuck with a….a lady!” Alejandro said the word as if it were a vile sin. “When will you ever learn not to be turned around by a pair of green eyes, estupido!”, he said, giving Joaquin a kick in his side, but not hard enough to cause pain. Joaquin sat up and smiled up at his fellow bandito, and said, “I will stop when you begin.” Alejandro grunted and turned away, stalking off into the brush at the side of the road. Joaquin turned to me and said, “Senorita...I am sorry that our little expedition today has caused you trouble. I promise that Alejandro and I will see you to safety. We are banditos, senorita, and usually very good at it...but we do not harm women, ever. You are safe with us, entiende?” I understood, and inside I felt myself relax, for some reason trusting this man. “Your partner…he does not harm women? He seems capable of it,” I said, risking a sidelong glance at Alejandro, still pacing in the brush and murmuring to himself angrily. Joaquin laughed. “Alejandro...he is my hermano, senorita...my brother does not harm women. In fact, he avoids them as often as possible, except...well, except when he cannot.” Joaquin laughed at his joke, but my puzzled expression told him I didn’t understand a word of it. He smiled gently. “Ah…I see the way of it. The Murrieta Brothers will protect you, senorita. You can rely on that.” At that he rose and walked off to speak to Alejandro. I plopped down onto the sand, holding my parasol above my head and berating myself for ever wishing there were “another way” to avoid Tia Cordelia’s house a little bit longer. Being lost, alone, and in the possession of two banditos was not what I had had in mind. What did Mama always say when she was alive? Oh yes…be careful for what you wish for, you may get it. I put my chin into my hand and hunched over, broiling in the hot sun.

A few minutes later, Joaquin and Alejandro emerged from the brush, this time leading two chestnut-colored horses, one loaded down with a heavy pack. Joaquin offered his hand to me to help me up, and I stood, brushing the sand off the back of my dress. Alejandro still stared at me with an angry expression, his chin lowered and his eyes tilted up at me…I felt a rush of desire surge through me, which I had never felt before. How could I find this horrid man attractive? Joaquin was certainly more kind and thoughtful, yet I could not help myself. There was just something about him that attracted, that drew you in, like a flower draws a hummingbird. I watched as Joaquin lifted himself into the saddle.

“Mira, senorita, we only steal the very best horses. Are they not perfection?” he said, patting the neck of his horse affectionately. I had to agree…they were beauties. Joaquin turned to Alejandro and said, “She will have to ride with you, since my horse carries the pack.” He smiled in a way I knew was intended to goad his brother, and it succeeded. Alejandro put his foot into the stirrup and lifted up himself into his own saddle, and then, cursing under his breath, extended his hand to me. I am sure he expected me to be a useless baggage, but living on my father’s ranch had given me secret opportunities. I had forgotten all the times as a child when Diego, my father’s foreman, would allow me to sneak out to the fields and learn all he had to offer about horses, riding, shooting, all the things Papa forbade me to know because proper ladies did not do those things. I had forgotten, Diego…now I will try to remember all you taught me, I thought, sending up a prayer for the kind man’s soul. I moved up into the saddle gracefully, even though for a moment I doubted I could still do it. Alejandro allowed himself a smile as he lifted me into place. It quickly vanished the moment my derriere landed in his lap. The scowl returned, and he merely grunted at me, “Hold on.” With that, he spurred the horse, and the three of us galloped off the road and into the low brush.

By late afternoon, it was apparent that the men were taking me to the nearest town, which was where the coach had been heading. But definitely in a roundabout way, in order to not be detected. Joaquin was still thinking about the foiled coach robbery.

“Mira, ‘mano…you know, we could have chased the coach.” he said, looking back towards the road. Alejandro shook his head. “No, brother, for two reasons. The element of surprise is gone, and the men now have your pistola…estupido.” Joaquin smiled and scratched his chin. “Ah yes, I will miss my pistola...now I will have to steal another one!” He laughed loudly, and Alejandro smiled, unable to resist the good humor of his brother. I shifted in Alejandro’s lap, trying to get comfortable. His grip on my waist tightened, and he said in a low voice, “Don’t do that.” I said, “Do what?” He said, “Don’t...move around so much. Do what I tell you.” I turned towards him with an offended attitude. “What did I do wrong? I didn’t do anything! I…” Joaquin laughed again, and said, “Oh, you are doing something, senorita….something that I am sure is causing Alejandro great pain.” He laughed even more loudly, and I looked at him with a quizzical look…what did he mean? Was I too heavy? Alejandro looked from Joaquin and back to me, and then looked heavenward. “Dios mio,” he sighed, “What did I ever do to You to deserve these two?” I folded my arms across my chest in a huff. Alejandro looked down and saw the fine display of busom this movement created, and moaned out loud again, causing Joaquin to roar with renewed laughter. I still didn’t understand what they were talking about…but soon enough, I would.

By nightfall, we had stopped and decided to set up camp. Joaquin said they would sneak me to the edge of town just before sunrise, and then escape under the cover of the remaining darkness. I said that would be all right, hopefully the coach would still be there. Joaquin said he supposed it would be. We sat around the small campfire, drinking the whiskey Joaquin had in his pack, and relaxing, after tending to the horses. Joaquin looked at me across the fire and said, “You know, senorita, we do not even know your name.” I wiped my mouth on the back of my hand, passing the bottle to Alejandro (I had no idea whiskey could taste so good!), and replied, “Oh, yes! My name is Esperanza…Esperanza Maria Benedicta Hortencia…” Alejandro took a swig from the bottle and chuckled. “Hortencia?” he said, smirking. “Dios mio!” I gave him a cold look and continued. “Hortencia Consuelo Gonzales de Navarro.” I looked at Joaquin and smiled. “You may call me Esperanza.,” I said, nodding to him across the fire. I turned to Alejandro. “YOU may call me Senorita.” Alejandro smirked, and moved next to me. He rested his elbows on his knees and leaned forward, his face only a few inches from mine. “You’re a real spitfire, aren’t you?” he asked. I smiled slightly and nodded. He leaned even closer and said, “I really HATE that in a woman.” My smile instantly turned to a frown, and I opened my mouth to lambaste him, but before I could, his laughter filled the air, and it had the sound of genuine joy in it. I wanted to be angry with him, but I could not resist. I began to laugh, too, seeing the true humor in our entire situation, and we eventually were laughing so hard we had to hold onto our sides. From across the fire, Joaquin observed all of this quietly. “I will stop when you begin,” he thought to himself quietly. He was glad to see Alejandro had begun. He lay back on the rock behind him and smiled, deciding at that moment what needed to be done.

“I am going to ride near the town and see if the coach is still there,” he said, standing up and pulling Alejandro’s pistol out of the holster and placing it into his. “Why take the chance of being caught?” Alejandro asked, suddenly losing all humor and looking at his brother with concern. “I will not be caught, ‘mano…besides, they are looking for two men and a woman…not a lone horseman. Have faith in my abilities, brother.” Alejandro said, “I should come with you.” Joaquin smiled and said, “No. Stay here and guard Esperanza.” Alejandro turned and looked at me, with a new light in his eyes, a gentleness that had not been there before. “It would be safer if I went with you, Joaquin,” he offered. “Safer for whom?” Joaquin said, laughing low and slapping Alejandro’s back. Joaquin turned from us and mounted his horse, then looked back over his shoulder. “I will be back within an hour. Any longer, and you must leave, do you understand?” Alejandro nodded. Joaquin spun the horse around, and took off towards the direction of the town. Alejandro stood watching him for a while, and then came back and sat down beside me, next to the fire.

The firelight danced across the lines of his face beautifully, and I could not take my eyes from him. The curls of his hair fell over his forehead, and his thick mustache looked unbelievably soft. His eyes were trained on the fire, apparently deep in thought. I remained quiet, not wanting to disturb him. Finally, he spoke.

“So, senorita…I think I will call you Esperanza, with or without your permission,” he said, smiling. I nodded, and said, “You may call me that…see, I give you my permission whether you ask for it or not.” He grinned, and said, “Ah, ever the spitfire….tell me, Esperanza…..do you have any family? Where were you headed before we, uh, interrupted your travels?” I looked into the fire, feeling very alone. “My parents are dead...I was heading to live with my only remaining relative, Tia Cordelia, in Mexico City.” Alejandro looked pensive for a moment, and then said simply. “My parents are dead, too.” I turned to him and put my hand on his shoulder. “I’m sorry,” I whispered. He reached up and placed his hand over mine, and at that moment, I felt a connection between us that went beyond the fact we were both orphans. “Your Tia…do you look forward to living with her?” he asked in a quiet voice. I turned back towards the fire. “No, I do not…living with her will be like death for me, while still living.” Alejandro chuckled, and sat forward. “Surely you exaggerate, Esperanzita.” I shook my head. “No, I am not, Alejandro. Living with her will take all the life from me, and she will work endlessly to insure I become just like her. I cannot bear the thought. I want more from life than that.”

“Why do you go to her, if living with her will be intolerable?” he asked. I lay my forehead in the fold of my arms. “I promised my Papa that I would...he insisted it was the only proper way for me to go on, and I must obey his last wishes.” Alejandro considered this for a moment, and then said, “Do you not have friends? Others to whom you could turn?” I thought a moment, and then said, “I do have my friend in San Francisco…my best friend from the boarding school that Papa sent me to, after Mama died. She has always begged me to come to visit her, to come to San Francisco.” I had never even considered my friend, Bernardita…I was only consumed with what Papa had told me to do. For a moment my heart leapt, but thoughts of Papa brought it quickly crashing down. I must obey his wishes, or dishonor him. I sighed deeply, and said to Alejandro, “I am trapped by my promise, Alejandro.” Alejandro turned towards me and took my shoulders in his hands. “You are not trapped, Esperanzita. I am trapped, because of the life I have chosen. You can yet choose. You promised your Papa, and your intentions when you did that were honorable. But he asked something of you that is not good for you…and if he loved you, he would not ask that of you. He would want your happiness, not the death of your spirit.” I replied, “He would want what was proper for me.” Alejandro said, “Is the death of your spirit proper?” I finally allowed the tears that had been lying in wait for so long to flow down my cheeks. “No,” I said, “it is not proper. It is wrong.” Alejandro hugged me to his chest, and said, “And your Papa…would he want you to do something wrong? There is more than one way to look at this, Esperanzita. You gave your Papa love. You have always tried to do your best to please him, I can tell you are that way. Now is the time to live, not for Papa, but for Esperanza. I think wherever he is right now, that is what he would truly want for you.”

“Oh, Alejandro,” I cried, throwing my arms around him with the sudden feeling of joy that flowed through my body. I felt as if he had freed me from a prison. Perhaps he had…the prison of my own set ideas, from the rules and restrictions that made no sense but were imposed on me by others, however well meaning. It had not occurred to me that I had the freedom to change, to choose, to set my own path. Only as a child had I ever believed that. Alejandro had restored this to me. I hugged him close, and felt his arms tighten around me, as our embrace of happiness now began to change into something else all together. I could feel the difference in the way his body felt against mine. No longer the friend, no longer the big brother. I became aware of him as a man, and for the first time, of myself as a woman. I pulled away from him slightly, looking up at his face, trying to read what the darkness of his eyes meant. He trailed one finger down my cheek, gently, and whispered my name. With his other hand, he reached behind my head and pulled the comb keeping what was left of my coiffure in place. My hair tumbled down in a black cloud around me, and he drew in a breath. “You are beautiful, Esperanzita…I have never seen such lovliness before.” I looked down shyly, not used to such talk. He smiled and lifted my chin. “You ARE beautiful, Esperanza. You should be told that, and often.”

He drew his finger from my chin to trace the edges of my mouth. I felt as if I was set on fire by his touch. I didn’t understand all the feelings rushing through me. I only knew they were the most wonderful things I had ever felt before, and that Alejandro was making them happen. “Please,” I said, not even sure what I was asking for. He smiled, and leaned forward slowly. He gently touched his lips to mine, then deepened the kiss, opening my lips with his tongue as he seemed to devour me. I had never felt anything so thrilling in all my life. I tightened my arms around him, wanting more, pushing my body up against his in a natural response to what I was feeling. He groaned and laid me back on the horse blanket we were sitting on, letting his hands caress me, moving down my thigh and pulling me harder against his hips. I moved closer against him, as the heat inside me seemed to increase suddenly. His hand moved up the curve of my waist to the soft mound of my breast. His fingers toyed with the lace edging at the neckline of my dress, and then slowly, he moved his hand inside to caress me. The feel of his hand on my naked flesh caused me to gasp out loud at the contact. I suddenly felt afraid. He took his hand from me, but did not move away. “I am sorry, Esperanzita…I forgot myself. You are so lovely, so sweet…I am sorry.” I smiled, and laid my hand against his cheek. “I forgot myself, too, Alejandro. You are also lovely, and sweet.” He laughed, embracing me, as he buried his face in my unbound hair. “I have never been called lovely, or sweet, Esperanzita, and I would usually take that as an insult! But not from you, little one…not from you.” He smiled, and pulled me close in an embrace, laying his cheek against mine. We lay like that for a long time, as we discussed my dreams of becoming a writer, having a husband and children, and his dreams of one day having a family, a ranch, a real life, far away from his present one.

“I would even take Joaquin with me, and make him a respectable gentleman,” he said, laughing. I did not think it was a joke. “That could happen, Alejandro, if you wanted it to.” He hugged me to him, and said, “No, little one…that life is not for me, and not for Joaquin. They are dreams only, that will never come true.” I sat up and looked down at him. “Alejandro…you tell me to follow my dreams, but say you cannot do the same? Why?” He traced his hand down my back, and said quietly, “Those dreams are not for me. Joaquin needs me, and we are good at this life together. He is all that I have. I am grateful for that.” I nodded, understanding what love for a family member was all about. “But Joaquin would never want you to avoid a dream, Alejandro. Make me a promise, will you?” He smiled a beautiful smile that I thought would stop the sun from rising, in jealousy of its brilliance. “I will promise you anything, little one,” he said.

“Promise me that one day, you will let yourself dream again. You will let yourself believe that the dream can come true.” Alejandro thought this over, and looked up at the stars over our heads, too many to count, too beautiful to speak of. “I promise,” he said, in a serious voice that told me he meant it. I lay back down, and snuggled next to him. His hand stroked my hair, as he said gently, “We must take you to the town soon.” I hugged him closer, and shifted on my side to lay my leg over him. “I know,” I said. Alejandro lay silent for several minutes, and then, almost in a whisper, said, “I am a wanted man, Esperanzita…but if I were not, I would take you with me. I want you to believe that.”

“I do believe it,” I said, and I could not stop the tear that slid down from the corner of my eye. I would never see Alejandro again. I knew that. But I would never forget what he had done for me. I hoped that he would never forget me.

A few hours after Joaquin returned from verifying that the coach was still in the town, we rode to the edge of the town in the early hours of the morning. The sun was still about an hour from rising, and we knew that would give Joaquin and Alejandro plenty of time to escape. Joaquin had been watching us intently all evening, and seemed strangely happy for the bond that had developed between Alejandro and me. I rode now on Alejandro’s horse, settled in his lap for the last time. His hand caressed my back unceasingly, not only to soothe me but perhaps to soothe his own conflicting feelings as well. We stopped at a thick, brushy area, and dismounted. Joaquin surveyed the terrain and felt it was safe for me to walk the few yards it would take to reach the town. He turned to me and gathered me in his arms, hugging me tightly as he said in my ear, “Thank you, Esperanza. Getting stuck with you was one of the best things we have ever done.” I laughed and hugged him tightly around the neck. He let me go, and with a telling look to Alejandro, went back to the horses and mounted his chestnut stallion. “Hurry, ‘mano, the sun will rise soon,” he said, a hint of sadness in his voice. Alejandro looked at me, and with a groan, pulled me roughly into his arms. I couldn’t help crying, even though I knew he did not want me to. He lifted my face to his and kissed me, then gently kissed away each tear from my cheek. “You will always be my hope, little Esperanza, just like your name. I will remember you, and hope for another day.” I hugged him tightly to me, and then reluctantly let him go. “Go, Alejandro…live to see many days. Don’t forget your promise.” He smiled, and traced a finger down my cheek. “I will remember, little one.” He then turned and ran, lifting himself quickly up into the saddle of his horse. With a final wave, they turned their horses, and rode westward. I turned toward the east, and began my walk into the town...and to my new life.

With the money Papa had left me (which had been in my recticule the entire time, hanging from my wrist…neither Alejandro nor Joaquin had ever made any move to take it from me. True gentlemen, they both were.), I put my plan into action. I bought a horse team and a carriage. I bought a new wardrobe of clothes that better suited me. I sold whatever I didn’t want from my old life, and looked forward to the new. I wrote Tia Cordelia a letter that said I was not coming to live with her, and that I wished her well, but I had other plans for my life (which caused Tia Cordelia to forever proclaim I was the most horrible girl God had ever created upon the earth. I took that as a compliment.) I began to write in earnest, and sold the stories I had written to penny magazines under my pen name, John Alexander, in honor of my two friends. I knew I was seen as controversial wherever I went, and I no longer cared. I ended up in San Francisco, on Bernadita’s doorstep. She found my “controversial” ways refreshing, and soon, I was caught up in the world of San Francisco society. It was there that I met Don Julio Cardenas…my future husband. He found my secret work as a writer to be interesting, instead of a threat to Spanish nobility as a whole. He also fell in love with me, and I with him. I would never forget Alejandro…how could anyone forget him. But I learned to love Julio with all my heart and soul, and our four daughters were all living testaments of that love. I had sought my own path, as Alejandro had shown me. It had turned out to be a beautiful one. I hoped and prayed to God every day that Alejandro had kept his promise…that he had allowed himself to dream, and to believe that it could come true. That is why I light a candle every day in the church…for the man who changed the course of my life, forever…my bandito, Alejandro.

EPILOGUE

I lifted my skirts as I stepped up onto the boardwalk, taking care not to trip. Los Angeles was growing by leaps and bounds, and so had the opportunities open to me. I had come to Los Angeles in order to meet with a new publisher, who was interested in broadening my work into book form. They were surprised when “John Alexander” turned out to be a woman, but instead of turning me away, they found it to be enthralling. I had a new contract for a book tucked away in my recticule, and I could not wait to get home to tell Julio. The stagecoach would take me back to our home. For a moment I allowed myself to wander back in my memory to another stagecoach, another time. I closed my eyes briefly, in sweet remembrance. At that moment a man accidentally brushed by me, and he said, “Oh, lo siento, senora.” I smiled, and said, “De nada.” He took off his hat to greet me, and then turned to continue down the walk. He paused for a moment, his face brightening as he swept past me. “Good morning, Don Alejandro!” I heard him say behind me, and I began to walk on. At that moment, I heard the other man reply, “Good morning, Don Miguel.” I froze as the voice of the other man swept over me with the force of an ocean wave. I turned slowly, and looked up into the eyes of Alejandro. Fifteen years had passed since I had last seen him. He was older, thirty-five now instead of twenty, but still lovely, as I had said that night in the desert. His eyes widened with shock, and he stopped in his tracks. “Esperanza...Esperanza!” he cried, and swept me into his arms. “Alejandro, oh dear God, Alejandro,” I cried, throwing my arms around his neck, overwhelmed with joy. We stood there like that, in the street, for several minutes, until the murmuring of passersby finally alerted us to the scandal we were creating. At that moment, a beautiful young woman came out of the general store, holding the hand of a small boy, about five years old. He was happily licking a sasparilla stick, and the moment I laid eyes on him, I knew he was Alejandro’s son. Alejandro encircled the woman’s waist with his arm, and said, “Esperanza, I would like you to meet my wife, Dona Elena de la Vega de Murietta. Elena, this is my friend, Esperanza.” I extended my hand, and the woman took it in a warm handshake. “I am so pleased to meet you, Esperanza. Alejandro, is this the Esperanza whom you have told me about?” He nodded, looking into her eyes with great love. She moved forward to embrace me, and I was very moved by her gesture. She released me and took both of my hands in hers. “Then we must become very close friends, my dear. When you made Alejandro promise to allow himself to dream, and believe that dreams could come true…you helped my dreams to come true as well.” I looked down, overwhelmed at the kindness of this marvelous woman. The little boy came up and tugged at my skirts, and when I looked at him, he offered his sasparilla stick with a chubby, sticky hand. “Want a lick?” he asked, and I laughed, gathering him up into my arms. “I have four little girls, just like you,” I said, and Alejandro said amusedly, “Four? Are any of them named Hortencia?” I looked up at him and laughed, and said, “Mercifully, no. Julio forbade the possibility of that name coming anywhere near our daughters.”

“Julio…” Alejandro prompted. “My husband, Don Julio Cardenas. Spanish Don, raiser of cattle, and husband of the holder of the secret identity of John Alexander.” Alejandro’s face lit up, and he cried out, “John Alexander? YOU are he?” I laughed and nodded, and Alejandro roared with laughter. Elena explained they were both great fans of John Alexander’s work. The irony of it all was overwhelming. I lifted the little boy up onto my hip, and asked, “And what is YOUR name?” He stuck the sasparilla stick into his mouth and said, “Joaquin.” I looked at Alejandro, and he closed his eyes and shook his head. “Eternal rest, grant him, O Lord,” I said quietly. Elena and Alejandro exchanged looks, and then Alejandro said, “Esperanza…you and Julio and your children must come to our ranch and visit. We have many stories we would like to share with you. You, with your secret pen name, will certainly understand them.” Elena smiled, as if a big secret hung in the air. I was curious to discover what it was. “Yes, we shall!” I said, and after several hugs and good wishes, and the exchange of our addresses, we parted. Elena took Joaquin’s hand and turned to the richly appointed coach parked next to the boardwalk. She smiled at Alejandro, and he returned the smile…it was so clear to me that they were deeply in love. I felt like crying out with happiness for him. He turned towards me, lifting my gloved hand to his lips. “I never forgot you, Esperanza, nor my promise,” he said seriously. I smiled, blinking back tears. “Nor I,” I replied. Alejandro kissed my hand again, and said, “We will see you soon at the ranch. I hope that both our families may become lifelong friends.” I nodded, saying, “Yes, I would love that. We will come as soon as Julio can arrange it. He, too, knows of the Alejandro of my past…and what he did for me.” Alejandro nodded, and said, “As you did for me.” He began to walk towards the coach, but then he stopped and turned. “God bless you, Esperanzita, ” he said quietly. “God bless you, Alejandro,” I said. I watched as Alejandro entered the coach and it pulled away, before I turned to continue down the boardwalk. I laughed for a moment to myself, thinking how my editor would say that what I had just said to Alejandro was redundant. I had no need to ask God to bless him. It was so clearly apparent that He already had…abundantly.

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