“It can be,” Owen replied. “It’s dangerous, to be sure. We had a bad one a few years back that left two feet of water all over town. Of course, it receded fairly quickly. Desert land has a way of absorbing the slightest bit of moisture. Just make sure that if we have more than a couple of days of steady rain, you get all the important stuff up to the second floor and then keep watch. That’s pretty much all you can do.”
“What do you do at the shops?” The train moved over a rough spot and threw Susanna sideways. Owen held on to her, however, making her feel safe and protected.
“There isn’t always much we can do. If we have warning, we load up as much of the expensive equipment as we can and get the trains out of there. We definitely move out all of the engines that can run. If something happens, likely it will be fast, and there will be no time to let each other know that we’re all right. Usually they’ll telegraph from up north if the water breaks and heads this way, so sometimes we can get the women and children to safety up on the hill past Old Town, up by San Geronimo.”
Susanna leaned her head against him, not caring that this public display was probably completely uncalled for. “You should talk to my father about it. I know I’ll be the one to do the work, but he should at least have an idea of how to protect Uncle Harrison’s hotel.”
“And your house.”
“I’m praying that maybe it could be our house.” She sat up. “Uncle Harrison still wants Mother and Father to live at the hotel. If he insists and manages to get them to move, the house could be ours . . . at least until we can buy a hacienda.” She grinned.
Owen chuckled. “It’s good to know you’ve got this all planned out.”
“Well, not all . . . but I’ve thought about it a lot in the last few hours.”
He laughed all the louder, causing Lia and LeRoy to stir.
LeRoy looked over at Owen and Susanna. “Are we there?”
“Just about. Close enough to start gathering our things,” Owen said, moving away from Susanna.
Lia stretched and yawned as John opened his eyes and scooted closer to the window. LeRoy gave Emilio a shake. “Time to wake up, son. We’re almost home.”
Emilio grunted and tried to curl up closer to his father.
LeRoy laughed and pulled Emilio onto his lap. “We’re gonna be there in a minute, and I won’t be able to take you to the Harvey House if you’re not awake.”
“You’ll miss out on your favorite pancakes with berries and whipped cream,” Lia added.
This perked up the boy considerably. He slid off his father’s lap and joined his brother at the window. “We’re almost there,” he declared, glancing back at his parents.
Susanna laughed. “That got him awake.”
“Works like magic,” Lia said.
“Are you gonna join them at the Harvey House?” Owen asked.
“No. I need to check in with my father and make sure the hotel is still standing. Besides, the breakfast Lia’s mother and grandmother fed us wouldn’t allow for another bite.”
“Best cooking in the territory.” Owen leaned closer. “I hope you were taking notes.”
“I did and then some.” Susanna shook her head. “I could cook a few things prior to this, but not much. I’ve never been properly trained until these last four days. Goodness, I learned so much. I think I could even kill and dress my own chicken.”
“Abuelita thinks every girl should learn that first,” Lia admitted. “I could do it when I was just six.”
“I can’t imagine, but the next time you kill one, let me know. I want to come watch so I don’t forget.”
“Watch nothing. I’ll make you do it.”
They all laughed at this.
San Marcial appeared unchanged. The river was up, but the hotel and town were safe and free of floodwaters. Susanna sighed as she bid her friends good-bye on the depot platform. She wished they could all remain together, but everyone had their own jobs to do. Now would come the hours of accusations from her parents that she had deserted them and forced them to endure more than anyone should ever have to endure.
“Susanna.”
She turned to find her uncle approaching. She smiled. “I see you’re still alive and in one piece.”
He smiled in return. “It wasn’t easy, but to tell you the truth, I think we’ve made headway.”
“What happened?”
“Your father is changed. At least somewhat. He hasn’t admitted to stealing or setting the fire, but he did tell me, with no small degree of sincerity, that he can see how he failed and is trying his best to make amends.”
“Well, that is encouraging.”
Her uncle extended a letter. “I wrote you more in here. Feel free to write me with suggestions for the situation after you assess it for yourself.”
“All aboard!”
“That’s my train.”
“You’re going to El Paso?” Susanna knew the train would continue southward.
“Yes. I have business there. I’m considering another hotel. This time I’ll make it out of adobe.”
She laughed. “I told you so.”
He kissed her cheek, then hurried toward the same passenger car she’d been on just minutes ago. She waited until he appeared in one of the open windows and gave her a wave. She returned the gesture, picked up her suitcase, then started through the depot just as the train began to strain forward.
She supposed it might be wise to read the letter before she saw her father, so she sat down in the tiny depot to open the envelope. Quickly scanning the lines, she was surprised to hear her uncle speak in a more hopeful manner, though he admitted the change in her father had only been present since he’d awoken that morning. When she’d left for the ranch, her uncle wasn’t at all encouraged, but now he seemed to have a different outlook. What a relief. Perhaps her father had realized he couldn’t continue going down the same road.
The last part of the letter explained that Uncle Harrison was headed to El Paso and would probably be back through in a few weeks. Susanna tucked the letter into her purse and headed for the hotel, feeling a little lighter than she had. If Father truly had seen the error of his ways, she might finally be able to reason with him.
That would just leave Mother to contend with.
Herbert Ragsdale was waiting when Susanna entered the hotel. He actually smiled at her—something he hadn’t done in a long time.
“Good to see you’re back, Susanna. Did you see your uncle?”
“Yes. We passed on the platform. He tells me he’s headed to El Paso. He’s thinking of building a hotel there. Right on the border.”
“I think him quite mad. El Paso has nothing more to offer than San Marcial does. I think he could make a great deal more money by choosing a larger town elsewhere, but I wished him well.”
She smiled and put down her suitcase. “That was kind of you.”
“Do you suppose we will have new guests this morning?” he asked.
“No. I saw no one getting off the train but us. LeRoy and Lia took the boys to the Harvey House for special pancakes, and Owen headed off to his place before work.”
“Good. That will give us some time to talk. The guests I have here now aren’t leaving for several days, so I don’t think they’ll need anything from me. Tina, the girl who helped in your absence, put out plenty of towels and washcloths, so I think they’ll have everything they need.”