He left without bothering to stop at the desk, and Owen watched as Susanna stared after him. She looked as if she might burst into tears at any moment. He couldn’t help but wonder what she’d argued about with her family.
“What can I do for you, Owen?” she asked.
“Maybe it’s what I can do for you. Why don’t you put the sign back up and come walk with me? You look really upset.”
“I am.” She shook her head and reached for the sign. “But it says I’ll return at six-thirty, and I’m not sure once I leave that I’ll come back.”
Owen smiled. “I’ll see to it that you do ... eventually.”
Susanna put the sign on the desk and came around to join Owen. “All right, Mr. Turner. Take me for a walk.”
Owen laughed and took her arm. He escorted her onto the street and looked down the dirt road first one way and then the other. “I have an idea. Have you been to La Plaza Vieja—Old Town?”
She shook her head. “That area farther up the hill? I’ve heard of it but not been there.”
“Good. We’ll take a walk there. It’s up away from the river on the rise. It’s where many of the Mexicans settled. They knew about the river’s tendency to flood.”
“And the railroad company did not?”
“The railroad needed to be near the water. The railroad company’s counting on the embankment they’ve put in to keep them safe. The land has seen a flood or two, but so far it hasn’t been all that bad, and they’re hoping to keep it that way.”
They walked past the post office and then the school. Owen pointed out the new swings. “The children have already been trying those out. Some of the railroad workers put them in. There’s going to be a couple of teeter-totters too.”
“I’m sure they’ll enjoy them.”
“The men?” He chuckled. “I’m betting they’ll try them out before turning them over to the kids.”
She smiled at this as they continued past the Methodist church.
Owen let go of her arm. “So what has you so upset?”
“My father and mother found out that I have money.”
“Money?” He shook his head. “Their money?”
“No. My own.” She met his gaze and shrugged. “My husband left it to me. Life insurance money and money from the sale of his stores.”
“Oh, I understand.” He hadn’t thought of her as a rich woman, but it was starting to sound like perhaps that was the problem. If such a thing could be deemed a problem.
“Somehow they learned about it, and now they expect me to turn it over to them. My father has some investment he wishesto make, certain that it will make him rich very quickly, and my mother expects me to immediately arrange for us to move to California, where a much better lifestyle awaits her.”
“California? Why California? I would think she’d want to return to her home.”
“No, she was shamed there and has no desire to have to explain or reveal the truth. California has become the focus of their interest.”
“What will you do?”
“Nothing.”
They had reached the top of the rise where the old Protestant church stood. Just beyond was the adobe Catholic church with its bell tower. To the right of the church was a grocery store. Several old women stood outside with their baskets, talking in Spanish.
“I wish I could speak Spanish. It sounds like such a beautiful language,” Susanna said, watching the women.
“I speak enough to get me into trouble, but I’m learning more. Lia and LeRoy speak it, and I’ve learned by practicing with them and their boys. I’m sure Lia would teach you too.” Owen pointed to the small grocery store. “They bring in a lot of supplies from Mexico. Some of the ingredients the old folks love and can’t get in American stores.”
They continued walking, with Owen sharing bits and pieces of information he could remember. “The old women here do what they can to make the area beautiful. They plant gardens, and though there’s plenty of tamarisk, they work to cut it out.”
“Why? It seems like anything green around here would be good.”
