Navarro Or Not

by Tina Leonard

  “Really?” Mimi perked up. “Something I should know about?”

  “I think you already know that Jefferson men, apparently, revel in their reputation for alarming pigheadedness, raw determination and scare tactics. Need I say more?”

  “And that bothers you?” Mimi asked. “So you’ve decided to take charge of your family?”

  “Exactly.” Nina nodded. “Thank you for not painting me as the villainess.”

  “I completely understand,” Mimi said with a smile. “But the truth is, you’re probably fighting a losing battle.”

  “I cannot get comfortable with him,” Nina said.

  “You have a dilemma,” Mimi said, taking a sip of her tea. Her gaze touched Nina’s perplexed face. “Lavender peach. My all-time favorite. Very soothing.” She touched Valentine’s hand. “Please call me if you have any questions. My best advice right now is not to let stray pains upset you. They come and go, and it’s usually gas,” she said with a lowered voice and a wink. “Also, eat well. Lots of water—and lots of rest when you feel like it. Navarro says you’ve been through a lot, Valentine.”

  Okay, Nina thought, I’m bowled over by his consideration. And I really, really don’t want to be.

  “He has me right where he wants me,” Nina said. “I’d look pretty stupid if I tried to drag Valentine away from consideration and care.”

  Mimi laughed. “They do have a way of winning the game. Not that this is a game, but…it’s the Jefferson way to take care of their own.”

  “So Navarro told me, once upon a time,” Nina said.

  “A little advice for you, too?” Mimi said to Nina.

  “Sure. Why not?”

  Mimi stood, holding her baby close and putting her shawl back over the sleeping infant. “Jefferson love is something a lot of women would crawl miles on their belly to get. It’s a special thing, when it happens, and believe me, it’s as rare as finding gold in your backyard. So, if you’re getting some Jefferson love, you should treasure it.” She walked to the door, opening it to let herself out. “Because once you’ve thrown it away, all that gold is gone for good.” She smiled at Valentine. “I’ll be back again. Call me if you need anything.”

  “Thank you,” Valentine said.

  Mimi nodded at both women and then closed the door behind her.

  “Whew,” Valentine said. “She’s a beauty.”

  “Yes,” Nina said. “And let us not lose sight of the fact that she obviously didn’t marry a Jefferson. Wonder why?”

  “Maybe the neighbor thing got in the way,” Valentine said. “But did you notice her tone changed when she talked about Jefferson ‘love’? She sounded…sad.”

  Nina blinked. “Valentine, let’s go back home,” she said, hearing the desperation in her own voice.

  Valentine leaned to place her head on Nina’s shoulder. “I like it here. For the first time, I feel protected. It’s been years since I’ve felt this way.”

  Me, too, Nina thought. And it’s really making me feel out of place.

  “THIS BED IS SUPPOSED to be charmed,” Marvella said to her girls. “Charmed is good.” Walking around it, she looked it over, her hands touching the carved wood and pretty linens. “It must be charmed, because it’s going to bring me good luck.”

  One of her cats padded across the comforter. Marvella laughed. “Soft, isn’t it? And yet springy when it counts.” Sitting, she bounced lightly on the bed. “I see money in this bed.”

  She looked around the room where she’d stored Nina’s prized possession. “I envision a new attraction at the next rodeo,” Marvella said. “Anybody for Cowboy Bed Check?”

  “‘COWBOY BED CHECK,”’ Crockett read two days later in the newspaper. “That sounds like a freaky new riding event.”

  “Not really,” Navarro said. “I’ve been bed-checked many times.” Right now he was being Nina-checked, after the horse-riding incident. He had apologized and generously decided to give her some space. Maybe after a few days of feeling at home, she’d settle down a bit.

  She had a right to be peeved with him.

  Crockett tossed him the newspaper, opened to where Navarro couldn’t miss the picture of the bed with all Marvella’s beautiful employees sitting in it, scantily clothed. “That’s Nina’s and Valentine’s charmed bed! Their family heirloom!” Navarro read the ad. “‘Which cowboy will stay in the ring the longest with the notorious BadAss Blue to win a date with the lady of your choice, in a romantic bed of your dreams?”’

  Crockett grimaced. “That’s not catch-the-calf, for sure.”

  “No, it’s not a game for children,” Navarro agreed. “This is not going to make Nina happy. She had plans for getting that bed back. Heck, I had plans for getting that bed back.”

  “And what would you do with it?” Crockett looked at him. “Think you need a charm?”

  “No. Although, it couldn’t hurt,” Navarro said. “I just don’t need one of the baby-making variety.” He gazed at the ad thoughtfully for a moment. “You know, bedtime with Nina is an attractive thought.”

  Crockett laughed. “Bedtime with most women is an attractive thought.”

  “No, not most women,” Navarro said. “I’ve been wondering if sex with one woman for the rest of my life is possible.”

  “Possible, or fun?”

  “Do you think it would get old? I’ve always been worried about getting tired of the same thing over and over.” He lowered his voice. “But then I think about waking up every morning with Nina, and I think maybe it would be a reason to worship.”

  “Dude.” Crockett took the paper back. “Focus. Do you understand the position these women are in?”

  “Seated? I don’t mind seated. I can do seated.”

  Crockett shook his head. “The cowboys have to play chicken. Like they do when they sit at the table in the center of the arena and let the bull rush at them. The cowboy who stays the longest wins. Well, in this case, the cowboy who stays on the bed the longest wins.”

  “The bed’s going to get smashed to pieces,” Navarro said.

  “Exactly.”

  “Don’t tell Nina.” Navarro scratched his face. “She’s liable to do something crazy.”

  “A librarian? Do something crazy?”

  Navarro put on his hat and stood. “You obviously haven’t learned anything about librarians since meeting Nina.”

  “She likes order?”

  “Yeah. And an heirloom, charmed, baby-for-sure bed is the crown amongst her possessions.”

  “Heavy is the head that wears the crown.”

  “Heavy is the heart that loses it.” He gave his brother a haggard glance. “She’ll never forgive me if Marvella succeeds at this revenge trick, since it’s my brother at the heart of the problem.”

  “Not a way to start a relationship, I agree,” Crockett said philosophically. “You could have done better.”

  “Thanks, bro,” Navarro said. “Just remember, you’re my twin. And I may ask you for a favor soon.”

  “Life is harsh.”

  “Tell me something I didn’t know,” Navarro said.

  “CAN I TALK TO YOU?” Navarro said to Nina the next morning, when he located her in the kitchen of the main house. He was surprised she was here, but he wasn’t going to waste time playing the strong, silent type.

  It felt real good to have her in his house. He just wished what he had to tell her was good news.

  She tasted the soup in the big pot that she’d filled with vegetables and spices. “Hope you like potato soup. It’s a family recipe.”

  “My stomach’s growling. That’s a yes.”

  “Good. I didn’t know what to fix, and no one was here when I finally made it up to the main house this morning. I assume you keep normal ranch hours.”

  “Yeah. What time do librarians work?”

  She shrugged. “It’s mostly a day job. But I do a lot of research at night on my computer, too.”

  “Overtime.”

  She sent him a glance. “I prefer
to think of it as being interested in my job. I love my job.”

  “When were you planning on going back?” Navarro asked.

  “Very soon. I booked a one-way flight. No more trains and buses for me. And,” she said, tapping Navarro with the spoon handle, “I’m going to call Marvella to ask her if she’ll consider selling me the bed. After all, I think we’re all clear on the fact that Marvella is all about money. So, I hired a small company to pick up the family bed from Lonely Hearts Station, pack it and ship it home. I’m looking forward to having it back where it belongs.”

  “Hang on a sec. I already offered her money. She didn’t budge.”

  “Maybe because it was a Jefferson brother asking. And she was very mad at the time. It’s a chance I have to take.”

  “I didn’t think you’d leave Valentine.”

  Nina shrugged. “It’s not an easy decision. I can come back after the baby is born to help her, though. To be honest, she wants to give living here a shot.” She looked at Navarro. “And I realize I can’t rescue her. She may be baby sister, but she needs to make her own choices.” The lump in her throat was nearly unbearable.

  “We’ll take good care of her,” Navarro said. “Nina, we really need to talk.”

  “We are talking, Navarro,” Nina said. Maybe not about deep issues, but she was as deep as she could get right now.

  He touched her and Nina felt a spark zap her. Static electricity. “It’s a bad sign to experience discomfort of the emotional and physical varieties around a man, Navarro,” she said. “You’re nice, and I know, in the end, you and your brothers will do right by my sister. I’m not worried about leaving her here. I can tell she’s going to be happy. And she’s right. I need to go home.”

  She took a deep breath and he could see she was calming herself. “Nina, before you decide, listen,” Navarro said. “Or maybe ‘see’ is the appropriate verb.” Hating to do it, he pulled out the Lonely Hearts Station newspaper to show her Marvella’s advertisement.

  “I don’t understand,” Nina said.

  “The game is simple.” He sighed. “It looks like Marvella’s planning on using your bed in place of the table normally used for playing a last-one-at-the-table-wins kind of chicken.”

  He hated the dismayed look on her face. “Usually, the men who participate leave pretty quickly when the bull starts rushing them. The table, chairs, cards, whatever props are used, usually get a bit of a tossing from the bull. But whoever has the grapes to stay the longest, wins. Usually a tough call—money or getting gored.” He pondered that for a moment. “Audiences love it.”

  “You’re saying my bed may be damaged.”

  “Pretty much.”

  “Can’t we stop her?” Nina asked, her face pale.

  “You could call her and ask her not to use your bed, but I don’t think that would do anything but let her know she’s succeeded at upsetting you.”

  “I’d planned for the movers to get the bed this weekend. I thought Marvella just wanted money.” She stared at him. “But she’s not after money at all, is she?”

  “You are innocent,” Navarro said. “Money is a by-product of what she’s really after, which is to run her sister out of business, in my opinion. And cause havoc for my family, since we keep lousing up her revenge schemes.” He grinned happily. “We do love playing the spoilers.”

  “I never dreamed of something like this happening.”

  He took her hand in his, then gently pulled her against his chest. “You are innocent,” he repeated.

  Her heart began beating hard at the intense look in his eyes. “Not experienced with crazy women, maybe.”

  “We need a plan,” Navarro said, “for getting that bed back.”

  His thumb stroked her cheek. Nina felt herself melting. “I don’t see splintered remains in that bed’s future.”

  “Wouldn’t do much for its charm,” Navarro agreed. He moved his thumb to her throat.

  Nina shivered. “Maybe the charm is just a superstition.”

  “Charms always are. That’s where their romance lies.”

  “It hurts,” Nina said, “to envision our family bed crushed by bulls, all its charm kicked to pieces. I always imagined I’d get pregnant in that bed.”

  Navarro cleared his throat, visions of him getting a naked Nina very pregnant in that bed all too pleasant. He shook himself. “There is some fine print,” he said reluctantly. “But it’s very fine.”

  “What does it say?” She peered at the paper. “Oh. Winner wins the bed, the prize purse and the dates.” Her eyes got big as she looked up at Navarro. “I’m going to enter myself. Not for the dates, of course.”

  “No,” Navarro said, shocked. “You are not going to sit in a bed while a bull dashes at you with deathly intent. You’re terrified of horses.”

  “I will enter,” Nina said. “It’s my bed, and I will save it.”

  He felt all the sexual appetite drain out of him as fear rushed in. Nina was just nutty enough to do it. “Nina, you are a guest in my home. I will not let you get stomped.”

  “I’ll do it,” Last said, walking into the room. “I have little left to live for.”

  Navarro stared at his little brother’s outrageous hair. Dyed blond, it stuck straight up from his head in a chicken-wing style, the sides shaved to contribute to the punk-rock effect.

  There was a small gold hoop pierced through his left ear.

  “Holy smokes,” Navarro said. “You look like David Bowie. What happened?”

  “I was drunk and—”

  Nina stiffened. “It doesn’t matter now. Thank you for your offer, Last. But it won’t be necessary. I can take care of myself. No heroics are necessary to save my sister or me.” She eyed him with distaste. “I don’t know what Valentine saw in you.”

  Navarro whirled to stare at Nina. “Hey!”

  She raised her brows at him. “Hey, yourself. No wonder you guys live at Malfunction Junction. Quite frankly, Valentine and I have had enough of that in our lives.” She headed out of the kitchen.

  “Wait!” Navarro sent Last an annoyed glance as he went after Nina. He caught her hand, pulling her to face him. “No stomping off. We were in the middle of something good before Bowie freaked me out.”

  “I don’t like him,” Nina said. “He thinks only of himself.”

  “Well, that is true,” Navarro mused. “But I can’t slap sense into his head, though I’d like to.”

  “My sister is having a baby,” Nina snapped. “He doesn’t have to run around acting like he’s doing all the work. She’s the one tossing her crackers every morning.”

  Navarro hesitated. “Does she?”

  “Yes, damn it,” Nina said with heat. “She couldn’t get to a hairdresser to dye her hair in a blond cockatoo if she wanted. And he does have something to live for. He has a child.”

  Navarro nodded. “Nina, I know all this. Let’s not let this involve us, okay? Family screws everything up.”

  “Not for me, it doesn’t.” Nina stared up at him. “I love my sister. I’m going to stay out of her business, but I’m also going to look out for her. Frankly, I don’t think Last’s fit to be a father to a child. Maybe none of you are.”

  How could he disassociate himself from his family? It was impossible. They were a wagon wheel full of broken spokes.

  But they were a wheel that rolled along over life’s ruts.

  “Last’s an idiot,” Navarro said. “He should be flash-frozen until he ages to maturity.” He was still holding Nina’s hand, and she hadn’t pulled away, so he decided to roll with it. “I’m sorry Valentine’s not feeling well,” he said. “Maybe Doc should look at her.”

  “What does a man know about a woman’s body?” she said with a light sniff that spoke of incoming tears. He overlooked the comment.

  “We know nothing,” Navarro said. “That’s what makes us irresistible boneheads.”

  She sniffed against his shirtfront. But she didn’t slap him, and he figured he was on a winning course.<
br />
  “Well, we know how to make a woman feel good,” he said, trapping her with a laugh when she tried to pull away from him. “Hey, librarian. Maybe you should show me how to read.”

  “You read just fine. You read that ad.”

  “Yes, but maybe what I want to learn now is body language.”

  “Mine would be telling you to buzz off,” she said, moving from his arms.

  “And I would pretend not to understand,” Navarro said.

  “No surprise, I guess.” But the memory of Mimi’s words about Jefferson love knocked the cold edge from her voice.

  Mimi had seemed quite sincere about the fact that Jefferson males were worth the pain.

  “I have a plan,” Navarro said. “Actually, I have two. Just so you know, so that you’ll be tempted to continue talking to me. You know you want to.”

  She turned her back to him and stirred the soup.

  “Nina,” he said softly, his breath at the nape of her neck making her shiver. “Trust me.” He turned her to face him. Having to look into his eyes and see her darkest fears mirrored there was painful, but he didn’t let go of her arms.

  “Trust me,” he repeated.

  I don’t know if I can trust anyone, she thought.

  And trusting a Jefferson didn’t seem like a particularly good idea, despite Mimi’s warning. Especially this one. There was a laundry list of reasons not to like this man or to trust him or to fall for him. There was the baby that he considered his family’s alone—maybe he was romancing her because of that. Navarro was too smooth and suave—maybe a trait of cowboys with sexy, one-dimensional hearts. And the family itself was reputed to be wild. Malfunctioning.

  Surely she risked the one part of her she held most cloistered—her heart—if she allowed herself to fall for this man’s considerable charm.

  “Give me one good reason,” she whispered.

  He nodded. “I will.”

  And then his mouth claimed hers until Nina realized that the last thing she ever wanted to do was to distrust this man who was stealing her librarian’s sanity.

  She took a deep breath as they pulled apart, trying to still her racing heart. And then reality came racing back.