by Beverly Long
When they were halfway through their lunches, a man approached their table. He was midforties, stocky, and could have benefited from a cut to shape up his straight hair that hung past his ears. Rico stood and extended a hand.
“Peter, good you could join us,” he said.
So this was Peter.
The man was staring at her and she got an uncomfortable feeling in her stomach. Rico waved a hand in her direction. “This is Laura and Hannah, friends of mine.”
Laura extended her hand. When Peter shook it, his hand seemed unnaturally cold. Or maybe she was just imagining it.
“Going to have some lunch?” Rico asked smoothly.
“Yeah, I guess.” Peter made no move to go through the cafeteria line.
Rico pulled a twenty from his pocket. “It’s on me today. We’re celebrating Dad’s successful surgery.”
“His morning was probably better than mine,” Peter said.
Laura heard Janice’s soft gasp. How horrific of Peter to begin to compare open-heart surgery with a job interview that hadn’t gone well.
“Peter,” Charro said.
“I’m just saying.” Peter threw his hands in the air and tossed his head.
How on earth had Charro and this man managed to raise two very nice kids? Both Nathan and Aleja had shown very good manners last night and had expressed real concern for their grandfather.
Peter picked up the twenty that Rico had laid on the table. Laura bet there wasn’t going to be any change. It had been a long time since she’d felt such an immediate dislike for someone. It was more than the fact that he came across as an insensitive leech. It was the look he was giving her—it was too sharp, too intense.
She looked down, focusing on her salad as if the tomatoes and cucumbers were very interesting. When she sensed that he’d walked away, she looked up. Charro was looking at Rico, and Laura could practically read the message. Please, please, don’t take the job offer back.
For whatever reason, Rico was acting as if Peter’s comment had been fine. He smiled at Charro. “How’s the burger?” he asked.
“Good,” she said.
Something very weird was going on, but Laura couldn’t put her finger on it. Fortunately, when Peter came back with a small pizza and a side of fries, he sat next to Charro and ignored Laura. She finished eating as quickly as she could.
“Come on,” she said to Hannah. “Finish up. Let’s take a walk.” There was a large aquarium in the hospital lobby that fascinated Hannah.
Once Hannah finished, she and Laura made tracks to the lobby. There, Laura didn’t hurry her like she had the first time they’d spotted the big tank, but rather, let her take her time and examine all the various fish. She wandered over to the coffee shop that was on the far side and purchased a latte. She was on her way back to join Hannah when she saw Charro and Peter walk into the lobby. They were arguing. It was harder to hear Charro but Peter didn’t seem to care who heard what he was saying.
“...sick of your brother, Saint Rico, stepping in to save the day.”
Charro said something but Peter held up his hand. “I don’t need or want his damn charity. I’ve got a plan, Charro. A good one. It’s going to make us a lot of money. And you know what the funny part is? Rico’s going to help us with it. And he doesn’t even know it.”
Chapter 13
Charro held up her hands now, as if she couldn’t make any sense of what Peter was saying.
“Never mind,” Peter said, as if he regretted what he’d already said. “Just let me worry about it.” He walked out the door, leaving Charro standing there with her mouth open.
Laura was embarrassed for her. She squatted next to Hannah and pretended to be totally engrossed in the fish, should Charro turn and see them. She wasn’t sure whether she did or not because by the time Laura turned around again five minutes later, Charro was gone.
When she got back to the waiting room, Charro was sitting in the small room, looking at her phone. Rico and his mom were not there.
“Where’s everyone else?” she asked, getting Hannah settled on a chair with a coloring book.
“With Dad. They moved him from recovery to critical care. They only allow two people in the room at a time. They’ll be back in ten minutes or so.”
“Your husband left?” Laura asked.
“Yes. He had errands to run.”
She suddenly wished that she knew Charro better, that they were friends. Then she could reach out and say, Hey, what’s with him anyway? She hoped Charro had somebody like that in her life. It certainly wasn’t her parents or Rico. She was too busy making Peter look like a good guy to them.
Laura pulled a book out of her purse, knowing it would send a message that she wasn’t interested in chatting. After a few minutes of pretending to be reading, she jerked, realizing that the buzzing in her purse was from the cell phone that was buried at the bottom. She looked across the room and realized that Charro was watching her, probably curious as to why she was ignoring her phone. She opened her bag, dug to the bottom and pulled out the cheap phone.
It had taken her too long. The caller had hung up. And she had not activated the voice mail feature. But she didn’t need that. She recognized the number.
“Would you mind watching her for just a minute?” she asked. Hannah was fully engrossed in the kids’ program that was on the television.
“Of course not,” Charro said. “Take your time.”
“It should just be a minute,” Laura promised, her heart beating too fast in her chest. Why would Melissa be calling?
She walked down to the end of the hallway and made the call. “Hi, it’s me,” she said.
“Thank God,” Melissa said.
That put Laura’s heart into a flat-out gallop. Hell, she was going to need surgery when she burst a couple arteries. “What’s up?” she asked, trying to maintain her cool.
“My ex knows that his car is missing. The idiot usually parks it the first of October and doesn’t even think about it again until the first week of April, but it was unusually warm here and Clovis got the bright idea to drive it. Of course, he’s crazy that it’s missing. I told him that I had no idea. I think he’s going to make a police report.”
Damn. With the number of car thefts that occurred, it was unlikely that the police would remember to look for one vehicle, especially halfway across the country. However, it was such a recognizable vehicle that that might not be totally true. And if she was driving and happened to get stopped for any reason, the jig was truly up. They would key her license plate into their computer and bingo, they’d immediately know the car was stolen.
She would have to figure out another mode of transportation. Thank goodness Melissa’s ex had given her a heads-up that he knew the car was missing. Had Laura not had this warning, she could have easily been caught off guard.
It was a good reminder of all the reasons why she couldn’t forget that she was a woman on the run, having committed a serious crime. Even though she had good reasons, she would be treated like the criminal she was.
“Thanks for calling, Melissa. I appreciate it. And whatever happens, please know that no one will ever know that you helped me.”
“I’m not worried about that. Just be careful,” her friend said.
“I will be. Goodbye.” She put her phone back into her purse. Looked back down the hallway. Saw that Rico and his mom were back in the waiting room. He was watching her.
She walked back, breathing deep, trying to get her nerves under control. Neither she nor Hannah were in immediate danger. She would figure out what to do.
“Everything okay?” Rico asked softly, as she approached.
“Fine,” she said, nodding her head.
“I guess I didn’t realize you had a cell phone,” he said. He sounded stiff, maybe even curt.
“Yeah, when it didn’t wo
rk at the cabin, I just tossed it in my purse. Sort of forgot it was there.” That was lame but maybe he’d buy it.
He stared at her, his gaze intent.
“How’s your dad?” she asked.
“Sleepy.”
“To be expected,” she said.
“Nurses said best thing for him would be to get some rest. I was just telling Mom that I think I’ll run home and let Lucky out.” He paused. “Would you and Hannah want to come? She’s been really well behaved but I have to guess that she’s getting restless.”
She nodded. “She should take her afternoon nap and I doubt that’s going to happen here.”
Ten minutes later, they were on their way. Hannah was chattering, telling Ja-Ja that Play-Doh’s heart was all better.
When they got to the house, Rico pulled into the garage. Shut the door behind them. Then it was into the house. Lucky went a little wild and Rico got him outside as fast as he could. By the time they came back in, she had Hannah down for a nap. The little girl was very tired from getting up so early.
Rico wiped off Lucky’s paws and the dog promptly took a seat on the couch. He stretched out. That left the love seat for Rico and Laura.
“This is the first minute we’ve had to be alone in almost twenty-four hours,” Rico said.
“After being cooped up with me at the cabin for a couple days, that was probably a relief,” she teased, wanting to keep it light. “You should probably take a nap. You couldn’t have gotten good sleep last night.”
“I am too old to sleep in a chair,” he agreed.
Rico, even on crutches, was the most fit, the most virile man that she’d ever met. “I’m sure he appreciated the company.”
Rico opened his eyes. “He was curious about you.”
“Me?” she repeated, her voice squeaking.
He laughed. “Yes, you. He thought you were very pretty. I told him that his eyesight was still twenty-twenty.”
She felt warm.
He reached for her hand and pulled her close. “It seems like forever since I’ve held you,” he said. “I missed you.”
She’d missed him, too. What the hell did that mean? “Hannah will sleep for at least an hour. Time for a good nap,” she said, retreating to safer ground.
He shook his head. “It wasn’t all bad last night. I dreamed about you.” He reached over and played with the ends of her hair.
That made her skin tingle. “Was it a good dream?” she asked, her voice soft.
He leaned closer. “We were at the cabin. Playing outside in the snow.”
“Nice,” she said. Her chest felt heavy. His lips were just inches away.
“We got cold and came inside. Took a hot shower.” He leaned closer. She could feel his warm breath. He smelled of mint. “Together.”
“Good to get clean,” she murmured. It was going to be so hard to leave this man.
“Very good,” he said. “I washed your back.”
“Hard to reach.” His hand was on her knee.
“Not as much fun as your front.”
“You washed there, too?” she murmured. Her throat was so dry.
He nodded. “Such pretty breasts.”
His lips touched hers. His mouth was warm, wet and instantly demanding. And she felt her need spike. “Rico, we can’t. It’s your parents’ house.”
“It’s like I’m seventeen again,” he said.
She could imagine a young Rico. Confident, cocky, dark and handsome. “I’ll bet you broke some hearts.”
“Never,” he said. “Never made any promises I couldn’t keep.”
She suspected that was true.
His hand inched under her shirt. “Tell me no now or else.”
If the or else was anything close to what had happened at the cabin, how was she to resist? She would have this one last time. “How did your dream end?”
He whispered in her ear.
He was a good storyteller, using clear, concise, very descriptive words.
“Me, twice?” she clarified.
He smiled. “You were very happy.”
Oh, God. “Let’s go,” she said.
* * *
Rico took her by the hand and led her downstairs, to his old bedroom. He wanted her badly, more than he’d wanted a girl at seventeen, more than he’d wanted a woman ever. The need was pulsing through him and he told himself to slow down, to be careful.
He wanted her enough that he was going to accept the explanation she’d given earlier that Hannah imagined her parents were in heaven. It didn’t ring true. Granted, he’d known the little girl for just a few days and she did have a great imagination, but to say something like that, there had to be some other explanation.
He’d told his dad that Laura hadn’t been very forthcoming with him. That was a nice way to say that she was lying to him. And normally, that would send him flying out the door. That was deal-breaker stuff. But in his gut, he believed that Laura was lying to him for a good reason. And he also believed that in time, she’d tell him the truth.
She had so many good qualities. So wonderful with Hannah. Hell, she deserved a medal for having come to the hospital with him, for having stayed with his mother without him and for enduring lunch with Peter, the idiot.
“Is this where you slept?” she asked, standing in the doorway of the twelve by twelve room with a double bed in the middle.
“Yes.” After he’d left for the air force, his mom had cleaned up the room, painted the walls, and put new sheets and a bedspread on the bed. When he was home, he still slept down here. “Charro had the room that you and Hannah are sharing. Mom and Dad have the other bedroom upstairs. I thought it was great that there were only two bedrooms upstairs. I had a boy cave. You know, an adolescent version of a man cave with video games and pictures of girls on the walls.”
She slipped into his arms. “What kind of girl did you like when you were a teenager?” she asked, pressing up against him.
“Easy girls,” he teased.
“Like this?” In one smooth movement, she pulled her shirt over her head. Her bra today was black. And so very sexy. He put his hands on her bare back. Her skin was warm. Soft.
“I liked the smart ones, too. Especially if they knew about sex and were willing to teach me.”
“Showed you what they liked?” she asked. She reached behind her to unbuckle her bra.
“Oh, yeah.” His voice cracked when she tossed the lingerie somewhere over his head. Her breasts were so pretty, so full, so ready for him.
He bent down and took her nipple into his mouth. She arched her back and he supported her with one arm. After a few minutes, he lifted his head. “Do you like that?” he whispered.
“God, yes,” she said.
He gave her other breast equal attention.
“I want you inside of me,” she said.
“Sexy, smart and not afraid to ask for what she wants. The perfect girl.”
“Not perfect,” she said, looking too serious. “Don’t put me on a pedestal, Rico.”
Too late. “How about flat on your back?” he asked, sweeping her up in his arms and gently depositing her on the bed.
She squealed. “Watch your ankle.”
“It’s not my ankle doing this work,” he teased, glad that she was smiling again. He lay next to her.
She slipped her hand into his pants, closed her fingers around his already pulsing length. “Definitely not an ankle,” she said.
* * *
She lay on her back, her right arm curled above her head. She felt her heart rate slow down. Could hear Rico’s breaths get longer, steadier. “Wow,” she said.
He turned his head. Smiled at her. “I think my heart stopped. Oh, wait, no problem. I know a good doctor.”
“I feel a little guilty. I mean, I know your dad is probably just res
ting but maybe we should be there.”
“My dad would be the first person to tell me that I should definitely be having sex versus watching him lie in a bed.”
“I like your dad,” she said. “What’s he think of Peter?” she added casually.
“The same thing the rest of us do. That he’s a bit of an ass.”
She propped herself up on one elbow. Pointedly ignored the appreciative glance Rico gave her chest. “But yet you’re suddenly giving him a job. A couple days ago, you acted as if that was a bone of contention between you and Charro.”
“It was and probably still would be except I found out that she asked my parents for a loan to make the house payment. I can’t let her lose her house and I definitely can’t let her bother Mom and Dad for money. I could offer her a loan but I promised Dad that she wouldn’t know that I was aware that she’d borrowed money from them. Charro is very proud.”
“Do you think that she loves Peter?”
“I don’t know. But I suspect that she wants to keep her family intact.”
“She’s got two great kids,” Laura said.
“Proving what they say that kids are resilient.”
She lay back onto the bed, staring at the ceiling. She hoped he was right. That Hannah was very resilient. “We should get dressed,” she said. She did not want to take the chance of Hannah waking up from her nap and wandering around the house, only to stumble upon them in the basement.
She was young enough that she’d probably take it in stride. After all, she’d easily accepted that Laura, her daycare teacher, and her were off on a wonderful adventure. Hadn’t once expressed any concern about missing Hodge Rankin, the man Ariel had married. Not even Mrs. Wise, the nice woman who cared for her most of the time when she wasn’t at the daycare.
But there might be a time later, likely when Laura was telling her the truth about their situation, the memory would resurface and there might not be enough therapy in the world to take care of that. We were on the run and you were screwing around. Ugh.
She got out of bed and picked up her clothing. It was hard to pretend that there was nothing going on. That this wasn’t the last time that they’d make love.