Missy's Gentle Giant

by P D Miller

  “Why don’t we go look.”

  “Do you even know now to change a tire?” Eduardo sneered.

  “I’ve changed a couple. I’m pretty good with my fists too.” Ben glared. How could Missy like some guy like him? She didn’t need his kind.

  “Stay away from Melissa. She’s mine.”

  “Oh. I wasn’t aware her father had said so.” Ben couldn’t still his anger.

  “Come on Charger.” Gonzalo pulled him out the door. “Man what’s wrong with you? Do you always go around begging for fights?”

  “I don’t like him. Missy doesn’t need the likes of him.”

  “I don’t like him either, but he’s the only guy coming around and the only one to ask Pop if he could marry her.” Gonzalo looked back toward the house. “Not too many guys want a girl who’s different.”

  “Deaf, not different and very beautiful.” Ben corrected.

  “Yeah, man.” Gonzalo shook his head. “If I didn’t know you better I’d think you were interested in Missy.”

  “What do you mean if you didn’t know me better?”

  “Playboy Charger? Different girl every night? The I’ll never marry anyone Charger?”

  “Yeah, all right already.” He swallowed the rest of his beer. “You made your point.”

  “Pop almost had you on what you’d been doing the past four years.”

  “For the record, I was getting a masters degree in architectural engineering and doing various jobs for DEA.”

  “Engineering huh? I’m getting mine in business.”

  “Don’t they have colleges for the deaf? I mean, she could teach the deaf; couldn’t she?”

  “Yeah well, Missy hasn’t said anything about wanting to go to school. Pop forced her to go to the one in Austin. She’s like a wall-flower since everything happened.”

  The two fell silent as they approached the others working under a truck. Ben didn’t know much about repairing trucks, but he checked around another one, touched this and that and noticed some wires had been cut. He checked a little further and saw a large cut in one of the belts. Motioning for Gonzalo to come and see, he silently pointed them out. They looked at belts, rubber hoses and wires and saw several nicks here and there.

  Gonzalo walked away from the truck and motioned for Ben to follow. Once out of earshot of his brothers Gonzalo stopped Ben. “Lets go to the shop and check the other trucks.”

  Ben nodded and followed. Sure looked like someone wanted them out of business.

  “Mom, we’ll be right back.” Gonzalo followed Ben to the car. “You think someone’s rigging our trucks?” Gonzalo drove to the shop.

  “Sure looks like it.”

  Half an hour later they had checked out the other four trucks and found similar cuts and parts tampered with.

  “Looks like someone’s sabotaged all your trucks.”

  “But who? Man, I can hardly get work right now thanks to those coke busts.”

  “Well your brothers sure as hell wouldn’t do it.” Ben chewed his thumb. “Better not say anything for a while though.”

  Dinner was out of this world. Ben had never eaten true Mexican food, and he thoroughly enjoyed it once he got the hang of how to handle the tortillas with his hands rather than use flat ware. He ate nothing while he watched Missy and her mother tear off a piece of tortilla and use it to scoop up some rice or beans and pop it in their mouths. Then he tried and did very well.

  Ben had been placed between Mrs. Sanchez and Missy and enjoyed being close to Missy. Eduardo sat across from them and glared at Ben the whole time. Gonzalo noticed Ben gently touch Missy’s shoulder without being obvious when he wanted her to look up and watch him speak. As far as he knew no one including Missy was aware Ben had caught on to her deafness.

  Marco offered Ben a jalapeño pepper with a gleam in his eyes. Ben took a big bite, choked, grabbed for a glass of water and laughed while tears rolled down cheeks. Missy laughed too, but her cheeks turned crimson when Ben smiled at her. Eduardo glared more.

  After dinner, Ben insisted on helping Missy and Mrs. Sanchez clear the table and clean up. Eduardo would have lost his manhood doing such a thing. In fact, all the Sanchez men frowned because it was very “non-macho.” Gonzalo glanced from his father to Eduardo’s frigid, angry glare and shrugged. Some men like Ben didn’t need to prove they were macho.

  After a few minutes, Mrs. Sanchez came in the living room and sat down with a smile.

  “Your Charger friend certainly is nice.” Ben had won her over.

  “He looks like a womanizer to me.” Eduardo said angrily.

  “Well if he is, he knows how to fool people. Does he come from a large family?”

  “Never heard him mention brothers or sisters, only child I think.” Yeah, he sure knows how to fool people Gonzalo thought. “He said his parents didn’t have time for kids because it messed up their social lives. He grew up in boarding schools mostly.”

  “It’s too bad, but he certainly has a nice personality.”

  “He could be fearless when he’s out there doing girls’ stuff?” Ricardo laughed.

  Gonzalo chuckled. “You’d be surprised little brother. Charger was one of the bravest men I know. I’m here today because he hopped through a gun fight to pull me away from the line of fire. He got shot then too.”

  “He was injured saving you?” Mr. Sanchez’s eyes opened in shock.

  “Yeah, plus a couple of other times. Never seemed to phase him.” Tears came to Gonzalo’s eyes. “One time I saw him growling like a wild animal, grab a rebel and choke him to death with his bare hands. He snarled and threw the man down just as we got there. Then he bent down and carefully dismantled a bomb near this screaming baby. He threw the bomb away just in time, picked up the baby and soothed it until it stopped crying. The kid’s mother was already dead, so he carried the kid with him and took care of it until we got to an orphanage. Never saw a guy change personalities so quickly.”

  “I thought you said he was a rough-houser.” Ricardo prompted.

  “Oh he was, never fear. Man he liked to get in fights—usually over women—excuse me Mom. He loved to drink too. Only guy I know who could drink straight scotch all day long and still go party at night. He was crazy too. The night I met him he was playing Russian Roulette.” Gonzalo glanced down at the floor. It hit Gonzalo how Ben was still playing Russian roulette with the DEA. “He used to love getting Missy’s letters though. She was the only one who wrote to him. Didn’t have any real girlfriends. Said his dad was mad he went to Iraq.”

  “His mother?” Mrs. Sanchez’s forehead furrowed.

  “Said she was too busy flitting around in her social world.”

  “How terrible! And you let Melissa write to his kind of—” Eduardo interrupted.

  “One thing about Charger, I noticed right off the bat, Eduardo.” Gonzalo glared at him. “He sizes up a situation and knows how to act no matter where he is.” Gonzalo tried to bury his anger, but his mother and father noticed it.

  In the kitchen Ben quietly dried dishes as Missy rinsed them. Even though his body wanted to do more, he knew he could do nothing but help with dishes since the windows shined right out onto those of another house. He couldn’t even talk to her much, as it would be too obvious if he kept tapping her shoulder to get her to look at him. So he stood as close as he could to her and enjoyed her spring fresh smell as he dried dishes and stacked them.

  Since he’d arrived in McAllen, she’d been on his mind, no since he’d picked her up. Even before in a dark recess somewhere, his dreams maybe. Why had he still carried her picture? Just never thought to throw it out? Or was it he felt he’d had a part of her with him all these years? Just like he carried a part of Connie. The idea sounded nice. She’d been with him all through graduate school. She’d been with him while he was doing undercover work with the DEA. A smile crossed his lips. Undercover and right in the middle of the drug cartels were where Gonzalo thought he should be. Ben’s smile faded. Missy wasn’t his type of
girl. She’d want a man like Eduardo who’d settle down and do nice safe work, not some guy out looking for drug dealers. No wonder she liked Eduardo. He stared at the towel in his hands. Maybe that was why he kept the picture. Missy was what he wanted to love but would lose, just like Connie.

  Well he needed to think about work, not Missy. He damn sure needed to find a way to get the family back into business because someone was trying to get to the Sanchez family. Not only were drugs planted but their trucks were being sabotaged. What they needed most right now was money. He smiled a little when an idea hit him. There was more than one way to skin a family cat!

  Missy glanced sideways every once in a while unable to believe this beautiful giant was actually helping her with dishes. All the men in her family thought doing anything in the kitchen was totally unmanly. Italians certainly had different customs. Still, her mother wasn’t angry about Charger, no Ben, bringing her home. Her brothers and father had reacted normally hateful, but he’d not been beaten up. And yeah, the neighbors were bound to talk, especially Mrs. Garza across the way who was probably peeking out her window right now and watching them.

  Charger, her Charger, the “when you grow up I’ll marry you” man of her dreams. Charger no doubt forgot even writing it. Tears came to her eyes. He wouldn’t want her now, not now. No one except someone like Eduardo would want her. She shook her head and pushed the thought away. She couldn’t think about the past. Charger was just visiting his good buddy Gonzalo and would be gone in a day or two. She glanced up when he touched her shoulder.

  “Where do these go Missy?” He held a stack of plates.

  “Up there.” She pointed and turned away. “Please don’t—please call me Melissa.”

  Ben put the plates away. He turned and reached out for her chin. “Why?”

  She started shaking and turned away. “Missy died when I was hurt.”

  Ben looked at the floor a moment, then took her shoulders and pulled her around to face him. “You’re telling me the girl who kept me going in Iraq died? Why?”

  “B—because she’d never be able to do the things she wanted.” Missy shook more and swallowed hard. It upset her to be so close to Charger, no Ben. Charger was gone too. She didn’t want to lie, but she couldn’t talk about what had happened, what was wrong with her.

  Ben could feel in his bones there was more than Gonzalo had told him. “All right Melissa, I won’t call you Missy, and I won’t be Charger.” He smiled. “Anyhow, you’re very different from the girl I knew.” He touched two of his fingers to his lips, then touched his fingers to her lips and then touched his lips again. “Melissa is a very beautiful woman.” He laughed and shook his head. “Tiny as a mite, but very, very beautiful.”

  “Thank you.” Melissa’s eyes shot to the floor as her face turned crimson. Feeling as if he’d actually kissed her, she swallowed hard, and her cheeks still showed a tinge of pink when she and Ben walked into the living room.

  “All cleaned up spic and span!” Ben smiled. “It’s the only way I know to thank you for such a wonderful meal. Get tired of eating in restaurants. Let me tell you. It sure was great.”

  “Thank you.” Mrs. Sanchez grinned.

  Ben stared at Eduardo’s angry eyes. The damn guy was still hanging around? A jealous rage surged through him. He turned to Mr. Sanchez. “Sir, would it be all right with you if I walked Melissa around the block?”

  Everyone in the room stiffened except Melissa, for she hadn’t heard.

  “It would not!” Mr. Sanchez jumped up.

  Ben blinked. Damn! Her father acted like he asked to take her to bed. “Oops!” Ben grinned and shook his head.

  “Oops?” Gonzalo looked up with a frown.

  “Forgot your different customs.” Ben smiled and Gonzalo’s eyes narrowed suspiciously.

  “Thanks for helping with the dishes, Ben.” Missy smiled.

  He turned toward her and bowed. “It was my pleasure, Melissa.”

  Her cheeks turned crimson again. “Goodnight.”

  “Yes, goodnight.” Ben watched her go upstairs, turned and gave Eduardo a scathing glance, then turned to Gonzalo. “Guess I’d better get going too.”

  “Yeah, I’ll take you. Maybe we’ll stop and have a beer or two.”

  “Sure. I want to thank you again for the dinner. It was certainly nice meeting you.” Ben shook hands with Mr. and Mrs. Sanchez and then stopped in front of Eduardo. “Are you sure Melissa’s yours?”

  Gonzalo could hardly get Ben in the car fast enough. “Man, Charger what got into you? My father nearly had a heart attack when you asked to take Melissa out of the house.”

  “Girls aren’t allowed out?” Ben glanced at Gonzalo.

  “Parents have to be prepared first. You know, flowers and gifts, so the family is impressed.”

  “For the parents?”

  “No, for the girl.”

  “Why all the stuff?”

  “So they know the guy can afford taking care of her and he’s not just on the make.”

  “Oh.” Ben frowned. “So when do the girls get to go out?”

  “Not until they’ve been promised to each other and only then chaperoned.”

  “By promised you mean—”

  “Practically engaged.” Gonzalo groaned.

  “My mistake.” Ben laughed. “Let’s just get some beer and go to my room. I’ve got an idea.”

  Chapter Four

  “So, what’s going on in your head?” Gonzalo settled in a chair in Ben’s motel room and opened a beer.

  “First thing in the morning you need to point out all the tampering to your brothers and have them take inventory for repairs.”

  “It takes money to make repairs, man.”

  “Yeah well, I think you’re going to come into some. I have a weird itch in my bones—”

  “Something illegal?”

  “Who me?” Ben feigned shocked surprise. “Do you forget who I work for? However, someone who planted the stuff before, might see a sudden extra amount of money as someone cutting into his territory.”

  “Oh, you’re going to find a way to put in DEA money, and we’ll have to pay it back when this is over? Man I won’t ever get out of debt.”

  “No, I’ve got something better figured out.” Ben swished open a can of beer and took a good swallow. “Anyhow, first thing we’ve got to do is get you back into action. I need to know some things.”

  He sat in a chair and sprawled out with a groan. He nodded toward the bed.

  “Do you have any idea what it’s like to always sleep in beds that are too damn short?”

  Gonzalo nearly choked. “What’s it got to do with—”

  “The sleeper of a damn truck is worse. For too long I’ve been sleeping in beds that were too short.”

  “Traveling huh?”

  “Yeah, and I’m tired of it. What I need is—oh, forget it.” He gulped more beer. “Does Missy own part of the company?”

  “Missy? Sure. Everyone owns an equal share.”

  “What happens say if someone in the family met with an accident or died?”

  “Charger—”

  “No, I need to know how you’d handle it—uh divide things.”

  “It would be split between us, I suppose. Actually, I think everything’s in my father’s name. Which means if he died, half would legally go to Mother and the rest divided ten ways.”

  “But the family agrees it’s owned by all and split by all?”

  “Yeah, but we don’t really split ownership of it.”

  “But you do split profits?”

  “Of course.”

  “Sure. And if someone wanted to sell his share?”

  “We’d all buy it, but no one will.” Gonzalo frowned. “No outsider will ever own it.”

  “I already figured as much.” Ben bit the inside of his cheek. “Your married brother, what happens to his share if something happened to him?”

  “His wife and any kids would get it.”

  “But you do their
work—like Missy and your Mom don’t work for the company.”

  “We just figure they do their share at home and everything. Besides, Tony’s wife and Missy help in the office sometimes.”

  “What if Tony’s wife remarried?”

  “Then it would belong to Tony’s kids.” Gonzalo was showing frustration. “Look, it’s not a company where outsiders are allowed.”

  “Yeah, I get the message.” Ben grinned. “Okay, so if someone in the family came into some money, logically it would be divided too?”

  “I suppose.”

  “Is Missy sweet on the guy Eduardo?”

  “Man, I don’t know—he just hangs around—”

  “Then she doesn’t date him?”

  “No, Missy does—”

  “Does she date others?”

  “No.”

  “How much does he hang around?”

  “Huh?”

  “Does he always eat there?”

  “No, but Mom tolerates him a lot because she and his mother were friends and his mother died a year ago”

  “Not because she wants to marry Missy off to him?”

  “Nobody’s anxious to marry Missy off. Charger if you think because Missy’s deaf—”

  “No, I just wondered if he was your mother’s choice.”

  “My mother doesn’t have a choice. And my father’s told him no once already.”

  “Persistent isn’t he?”

  It goes with the customs.” Gonzalo took a swallow.

  “Explain.”

  “Couples don’t date the same way here.”

  “No?”

  “Man, you have to have a chaperone and everything when you date a nice girl.”

  “Really? How do they ever—”

  “Usually they meet places, with someone little in tow, and then when they get serious, they become engaged, and they can date some.”

  “So she hasn’t dated this guy Eduardo?”

  “No, he just started coming over all the time.”

  “And he asked if he could marry her?”

  “Yeah, it’s done all the time this way, and they’re just considered a couple. It’s expected the guy will be told no twice to make sure he’s serious. Parents don’t want to appear anxious to let their daughters go. In the meantime, she can let her feelings be known, and the third time’s always the final answer.”