Marti rolled over, placing her chin on his chest, and looked into his eyes. “You are an amazing man, we just have our differences and I really hope we can get them settled before we fall apart again. I really need you.”
He reached up and ran his fingers through her thick hair. His thumb slid across her cheek bone. “You fell apart, Peach. I have a business to run.” She frowned. “I know, I just, well… I really don’t want to talk about it now.”
He exhaled. “You don’t want to talk about anything, ever.” He hesitated, playing with her curls, “you are my wife and I intend to keep it that way, but hija, you left me…in the middle of the night. We need to talk about this.”
She pouted and ran her fingers through his hair. “But I don’t want to.”
“Marti…hija. You left, I woke up in the night and you weren’t there. My wife, gone, I searched all over the house and you were gone. What kind of life is this? What do you need that I am not giving you?” His eyes were dark and piercing, she shivered, she had never seen him like this.
“Nick, I really don’t want to talk about this. Not today, it’s Thanksgiving. Relax.” Shaking her head, “This is not how this night is supposed to end.”
“This is not how my marriage is supposed to end. Do you have any idea how I felt when I saw you had left? Do you even care what you did to me?” His voice vibrated throughout the living room.
She sat up, almost snarling. “What I did to you? What about all the shit you do to me?” Her voice was getting louder. “You know what? Just forget it, just fucking forget it. I’m going to bed.” She picked up her glass and started towards the stairs, stopping for a moment at the bottom step. She turned back and looked at him. “You know what? I ju-”
“Marti,” he interrupted, “I’m sorry. Sorry that my feelings for my wife are more than I ever imagined. Sorry that I love you. And I’m very sorry that you think our marriage is a joke or something to be played with. Damn! Are you ever happy?” he exhaled, tired of arguing, and looked over at her and said, “I’ll go in the morning, for now I’ll sleep on the couch.”
“Good night.” She didn’t know if it was the whiskey or what, but her feelings just went on overload and she wasn’t about to let it show. She slowly walked up the stairs, wanting him to come to her, her heart pounding, begging him to come to her…because her bruised ego wouldn’t dare let her go back downstairs.
Chapter 8
Marti slid her hand across the bed, hoping to find Nick, and he wasn’t there. Her heart skipped a beat, did last night really happen? She hurried and threw her clothes on, her head pounding from the night before.
Running down the stairs, she looked in the living room and heard voices in the kitchen, she ran into the kitchen to find Annie and Lupita cleaning up the breakfast dishes. Thank God they haven’t left yet. Rubbing her head, “Shit, what time is it? Y’all already ate?”
“Good morning sleepy head, it’s about eight thirty. You hungry?”
“Eight thirty? On a Saturday? And you’re up?” walking over to the coffee machine, pouring a cup of coffee. “You girls know where Nick is at?”
Lupita replied, “They are out cutting a Christmas tree. How nice to have a real tree. You know back in L.A. we just buy them from the lot. Much easier, but here, it’s so pretty and there are trees everywhere.”
“Yes there are, big and beautiful and a big mess to go along with them.” Annie chuckled. “Marti, they went over to the foothills, they should be back soon. We are going to pull out the Christmas decorations and decorate the tree when it gets here. You game?”
“Uh, sure, I love Christmas. Did Nick say anything about going home?”
Annie shook her head. “No, not that I know of.” Turning to Lupita, she asked, “Did he tell you anything?”
“No, hija, he just said he was going with Tomás.” Standing up, she walked to the living room. “Que bonito, where are the Christmas lights? We should get started, this is a very big house and it will take us a very long time.”
“They are in the attic. I’ll have to get the ladder.” Annie dried her hands and went to find her boots. She slipped them on and grabbed her coat. The storm had passed, but there were flurries falling when she walked outside.
Tromping through the fresh snow, she looked up and stuck out her tongue to capture a few of the frozen snowflakes. This Christmas was going to be amazing. Snow and all. She smiled. Then she sloshed over to the shed to get the ladder.
Marti walked into the living room with Mamá. “I’m so sorry, ma’am. I know yesterday was a bit tense. I…I just don’t know what’s going on with me.”
She turned and looked at Marti. “It’s okay, hija, I know Nick can be demanding and sometimes he buries himself in his work, but he is a good man.”
“Mamá Lupita, do you know anything about Ellie? Has he ever said anything?”
“Ellie? His secretary? No, she is a good secretary and she keeps him in line. Why do you ask?”
Nodding her head, she sat down on the couch. “No reason, just curious. What do you know about Maria Del Santos? He won’t tell me.”
“Yes, yes… I know all about Maria, she was a young, beautiful woman. But she is no longer with us.” She sighed and motioned the sign of the cross across her body and then kissed her fingers. “She went to be with the Lord many, many years ago.”
“What happened to her?”
Mamá inhaled deeply. “I should not tell you this, this is something you and my son should talk about, but you should know. He hurt for many years.” She paused. “You see, Nick was in love when he was young. And Maria, well, she was a good girl from L.A. A nice girl. They met in college and he was so in love with her.” She exhaled and added, “They were going to get married, you know.”
She was on her way to pick up her wedding dress, it was raining very hard in Los Angeles and….and a truck swerved, Aye, Dios, she - she tried to slow down to miss it and she lost control of the car. The rain made it impossible for her to stop, the car spun around and around, hitting more cars and Diosito Santo.” Mamá shook her head; her eyes welled up with tears. “The - there was a big crash on the freeway. Three people died that night. It was very sad.”
“Oh my God! How sad! Where was Nick? Was he with her?” A look of horror covered Marti’s face.
“No, hija, he was at work helping his father, trying to save some money for their wedding. We weren’t very successful back then. In fact, we were struggling. And when Maria passed away, we had to borrow a lot of money for her funeral. Her family was struggling to send her to college as well. Nick wanted her to have a big, beautiful service, but we couldn’t afford it. Neither could her family. He vowed to never be poor again.”
“So that’s where he gets his drive? From Maria passing away?” Marti was shocked that he had never spoken about her.
“Yes, hija, he changed his studies and starting working with his father all day long, talking to people, bringing in more business. We were small back then, maybe two, three trucks. Aye, that was such a long time ago. He went to school at night. But my son, my son worked hard and he has brought us to where we are today.”
“Gosh, Mamá, no wonder he doesn’t want to talk about it, it must be so hard for him.” She heard the door creak open and Annie came in with the ladder. “Thanks for all the help, girlfriend. Glad you’re here.” Marti’s face was white. “You okay?” Annie asked as she sat down the ladder.
“Yeah, Lupita was just telling me about Nick’s fiancé from like twenty years ago. She had a really bad car accident...just right before they were married. Damn, he never told me, he always says ‘tomorrow’ or ‘later.’ God, that must hurt. I never knew. Shit.” She looked down at the floor, kicking a fuzz ball with her toe.
Annie set the ladder by the entrance to the attic. “That must have been hard. Damn. Poor guy. Wow.”
Lupita looked up and smiled, “Oh yes, it was really sad, but now my son has found love and he can live his life with his beautiful wife.” She look
ed up at Marti. “You are going back to Memphis with us, no?” Lupita was beaming, her eyes sparkling.
“I don’t know. I just…” Stepping up the ladder, her voice faded as she reached the attic. “Annie, where’s this stuff at?”
Annie held the ladder, hollering up at Marti. “Should be right there to the left. Do you see it?”
“Yeah,” clearing the cobwebs from her face. “What say we don’t put this in the attic anymore? This is nasty! I think we could find someplace in this huge freakin’ house to put it.” Marti scooted the Christmas boxes toward the opening to the attic as Annie stood waiting at the bottom. Marti handed her down a box. “Here ya go….” her phone rang and she sat back in the attic and fished it out of her pocket.
Just before pressing the ‘answer call’ button on her phone, she muttered to anyone and everyone “Well I’ll be damned. It’s the Queen Bitch herself, Mizz Eleanor Poole.” She tapped the button. “Hello?”
“Martha dear, this is Eleanor. I don’t wish to disturb you, but I am trying to contact Mr. Vargas on an urgent business matter. If he there with you? I would like to speak to him, please.”
Martha sat up, stuck her nose in the air and in her best posh voice. “Eleanor dear, how looverly to hear from you,” she teased. She pushed the rest of the boxes to the opening with her feet and started down the ladder. Annie whispered, “Who is it?”
Still mimicking Ellie, “I wish I could let you speak with him, but he’s not here. He is outside in this beautiful snow… chopping down a tree…..for me. Chop. Chop.” Marti busted out laughing. “Oh shit! Ellie, loosen up, how the hell are ya?”
“Martha, I really don’t have time for your childish games,” said Ellie. “I need to speak to Mr. Vargas. NOW!”
“Damn girl, don’t get your panties in a bunch, he’s not here. Did you try his cell?”
“Yes, Martha, I did try his cell, he’s not answering and that’s why I called you. Can you please tell him we have an emergency and I need to talk to him as soon as possible? Are you capable of doing that?”
“Ellie, dear, do you like your job?” Marti sneered; Ellie’s snobbish attitude was getting on her last nerve.
The venom oozed out of Ellie’s mouth. “Yes, I do like my job, and I do it well. Have you ever had a job? Or are you just leeching off successful men to take care of you because you obviously don’t have the wherewithal to take care of yourself. Please tell Mr. Vargas I need to speak to him.”
“Damn Ellie, you are such a bitch! If you like your job and want to keep it, you better learn some respect! Especially to your boss’s wife!”
“Respect? I apologize. I don’t have any respect for some small town white trash whore who thinks she can move in on Mr. Vargas! You don’t deser -”
“Woah! Now hold on a second! Did you just call me a white trash whore? Oh. My. God! You did not call me a whore! You stuck up bitch! You couldn’t get a man if you paid him, but calling me a whore? Girl, you don’t know me at all.” She inhaled sharply. “So, if you wanna keep your high-paid, high falutin’ job with Vargas International… then by God you better learn some fucking respect and learn it fast. Got it? Good!” She hit the End button, wishing she was on a landline so she could slam the phone in her face.
“Oh my God! Annie, did you hear what that bitch called me? White trash? Whore? Ahhhh!” Her hands were visibly shaking and she took a second to calm herself down, “Fuck that bitch!”
Lupita was looking through the boxes of ornaments, silently waiting for her as she hung up the phone, she had heard everything. She reached over and grabbed Marti’s hands and held them in her own. “Marti, hija, come, sit down, don’t worry about that mean lady. I will talk to my son. He will take care of it.”
Marti felt close to this wonderfully warm lady, even though they’d only just met. She actually felt closer to Lupita than she did to her own mother, who lived just down the street. They walked over to the kitchen table and sat down. Lupita started to speak quietly, meeting Marti’s gaze with her soft brown eyes.
“You know cariñosa, I know we’ve only just met.” She tapped the side of her head. “But I know that you are a good girl for my Nick. Ellie? She no good for him. She’s not a nice lady. But I tell you something… my son? He is in love with you and he can’t get you out of his mind.”
Marti stood up to pour some tea. Offering some to Lupita and carried both glasses back to the table. “You’re just saying that to make me feel better.”
Mamá looked straight into her eyes and said, “Oh no, hija, not to make you feel better, to tell you the truth. Why do you think we drive all the way here on Thanksgiving? Es amor, he loves you. He has not been this way since Maria all those years ago.”
Marti thought about what Mamá said for a minute before she answered, “Ma’am, you know how we met, right? How we got married and why we stayed married?”
“Si, hija. At first I was angr - no not angry, I was sad. Sad that mi hijo would marry someone I didn’t know, sad that he didn’t tell me before. I wanted so much for him to find the right person. Someone who could love him and take care of him...do you know who told me you and him got married? The news, I saw you on the news. I cry for my son. I wanted my son to have a happy wedding, a happy wife.” Tears welled up in her eyes, she continued, “he calls me two days later.” She paused, trying to hold back her tears. “He tells me about you, I could hear alegria...uhh, how you say…happy, yes, there was happiness...in his voice, his words. He tells me he finally found his wife. After all those long years alone.”
Marti squeezed her hand. “Mamá, don’t cry. We tried, I tried. Nick is a good man. But living in a house where I have to walk on eggshells is not what I want. You heard how Ellie talked to me. And this isn’t the first time. She’s a crazy lady and she’s crazy for Nick. I mean look at him. He’s gorgeous...and rich. Any woman who had any brains would want to be with him. I’ve been taking care of myself for many years. I refuse to bow down to her. Yes, having money is nice, but not if I have to sell my soul to have it. I would rather be broke and starving than to be with that woman in my house every day. And Nick knows it, and he doesn’t do anything about it.”
Mamá looked deep into her green eyes and Marti knew that she understood everything she was telling her. “Hija, we haven’t always been rich. We know what it’s like to struggle. I will talk to him and see what I can do. I know - ”
Just at that moment, they heard the truck pull up outside and the chatter and laughter of Tommy and Nick as they approached the ranch house.
“Ya llegaron, they are here.” Lupita raised her brow, tapping Marti’s hand as she stood up and went into the living room. Marti followed, opening the front door.
“We’re here!” yelled Tommy as they stomped the snow off their boots outside. A monstrous pine tree covered in fresh snow leaned against the porch.
“Oh it’s beautiful!” exclaimed Marti, running over to Nick, wrapping her arms around him. “Shit! It’s cold out here! Y’all need to come in and get some hot chocolate and warm up!”
Chapter 9
As the night rolled in, they were all singing Christmas carols, the tree was decorated and Tommy had warmed up the leftovers from the day before. Marti loved having Nick all to herself for a moment, and his mamá, well, she was beautiful and warm and Marti was falling for her. Mamá Lupita was a wise, wonderful mother-in-law and Marti could tell Nick had the utmost respect for her. Then it dawned on her that she forgot to tell Nick that Ellie had called.
“Crap! Nick I forgot to tell you, The Bitch called and said it was important.”
Nick quickly glanced at Marti, “What? Who? Why must you talk like that?”
Marti’s eyes darted to him. She cocked her head. “Excuse me?” With attitude, she replied, “Eleanor called, said it was very important. Why is she calling me? Doesn’t she have your number?”
“When did she call?” His voice sounded concerned. He stood up, hitting the speed dial as he walked outside.
Mar
ti slumped back in her chair. “Once again that bitch has come between us. Did y’all see that? That’s exactly why I can’t stand to be there. Crazy bitch calls and he jumps.”
She crossed her arms and pouted. One more time she thought that she and Nick could make something out of their marriage and one more time, she felt like an outsider.
“Chiquita, he has a business to run, if Eleanor said it was important, maybe it is important. I promise you, hija, he would not let work ruin another day with you if he didn’t have to.”
Just as Nick walked in, Marti stood up from the table, “What’s going on? Is everything okay?”
“No, everything is not okay. Big problem at the warehouse.” He ran his hand through his hair and exhaled. “Mamá, we need to get back to Memphis.”
“So soon?”
“Yes, soon, we should get packed up and on the road. Marti, are you coming home?”
Marti squinched up her face, puzzled, “Home? I am home. Why y’all gotta get home so fast?”
“Remember the huge mix up on the tanker truck I told you about? Well, it has come down to all of the bottles of salad dressing are being recalled.
Salad dressing, oil, vinegar, we didn’t catch it in time.” He ran his hand through his hair, huffing in desperation.
Tommy looked up from his plate, “Salad dressing? Y’all make salad dressing?”
Nick turned to him, “Yes, we have quite a few accounts with food manufacturers here in the States and one of Vargas’ employees that run the tankers wasn’t paying attention and the idiot loaded a truck full of vinegar instead of oil. We thought we caught it in time, but…unfortunately, he wasn’t truthful and there are thousands of bottles on their way to the stores and it’s our responsibility to stop them and issue a recall.”
He turned to Marti, “Honey, I have to take care of this, smooth it over, take care of the driver and the customer accounts. Are you coming with us? I don’t have time for your silly games.”
Saddled On The Cowboy: A Hot Western Romance Page 36