A Marriage-Minded Man

by Karen Templeton

  “Dad said you were working miracles with this place. Decided to come see for myself.” Silas knuckled back his cowboy hat, revealing spikes of dark brown hair. Through rimless glasses, he gave the spruced-up exterior an approving nod. “Looks good.”

  “Thanks, but it’s not all me. I mean, yeah, I’m doing the work, but Tess picked everything out. The colors and stuff.” Beaming, the toddler lunged for Eli, who passed the brush to his brother just in time to catch the kid. He was beginning to wonder if he was magnetized or something. “Heya, Tadpole, got a hug for your favorite uncle?”

  “Tess?” Silas said. “Tess Montoya? The gal who chased you down Main Street with a mop?”

  “It was a long time ago,” Eli said as Tad gave Eli a big old hug, then smacked his sticky hands on either side of Eli’s face and added a kiss for good measure. Damn.

  “Tad!” Ollie called to his baby brother from the side of the house. “It’s a dead squirrel! Come look!”

  The squirt tried to wriggle down, only to go into a giggle-fit when Eli pretended he wasn’t gonna let him go. At last escaping his uncle’s clutches, he went streaking off, Silas yelling at the boys not to touch the corpse, and Eli watched, conflicted, fighting all the broody feelings pecking at him like a bunch of hungry chickens. Didn’t even notice his brother’s hard, even more amused stare until he went to take back his brush.

  “And hasn’t it been a dog’s age since I’ve seen a look like that on your face?” Silas said, grinning.

  Eli jabbed the brush into the paint. “And what look would that be?”

  “The got-it-bad-and-that-ain’t-good look. Aw…you’re blushing! Is that cute as hell or what?”

  “That’s sunburn.”

  “On your neck?” Laughing even harder, Silas dodged Eli’s swipe with the wet brush. “You still got a thing for her?”

  “Don’t be ridiculous—”

  “Unca Eli, can we go inside?”

  “Sure thing, buddy.” Squatting to hammer the lid back on the paint can, he darted a look at Silas. “I suppose you want to come in, too—”

  “Don’t try changing the subject. When did this happen? It’s okay, I swear I won’t tell Mom.”

  Eli had to laugh. “Okay, so maybe there’s…something,” he said as they headed toward the front door, Eli squinting into the strong, late afternoon sun rather than look at his brother. “But it’s not…” Climbing the three steps to the porch, he released a breath. “It’s not like anything would ever come of it, for a whole boatload of reasons.”

  “Such as?”

  The slanting sun pierced the thick stand of pinons to the west, the day’s last blast of warmth before the cold, high desert night set in. “She’s not interested in a relationship and I don’t date women with kids. For starters.”

  “Yeah, that’s some real conviction I hear in your voice.”

  “And you can stop that train right now, Silas—”

  “Why? So it doesn’t run down the pea brain standing in the middle of the tracks? You’re great with the boys, for pity’s sake—”

  “Has nothing to do with me liking kids,” Eli said through a tense jaw. “Or even getting married, having kids of my own someday.” Annoyed, he streaked a hand through his hair. “Sooner rather than later, truth be told.”

  “Oh, yeah?”

  “Yeah. I’m ready. Who knew, right? But maybe, I don’t know…I’m looking for something maybe a little less ripe for potential disaster?”

  “There’s no guarantees, you know,” Silas said quietly.

  “Crap, Si…I’m sorry, that was stupid. Of course there aren’t, I know that. But after—”

  “You’re gun-shy, I get it. No, I really do,” Silas said when Eli shot him a Yeah, right look. “Having something blow up in your face tends to make a person not exactly eager to repeat the experience.”

  Pushing out a breath, Eli leaned against the porch railing. “Yeah,” he said, as the trees slowly swallowed up the sun. “Bad enough when it’s just the two people in the relationship and it doesn’t work out. But the minute you add kids to the mix?”

  He thought of Miguel’s grin when Eli’d said he looked like a zombie…how badly he’d wanted to pick the little boy up and hug him, like Eli’s own father had done to him a time or six when he’d been hurt or scared or sad. Like he’d done with another little boy, a long time ago. The way Julia had toddled over to him, arms lifted, trusting. How badly the kids needed a full-time dad and Eli suddenly wanted to be a full-time dad. And husband. But with Tess feeling the way she did…

  “Too much of a risk, bro. For their sakes. So. End of discussion. You wanna see inside or what?”

  The boys were chasing each other round and round the empty living room, their clear, high-pitched voices bouncing off the beamed ceiling and warm tan walls where tacky, cheap paneling had once been. Silas whistled.

  “There were wood floors under that disgusting carpet?”

  “Oak, no less. And look at the kitchen.”

  Silas peeked into the finished kitchen. “Whoa. Like night and day.”

  “You wanna buy it, I can probably get you a good deal.”

  “Thanks, but a new mortgage is the last thing I need right now. And it’s too isolated.” He met Eli’s gaze again. “You do realize you’re full of it, right?”

  Eli let out a half-laugh. “You know, you’ve got some nerve ragging on me, considering what Mom’s been doing to you. Noah told me,” he added when Silas’s brows lifted over his glasses. “About her efforts to fix you up with every available female in the county. I was ‘supposed’ to talk to Dad to get him to get Mom off your case, but—”

  “It’s okay, just as well you didn’t. And Mom hasn’t been that bad.”

  “Sally Perkins?”

  Silas winced. “Point taken. But—”

  Groaning, Eli threw his hands in the air and walked away.

  “But,” Silas said, following him, “let me just say this—I don’t know Tess all that well, other than from seeing her once a year to do her taxes or when we run into each other in town. But I like her.”

  “Fine. So you go after her.”

  “Nah. She’s not my type.”

  “What the hell’s that supposed to mean?” Eli said, wheeling on him.

  Silas pulled up short, hands raised. Laughing. Annoyed, Eli lumbered toward the hall leading to the bedrooms, following the boys’ voices.

  “Not that I don’t think Tess is attractive,” his brother said behind him. “In fact, I’d even say she was hot.”

  Eli spun around again.

  “You really need to get a handle on this,” Silas said mildly, moments before his sons came roaring out of the back bedroom and launched themselves at his thighs. Swinging the little one up onto his hip, Silas laid a hand on Eli’s shoulder. “Okay, here’s a hypothetical question—let’s say, just for argument’s sake, I asked Tess out—”

  “You wouldn’t dare.”

  “I said it was hypothetical, numbskull. But judging from your flared nostrils right now…you might want to think about that.”

  Eli sighed, then crossed his arms, that ache starting up all over again as he watched Silas nuzzle Tad’s soft little neck, making the baby giggle his head off. “Talk about your good intentions gone haywire,” he muttered. “All I wanted was to make it up to her for what I did back then. To get back in her good graces. Had no intention of…” He pushed out a breath.

  Silas looked over. “Of falling for her all over again?”

  “It’s not supposed to happen that way. Once something’s over, it’s over.”

  “Says who?” At Eli’s rueful laugh, Silas said, “I remember how crazy you were about Tess before. And how much that scared you. So maybe this is about more than proving something to Tess. It’s about proving something to yourself.”

  “What the hell’s that supposed to mean—?”

  “Oooh, Unca Eli…” Stern look from the tot at three o’clock. “You cussed.”

  “Sma
rty-pants,” Eli said, roaring after his laughing nephew until he caught him, grabbing him under the arms to swing him around…just as Tess appeared like a ghost in the doorway, car keys in hand, that big old bag of hers clutched under one arm.

  “Oh…I wondered what was going on!” she said, looking cute as all get-out in one of her big, soft, cuddly sweaters that cut off at the waist of a pair of tight, tight, tight jeans—thank You, Lord!—and her lips were all glossy, her big, dark eyes rimmed with some smoky-looking stuff that made them look even bigger. “Just finished up with a client, so thought I’d drop by for a sec.”

  “I was just about to lock up, actually,” Eli said, setting Ollie down a second before Tad accosted him, jumping up and down and chirping, “Me next! Me next!”

  Tess laughed. “Boy, does that sound familiar. Hey, Silas,” she said, standing on tiptoe to give his brother a quick peck on the cheek, and Eli imagined those soft, full lips on his cheek—among other places—and nearly dropped his nephew.

  “Gotta pee!” Tad said, as Ollie wormed free with a “Me, too!”

  “Sorry,” Silas said, trundling off with his progeny in tow, “they’re not exactly ready to fly solo yet…”

  “Not a problem,” Tess said, smiling, as they disappeared. Chuckling, she click-clicked in her high-heeled boots back toward the living room. “That’s a major family activity at our house, too,” she said, then yawned, covering her mouth. “Wow, sorry.” She gave her head a little shake. “Front’s looking good.”

  “Should be finished up by tomorrow.”

  “Mm,” she said distractedly, yawning again as she crossed to a jut-out overlooking the front and sank onto the hard window seat.

  “You look beat.”

  “Long day,” she said, leaning one shoulder against the obviously cold glass to look out, the oversize purse cradled on her lap. “Not that I’m not grateful that people are at least thinking about buying houses again, but…I’m whacked.”

  “And you’re actually admitting that?”

  Tess blew a soft snort through her nose. “I also have no clue what to feed the kids tonight.”

  “I doubt they’re expecting a gourmet meal.”

  “No. But they are expecting food. And I forgot to go shopping. No, actually, I didn’t forget, I just haven’t had time.”

  “So cut yourself some slack and pick up a pizza.”

  “Mm, can’t. Did that yesterday. And I still have to get real food in the house.”

  “Before they revoke your membership in the Good Mom Club?”

  “Something like that, yeah.”

  Listening to Silas and his boys finishing up in the bathroom, Eli walked over to inspect the new built-ins, which Teo had stained that afternoon. “I seem to recall plenty of nights my mother shoved fish sticks and Tater Tots in front of us. Or pizza. Or KFC. Sure, when she cooked, she made sure we got our veggies and whatnot, but some nights it just didn’t happen. And we all survived.”

  “So I see,” she said, then startled the hell out of him by asking, “So what’s the deal, Garrett? How come you’re not married?” When Eli’s head whipped around, she said softly, “Eli, you look at your brother’s boys the way I look at a Neiman Marcus catalog. And what you said the other day, about men who fall in love and stay fallen for the rest of their lives? Those are not the words of a confirmed bachelor. So what’s up?”

  He looked away, pretending to inspect a spot on one shelf, then back at her. “The timing was never right, that’s all.”

  Still leaning into the window, Tess crossed her arms. “Why do I get the feeling there’s more to it than that?” When he didn’t—couldn’t—say anything, she softly laughed. “Okay, unlike some people in this room, I’m not about to badger you into talking if you don’t wanna. Waaaay too tired. But that sounding board thing? It works both ways.” Then she struggled to her feet, looking around. “Tell you one thing—if the place doesn’t sell, it’s not because it doesn’t look good.”

  “You worried about that?” Eli said, relieved the subject had shifted away from him.

  “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t,” she said on a dry laugh. “Enrique’s fairly good about the child support payments, but everything else is up to me. Would be nice to see something go into my bank account for a change instead of only going out of it. And besides, if business doesn’t pick up, we might have to let Candy go. Since it’s not like she can just find another job in this town, that’s not an option. But even more than that, it’s…well, when I take on a client, I promise to do whatever it takes to either find them the perfect home or sell their old one. What can I say? I like making people happy.”

  No kidding. “Then I suppose,” Eli said as he heard his brother and them come down the hall, “you’ve gotta trust you’ve done everything you can and just…let it go.”

  Tess blinked up at him. “Yeah, you’re right. Well. This isn’t getting the kids picked up and groceries bought,” she said, starting toward the door. Before she got there, though, she turned, her mouth opening like she was going to say something, only the others returned before she got the chance. So all she did was mutter, “See you tomorrow,” and left.

  “We need to be going, too,” his brother said, nodding at his youngest. “This one’s about to drop. Refuses to take a nap in day care.”

  “Is that true?” Eli said, scooping Tad into his arms. “How you gonna grow up big like your daddy and me if you don’t take your naps?”

  “I don’t get s’eepy,” the kid said, yawning.

  Still holding the little boy, Eli walked his brother and Ollie out; the sun was barely a memory, the color rapidly leaching from the sky. Silas paused, then said, “In case you think that was a private conversation back there with Tess? Wrong. She sure doesn’t sound like someone with it all together.”

  “Oh, and like you don’t sometimes feel wrung out at the end of the day? She’s human, so sure life’s gonna wear her down from time to time. That doesn’t mean she’s looking to be rescued.” Eli’s mouth thinned. “Since I’m sure as heck no white knight, it’s all good.”

  “If you say so,” Silas said, heading toward his truck, opening the door so Ollie could climb up into his car seat. Eli followed, too tangled up in his own thoughts to even get mad at his brother. Cupping Tad’s head as the child cuddled against his chest, he again thought about how he’d been chugging along just fine all by himself, enjoying his bachelorhood, being able to do whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted, in his own house. Until here comes Tess to remind him of everything he didn’t have.

  And no, the irony wasn’t lost on him.

  “You ever get lonely?” he quietly asked as Silas reached for the dozing child.

  His brother gave him a sharp look, then ducked into the backseat to buckle the little guy in. When he reemerged, he said, “Like you wouldn’t believe.”

  “So how do you cope with it?”

  A tight, wry smile stretched across Silas’s lips. “I remember the pain,” he said, “and that pretty much shuts the sucker up.”

  But after Silas drove off, Eli stood there, letting the cold seep through his work shirt and thinking…but what if that doesn’t work?

  Then what?

  Tess raced back to the office, totally blowing off mundane things like speed limits and such. Fortunately, “rush hour” out here only meant you might actually see another vehicle in your travels, so she wasn’t exactly putting others’ lives—or hers—in mortal danger.

  Oh, no, Eli had handily done that already.

  The brakes squealed when she jerked the car up in front of the office; she got out and slammed the door so hard the whole car shuddered. Much as she had with that last, lingering look, a look that had somehow…engulfed her, threatening to simultaneously drown and buoy her. A look far, far more dangerous to her self-control than any physical contact—

  “Took two messages for you,” Candy said as she came out of the bathroom, rubbing lotion into her hands. “Hey—did Suze mention I’m not go
nna be in the rest of the week, on account of I’m going to Kansas for Thanksgiving?”

  Tess stared blankly at the woman as she wound a fluffy scarf around her neck. “Thanksgiving?”

  “Yeah, you know—that holiday where we gorge on turkey and pumpkin pie? Happens every year, fourth Thursday in November?”

  Silence. “And…I suppose that’s this week?”

  “Oh, honey…don’t tell me you don’t have plans?”

  “Uh…sure, I just spaced it for a minute. Hey,” Tess said, walking around her desk, “you have a great time with your folks.”

  “Oh, I’m sure I will! There’s six of us, everybody with kids but me, so it’s wild when we all get together. I can’t wait!” she said, laughing, and disappeared into the night.

  Into a life that included everything Tess had never had and thought she was getting with Enrique, only she hadn’t and now here she was, facing another holiday she basically wished would simply go away.

  True, as a child, Tess had always thought movies about huge families gathering for the holidays just looked…scary. Suddenly, though, the prospect of spaghetti or hot dogs or something with just her and the kids—because neither one would touch turkey, let alone pie made from a vegetable—wasn’t sitting all that well.

  “Stop it,” she muttered, picking up the couple of messages—some clients just refused to call her cell phone on principle—as her wayward thoughts once more meandered back to The Look That Did Her In, those golden eyes crackling with a thousand conflicting impulses…impulses she understood herself all too well.

  To deny she and Eli wanted each other would be stupid. And pointless. Lord, the very thought made her mouth water and her skin itch and her hoohah tingle. But it was more than that, more than just the hokeypokey she missed…she wanted…

  She closed her eyes, letting go. Admitting, finally, how nice it would be to let someone else do the heavy lifting for a change, damn it. Not forever, not all the time, but just…every now and then—

  “What’s up with you?” Suze said, startling her.