“Mama! Mama!” Maria raced from the back of the house. “Is that Detective Rodriguez?”
Her mother nodded.
“I need to talk to her. I do remember something.”
“What?
“He talked funny.”
“What do you mean?”
Maria shrugged. “I don’t know. Just funny. The lady laughed at him for doing it.”
Her mama clasped her shoulder. “Baby, I want you to forget that whole day.” She pulled Maria against her and hugged her. “You’re having such bad dreams about what happened. I’m worried about you.”
Maria could remember the dream last night—the one where the man yanked the cushion off the couch and dragged her out of her hiding place. Trembling, she drew even closer to Mama. “But Detective Rodriguez said she needed my help.”
Her mother leaned back and stared down at her. “You have to take care of yourself, baby. She’ll take care of catching the bad guy. I don’t want you to think or talk about this again. Okay?”
Maria wanted to shake her head, but the worried look her mother gave her forced her to say, “Yes, Mama.”
Maybe everything will be okay if I don’t sleep. Then I won’t dream.
12
I’m glad you’re game for riding a bike. We can go farther. There are some beautiful places I want to show you.” Liliana removed her bike from the rack attached to her uncle’s Jeep.
Cody studied his mountain bike before taking it down from the rack. “Are you sure we shouldn’t go back to Durango and get some horses? I haven’t ridden a bike in twenty-five years.”
“Then consider this a challenge. If you can ride a horse, you can ride a bike.”
“She says with laughter.”
“I’m trying not to.” She pressed her lips together to emphasize the point and handed Cody the helmet she’d borrowed for him.
He arched a brow, peered at it as if it were a strange object he’d never seen, but took it from her. “Personally I don’t know how this is gonna protect my head if I crash. Wouldn’t a football helmet be better protection?”
“I’m not going to ignore years of research that I’m sure went into the development of this helmet for bikers. And take it from me, I’ve fallen and it helps.”
“I thought this was gonna be our afternoon of rest and relaxation, so we’ll be refreshed to tackle the murder cases tomorrow. We’re gonna be doing all the work. On a horse, the horse does.”
She couldn’t contain her laughter any longer. It burst forth, filling the air. “Okay, you’re going to use different muscles today, but I assure you the scenery will be worth it.”
“I hope so.”
“This may not be a fact you’re aware of, but this state park has some good bike trails. We’re taking one. We’ll go as far as time permits, but you should bring Kyle back here and camp out. I’ll even loan you two bikes to use. My cousins won’t mind.” Liliana mounted her bike. “We’ll go for about an hour and stop to eat a lunch I packed. I know a place that has a view.”
“That means we’re gonna pedal uphill?”
“That or walk your bike uphill. Whichever you prefer, but just so you know, I’m pedaling.” After throwing down that challenge, she started down the trail.
It didn’t take long for Cody to catch up with her, but he breathed hard as he went around her on the trail. “Eat my dust.”
“But you don’t know where you’re going.”
“It’s a trail, isn’t it? I can follow one of those.”
“Wait, there’s a . . .”
Before she could tell him about the gully wash, Cody went flying through the air and disappeared from her view. Liliana braked at the top while he scrambled to his feet, a cloud of dust rising up into the air from his tumble. He’d stopped only a foot from a large pickly pear cactus with its red fruit.
“Is that called crash and burn?” she asked as Cody righted his bike then looked up at her.
“I wanted to test how good the helmet was. I can reassure you it works well.”
Liliana lowered her bike carefully over the two-foot incline and then clambered down it. “You don’t have to go to all that trouble next time.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” He swept his arm across his body. “After you, ma’am.”
“That’s okay. I’ll let you lead the way.”
He grinned. “I was forgetting my manners. Ladies first.”
The give and take between them set the mood for the ride. By the time Liliana stopped an hour later for lunch, she had laughed more with Cody in that time than she had in weeks.
Cody laid his bike down next to hers and covered the ground to the edge that overlooked a desert valley with wildflowers in full bloom. “Beautiful. Worth the ride uphill.”
Liliana adjusted the focus on her camera and snapped some photos. “Yes, beautiful. This is one of my favorite places. I’m surprised there aren’t more people on the trail.”
“They’re probably back home, enjoying their air-conditioning.”
She glanced over her shoulder at him. “It’s probably not even eighty-five.”
“That’s nearly Arctic temperatures. It just seemed so much hotter. Oh, wait, probably because I just biked uphill for the past twenty minutes.”
She spun around, her hand on her waist. “Texas Ranger Cody Jackson, I do declare . . .”
The rest of her words were cut off when Cody stepped closer, hooked his arm around her and hauled her to him. Then he planted a fierce kiss on her mouth as though he were a settler laying claim to his property.
“What was that for?” she murmured when he pulled away slightly.
“Those lips are just so tempting, and it’s my way of thanking you for inviting me. This has been fun. I haven’t thought about work—”
Liliana placed her forefinger over his lips to still his words. “No talk about you-know-what. We have a right to one afternoon away from the job.”
His mouth spread into a huge smile. “You’re right.”
He dragged her the few inches toward him and kissed her again—a gentle mating of their lips that was different from the other kiss but just as powerful. The sun bathed her face, his arms encased her in an embrace that made her feel desired, and the gentle wind blew the smells of the desert around her. That scent toyed with the lime-laced one wafting from Cody.
He broke away only long enough to lay his forehead against hers, then he cupped her face. “I needed to get away from everything.”
Liliana wasn’t sure what to say to him. This afternoon was changing their relationship. She dated when her job permitted, but nothing was ever serious. With Cody that could change, and she wasn’t sure she was ready for anything like that.
“I don’t know about you, but I’m starved.” She stepped back several feet until Cody grabbed her arm and pulled her toward him.
“Another foot and you would have gone over.”
He muddled her brain to the point she forgot where she was. She definitely didn’t know if she should pursue anything with Cody. Not when she couldn’t think straight around the man.
She didn’t say anything to him but instead marched toward the backpack with the food. She reached for it. The rattling sound warned her she wasn’t alone. She froze.
“You did good today.” Kyle took the weight from Serena and put it back on the rack.
“Are you sure you don’t mind helping me? I could have done this alone if you had something better to do.”
“I know you could have, but I made a promise to you I would get you into shape for your race.”
“A promise?”
He turned toward the weight rack, shifting his gaze away from Serena whose face was flushed with her exertion. “I told you I would. That’s a promise to me.”
“It wasn’t realistic to think I could be ready in three weeks. I only have a little over a week. The race is a week from Saturday. I’m not nearly where I need to be.”
“Probably not for this one if your goal is to finish first. But
maybe the next one or the race after that.”
“Will you come watch me?”
“Go with you?” The idea appealed to him. It would give him a change of scenery. Maybe that was what he needed to get a better perspective on what was happening to him. “Yeah, I’d like to.”
“It’ll be a long day. San Antonio is three hours away. We’ll leave about five in the morning and be back late at night.” Serena wiped her face and neck with her towel.
“Who all is going?”
“Papa and Mama and my younger sister, but there’ll be room for you.” Her eyes gleamed with a brilliance that he didn’t see in others. It made her glow as though an inner light shone outward from her.
“Why aren’t you all staying overnight?”
“My younger sister has a school function the night before and Mama plays in the church band. She hates to miss.”
“Do you miss going to regular school?”
She lowered her gaze, twining her fingers together in her lap. “Sometimes. But then I remember some of the kids that weren’t nice and I don’t. There was a group of guys that were particularly cruel.”
“They hurt you?”
“They made threats but never did anything physically. I know Mama told me I should ignore what they say, but after a time it’s hard to. Words can hurt, too.”
“Who?”
“Aaron Taylor and his group.” She lifted her head, and tears glistened in her eyes.
Seeing them twisted his gut.
“I know I won’t ever walk again, but I’m not less of a person because of it. I still feel and hurt when someone says something mean to me. I miss my friends, but I don’t miss the snickers or what some people said to me.”
Her words yanked the knots in his stomach so tight pain shot through his body. In Houston, he’d been a part of a group that had done similar things at his school. What had he done? He remembered one boy moving to another school. Had he and his friends been responsible for that?
A tentative smile, the corners of her mouth quivering, pushed the hurt from her expression. “Hey, I don’t want to think about them. They can’t ruin my life anymore. That’s what’s important now.”
“Then no more talk about them. Besides, we need to plan your exercise program for this next week. Eight more days you can work out before you leave on Saturday.”
“When’s your dad coming back?”
Kyle glanced at the clock on the wall of the workout room. “Probably not for a few hours.”
“Good. I’m going to take a shower and change. Why don’t you come over later and we can figure out what I need to do, and if you want, Mama said she’d like you to come to dinner tonight. Do you think you can?”
“Yeah, I’m sure I can. If Dad isn’t home by that time, I can leave a note.”
Serena swiveled her chair around and rolled toward the exit. “We eat early. Can you come at six?”
He hurried around her and opened the door. “Sure. It’ll give me some time to finish a math assignment. Not my favorite subject. I’m having some trouble with Algebra II.”
“Bring it with you. I love math. Maybe I can help you.”
“You will? That’s great. I had a friend back in Houston who helped me a lot.”
“Then consider that you have a friend in Durango who can help you here. See you later.” She wheeled herself toward her apartment at the opposite end of the same building as his.
He waited until she reached her front door before heading for the stairs to his apartment. Before she went inside, she glanced toward him and smiled. He felt a warmth suffuse through him. Even from a distance, he felt the radiance of her bright brown eyes when she looked at him.
He took the steps two at a time. He had someone to help him with math. This day was turning out to be a good one. This morning at breakfast he and his dad had a civil conversation for once. Maybe he should talk to him about Mom. He might understand what he was feeling. He was learning things weren’t always what they appeared to be.
Inside he took a quick shower then went to the fridge for something to snack on. He grabbed the orange juice carton and drank several large swallows, then started for the table and his homework.
The bell rang. He tensed. He wasn’t expecting anyone.
Cautiously he strode to the door and peered out the peephole. Aaron stood there with another guy behind him.
With a deep sigh, Kyle swung the door open. “Hi. What’s going on?”
“We were driving around and thought you’d like to join us.”
Kyle’s gaze skipped from Aaron to the other guy. “Can’t. I’ve got homework.”
“Do it later. Durango High is playing in a baseball tournament, and we thought we would go support some of our players on the team.”
“Some?”
“Yeah, you know the white players. They’re neglected sometimes for people like Manny and Rafael. We thought we would drive around, get some dinner, then make the game.”
He loved baseball, but the words to agree wouldn’t form in his mind. “I can’t. My dad is gone right now.”
“Call him.” Aaron’s upper lip curled.
The look Aaron gave Kyle held a warning. “I can’t. He’s out of cell range.”
“Fine. Just letting you know ahead of time, we’re thinking of going to a border town next Saturday. Have us some fun. You need to go with us.”
“I don’t know if my dad will let me.”
“Then lie to him. Tell him you’re doing something else.”
In Houston, he had. Now he wasn’t so sure. So much was going on right now with the murders. Besides, he’d agreed to go with Serena. He wasn’t going to back out now. That wasn’t fair to her. “Sorry. I’m not going to do that.”
“You’re kidding!”
“No,” Kyle said although it hadn’t been a question.
A sneer marred Aaron’s expression. “Does this have to do with Serena?”
“Serena?”
“Yeah, the girl I saw you talking to a while ago. I wasn’t even gonna come up here to invite you to hang with us, but I thought you were one of us. You could have been saying anything to her. I was giving you the benefit of doubt. Now I don’t think you were telling her to get lost. She ain’t bad looking for one of them, but—”
Anger welled in Kyle. “I have homework I need to do now.” He glanced from the other guy, a six-foot junior, to Aaron, then gripped the handle and slammed the door. Harder than he intended.
Aaron pounded against the wood. “You’ll regret this.”
His threat blared through the door, but surprisingly Kyle didn’t care. He didn’t need a friend like Aaron who was going to tell him who to like or not. That wasn’t Aaron’s call.
As he headed toward the kitchen table, a lightness to his step and spirit reinforced the feeling he’d done the right thing. The words of the preacher last Sunday still echoed through him. The preacher spoke about God being love and the energy it took to hate being so much more consuming than the energy to love.
At the sight of the western diamondback rattler within striking distance of Liliana, coiled, its tongue flicking in and out, Cody went still. “Don’t move, Liliana.”
“I wasn’t going to.”
His gun was in his backpack under hers and wouldn’t do him any good. He scoured the area, searching for anything to use as a weapon. His heart beat as fast as the snake rattling his tail. A few feet away he spied a long crooked stick. He kept his eye on the serpent and sidled toward the tree limb. With extra slow movements, he leaned over and grasped the makeshift weapon.
After a couple of minutes of the standoff between her and the snake, she said in a whisper, “And it isn’t moving either.”
“I know. Stubborn reptile. I’m going to come at it from another direction. Once it turns toward me get out of there.”
“Be careful.”
“I will. Don’t worry about me. Just get away from it.”
He sidestepped until he reached a place he could
come toward the snake from the opposite side, then he strode forward, making a lot of racket and waving the stick at the rattler. With Liliana perfectly still and quiet, the reptile turned toward the new threat—him. As he did, she eased away from it. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her grab a limb lying on the ground as she backed away.
Once she was out of the way, he began retreating, but kept the weapon between him and the snake that uncoiled and slithered toward some brush and a pile of rocks not far away. A minute later, the reptile disappeared from view.
Liliana crept forward again and snatched up both backpacks. “I think we’ll eat at another location.”
“A good idea.” Moving toward his bike on the ground, he still didn’t take his eye off where the snake had vanished.
Liliana passed his backpack to him, slung hers over her shoulders, and mounted her bike. “Race down the hill?”
“After the last time I went first, I don’t know if I should accept that challenge.”
“That’s assuming you’re in the lead.” Liliana shot forward, pedaling for the trail that led down, her laughter drifting back to him.
He put all his energy into gaining on her. As he passed her, he slanted her a look and realized in spite of the snake he’d had a great time. He didn’t even want to think about going back to Durango.
Later Wednesday night, Cody heard the front door opening and called out, “I’m in the kitchen.”
Kyle appeared around the corner and sat on the stool at the counter. “How was the ride?”
“Other than taking a tumble on the trail and fighting off a rattler, fine.” Cody slathered mustard on his two pieces of bread. “Do you want a sandwich?”
“Nope. The dinner I had at Serena’s was a feast. I’m stuffed.”
Cody finished putting together his ham and Swiss sandwich and grabbed his glass of iced tea, then took a seat at the end of the counter. “Serena sounds like a nice girl.”
“Yeah, she is. She asked me to go with her to the race in San Antonio next Saturday. It’ll be a long day, but I would like to. She’s been training hard. Her goal is to finish this first race. I want to cheer her across the finish line.”
Shattered Silence: Men of the Texas Rangers Series #2 Page 22