Navarro Or Not

by Tina Leonard

  “I thought you were out of harm’s way at home!” He tried to ignore the scary pounding in his chest. “I’ve never seen you eat like you did before the event, either.”

  Nina gave him a disgusted look. “If we knew each other better, you’d know that I always eat when I’m nervous, which isn’t often, because I’m a librarian and my life isn’t that exciting,” she said. “But we don’t know each other that well, so we shouldn’t be surprised that I could be on the very same bed with you and you wouldn’t know it!”

  He grunted, annoyed. “Remember when you told me the story about the hero who left his heroine by the stream with only a shirt, and I said I’d never leave my heroine alone like that?”

  “Yes,” Nina said. “Only this heroine was smart enough not to stay where there was danger, and she got up and walked away on her own two feet.”

  “And that,” Navarro said, “is why they didn’t have a happy ending.”

  They glared at each other.

  “And the winner of the Cowboy Bed Check event, the bed, the dates with the most beautiful women anyplace, and the purse is,” Marvella called over the microphone, holding up the trophy, “Nina and Navarro Jefferson!”

  They both turned to stare at Marvella.

  Navarro looked back at Nina. “Did she just say what I think she said?”

  “No. She didn’t.” Nina waved to some men in the stands, motioning for them to come take the bed. “You can keep the dates. I don’t want them. Try going commando on them.” She brushed the sawdust off her new jeans.

  “What about the money?”

  She turned, walking away. “I got what I came for. And now, I’m going home.”

  In the stands, Last watched his brother and Nina stride to opposite ends of the arena, each going their separate way. The movers collected the bed, or the pieces of it. Marvella stood holding the trophy and the check, somewhat confused as to why her big moment had deflated. The audience filed from the arena, with the exception of a few curious children and adults looking at the broken bed being packed away.

  Sighing, Last headed out.

  “Where ya headed, son?” the friendly blue-shirted cowboy asked him.

  “Don’t know yet,” Last said.

  “I’m gonna hit the next rodeo on the circuit. Gonna try to win something else for my girlfriend. She had her heart set on this bed, and I figure I’d best take something home to her. Wanna ride?”

  “Why not?” Last said dully. “Maybe my luck will change.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Navarro took about five minutes to rethink his argument where Nina was concerned, then ran after her, catching her outside the arena watching the movers load up her bed. “Wait, Nina,” he said. “How are you getting home?”

  “Plane,” she said curtly. He didn’t let that bother him. “How about truck, instead?”

  She turned to stare at him. “What?”

  Navarro took a deep breath. “I’m thinking the least I can do is drive you home.”

  “Why would I want you to do that?” Nina demanded. “I already have a ticket. I’d be home quickly.”

  Navarro nodded. “Yes, but you should consider the scenic route. We only live once, and I happen to know you have a bit o’ the wild in you. Not every woman dresses up like a man to win her bed back.”

  “It was history,” Nina said. “Heritage. It was hope for the future. It’s not just a bed that I won.”

  He nodded. “I know. And this is not just any offer to take you home. This is my effort to help you live out the romance of your fantasies. And in this one people don’t not see each other for six years, marry other people or get carried off by forest creatures. I told you that a hero would never leave his woman behind. I meant that. It’s dangerous.”

  “I think I’ll be safe on a plane.”

  “Oh, swamp creatures with big nostrils and flat heads like to fly, too. Trust me on this.”

  “You got very stuck on my made-up novel.”

  “I got very stuck on the fact that you tested me. Time and time again, you’ve tested the limits of my patience, my endurance and my sense of humor.” He grinned. “I’m ready to pass the final test.”

  “Which is?”

  “Can I make it on Delaware soil with a peachy librarian?”

  “Not much of a test,” she said. “It’s a great place to live.”

  “But it’s not Malfunction Junction.”

  “And then there’s that,” she said brightly. “You do make your points shine.”

  “Actually, I have a theory that a man doesn’t really know a woman until he’s spent the weekend with her. It’s sort of a family caveat. Women are different when you get them out of their comfort zone.”

  She tried not to smile.

  “I saw that,” he said. “It’s an admission of truth you could not conceal.”

  “I think it’s highly likely that a woman doesn’t know a man until they’ve spent a weekend alone together. A man needs his cave, his wing-backed chair, if you will. Whereas a woman carries most of her cave in her purse.” She turned away as the movers closed the truck door.

  “Nina,” he said. “We’re nearly family now. I’d like to elevate our relationship from sexually charged acquaintances to possible holiday dinner companions.”

  “So,” she said, turning to face him, “you’re offering to drive me home, spending three days in a truck with me, without a sexual relationship.”

  He stood straight as a Boy Scout. “I can do it—if you can.”

  “What makes you think that would be an attractive offer to me?”

  That stopped him. “Because I don’t want you to assume I’m only after your body.”

  “Are you? Would you be, if you could get past your code of gentlemanly honor?”

  “Er, actually I have no code like that,” he said. “I’m just trying to do anything to spend more time with you. If you want to throw lovemaking into the deal, I can honestly say I will ratify that with enthusiasm.”

  She laughed.

  “On the other hand, if you are not of a mind to share more than scenic routes with me, I will honor that, too. I may go insane, but I wouldn’t offer to drive a woman to Delaware just to have sex with her. Heck, I just won a bunch of dates with beautiful women. I guess I could go—”

  “You can stop there,” Nina said, holding up a hand. “No further clarification needed.”

  “On second thought,” Navarro said, glancing toward the arena. “Since you already have a plane ticket—”

  Nina grabbed his sleeve, tugging him toward the truck. “Okay, cowboy, you’ve dangled the bait long enough. I’m biting. Let’s see if we can stand each other for three days closed up in a truck.”

  “Actually, the tricky part,” Navarro said happily, “is what you’re going to do with me once you get me to Delaware. I want to work in the library and learn all about the card catalog system.”

  “Well, that’s the first thing we’re going to change about you,” Nina said. “You obviously haven’t been in a library since the computer age began.”

  “Not to mention,” Navarro said, enjoying being dragged to his truck, “I live in a rural town with a small population. We hardly ever update. The computer age completely missed us.”

  “Right. This from a man whose parents educated him on the classics and Latin.”

  “That’s right, H. A. Rey.” Navarro pulled out his keys. “There’s just one thing we’ve got to agree upon up front. Don’t try to fold my map for me.”

  Nina laughed. “You win the first round.”

  “This is gonna be easy,” Navarro said.

  “COULD THIS BE ANY HARDER?” Nina said a few hours later, staring at the engine as it smoked heavily. “I missed my plane for the scenic route, not to be broken down in the Texas panhandle with you.”

  “It just sets us back a few hours,” Navarro said. “I hope.”

  Nina crossed her legs from her seat on the ground in front of the garage, watching the mechanic dili
gently work on the truck. “I drive an old Jeep.”

  He turned to look at her. “Really?”

  “Mmm. I feel very preppy in it, and I don’t freak like other people when we get snow, and mostly, I like sitting up a little higher than I would in a car.”

  “Jeeps are good. My truck’s pretty new,” he said sorrowfully. “I wouldn’t have expected this.”

  “Put molasses in your engine often?” the mechanic asked.

  “Hell, no,” Navarro said, standing up. “I treat that truck like an expensive whor—I mean, I lavish care and money upon that vehicle.”

  “Well, somebody ran you a bad joke then,” the mechanic said. “Any ideas?”

  “None.” Navarro glanced at Nina. “I’d suspect you of many things, but since you’re with me, I’ll guess you’re not the culprit. Unless you wanted to be stuck with me longer?”

  “No,” Nina said, happily dashing his hopeful expression. “Ask me again when the scenery is better.” She glanced around the dingy garage.

  Navarro sighed. “Do what you gotta do, man. I guess I’d better phone home and tell them I’m taking an extensive weekend to hunt deer.”

  Nina laughed. “They’ll believe you not at all.”

  “I know. Trolls.” Navarro dialed his cell phone and grinned when Crockett hollered, “Malfunction Junction!” into the phone. “Crockett, what’s up?”

  “Nothing good, bro,” his twin said hurriedly. “Nina’s missing. She tricked me by sending me off for food. I swear I never saw that coming!”

  “Oh, sorry, Crockett. I forget how slow news is to travel. Nina and I won the Bed Check and now we’ve hit the road for Delaware.”

  There was silence on the other end of the phone for a moment.

  “Delaware?” Crockett finally said. “I guess a man would be hard-pressed not to follow that full-size, bountiful booty just about anywhere. Even north. I reckon even I would have leaped at the opportunity to—”

  “Crockett,” Navarro said on a growl, “I’m gonna end up spearing you over holiday dinner if you don’t find your own peach to pit.”

  Crockett laughed, then said, “Listen, Navarro. Seriously, man, you gotta come home. Last is gone.”

  Navarro rubbed his face tiredly, then glanced over at Nina. She was still sitting in front of the garage. She’d pulled off her shoes and was inspecting her toenails. Suddenly, Navarro’s bad mood leaked away.

  She had very delicate feet.

  “One day, I’m going to hold those feet in the palm of my hand,” he said. “I may even suck those toes, if I’m lucky.”

  “What?” Crockett’s voice was loud with surprise.

  “Never mind. You’re going to have to hold down the fort for the weekend, dude. And don’t feel bad about Nina giving you the slip. She’s in a break-out period, and I, for one, am enjoying capitalizing on her new-found sense of adventure. The stress may kill me, but I’m determined not to leave this planet without enjoying her particular ride.”

  “Man, you have got it so bad,” Crockett said. “I almost envy you the fever. Almost, but not quite. I nearly crapped an egg when I found Nina had outwitted me. And I’m not through talking to Valentine about her compliance in the plot.”

  Navarro laughed. “Sisters.” He watched with great interest as Nina dug some polish out of her purse to paint her toenails pink.

  “’Bye,” Navarro said, no longer paying attention to Crockett. He strode over to Nina, watching her glide the pretty rose color on her toes. “Marry me,” he said.

  “What?” She glanced up at him, startled, her mouth half open with a surprised giggle that died when she saw the look in his eyes. “Are you…all right?”

  “I don’t know that I’ll ever be right now that I’ve had you. I think you’re permanently embedded in my bloodstream.”

  Nina smiled. “You’re a wild man. I’ll overlook the spur-of-the-moment proposal since you just got off the phone with your family. They always seem to make you a little edgy.”

  He groaned and sat beside her. “Did the mechanic say how long it would take to order an engine for the truck?”

  “He said he had a brother who was driving one over from the nearest city. It shouldn’t be bad. Only a couple of hours.”

  She smiled at him, and he could feel the furrows between his eyebrows melt away.

  “How’s the ranch?”

  “Malfunctioning as always,” Navarro said crossly. “Crockett claims Last is gone, but you know what that means.”

  “Tell me.”

  He shrugged. “Liquor store. Tattoo parlor. Piercing palace.”

  “Why would he do that?”

  “I don’t know. I thought he’d straightened up for a little bit.” Navarro scratched his head and tried to focus on Nina’s paint job. “Maybe he’s just out visiting the Union Junction salon girls. We do that sometimes because they understand us.”

  “And it would have nothing to do with having a salon full of females fawning over you,” Nina said dryly.

  “Not quite your average harem, but closest thing to it,” Navarro replied, tweaking her nose. “Don’t be jealous, sweetie. I’m not leaving your side.”

  She ignored that. “Who do you think put molasses in your engine?”

  “Well, I would suspect Marvella, but frankly, I think she likes roping the Jefferson brothers into her events too much to cause me such distress. I would have suspected you, but you’re here with me, and obviously—”

  Nina gasped and dug him with her elbow.

  “Okay, okay, so you don’t even know where the engine cap is. It wasn’t you,” he teased, enjoying her outraged expression. “So that leaves a fellow competitor or perhaps a random bad trick by one of the passers-through. It could have been coincidence that my truck was chosen.”

  Nina put away the polish. “Does seem a bit odd that someone would be carrying molasses around to do harm with.”

  “Yeah.” Navarro broke his constant perusal of Nina’s feet and looked around the garage yard. “Of course, they could have stolen some from Marvella, I guess. Maybe it was one of the salon girls….”

  Nina straightened. “Navarro.”

  “Yes, my pet?”

  “Remember that stuff Last drank the night he got my sister pregnant? Crockett told me that Fannin’s sexually disinterested bull got into the stuff, and after he drank it, he about jumped sky-high with bull…bull-i-ness.” She blushed.

  Navarro grinned at her. “You sly little kitten,” he said. “Do you want me to have some of Marvella’s secret soda air-freighted to Delaware for us to sip through straws as we peruse the dusty shelves of ye olde tomes and periodicals?”

  “No,” Nina said. “Rewind to the other night. Remember? Crockett drank one or two of those things and went down like a ton of bricks. He said he’d been tired, but what if he’d gotten into a particularly potent batch of brew?”

  Navarro tried not to think about sex with Nina, but it was hard not to now that she’d brought the topic up. “Uh, it’ll teach him to read the label of the beer he’s grabbing?”

  “Navarro,” Nina said, tugging on his collar to get him to listen. “Heat and sugar make a syrupy mess. Much like molasses.”

  “Aha,” he said. “I follow. You think one of the Cut-n-Gurls hit my engine with Marvella’s sex sauce.”

  “Actually, what I think,” Nina said slowly, realizing that the three-day trip was about to become quite long because of the words she was about to say, “is that Last’s recent bouts of drunkenness weren’t caused by beer, they were caused by Marvella’s wild-making brew. It doesn’t take a genius to suspect your brother of this mess.”

  Chapter Twelve

  “Why would Last do that?” Navarro asked, dumbfounded.

  “Why would he dye his hair? Pierce his ear? Channel David Bowie?” Nina asked, exasperated.

  “Nina, you don’t understand. He’s always been the family compass, the rock in the storm that stayed strong and unyielding.” Navarro shook his head. “Last’s hit
a rough patch, but he’s just having trouble with this pregnancy thing.”

  “‘This pregnancy thing,”’ Nina said, “happens to involve my sister. And it’s a baby, by the way, not a thing.”

  “I know. I know.” Navarro frowned. “But Last wouldn’t do anything to the truck. A man’s livelihood rests on his wheels. We respect our trucks. We worship them. A man’s truck is his—”

  “Navarro,” Nina said. “Did Last tell you that he and Valentine took a walk together the other night?”

  “No. But he takes many walks he doesn’t register with me.”

  “Can I borrow your phone?”

  “Sure.” Navarro handed it to her. “What’s up?”

  “I want to talk to Valentine. Will you dial your house, the one we’re staying in?”

  He looked at the phone for a moment. “I don’t think I know the phone number. Hang on a second.”

  “How can you not know your phone number?”

  “Because I don’t call myself. Shh,” Navarro said, punching some numbers into the cell phone. “Hello? Valentine? How are you doing? Good, good. Feeling all right?” He listened for a moment. “Excellent. When you see my twin, will you have him send a care package to Nina’s house? I can buy a toothbrush, some toothpaste, all that garb, and I have a change of clothes in the trunk, but I might need one more days’ worth of duds.” He listened again. “Yes, she’s behaving herself. Here, you can talk to her.”

  “Valentine,” Nina said, once on the phone, “when you and Last talked the other night, how did it go? Tell me again, don’t leave out any details.”

  “Fine,” Valentine said. “We both agreed we didn’t know each other well enough to share more than parenting duties. And we agreed to talk again next week. Slowly iron matters out between us.”

  “Anything get said that you thought was out of the ordinary?”

  “No, not really,” Valentine said. “You know how these boys are. They run their mouths constantly.”

  “And when he was running his, did he seem happy about everything?”

  “Well, of course, he thinks his brothers ride him too hard. He says they expect too much. Because he’s the baby, they can sometimes be harsh.”