He saw her delight, the surprise that he had asked. Karak said, loud enough so Ram could hear, “You are too pretty to be working in the fields.” He had spoken in English first, just so Ram could understand, even if she didn’t. Ram had glared at him.

On the day the harvest was finished, Karak approached Jivan while he doled out dollar bills to Alejandro, and the foreman counted them and put them in his saddlebag. After Jivan left, Karak told Alejandro that he wanted to speak with him. Alejandro was astride the burro as if it were a warhorse, looking down at Karak from a height. But Karak had his hand on the bridle.

“Alejandro, does Rosa live with you?”

“Sí, señor. She is my wife’s sister.” Already, Alejandro seemed to know what he would ask him.

“Her father?”

“He died some time ago.”

Karak did not know what to say. He did not know if this was how it was done in the west. But he could not think of any other way to act that would be considered respectful of the girl. It never occurred to him to approach her directly.

“Nothing good can come of mixing two different people, señor,” Alejandro said slowly. Karak saw a flicker of anger in his eyes.

“If her father were alive, would he agree with you?”

The man had no answer. Karak felt he had won. Alejandro’s cheek twitched. “I will think on it.”

SEVERAL WEEKS AFTER THE HARVEST, Karak was repairing the fence next to the animal shed when Amarjeet approached.

“Bhai-ji, a woman has come to see you.”

Irrationally, Karak thought, Could it be Rosa? He had been thinking of her all this time. Then he reconsidered—why would she come? But he could not help it. As he turned the corner of the house, his heart began to beat faster.

But the woman waiting for him was a decade older, small, and she was stern as he approached, as if she were assessing him.

“Señor Singh. I am Esperanza,” she said in Spanish. “You know my younger sister, Rosa María?”

“Sí.” He could see Rosa in her features, in her nose, in the curve of her mouth.

“My husband told me—you were asking about her. You would like to spend time with her.”

In the roadway, he could see Alejandro sitting on a buckboard, hitched to a mule.

“Sí.” He supposed that was what he was asking for. “Sí, señora.”

“Please come to our home and visit us.”

He did not expect this. Perhaps his surprise showed on his face.

“Por favor. No tenga pena.”

“Muy amable.”

“Come tomorrow,” she said.