If Logan had been at Consuelo’s place this morning, had he spent the night there? Was Consuelo his wife, or sweetheart? Josie wondered. It stood to reason that someone as ruggedly handsome as Logan would have a woman in his life.
Consuelo interrupted Josie’s musing. “Sandera is a small town. Not much goes on here that people don’t know about. News travels fast. Were you going far?”
“I was on my way to El Paso.”
“You were leaving your husband?”
“I’ve been divorced for six months.”
“I see. Do you have family in El Paso?”
“My aunt lives there,” Josie said, reminding herself to call her aunt this morning. She had told her aunt she would arrive sometime this week.
“What a terrible thing to happen, Josie. But thank God, you and your son are alive.” Consuelo made the sign of the cross.
“Yes, I’m very thankful,” Josie said, glancing over at Michael. His attention hadn’t wavered from his coloring book.
“Why don’t you and Michael stay at my place until your car is found?” Consuelo offered. “I have plenty of room.”
Josie hadn’t expected the invitation, and she hesitated. “That’s very nice of you, Consuelo, but I couldn’t impose on you.”
Consuelo waved the words away. “Oh, you won’t be. I have the whole place to myself, and more than enough room.”
“You’re very kind,” Josie said as she began folding the clothes and returning them to the sack.
“Josie, I believe that nothing happens by accident. For instance, you getting stranded in this town must mean that there is some reason for you to be here. Why don’t you stay and see what happens?”
“You mean, live here?” Josie looked startled.
“I mean stay and see how you like it. What were you planning to do at your aunt’s?”
Josie shrugged. “Find a job, then eventually locate a place for Michael and me to live.”
“Well, that sounds like something you can do here.” Who knows? This town may be lucky for you.”
Josie gave a bitter laugh. “I was mugged in this town. I don’t call that lucky. I’m someone who happened to be passing through, a case of being at the wrong place at the wrong time.” She looked away, pained. How wonderful it would be to find a place where she could belong. How many times had she fantasized about meeting her fairy godmother, who would say, Josie, dear, just click your heels together, and you’ll find your way home.
“You’re lucky Logan showed up when he did.”
“Yes, I’m very grateful,” Josie admitted.
“He’s the best. It’s no accident he’s sheriff here. For a helping hand or shoulder to lean on, Logan is always there. Just ask Maya Rivera.” Consuelo laughed heartily, as though at some private joke.
At Josie’s puzzled frown, Consuelo grinned. “It’s a town joke. I’ll tell you about it later.”
Josie nodded. She knew first hand just how strong Logan’s shoulders were. When he had carried her to the ambulance, she’d had difficulty letting go. Probably from shock, she thought.
“Consuelo, may I ask you a question?”
“Of course.”
“You don’t know me. Why do you want to help?” Josie wasn’t used to goodness in people. In her experience, people usually did good deeds because there was something in it for them. Life was full of conditions.
Consuelo shrugged her slender shoulders. “You and I are chicanas, and as far as I’m concerned, that makes us family. And family sticks together. Today I help you. Who knows? Tomorrow you might return the good deed.”
Josie nodded in understanding.
“I’m a pretty good judge of character, Josie. For instance, I’d guess that you’re one of those women who did everything right. Cooked all his meals, washed his clothes, cleaned the house, and had dinner waiting precisely at the moment he walked in the door.”
“How did you—”
“Know?”
Josie nodded again.
Consuelo smiled. “Been there, done that, chica. Now I own my own restaurant.”
Consuelo’s laughter rang through the room. Her sense of humor was contagious. Josie couldn’t remember when she’d laughed like that. Laughter was something that had been missing from her life for quite some time.
Consuelo stood up. “Well, my offer stands. Think about it.”
“What offer?”
Josie pivoted toward the sound of a masculine drawl.
“Logan!” Consuelo shrieked, and hugged him.
“You aren’t trying to corrupt our visitor, are you, Connie?”
Consuelo grinned and slapped him playfully on the arm. “Of course not. I wanted to make sure Josie is all right. A good thing, too. I’ve heard the food in this place is terrible. Why don’t you bring her and Michael over to my place today for lunch, okay?” Consuelo walked over and hugged Josie, then Michael. “I’ve got to go. I’ll see you all around noon.”
With Consuelo’s exit, Logan and Josie fell into an awkward silence.
This was the first time she’d seen him when she hadn’t been unconscious or sedated. At least two inches over six feet, he towered over her. Faded Levis covered long legs, and a black T-shirt stretched across a broad muscular chest. She glanced up at his sun-browned features. His nose looked as though it had once been slightly broken. He had a nice mouth, his lower lip larger than his top one. It was his eyes that drew her most. Their golden depths looked as though he could see into her soul. She tore her gaze away, thinking how absurdly long his dark eyelashes were for a man.
“Your hair’s wet.”
Self-conscious, Josie raised her hand to her hair. For a second she thought he was going to reach out and touch it, but instead he slid his hands into the back pockets of his jeans.
He gave her a level stare. “Jamie’s already given a statement and description of the robber, but we’ll need one from you. We can do it after lunch. Were you able to get a good look at the man who waited outside?”
Josie shook her head. “It was too dark, and he wore a navy or black ski cap.”
He paused, took in the clothes on the bed, then looked at Michael. He quickly looked away. “I also just received news that your car was found.”
Josie felt a burst of elation. “That’s great!”
He held up a hand. “Before you get too excited, there’s something else.”
Her smile wilted under the impact of his stare. She was afraid to ask.
“There’s been serious damage to your car. Right now, it’s at Tino’s Garage.
“What kind of damage?” she asked, bracing herself for the worst.
“It won’t run, so it had to be towed. Tino’s checking it out. He’s honest and dependable. He’ll tell you if it can be repaired.”
If? Her life kept getting more complicated by the minute. “Where is Tino’s garage?”
“Not far. I’ll drive you over there now, if you want.”
“Please. If you don’t mind.”
She glanced toward the bed. Should she leave the clothes or return for them later? That sack contained all her worldly possessions.
“Come, Michael.” Josie grabbed Michael’s hand, then walked over and scooped up the sack.
She looked up to see Logan studying her intently from the doorway, his features stern and uncompromising. Earlier, she thought she had detected some interest in his eyes, but she must have been mistaken.
The drive to Tino’s took less than fifteen minutes. As Josie stepped out of the car, she squinted and shaded her eyes against the glare of the searing Texas sun. The blistering heat caused the crumbling asphalt to burn through the soles of her sneakers.
Mexican polka music blared from the office. A man in grease-smeared coveralls greeted them, and introduced himself to Josie as Tino, then led them to a back lot.
When Josie caught sight of her car she sighed with relief, especially when she spotted her boxes containing clothes and momentos. Of course, they had been rifled through.
She found her purse on the floor near the back seat, and a quick search of its contents confirmed her suspicions.
“My money’s gone, but everything else is here.” She glanced at Tino. “How much will it cost to fix the car?”
Tino wiped his hands with a rag and stuck it in his back pocket. “Whoever drove this car ran over something, because the oil pan broke off and oil leaked out of the car. That’s why he didn’t get very far in it. You have transmission problems, too.
“How much?” she repeated.
“Two thousand dollars, give or take a few bucks.”
“Two thousand dollars!” He might as well have said two million. She wondered if Tino was the only mechanic in town.
Tino leaned against the front fender and crossed one ankle in front of the other. “Your insurance company should pay for it. It’s an old car, though. If they think it’s not worth fixing, they may just give you what the car is worth. You’ll have to ask them.”
For the first time, Josie felt a kernel of hope. “May I use your phone?”
“Sure,” Tino said, leading them to his office. Once inside, he walked over and turned down the volume on the radio.
Josie reached into her purse and brought out a list of phone numbers and a telephone credit card she’d hidden away and forgotten about. The call would be billed to Doug. He wouldn’t find out until he’d returned from his honeymoon. Josie punched in the number.
When the agent came on the line, Josie explained her situation and gave him her policy information. He put her on hold.
Josie’s stomach rumbled loudly, reminding her she’d skipped breakfast. She glanced toward the men, hoping they hadn’t heard. They were deep in conversation. Josie studied Logan, fascinated by the graceful motion of his large body. She liked the way his dark brown hair brushed his collar. Her gaze shifted to his face. He was watching her. Those golden eyes reminded her of a wolf—a hunter. Their eyes held, then Tino glanced over his shoulder to see why Logan wasn’t listening. Josie felt a small flutter in her stomach, but passed it off as another sign of hunger.
The agent came back on the line. He talked, and Josie listened. But he wasn’t telling her what she wanted to hear. She thanked him and hung up.
For one long painful moment, Josie stared off into space as if she would somehow find answers to her unspoken doubts there.
What she needed right now was a miracle. A big one.
She was stranded in a strange town with no car, no money, and no insurance. Her ex-husband had stopped paying the premiums, after promising he would—the bastard!
Josie sighed and thought of her aunt, who had been kind enough to invite Josie to stay with her until she found employment. Tia Dora, who kept her home spotless. Tia Dora, who’d never had children of her own, and had always told Josie as a child that children should be seen and not heard, until it had become a mantra.
Josie glanced at Michael, who stood loyally by her side, watching her with his trusting eyes. She remembered her promise to him that she would get them through this.
She wrapped her arms around him and held him. Tears threatened to spill, and her misery seemed caught in her throat, making it hard for her to speak.
Forcing a smile, she stood up, took his small hand in hers, and walked over to Tino. “Is it all right if I get back to you later on this?”
“No problem,”
“Thank you.” She turned to Logan. “I have one more favor to ask. Would you mind dropping us off at Consuelo’s?”
He shrugged. “She’s expecting us for lunch, anyway.”
“Thanks,” Josie managed to say.
Just before he slipped on his sunglasses, Josie noted his speculative gleam, and wondered what it meant. Logan McKinnon was a hard man to read, but if she had to go by instinct, Josie would say he couldn’t wait to be rid of her.
Chapter 3
Josie stood in front of Consuelo’s Mexican Restaurant admiring the sun-baked, two-story adobe structure. The heavy carved door was painted red, possible evidence of Consuelo’s favorite color, although the window ledges had been stained a dazzling turquoise.
Logan reached around Josie to open the door, and she flinched slightly, recalling her ordeal of the night before. He glanced at her for a second before gently coaxing her forward, his hand on the small of her back.
Consuelo, already at the door, waved them inside. “Hi. Come on in,” she said, quickly standing to one side to let them pass.
Josie returned her smile. “Consuelo, what a beautiful restaurant.”
“Thank you, I’m quite proud of it.” Consuelo beamed as she grabbed three menus from the front counter and ushered them toward a window table.
A waiter approached just as they were being seated. “Juana wants to talk to you about this weekend’s catering.”
Consuelo sighed. “I’ll be right back. Order anything you want. My treat,” she added, handing each one a menu.
The waiter remained to take their drink order, then hurried away.
Trying to hide her disappointment, Josie glanced down at her menu. She had hoped Consuelo would join them. How would she be able to sit across from Logan McKinnon and eat? His look was too penetrating, made her too uncomfortable.
Wanting to break the silence, Josie asked Logan, “Is there anything in particular you like from the menu?”
“It’s all good.”
When he didn’t volunteer more information, Josie closed her menu and set it aside. So much for polite conversation, she thought
A moment later, their drinks arrived with a plate of nachos, compliments of Consuelo. They were covered with Monterey Jack cheese, green salsa, beans, lettuce, tomatoes, and jalapeño peppers. Josie eyed them warily, and then watched with curious fascination as Logan popped a heaping jalapeño nacho drenched in cheese into his mouth. His eyes didn’t even water. Josie always marveled at the way people could eat those.
The waiter took their order, then rushed away again. Josie glanced down at her son. He picked up a nacho and tasted it gingerly, then looked up at her and smiled. Josie grinned. He usually made fun of her for not eating hot sauce or jalapeños. However, this time he didn’t bother to tease her, and she sensed that Logan had something to do with his shyness. Her suspicion was justified when she saw Michael glance at Logan, then hastily look away.
It struck Josie that Logan hadn’t bothered to look at Michael even once since their arrival at the restaurant. Doesn’t he like children? she wondered. Or was it just her child that he made such an obvious effort to ignore?
Like a wounded lioness with her cub, Josie wanted to roar with indignation. She had been forced to put up with her ex-husband’s neglect of their son, but she sure as hell didn’t have to put up with this man’s rudeness, especially at the same table. She distrusted people who didn’t like children or animals.
She was tempted to tell him that she’d be only too happy to see him go if he wished to leave, but thought better of it. She didn’t want to appear rude in front of her son.
Instead, she glanced around the room, vowing not to say another word to him. Soon her curiosity began to soak up detail, from the Saltillo-tiled floor to the large array of family photos mounted on the wall. A set of glass doors led to an inner courtyard where a garden fountain stood as sentinel, surrounded by potted flowers and plants.
Her attention was drawn to a large group of people who had just arrived, filling the room with spirited conversation.
Logan leaned back and studied the woman sitting across from him. What the hell was he doing here? Why hadn’t he just dropped her off and left? After all, it was his day off. He had better things to do. He had delivered her to Consuelo, and he no longer had to stick around.
He knew something had gone wrong at Tinos earlier, but he didn’t want to get sucked into feeling anything personal with Josie. Feeling close to this woman was something he couldn’t afford right now.
Against his better judgment he watched, fascinated, as sunlight filtered through the window, lig
hting up her eyes. They weren’t dark brown, as he’d first thought, but more of a mahogany color. It was her mouth that drew him most—soft, full and pouty. He tried not to look at the erotic indentation in the center of her bottom lip, but it drew him like a moth to a flame, causing him to wonder what it would feel like to touch it—first with his thumb, then with his tongue.
Logan squirmed uncomfortably in his chair, his body reacting to the image of having her lie beneath him.
As though aware she was being watched, she met his gaze for a moment, then turned to look out the window.
The desire to touch her made him angry. He didn’t want to be attracted to her. It occurred to him that he could simply make up some excuse to leave.
At that moment, their food arrived, interrupting his thoughts, and he sighed in relief. As they ate their lunch, he knew that she would interpret his silence as rudeness.
Under normal circumstances he would have enjoyed her company, and he might have even let his attraction for her take its course. But not now, when he had spent the last two years trying to adapt to a world that had turned upside down. Not now, when his soul was still bleeding, still struggling to heal itself.
And attraction led to other things.
Their eyes met. Again he fought to put some emotional distance between them, but somewhere in Logan’s bitter heart his conscience rose. He tried not to respond to the twinge of guilt that kicked him in his chest.
“Have you been in touch with your aunt?” he finally asked.
Josie set down her glass of tea. “Not yet.”
“So you’ll be traveling on to El Paso, then?” Logan asked, watching her closely.
Her expression became guarded. “Tomorrow, most likely. My aunt is not expecting us until then, and Consuelo has graciously invited me to spend the night.” She met his eyes again. This time it was his turn to feel uncomfortable, although he wasn’t sure why.
His glance slid to Josie’s son, and in that brief second he glimpsed a world he was trying to forget. Something painful shifted inside him. It had only taken a heartbeat to see again how much the boy resembled his deceased son. He quickly looked away.
Destination: Love (The Sandera, Texas Series) Page 3