Page 52 of An Unexpected Welcome

Charlie walked for a long time until he couldn't walk anymore. His ankle hurt, he was so hot, and tired. He had to rest. He found a lone cottonwood standing in the middle of nowhere. He headed straight for it. He sat down under it, finding a bit of shade and before he realized it, he went to sleep.

A couple of hours later he was awakened by horse hoofs. He opened his eyes and a Mexican man came toward him. "Pedro?" Charlie called not able to see him for the sun.

"No I am Don Diego Salazar, Pedro's cousin. And you?"

"I'm Charlie." He said simply.

"Lilly's boy?" Don Diego asked with a big smile.

"Yes!" He was overjoyed to have been found by Pedro's kin. "Can you take me to Juan?"

"Si, hop up behind me," He instructed with a smile.

"Thank you," Charlie managed.

"What are you doin' out here in the middle of nowhere?" Don Diego asked.

"I'm lost. I was trying to get away from the Dubs boys." Charlie told him as he hung on the man's waist.

"Oh, they are mucho bad. I am glad I found you."

"Me too!" Charlie chuckled.

Don Diego took him to Pedro's house and Maria came out on the porch, "Charlie!" She called and ran to him.

Charlie hopped down off the horse and Don Diego went to put them away.

"What in the world?" Maria rubbed his head and hugged him. "You look terrible."

"I hurt my ankle in one of them prairie dog holes," Charlie told her.

"Come in, come in, I will take care of you. But your father and Pedro and Juan are all out looking for you." Maria told him.

"I'm sorry. You see I went fishing with Dan…and, well, they sort of kept me there. So I had to get away. So I walked for a long time. I fell in a prairie dog hole and turned my ankle. Then I ran into Dan and hit him with a rock and stole his horse. And Don Diego found me. I was lost. I wasn't sure where I was." Charlie finally finished in a rush.

"My goodness, well, I will tend your ankle, then fix you something to eat and then you can rest up." Maria told him. "I am just glad you are here." She sputtered around the kitchen like a mama bear, Charlie thought.

"Me too!"

The other children rushed in and crowded around him as their mother doctored his ankle and while Charlie was telling the others about his adventure, Maria fixed him something to eat.

Charlie had two helpings of beans and enchiladas and went to sleep in the kitchen chair.

When Don Diego came into the house he saw him and picked him up and took him to one of the kid's bedrooms.

"He is mucho tired." Don Diego laughed.

"Poor thing, he's a bit sunburned too, and he drank so much I thought his stomach might explode. But he is better now. He stepped in a prairie dog hole and hurt his ankle. I wrapped it and he needs to stay off of it a while. It is good he is sleeping." Maria smiled as she stared at him on the bed. "He's a lot like his father. Very strong."

"Si, he is. Is there any word from them yet?" He asked her.

"No, I'm afraid there will be mucho trouble at the Dubs place. And they don't even know Charlie is here now." Maria fussed.

***

The ridge above the Dubs place was a perfect place to watch and see what was going on. Cord motioned for everyone to get down low and wait. Before planning any action, he wanted to see if anything was going on.

Everyone crouched down and laid on their bellies to watch over the ridge. They heard a lot of yelling and Cord was worried that with their tempers flaring Charlie might get hurt.

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