“It’s not too late to have another one,” Karen said, regarding her with amusement.
“Are you nuts?” Adelia asked, her eyes snapping open. She handed the baby back as if pregnancy could be brought on by the power of suggestion. “I have four children already and no man in my life.”
Karen grinned. “That sure wasn’t the way it sounded at margarita night. By the time you left Raylene’s, I thought you were ready to give Gabe a second chance.”
Adelia glanced around to be sure her brother wasn’t close enough to overhear her. “I have,” she told Karen in a hushed voice, unable to stop the smile that spread across her face at the admission.
“Well, there you go,” Karen said. “He’s most definitely all man. Seems like he might make good daddy material.”
Elliott walked over just in time to overhear his wife’s comment. A frown settled on his face. “Did you just suggest that my sister and Gabe have a baby?”
Karen didn’t seem the least bit intimidated by Elliott’s scowl. “I was merely suggesting that if she wanted another baby, there was a candidate who might prove helpful.”
Elliott turned his disapproving gaze from his wife to Adelia. “I told you to give the man a chance, not to let him father your children.”
Adelia bit back a smile. “Nobody’s going to father any children with me,” she soothed, then allowed herself a grin. “At least not right this minute. And this conversation is exactly why I discouraged Mama from asking Gabe to join us for dinner.”
Elliott looked as if he wanted to launch into a protective, brotherly lecture, but just then the back door opened and their mother announced that dinner was ready.
“Time to face the music,” Adelia said, getting to her feet.
Karen handed the baby off to Elliott, then put an arm around Adelia’s waist. “Come on. I’ll protect you.”
“And who’s going to protect you?” Adelia asked.
“You, of course. And that big, strong man carrying my baby. Nobody in church heard it on the day we got married, but one of his vows was to stand between me and his family.”
“I’ve got your back,” Elliott confirmed, giving her a doting look. He winked at Adelia. “Yours, too, if you’ll let me.”
“You already have your hands full, little brother. I can take care of myself,” Adelia told him.
She allowed herself just a moment of envy at the bond between Elliott and Karen. She wondered if she’d ever have that sort of bond again. While she was starting to trust Gabe around her kids, she wasn’t quite ready to trust him with her heart. After all, she’d known Ernesto for years and never suspected he was a serial cheater. How could she possibly trust any man after just a few weeks?
* * *
In Cruz family tradition, the children had all been served at their table. Now the adults said grace and began passing around the familiar bowls of rice and beans, fried plantains and fragrant pork. Adelia absorbed the temporary calm and goodwill and almost allowed herself to relax.
Within minutes, though, she realized that there was an underlying tension in the room and that, for once, it had nothing to do with her. She glanced across the table and saw that Carolina was fighting tears while her husband sat back in his chair with a dark expression on his face. This time there was no ignoring her gut feeling that something wasn’t right there.
Since everyone else was studiously avoiding the obviously angry couple, Adelia did, as well, but she resolved that after dinner she’d make another attempt to reach out to her sister, despite the harsh words they’d exchanged on their last encounter.
Maria tried to fill the silence with idle chitchat, but no one seemed interested in helping her out. Adelia glanced at her mother and realized that she was clearly at the end of her rope. She didn’t like dissension in the family in general and especially not at these Sunday gatherings.
“Carolina, could you help me in the kitchen?” their mother said, suddenly standing up.
“But, Mama—” Carolina started to protest, only to be cut off.
“Now!”
Adelia started to stand, as well, but her mother gestured for her to stay.
When mother and daughter had gone into the kitchen, all eyes turned angrily on Enrique.
“What’s going on, Ricky?” Elliott demanded of his brother-in-law.
“Nothing but hormones,” Ricky replied, as if his wife’s mood were of no consequence. “You know how women get.”
Adelia almost came out of her seat at that. “Don’t take that condescending tone about my sister,” she snapped, sitting down only because Karen reached out, then shook her head. Confronting Ricky about his attitude would only stir the pot. And Adelia knew, as did Karen, that little good would come of that, not with these old-school men who believed their wives were more possessions than partners.
“Let your mother get to the bottom of this,” Karen whispered.
Elliott looked as if he was no more inclined to listen to that advice than Adelia was, but he sat back in his chair, as well.
“For now,” he said, a heated warning in his voice as he stared hard at Ricky, who was fingering an unlit cigar as if nothing at all were wrong in his world.
Adelia turned to her brother. “I have no idea what’s going on between those two, but I would give anything to wipe that smug look off his face,” she said, speaking in an undertone she hoped wouldn’t be overheard.
“Don’t tempt me,” Elliott replied.
Just then their mother returned to the dining room alone. She turned a gaze on Ricky that startled Adelia. She looked as if she was furious and fighting to contain it.
“Your wife isn’t feeling well,” she said tightly to her son-in-law. “She’s waiting in the car. I suggest you take her home. The children will be staying here.”
Ricky looked as if he might balk at what could only be interpreted as an order, but after a quick glance around the table, during which he obviously spotted no allies, he finally shrugged and stood.
“Lovely as always,” he said sarcastically.
Elliott was on his feet before the remark was finished, but after a stern look from his mother, he didn’t go after Ricky.
“I believe we’ve had enough drama for the moment,” his mother said. “Leave the two of them to work this out.”
Elliott didn’t look happy, but he nodded. “Whatever you say, Mama.”
Maria glanced at her husband, but Marco seemed to be avoiding her gaze. For once, without an ally in the room, he apparently had nothing to say, either. Adelia couldn’t help thinking that he must have a good idea about what was going on, but he’d never betray Ricky, any more than either of them had revealed Ernesto’s secrets. It was as if the three brothers-in-law had taken a pact of unity.
Adelia kept her own thoughts to herself until after dinner, when she volunteered to help her mother clear the table and deal with the dishes. Alone with her mother in the kitchen, she asked quietly, “Is Carolina okay?”
Her mother sighed heavily. “She’s more troubled than I imagined,” she admitted. A tear spilled down her cheek. “What is happening to my family?”
Adelia gave her a fierce hug. “Nothing you are responsible for, Mama. We all made our own choices, and each of us must decide how we want to move forward.”
“I’ve always believed marriage vows to be sacred, that it should be forever. I harbored what was apparently an illusion, that problems could always be worked out,” her mother said, a plaintive note in her voice. “That’s the way it should be. It’s the way I taught all of you to live your lives. Now you’re divorced.” She met Adelia’s gaze. “And rightfully so. As for Carolina...” Her voice quavered and she sat down, then lifted her sad gaze to Adelia. “There are bruises. Ricky hit her, Adelia. That man hit my child.”
Adelia was indignant. Beyond indign
ant. She wanted to rip into Ricky herself. “And you let her leave here with him?”
“I didn’t let her. She insisted.”
Now Adelia was actually stunned. “Carolina wanted to go home with him after that?”
Her mother nodded, her expression helpless. “Did I teach her too well? About honoring her vows, I mean. Is it my fault that she won’t walk away from a man who abuses her?”
Adelia thought it might, indeed, be about that, at least to some extent. She knew firsthand how eager they all were for their mother’s approval. She also knew that some women couldn’t make that break from an abusive man for far different reasons.
“What did she say?” she asked her mother. “Did she admit that he was responsible for the bruises?”
“Yes, but she said they were her fault, that she’d upset him and that he’d apologized. Over and over, she said, as if that made up for it.”
Adelia knew that was the classic response of far too many women. “I’ll talk to her,” she told her mother. “Better yet, I’ll have Raylene talk to her. Raylene knows how that kind of abuse can escalate. Maybe she can get through to Carolina that it’s never okay, not even the first time.” She was struck by a terrible thought. “Was it the first time?”
“I don’t know,” her mother responded. “I couldn’t get her to open up. I swear I wanted to walk into the dining room and swing a cast-iron skillet straight at his head myself.” She held Adelia’s gaze. “I had it in my hand. I’ve never felt that kind of rage before. I wanted to send my girl upstairs and tell her she was grounded and not allowed to leave this house.”
Adelia smiled at that. “Carolina’s thirty-eight, a little old for grounding, but I totally understand your wanting to do just that. I want to go over there and snatch her out of that house myself. God help us if Elliott gets wind of this. I’ve kept him from laying a hand on Ernesto, but I doubt there’s anything any of us could say to keep him from going after Ricky.”
“Which is why we won’t say a word to anyone,” her mother said. “Not unless it becomes necessary to protect Carolina.”
“Well, I’m going over there now,” Adelia said. “Who knows how Ricky might react if he finds out Carolina’s told you the truth?”
“You can’t,” her mother protested. “What if that makes him even madder?”
“Then he’ll have two of us to deal with. May my children stay here? If you already have too much on your hands, I can ask Elliott to take them, or call Gabe to pick them up.”
“No, no. They’ll be fine right here. Looking after them will help to take my mind off of all this. I’ll bake them cookies.”
Adelia knew that baking was her mother’s best stress reducer. That worked out nicely for her appreciative, always hungry grandkids. She leaned down and gave her a hug.
“I’ll be back soon,” she promised. “Hopefully I can persuade Carolina to come with me.”
“I’ll pray for that,” her mother said, but her sorrowful expression suggested she didn’t believe that particular prayer would be answered.
* * *
Adelia slipped out of the kitchen door, hoping that no one would notice her departure. The fewer explanations she had to offer, the better. She doubted she could contain the anger she was feeling toward Ricky right now or the pity she felt for her sister.
Though she’d suspected that Carolina’s marriage was in trouble, she hadn’t guessed something like this. When Adelia had suggested he might be cheating, Carolina had even let her believe she’d gotten it right. Obviously she’d been too ashamed to admit that it was even worse than that. While Ernesto’s behavior had been its own form of abuse that she’d tolerated for far too long, Adelia had always believed that she’d have the strength to walk away the first time any man ever laid a hand on her. From talking to Raylene, though, she knew that wasn’t always the case, that the situation could sometimes be too complex for a quick, easy solution.
Adelia drove into Carolina’s neighborhood of modest but well-kept homes. Her sister’s passion for gardening was evident in the small, lushly landscaped lawn that was edged with fragrant roses in full bloom. Baskets of bright flowers hung from the porch ceiling and more pots lined the steps. The cheerful riot of color was a far cry from what Adelia expected to find inside.
On the way over, she’d come up with a reason for the impromptu visit, one that might be believable to both her sister and Ricky. Pressing the doorbell, she drew in a deep breath and prepared to sell her hastily devised story.
When Carolina opened the door, her eyes were puffy from crying, her expression dismayed. “This isn’t a good time,” she said, stepping outside and closing the door behind her.
Relieved to be able to speak to her sister alone, Adelia kept her voice low. “Mama told me,” she said. “Come with me, Carolina. Please don’t stay here.”
“This is my home,” Carolina said stubbornly. “It’s where I belong.”
“Just for tonight,” Adelia pleaded. “Stay with me if you don’t want to go to Mama’s. The kids, too.”
Her sister regarded her miserably. “I can’t. It will only make him angrier.”
“Who cares how angry he gets?” Adelia said. “And if your visiting your sister is all it takes to set him off, you don’t belong here.”
“How can you possibly understand? You had a man who gave you everything. You had a beautiful home. Your children had whatever they needed. You could spend your days at home. Your life was perfect, and you threw it away. For what?”
Adelia held her gaze. “My self-respect,” she said softly. “That’s more important than any of the rest.”
“And do you have your precious self-respect now with your reputation ruined because of a man you’ve known for, what, a few weeks?”
“My reputation isn’t ruined, except, perhaps, in your eyes. Gabe’s a good and decent man. I can’t say the same about Ernesto.” She dared to touch her sister’s cheek. “This has nothing to do with me, Carolina. I’m here because of you. This situation isn’t acceptable. Please let me help you.”
Carolina shook her head. “I don’t need your help. Ricky was angry. He didn’t mean it.” She said it almost by rote, as if she’d repeated it to herself a thousand times to justify what was happening to her.
“And how many times has he told you that?” Adelia asked her, holding her gaze. Her sister blinked and looked away. “I thought so. This isn’t the first time, as Mama had hoped.”
“It will get better,” her sister argued. “It always does. I just have to try harder.”
“And how long will things be better? How many weeks or days or hours does it take before he finds another excuse?”
“Stop it,” Carolina said angrily. “It’s not his fault. It’s mine.”
Adelia felt her temper flare at the way Ricky had managed to manipulate Carolina into believing that she’d done anything to justify the abuse. “You’re being abused,” she told her heatedly. “That is never, ever okay, Carolina. Will you at least go with me to talk to Raylene? She’s been through this. There are people ready and willing to help you. If you don’t want to talk to her or me or even Mama, there’s a wonderful counselor who can help. Don’t let this escalate. Don’t let yourself be a victim for a second longer. Think about what happened to Raylene.”
Since everyone in town had heard Raylene’s story and was aware that her ex-husband had come to town to try to kill her after his release from jail on abuse charges, Carolina did flinch at the mention of Raylene’s name.
“It’s not the same,” she insisted to Adelia. “Ricky’s a good man. He just has a quick temper.”
“And a willing target, apparently,” Adelia said, hoping to provoke her sister. Maybe straight talk would snap her out of this destructive, accepting attitude she seemed to have adopted.
Carolina regarded Adelia with real
heat in her eyes. “That’s not fair. You don’t know what it’s like.”
“Thank God for that,” Adelia said. “But you shouldn’t know what it’s like, either. You shouldn’t be living like this, in constant fear of your husband’s moods. This isn’t a marriage.”
Just then Ricky bellowed from inside. “Carolina, get back in here! Tell that troublemaking sister of yours to mind her own business.”
Panic immediately spread across Carolina’s face. “I have to go.”
“Come with me,” Adelia repeated. “Get away from here.”
A faint smile touched her sister’s lips, but it was gone in a heartbeat. “Do you think I’d be safer at your house or Mama’s?” she inquired. “Never. I’d just be putting you in danger, too.”
Her words were more alarming than anything she’d said before. Adelia regarded her with growing dismay. “All the more reason to leave. If Ricky’s that dangerous, you have to get away. We can protect you. Elliott, Gabe, there are others, too, who’ll see to it that no more harm comes to you. Carter Rollins can arrest Ricky. You know he has no tolerance for domestic violence.”
“What about my children?” Carolina asked. “What would they think if I sent their father to jail?”
“That you’d stood up for yourself.” She looked her sister in the eye. “And for them,” she added.
“Ricky would never touch them,” Carolina responded, looking genuinely shocked by the suggestion. Once more, she was clearly deluding herself.
“Are you so sure?” Adelia asked more gently, seeing an opening that might make Carolina see reason. “And even if he never lays a hand on them, how do you think it makes them feel to know their father is abusing you?”
“They don’t know,” Carolina insisted.
Adelia regarded her incredulously. “Maybe not the younger ones, but I’ll bet Joey knows,” she told Carolina. “And sooner or later he will either get dragged into the middle of it to protect you or he’ll wind up believing that it’s okay for a husband to hit a wife.”
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