In This Together

by Kara Lennox

  But she would enjoy this time off while she had it. She would look at it as a gift. She would spend time with her “cousins”—the people who’d helped them when they first moved to this country and had become as dear as any blood relatives.

  And she would enjoy the simple gathering, so different than Daniel’s expensive parties. No designer table toppers or silk table linens, just a crepe-paper turkey and some greenery from the backyard that Rosalie had woven into a garland. No live music, but the cheery Christmas carols coming from the music channel on TV made her smile.

  By the time the turkey was done, the mystery guest hadn’t shown and Elena was beginning to hope he never would. But just as Rosalie called everyone to their respective tables, the doorbell rang.

  “I’ll get it!” screamed little Maria, who at seven was the youngest member of their party. She was already hyper from snitching marshmallows from the bag while Elena topped the candied yams.

  Elena retreated to the kitchen, ostensibly to bring another dish to the table. She wondered if it was too late to plead a migraine and escape to her room. No, her mother would see through that in a second. Elena had never suffered migraines. So she gritted her teeth and braced herself. Then she heard a familiar voice.

  “Thank you for inviting me, Rosalie.”

  “There’s always room at the table for one more, Travis.”

  * * *

  EVEN AS TRAVIS greeted his hostess and shook Elmer’s hand, his eyes scanned the living room, then the dining room for Elena. He was taking a huge risk coming here. He had no idea how Elena would receive him. She might dump a bowl of gravy over his head, and he wouldn’t blame her. He’d treated her rather harshly when they were last together.

  Where was she?

  “Elena,” Rosalie called over her shoulder. “Your friend Travis is here. And he’s brought homemade cornbread. Travis, did you make this yourself?”

  “Yes, ma’am,” he answered, still scanning the room for Elena.

  Finally, she appeared at the kitchen door, holding—oh, dear God, she was holding a gravy boat, filled to the brim and steaming hot. Was his unpleasant fantasy about to become reality? But then he focused on Elena herself. She looked like a Latina angel, her golden-brown hair tousled around her face like a halo, her features natural with just a hint of makeup.

  For a couple of seconds, he couldn’t breathe at all. The rest of the room receded into the background, and everyone went quiet. It was a cliché, he knew, but now he understood what it meant when people said “time stood still.”

  Then she smiled, and everything went back to normal. Except his heart. It started beating twice as fast as was healthy.

  “Hello, Travis. How nice that you could come.”

  Nice for her? Or for him?

  He almost hadn’t come. In fact, when Rosalie had first called him, he had thanked her for the invitation but answered it with a definitive no. Elena likely hadn’t mentioned their argument, so her mother would have no way of knowing how awkward it would be for them to spend the holiday together.

  “Where will you spend Thanksgiving, then?” Rosalie had asked.

  “I’ll...I’ll probably go to a bar and watch the football game.” The football game was a matchup between the UT Longhorns and the Texas A&M Aggies.

  “No! You can’t do that! On Thanksgiving, you’re supposed to be with friends and family.”

  “I wish I could. But my brother is in prison, and my niece is staying with a family that won’t let me near her.”

  “You find family where you look for it,” Rosalie admonished. “When Elena, Elmer and I arrived in this country, we had only the clothes on our backs. We left behind our older son, our parents, brothers and sisters, most of whom we will never see again. But there were people here who reached out to us. They fed us, put a roof over our heads, helped us find jobs, taught us English. Our first Thanksgiving we went to the house of total strangers, and we ate the most wonderful meal we’d ever had in our lives. The people who helped us became our new family.

  “Maybe you’re not in need the way we were, but everyone needs family. I am offering the Marquez family to you. Sit at our table. Break bread with us. Thanksgiving is the chance to be grateful for all the things we have in our lives, not a time to feel sorry for what we’ve lost.”

  So she’d shamed him into saying yes. He might have to face Elena’s displeasure, but that was infinitely better than having Rosalie scold him again. She might look like a nice, middle-aged lady, but he wouldn’t deliberately run afoul of her.

  Elena was another matter. He didn’t particularly relish the thought of her ire directed at him. She’d been remarkably tolerant of his poor behavior in the past, but at some point she had to get her fill. Then he had no idea what might happen. He’d been treated to a woman’s temper once before and would have lost his front teeth if he hadn’t ducked fast enough. He already knew Elena could throw a wrench.

  “We were all just sitting down at the table, so you’re right on time,” Rosalie said. “Here, take this seat.” Rosalie proceeded to organize everyone exactly where she wanted them. She and Elena would be closest to the kitchen; Travis was next to Elena. He shouldn’t have been surprised— Elena’s mother was clearly playing matchmaker.

  Too bad she was doomed to disappointment.

  “Elena, make introductions while I bring the rest of the food in.”

  “Of course. Travis, this is my Tanta Maria and Uncle Cesar, and my cousin Marietta....” She went around the table and everyone greeted him cordially. They asked the usual polite getting-to-know-you questions about his work and how he knew Elena. Elena didn’t help out, leaving it to him to manufacture the details and match his story to what they had already told her parents.

  An elderly woman dressed all in black was introduced as someone’s grandmother. Apparently she didn’t speak English, because every so often she would tug on the sleeve of her granddaughter and ask questions in whispered Spanish, gesturing and pointing at Travis. She didn’t seem especially pleased to be sharing her table with him, because she referred to him as an opportunistic interloper with a look of bad news about him, and then called him a comepinga, which he couldn’t translate exactly, but he knew it was a bad thing

  The meal was everything a man could wish for on Thanksgiving and then some. In addition to the promised pastelitos, which were like nothing Travis had ever tasted, Rosalie had baked the enormous turkey to perfection. The dressing had walnuts, raisins and peppers in it, and the result was surprisingly tasty. All the customary dishes were there—mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, candied yams—which Rosalie emphasized had been Elena’s doing—cranberry sauce and three kinds of pie for dessert.

  He hadn’t had much of an appetite that week, and even when he felt like eating, he’d had little time to fix anything, what with all the trips he’d been making to the Social Services office, the lawyer’s office and the place where he had to take a lie detector test and have his fingerprints taken, just to make sure he was who he said he was. It was nice to take a break from all that and bask in the love and warmth of Elena’s family.

  Elena herself, however, had little to say to him. She didn’t seem angry.... More resigned, and maybe a little curious about why he’d accepted the dinner invitation when a week ago he had so clearly kicked her out of his life.

  He wanted to explain it to her, but he had to get her alone first, and privacy was at a premium with this crowd of friends and relatives. Even the patio and backyard were filled with screaming kids and a couple of dogs that might or might not belong there. He hadn’t seen a dog on his first visit.

  As soon as the meal was over, most of the men and some of the women slipped into the living room to watch football. The grandmother retired to one of the bedrooms to take a nap. It was probably time for Travis to leave.

  He stacked a few dishes and
tried to take them to the kitchen, but Rosalie predictably wouldn’t allow it. “Travis, haven’t we had this discussion about guests and dishes?”

  “Now, Rosalie, last time we talked, you said to treat you like family. And families help clean up after a meal.”

  “Fair enough, and I’ll let you next time, okay? But really, didn’t you say something about wanting to watch football?”

  Sure, he liked football as much as the next guy, but he didn’t have any particular loyalty to either school.

  “I probably should go—” he tried, but Rosalie clicked her tongue and shook her head.

  “We both know no one is expecting you today.”

  “Mama!” Elena sounded horrified. “If he wants to leave, let him.”

  “He doesn’t want to leave—he’s just trying to be polite. But there will be plenty of leftovers later.”

  “He’s probably tired of us by now,” Elena argued. “He’s not used to being around so many people. Maybe he’d like to have part of the holiday to himself.”

  Rosalie considered this. “Well, perhaps you should take a walk, Travis. It’s a beautiful day, and you could have some peace and quiet for a few minutes. Elena, take him outside and show him how to get to that nice jogging trail behind our house.”

  “Oh, um...” She looked at Travis uncertainly.

  “A walk sounds like just the thing,” he said. “Elena, I’d love it if you could show me the trail.”

  She hesitated a few moments, and then wiped her hands on the dishcloth she’d slung over her shoulder. “Okay, but I don’t want to leave Mama with all these dishes—”

  “Nonsense.” It was Tanta Maria. “I’ll help Rosalie clean up. I don’t like football, and it will give us a chance to catch up. You two young people go have fun.”

  Fun. Probably not an apt description of the mood between himself and Elena.

  “Okay.” Elena handed the towel to her aunt. “Let me get a sweater. I’ll meet you on the front porch.” She shot her mother a look that could only be described as venomous before she left the room to find her sweater.

  Travis grabbed his jacket from the coat closet and went to the porch to wait for her, and she appeared a couple of minutes later. Had she brushed her hair? Swiped on some lip gloss? He was jazzed to think she might have primped, even a little, for him.

  “The jogging trail is this way.” She headed for the corner.

  It was a pleasant neighborhood. Lots of people were outside enjoying the weather—kids tossing the football, moms with babies in strollers, people walking dogs.

  She stopped at the corner. “The trail is right down there, at the corner of that fence. It runs for about a mile around the park.”

  Suddenly he realized she wasn’t going to walk with him. She’d turned back toward the house.

  “Elena. Where are you going?”

  She stopped. “I figured you’d had enough of me and my family.”

  “Not you. Walk with me.”

  She hesitated and then nodded. “Okay, but only to keep my mother off my back.”

  They walked in silence for a few minutes. Elena had her arms crossed, her shoulders hunched as if it were cold, although it had to be close to seventy degrees.

  “So, what are you doing here?” she finally said. “I thought you were done with me.”

  “I’m pretty sure you’ve noticed your mother is a little bit hard to say no to.”

  “Yes, she is, but I don’t for a minute believe you couldn’t have come up with a suitable excuse. Or you could have just said no, told her you and I had no chance of becoming a couple. You’re not some shrinking violet.”

  She was right—he could have found a way out of this. “I guess the truth is I wanted to come. I wanted to see you again.”

  “That’s not how I saw it last week. I think your exact words were, ‘You’ve helped enough.’”

  “So, I wanted to see you again to apologize. You touched a nerve. I acted like an ass, and I’m really sorry. I owe you this tremendous debt of gratitude, and instead I treat you like—”

  “Stop. You were right to be angry. I don’t have any right to psychoanalyze you. Whatever your choices regarding MacKenzie, I’m sure you have good reasons.”

  “Yeah, well, I came here to tell you something in addition to apologizing. I took the folder you gave me to the social worker. She’s going to launch an investigation into the Stovers. And she’s already removed MacKenzie from their home.”

  “Travis, that’s wonderful! So you stopped the adoption?”

  “Probably. Postponed it, at least. But I realized you were right. There are plenty of parents out there—nice parents, good parents—who would want to adopt a sweet, pretty, well-behaved child like my niece. But even the nicest parents aren’t going to want to give her up once Eric gets out of prison. So I talked to that lawyer of Daniel’s. I applied to adopt MacKenzie myself, and the lawyer seems to think I have a chance.”

  Elena’s reserved manner vanished in a heartbeat. She smiled as if she’d just grabbed the brass ring on the merry-go-round. “That’s wonderful!” Then she did something really unexpected. She hugged him.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  TRAVIS PUT HIS ARMS around Elena, relishing the feel of her softness against him. She smelled like a fresh breeze with a hint of roasted marshmallow. Her hair was soft as a kitten against his cheek. God, she was so warm and vibrant, so alive, and it made him realize that for a long time, he’d been...well, if not dead, then certainly living less than a full life.

  That was going to change. Once he had responsibility for MacKenzie—if he did—everything he did would have consequences for him and for her, as well.

  He didn’t want to release Elena, but eventually he had to. The embrace was becoming awkwardly long. He either had to let her go...or kiss her. And the last time he’d kissed her, he’d nearly lost control of himself.

  He let her go.

  “You’re going to be a great dad, you’ll see.”

  “I’ll be her uncle Travis no matter what the adoption papers say. She has only one daddy. And maybe, just maybe, the adoption won’t even be necessary.”

  “Have you heard something?” she asked eagerly. “I hate being out of the loop.”

  “No one is being too chatty with me, either. I mean, just because Project Justice took on Eric’s case, that doesn’t mean I’m anyone’s favorite person. I told them pretty much everything I know in the application—”

  “Did you get it sent in?”

  He nodded. “I finished it that night. It took a while. A librarian helped me. Honestly, I can’t believe I never asked one for help before. She was really nice. But I’d convinced myself I had to go it alone, that it would somehow...I don’t know, diminish me to admit I couldn’t do something by myself.”

  “We all have hot buttons.”

  “Really? What are your hot buttons?”

  She thought for a moment. “I hate it when people abuse their power.”

  “Is that why you’re so mad at Daniel? Because he threw his weight around?”

  “Yes, exactly. You know that saying, with great power comes great responsibility? Normally, Daniel doesn’t take advantage of people just because he can. But he wanted his revenge against you and he got it, never mind what I wanted, even though I was the supposed victim.”

  “You’re not still thinking of quitting your job, are you?”

  “I don’t know. I’ve been doing a lot of thinking. Just because someone is really good at a job doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the right job for them. I want something more.”

  “More than living in a mansion, driving fancy cars...? Most people would kill for your job.”

  “I know. And I don’t want to seem ungrateful. Daniel has done a lot for me and my whole family.” />
  “Your family?”

  “My father got a job working in one of Logan Oil’s fields in Louisiana. The Logans wouldn’t have known we existed, except there was an accident. My father was trained to be a doctor. He took quick action and saved a man’s life. Daniel’s father was so impressed that he helped my dad get the certification he needed to practice. After the senior Mr. Logan died, Daniel continued to take an interest in our family. He helped me get into college and gave me my first job.”

  “But you don’t want to keep working as his assistant simply out of gratitude—is that it?”

  “Something like that. Maybe I’m deluding myself. I don’t even know where I’d go or what I’d do. All I know is, I feel this...this yearning to do something important. To make a difference.”

  She’d sure as hell made a difference in his life. If not for her, he wouldn’t have a sliver of a chance at stopping MacKenzie’s adoption and freeing his brother.

  That was how things had started with Judith. She’d referred him to all her rich friends for their home repairs, then she’d filled out the papers he needed to set up his business. Then she’d decided that wasn’t good enough, and she’d pushed him into applying for a corporate job with a large home builder—which, thank God, he hadn’t gotten.

  “Maybe you should just talk to Daniel,” Travis said. “Tell him what you just told me. He probably has another job somewhere that you’d like better.”

  “Maybe,” she said without much enthusiasm.

  They walked along the path through the park in companionable silence for a while. Finally Elena spoke again. “Have you worked out childcare for MacKenzie?”

  “First I have to figure out where I’m living. Have to find a place with a separate bedroom for MacKenzie, near a good school.” Eric’s house was just sitting there, empty, but there was no way he could expect MacKenzie to live in the house where her mother was murdered.