Page 163 - Tamale Ridge_113017

161 Tamale Ridge by: Chuck Cusimano

“Yes Ma’am,” Big Jim said as he swung down off his horse. He told her he would ride into

town and tell the Sheriff as soon as he dug the grave. He wanted to let the law know first, so if

they wanted to investigate, they could but the woman said,

“He’ll just disappear like his daddy did,” she paused,..…his daddy’s buried here too.”

When they were almost done with the grave, she spoke again.

“Billy brought his daddy home the same way and he was just a kid. I always figured Billy

knew how his father died but I’m the only one that really knows. He should’ve left that woman

alone”.

CHAPTER THIRTY EIGHT

It was a grand wedding, with lots of food and music. I wanted everyone else to be gone so

Rosemarie and I could be alone but I knew there would plenty of time to be alone together.

Ramon gave the bride away and I asked Raul to be my best man. Contesa looked better than I

ever guessed she could. Ramon and Ya-nee-Jua were married in the tribal custom. He had

brought the family to help on the Rancho. They would live here and take care of the small band

of sheep and goats.

The only way I could convince Rosemarie to not worry about her horses was to tell her to

bring them along with us.

“What do the foals of the mares I sent you look like?” She wanted to know.

“I am anxious to see them but not anxious to be that far from my family.”

“You will be able to visit at least once a year and maybe more,” I told her.

I noticed her little halfway smile and said,

“Try it for a while and tell me if you can live there.”

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