“That does sound better. Especially after hearing about how unsafe it might be for her.” Owen considered whether Susanna would be open to going with Lia. “I think she’d enjoy being with you. I’ll talk to her tonight and see what she has to say about it.”
“If you want, I can ask her myself. I could tell her all about what we’ll be doing and entice her to come. While I do that, why don’t you boys see about taking a couple days of vacation to tack on to the days you’ll be in Albuquerque? Obviously, the shops here can spare you right now.”
Owen laughed. “I think they can. I’d like a couple of days at the ranch. All right. You talk to Susanna. I’m sure you can convince her. While you do that, we’ll go talk to Mr. Payne.”
The next morning, they all boarded the train for Albuquerque with it settled that the ladies and boys would be staying at the Mendoza ranch.
“I’m so glad you agreed to come with us,” Lia told Susanna. “I want so much to introduce you to my family and have you learn to make some of our traditional dishes from my mother and grandmother. They are the best cooks in the world.”
“And we’ll get to ride horses,” Emilio told Susanna. “That’s the most fun of all.”
“I like helping Uncle Enrico with his tiles,” John admitted. “I want to learn how to make them all by myself.”
“John is the artist in our family,” LeRoy said, smiling. He tousled the boy’s dark hair. “I hope he makes us some new tiles for the patio. Every time he goes, he and Uncle Enrico make more. Little by little, we’re expanding our patio.”
“I’ll make as many as I can. How many days will we be there?” John asked, eyes wide.
“A total of four,” Lia said. She looked at Susanna. “I know you were planning to go back to San Marcial on Wednesday when Owen was going to head home, but the guys were able to get a couple of days of vacation time. I hope you and Owen will stay at the ranch.”
“We’d head home on Thursday evening instead of Wednesday morning,” Owen said, smiling. “I can send your father a telegram from Albuquerque to let him know about your change in plans. Please say yes.”
Susanna didn’t even think twice. “Yes.”
They all laughed and cheered.
The ride to the Mendoza ranch wasn’t far, and it had its own small station of sorts. The boys pointed out the sheep and horse pens to Susanna and told her about her uncle bringing the livestock there to wait for the train when he was shipping them out for sale. They seemed to know all about the routine of roundup and loading, and Susanna found it very fascinating.
“See,” John declared as they stepped from the train, “look there. The pens have chutes so the sheep come up right into the boxcars.”
“That must be very convenient. I figured the men had to pick them up and put them onto the train one by one.”
The boys laughed hysterically at that and ran to share the news with their grandfather. “Abuelo! Abuelo!”
Susanna could hear them talking in Spanish and laughing. No doubt they were telling him about her silly notions. She knew better about the sheep but thought the boys would find it funny.
The train stayed just long enough to drop off Susanna, Lia, and the boys before continuing north to Albuquerque and the Santa Fe shops where Owen and LeRoy would spend the next couple of days working. Susanna immediately missed Owen’s presence despite the excitement of meeting Lia’s family, who’d come to bring them home.
Emilio Mendoza, Lia’s father, stepped forward and welcomed Susanna graciously. “We are very honored to have you come and stay with us.”
“I assure you, the honor is mine. How kind of you to take in a stranger at the last minute.”
“You are Lia’s good friend, so you are no stranger,” Lia’s father said. Then he added, “You are family.”
Several others had come to welcome them. Mostly young men who Susanna found out were Lia’s cousins, though one was her older brother, Javier. They managed the horses that had been brought for the boys to ride. Emilio and John squealed with delight at the sight of the saddled mounts.
“You brought my favorite horse,” Emilio declared, going up to a brown-and-white paint. He gave the horse’s nose a gentle rub.
Lia’s father helped Susanna and his daughter into the wagon he’d brought, while a couple of the men loaded the luggage in the back.
Susanna gazed out across the open landscape. It looked like scrub and sand—nothing that would suggest a healthy environment for raising animals. But the farther they moved toward the river, the more things changed. It was clear that the Mendoza family had cultivated the ground and worked with the land to encourage grass and other growth. As they approached the large hacienda and other buildings, Susanna was amazed at the colorful ways they had painted the walls. The large hacienda was still adobe coral but had beautiful arches and walkways that bore colorful tiles and white trim. Beyond the main house were smaller adobe houses that had been painted yellow and blue or green and orange, with broad purple bands around the windows. Susanna had never seen anything like it.
“What do you think?” Lia asked.
“It’s beautiful. I can hardly take it all in. It’s like an oasis in the desert.”
“That’s exactly what it is. We have plenty of water, and Papa found ways to irrigate, so we have hay for the animals and fields where they can roam.”
Susanna looked beyond the houses to the stables and outbuildings. There were more than a dozen large pens filled with horses.
“We just sent the lambs to market,” Lia’s father explained. “Next week we have a herd of horses headed to California. Real beauties. I think the new owners are going to be very pleased.”
Lia nodded. “People come from all over the country to buy Papa’s horses.”
Mr. Mendoza brought the wagon to a halt and rattled off orders in Spanish. He helped Susanna down from the wagon and then Lia. He held his daughter in his arms for a couple of extra moments, laughing and saying something to her that sounded endearing. Susanna found herself jealous. What must it be like to have such a father?
Before she could take a step, the hacienda doors opened, and a flood of people rushed out to greet them. Susanna knew she’d never remember all their names, so she tried to focus on just a few.
“This is my abuela—my grandmother,” Lia introduced. The old woman grinned up at Susanna. She was so petite, and her weathered, wrinkled face bore a hint of Lia’s youthful looks.
“I’m pleased to meet you, Mrs. . . . ah . . .” Susanna looked to Lia, wondering what to call the old woman.
Before Lia could speak, however, the old woman spoke in English. “You call me Abuelita, just as Lia does. I will be your grandmother too.”
Susanna smiled. “Thank you, Abuelita. That makes me very happy. I have no grandmother yet living.” She felt so much a part of the family with that simple gesture of love.
“This is my mother,” Lia said, drawing a beautiful black-haired woman close. She was surprisingly youthful. “Mama, this is Susanna. She is my dear friend.”
The woman embraced Susanna. “I’m so glad you are my Lia’s friend. You are very welcome here. You must make yourself at home.”