Pink Neon Dreams

by Pink Neon Dreams [Evernight] (mobi)

  Daniel paused and put his hand over hers with a faint smile. “When this is done, querida,” he said. “We’ll both go home at night, together.”

  Few things ever sounded better as she settled down in the seat beside him. Cecily had no idea where they might reside or what they would do, but as long as she shared life space with Daniel, she’d be good. She folded her left hand and touched her knuckles to his cheek. “If that’s a promise, sugar, I’m holding you to it.”

  “Si, querida.”

  They rode the remaining hours over the highway, sometimes talking, often listening to whatever tunes she could find on the radio but in harmony. As El Paso came into sight, Cecily gawked. She’d never been to the west Texas city, but the images of it came from the Marty Robbins songs and she hadn’t expected it to be so large or modern. When she confessed her thoughts to Daniel, he laughed.

  “It was like that once,” he said. “But it’s a big place. Mama’s house is in the northeast part of town, tucked away out of most of it. It’s in Mountain View, not far from Biggs.”

  “Biggs?”

  “Biggs Army Airfield,” he said. “That’s the original name. It’s a military airport, part of Fort Bliss.”

  He navigated the mid-afternoon traffic with ease, maneuvering the old pickup with the skill of a professional driver. Cecily’s calm evaporated as they drew closer to his mother’s home and her nerves jangled off-key. She bounced her foot, tapped her fingers against the seat beside her, and sighed until Daniel shot her a glance. “You’re not nervous, are you?” he asked.

  “Yeah, I am,” she said with a little defiance. “What’s your mama going to think about me?”

  Growing up, she’d been poor but proud, sassy but somewhat confident. The years she spent as Mrs. Willard Bradford The Fourth robbed most of her self-esteem. She’d gained it back when she made up her mind to divorce him and reclaimed some of it when she put Chicago in the rearview mirror. Starting life over on her own terms helped, but right now, she experienced major anxiety. Maybe his mother wouldn’t like her. She probably expected a nice young woman, demure and sweet, not a sassy-mouthed ghetto bitch.

  “She’s going to love you,” Daniel said with surprise.

  “Does she know I’m black?” Cecily asked, her voice emerging shriller than she planned. “Will it matter?”

  Daniel slowed the truck as they took an exit. “Querida,” he said with obvious patience. “I haven’t told her anything but your name and that we’re together. But my mama won’t care, not in a family with everything from Mexican to Comanche to redneck. Her grandma was Comanche, full blood, her mama was half Native American, half Mexican and her daddy, my grandpa was Irish and Mexican. My daddy was a mixture of Southern redneck and Mexican. She won’t blink at your heritage.”

  His no-nonsense tone held a certainty and she relaxed, a little. “If you say so,” she said with a sigh.

  “I do,” he replied. “And we’re almost there so calm down.”

  “Aren’t you going to call her?”

  “No,” he said. “She’s expecting us and it’s just a little after three now.”

  As they drove through the streets on the north side of El Paso, they left behind the busy commercial thoroughfares for a neighborhood, old and settled but well-kept overall. Streets lined with suburban tract houses dating back fifty years or more reminded her of scenes from a movie. Most were ranch style and the age of the trees confirmed her notion the neighborhood had been around for a long time. None of the houses were large, almost none had a second story, and she guessed mostly blue collar folks called the area home. Cecily saw a few kids on bikes, two girls playing hopscotch on a cracked sidewalk, and smiled. So far, she saw a variety of races and skin shades so maybe she wouldn’t be out of place here.

  He turned onto a street marked Maxwell Avenue and pulled into a short concrete drive. “Here we are,” he said. Cecily barely had time to view the compact house, painted a light, pleasant blue before a woman appeared in the doorway. Although she lacked Daniel’s height and her body had more padding than his, Cecily saw a resemblance in their faces. Mrs. Padilla’s skin appeared darker than her own. Her hair had been swept up into an elaborate bun on the top of her head and the eyes shining at the sight of her son were blue as an autumn sky. She smiled and waved. When Daniel stepped out of the truck, the woman met him and hugged him tight.

  “Mi hijo!” Her voice rang out, warm and flavored with a Spanish lilt. “I’m so glad you’re here. I’ve been cooking all day and waiting. It’s been too long since I’ve seen you, Daniel.”

  “I come when I can,” he said with a smile. Cecily climbed out of the truck and he beckoned her forward. “Mama, this is Cecily Brown. Querida, this is my mother, Luz Padilla.”

  “I’m glad to meet you,” Cecily said, feeling almost shy. Before she finished the sentence, Daniel’s mom swept her into her arms and hugged her tight.

  “Oh, Cecily, it’s so good to meet you,” she said. “It’s about time my son brought a woman to my house and I know you must be special or he wouldn’t.”

  “Mama,” Daniel said. “She is but this is more than just bringing her to meet my mama. It’s a long story, but I’ll tell you what I can.”

  “Come in,” Luz said. “Supper won’t be ready for a while yet, but you can bring your bags inside.”

  They followed Luz into the house, into a small but comfortable living room. Cecily inhaled delicious aromas, spices and beef, onions and garlic. Her stomach almost purred. Daniel carried their simple luggage down a short hallway and ducked into the bathroom. Cecily settled down on the sofa while Luz sat in a recliner near the front window and beamed. “I’m happy you’re here. You bring out the good side of my son. He acts better than he has for a long time,” she told Cecily. “So are you from Kansas City where Daniel lives?”

  So far, Cecily liked Luz fine but she hadn’t expected the question although she guessed she should’ve. Meeting a parent wasn’t something she’d done often or for years. “No, I’m from Chicago,” she said with honesty. “But I’ve been living in Branson.”

  Surprise rippled across Luz’s face. “Branson?” she said. “I’ve been there, once, a long time ago. Did you meet my son in Branson?”

  Uncertain why it would be a big deal Cecily nodded. “Yes.”

  “He was there?”

  “Uh-huh,” she said. “Is there some reason why he shouldn’t be?”

  Luz’s expression turned somber. “No,” she said with slow precision. “It’s just the time I visited Branson, Daniel brought Mollie down there to see me. We took her to all the places a little kid would like and had a fine time, but after she was gone, he said he’d never go again. He did tell you about his daughter?”

  The question seemed like a test but Cecily nodded. “Yeah, he did.” But he didn’t tell me about taking the child to Branson. In honesty she admitted he had said he’d been there before but not when or why. Maybe the memories hurt too much.

  “I understand if he came to see you,” Luz said but her face said she didn’t understand yet. “So had you met before?”

  “No,” Cecily replied. “We met in Branson. I have a shop there, Pink Neon and he came into the store.”

  “Dios,” the older woman said. “Miracles do happen, then.”

  “You pray hard enough for them, they should.” Daniel appeared in the open space between the living room and a dining area. “But I originally went to Branson on assignment, not on vacation.”

  Understanding dawned on his mother’s face and Luz glanced over at Cecily. “Yeah, he was sent to check me out,” Cecily said with a sigh.

  “Oh,” Luz replied, flustered. “Maybe I shouldn’t ask any questions.”

  Daniel sat down beside Cecily on the sofa. He picked up her hand and caressed the back of it. “You can ask anything you want, Mamacita,” he said. “Cecily’s innocent. It’s a long story, but her ex-husband got murdered and someone tried to pin the crime on her head. So far, the FBI buys it and so we l
eft for a while to prove the truth. And I wanted to see you and bring Cecily to meet you.”

  Did he? I thought this was just about being safe and getting away so they wouldn’t take me into custody. Daniel must’ve known how he felt long before he told me.

  The idea delighted her and yet the reminder of why they’d come sobered Cecily. She wrapped her fingers around Daniel’s seeking comfort and he held her hand, then put an arm around her. For now, she knew they’d found sanctuary.

  Chapter Sixteen

  With his nose filled with the delicious smells of his mother’s home cooking and his arm around his woman, Daniel thought he might’ve come as close to heaven as possible on earth. Tense with the ordeal ahead, vulnerable with his confession of love, and still mentally pinching himself with the knowledge Cecily loved him he managed to relax in his mother’s home.

  “Whatever you’re making smells great,” he told his mother who smiled.

  “Burritos tipicos,” she said, naming one of his favorites. “And tamales, frijoles, plus a pot roast with potatoes and carrots. I made a wacky cake, too.”

  He almost salivated with hunger. A rush of affection for his mama, who’d taken two days to prepare the feast, prompted him to say, “Gracias. You cooked enough for a mob. Is it all just for me and Cecily?”

  “Michael’s coming up,” Luz said. “I didn’t think you’d mind.”

  Daniel didn’t. “No, I’d love to see my baby brother. How long until we eat? I’m hungry.”

  Luz grinned. “I told him to be here by five. It’s only three-thirty so you kids have time to take a shower or grab a nap or whatever.”

  Beside him, Cecily ran her hand down his thigh and his blood quickened. He knew what she hinted and he’d love it, but he doubted it would happen now. Later, for sure—he’d parked their bags in the guest bedroom across from his mom’s. Daniel doubted Mama would object, either, since he noticed on the way down the hall she’d turned the smaller bedroom into a sort of office.

  Before he could answer, the telephone rang and Luz hurried to answer it in the kitchen.

  “Later, querida,” he told Cecily. Desire moved in a lazy spiral through his body, but he could wait. “We’ll have time for it later.”

  She flipped her abundant braids back with a flourish. “Then I’m going to take a shower and clean my hair,” she said. “It takes a while to do it right.”

  He’d wondered why she hadn’t the night before but looking at her cornrowed hair Daniel marveled she could wash it at all without taking all the tiny braids out. “All right,” he said. “Go ahead and I’ll visit with mama.”

  Cecily flashed him a brilliant smile and headed down the hallway. He watched her go and when he turned around, his mother stood in the dining room wearing a grin. “So you found a woman,” she said. “I like her, mi hijo. She’s got some sand and she’s strong.”

  Daniel smiled, too. “She does and she is. Who’s on the phone?”

  “So now my FBI agent son is going to question me?” Luz said with a teasing note in her voice. “It was your brother.”

  “Michael?”

  “Yes,” his mother said. She switched to Spanish. “Tell me about Cecily. I like her very much, but are you sure she’s innocent?”

  “Very,” he said. “It’s complicated but I’m certain.”

  Luz nodded. “Is she in danger? Are you?”

  He waved his hand in the air to dismiss her concerns. “Maybe but it’s not important. I’ll take care of her and I can watch my own back.”

  Her deep blue eyes darkened. “I think I need to pray harder. Maybe there’s time for a rosary before your brother arrives and we eat. But you love Cecily and she loves you?”

  “Yes.” Daniel kept his voice soft.

  His mother nodded. “I see it between you and it looks real. And she knows about your daughter. That’s good. Secrets are bad between lovers.”

  Yeah, he’d learned that the hard way. “Yes. Now tell me how you are, Mama.”

  A smile creased the corners of her mouth. “I’m good, much better since I don’t work anymore, but you shouldn’t send me money. You’ll need it now for you, to buy a house and make a family.”

  “Do the others send any?”

  “They do, the boys more than your sisters, but they have children to bring up. Thanks to you and Tomas the house is paid off. Tomas has his allotment sent to me, too. I get more than enough. How long are you staying?”

  “I don’t know,” Daniel said. “I wish I did.”

  Whether they’d be in El Paso a day, several days, or a week depended on what happened. He’d decided to do nothing the remainder of the day but visit with family and enjoy his mother’s cooking, but tomorrow would be different. Daniel planned to use Cecily’s laptop and his mother’s internet connection to check into the whereabouts of Johnson Hamilton. He hadn’t brought his FBI issue model because he figured it’d be far easier to track. Thinking about the bureau made him more than a little nervous. By now, more than forty-eight hours after the hostile meeting in Springfield, he knew someone would’ve attempted to get in touch with him. Whether it was his boss or the head of the local satellite office, they would be pissed. Maybe I can buy a little time with the notion they can’t reach my cell. And if they come looking, they’ll find my junk in that sleazy motel. Maybe they’ll list me as a missing person. He snorted at the unlikely idea and pushed the issue out of mind. He’d have this one evening to enjoy with his family and Cecily before the shit began to splatter.

  Michael drove up in a late model Ford pickup, one shiny enough to make Daniel’s truck look like a stepchild at the family reunion. Cecily dashed from bathroom to bedroom to dress and while he longed to follow, he headed outside instead. Last time he’d seen his youngest brother, Michael fit the description of a geeky college kid, but the young man who walked up the drive appeared fit and prosperous as well as academic. Despite the humid day, he wore a dress shirt and a tweed jacket. Daniel half-expected a briar pipe to protrude from a pocket or to see his brother don a pair of tortoise shell-rimmed glasses. Michael paused and stared.

  “It’s me,” Daniel said.

  His brother’s serious expression transformed into a grin as he said, “I guess you’re the surprise. It’s good to see you, Daniel.” He extended his hand out to shake but Daniel ignored it.

  Instead, he hugged his brother and after a moment’s hesitation, the kid brother he hadn’t seen in far too long returned the embrace. “Didn’t Mama tell you I was here?”

  “No,” Michael said. “All she promised was home cooking and a surprise. I figured it’d be one of us, but I didn’t expect you. Did she mention I’m spending the night?”

  Unspoken the youngest Padilla managed to convey the belief Daniel seldom returned to the nest. Was it tinged with condemnation or stated with fact? Daniel wasn’t certain.

  “No, but I’m glad you are. I brought my lady, Cecily,” he told his brother. He wasn’t sure what to call her—companion, lover, or friend. Girlfriend seemed somehow juvenile although he was aware people of all ages used the term. “Come in and meet her, then we’ll eat.”

  Michael thumped his shoulder with affection and they headed inside. Cecily glanced up from setting the dining table and smiled. “Hi,” she said.

  “Cecily, this is my youngest brother, Michael,” Daniel said. “Michael, this is Cecily Brown.”

  She extended her hand to Michael and they shook. “I’m happy to meet you,” she said.

  “It’s my pleasure.”

  When they gathered, the four of them around the oval table, they linked hands as Luz led them through the Catholic grace before meals. The words resonated in Daniel’s heart, familiar and somehow comforting. Each bite of his favorite foods tasted wonderful on his tongue, the tender chuck in the burritos tipicos, the handmade tamales with their cornmeal exterior and seasoned pork filling, the frijoles made from a traditional recipe, and the American pot roast with all the trimmings. He enjoyed watching Cecily taste his mama’
s dishes for the first time and could tell from the delighted expression she wore, she liked what she ate. By the time his mother served the wacky cake, a rich chocolate cake made with the ‘secret’ ingredient of vinegar, Daniel thought he’d burst or get a bellyache, but he wasn’t complaining. He enjoyed the homey, humble conversation almost as much as the cuisine.

  After the dishes were washed and put away, they settled down in the living room, Luz in her recliner, Michael in the other arm chair, and Cecily curled against Daniel’s side on the couch. Mama enjoyed television programs and Daniel had been afraid they’d have to sit through some reality show or network sitcoms. Instead, they watched vintage television shows dating long before his birth. Full and more laidback than he could recall being in a very long time, Daniel was content to watch the suburban witch Samantha Stevens wrinkle her nose and the ditzy genie from a bottle, Jeannie, devil astronaut Tony Nelson with her antics.

  Although he’d never lived in this house, his mother carted most of her long-time possessions along when she moved from Fort Worth so most of the furniture, the same old lamps, the knickknacks arranged on the entertainment center, and the pictures hung on the wall were all familiar. The humble aromas lingering from the meal were those of childhood, of comfort and foundations. He inhaled the scents with pleasure and the meal lay easy within his stomach although the combination of being full and the warm room made him sleepy. He never experienced this kind of contentment or sense of belonging in his sparse apartment, but he’d flirted with a hint of it at Cecily’s. Experiencing the real deal grounded him and soothed some of his worries although he knew, as an adult and a law enforcement professional, safety and security were both fleeting. Don’t think about tomorrow, enjoy this evening. At one time or another, they all laughed at some of the comic moments, but when the hour grew late, Michael sat up. “Mama, tell me where I’m sleeping,” he said. “I need to bring my kit in from the truck.”

  “You’ll be in the small bedroom, my office,” Luz said. “Cecily and Daniel are across from me.”