by Linda Warren
“I told her there was someone here who would take the boy and give him a temporary home. She asked a lot of questions about you and I told her all she wanted to know.”
“And...”
“She agreed to let you keep him temporarily, but she will be here at ten o’clock in the morning to visit with you and the boy at your home.”
“No problem.” The boulder on his chest eased. “Thank you, Wyatt.”
“You might want to call Miss Kate. The caseworker will be calling her for a character reference.”
“I don’t need to call Miss Kate. I trust her to tell the truth and I have nothing to hide.”
Wyatt seemed unsure as he shuffled papers on his desk. “I didn’t mention anything about your prison record. I’ll catch flak for that, but I’m willing to do it so the boy won’t have to go into a foster home until they find a relative. And I think you’re right. He needs to be with someone who cares about him.” The sheriff looked at him. “And I believe you do.”
“Yes, and I’ll do anything to keep a kid out of foster care.”
The sheriff eased back in his chair. “Sometimes the only place a kid has to go is foster homes, and some are really good. I sense you’ve had a bad experience with them. Would you like to talk about it?”
“No, but thanks for the offer.” Rico glanced toward the cell. “Can I take him home now?”
“Sure. Let’s see how Dustin feels about it.”
Before they could reach the cell, Stuart, the chief deputy, came through the front door. He had a duffel bag in his hand.
Stuart was born and raised in Horseshoe and was a dedicated police officer. “I brought some of the boy’s things,” he said.
“Good,” the sheriff replied. “Just leave it at my desk.” Then he whispered to Rico, “Don’t get too attached. They will find a home for him.”
Rico tried to remember that as Dusty practically leapt into his arms. “Can we go to my house now?”
Rico sat with Dusty on his lap and was glad Anamarie was there to give him support. “You can’t stay there by yourself, buddy.”
The boy went limp against him. “Oh.”
“Would you like to come home with me?”
Dusty raised up, his eyes bright. “My mommy’s gonna come get me.”
Rico was thrown for a moment. “What?”
“My grandma said she was sick and when she got better she would come and get me. She’s probably better now.”
Rico glanced at Wyatt, but he didn’t offer any advice. “Buddy, we’ll check on your mommy, but in the meantime you have to stay somewhere.”
The boy’s dark eyes grew thoughtful. “’Kay. I stay with you. Where do you live?”
“On a ranch.”
“Can Mickey come, too?”
“You bet.”
The little boy’s eyes brightened. “You got a horse?”
“Sure do.”
“Can I ride it?”
“You bet.”
“Can Ann-a-ma... I can’t say her name.”
Anamarie touched his cheek. “You can call me Ana.”
“Can Ana come, too?”
Rico looked into Anamarie’s blue eyes. “You bet.” He got to his feet, feeling a little unsure of what was ahead of him, but he could do no less.
“That’s so nice of you to take him.”
Rico placed Dustin on his feet. “Go tell the sheriff thank you for letting you stay with me. Then we’ll go.”
“’Kay.”
Rico needed a minute to talk to Anamarie. She picked up the sippy cup, which hadn’t broken or leaked onto the floor. “I might need your help. Are you available?”
She smiled one of her custom smiles. “You bet.”
They walked back to the bakery with Dusty between them. Mickey trailed behind. Rico carried the duffel bag and quilt over his shoulder, and thought this was a slice of heaven being together with Anamarie and Dusty. It was almost like a family. It was almost real. The almost kept him from thinking any further. Happy ever after wasn’t in his future. It never had been.
* * *
ANAMARIE WAVED GOODBYE and hurried into the bakery. People in line were waiting for kolaches. “Good morning,” she said to everyone.
Margie was at the counter and mouthed, “Sorry.” Anamarie thought it was about being late, but then she nodded toward the kitchen and she knew it was about something entirely different. Her mother was there.
All the wonderful feelings inside her vanished as she walked into the kitchen. Her mother’s gray hair stuck out in all directions as if she hadn’t taken time to comb it, and fury tightened every line on her sixty-seven-year-old face.
“Where have you been?” Her mother aimed the question at her like a dagger. “People are waiting to be served and there’s only Judy and Margie here. It is your job to run this bakery.”
Anamarie gritted her teeth and reached for her apron on a peg. Don’t react. Don’t react, she kept repeating to herself. “I’m well aware of my job description, but there was an unforeseen incident this morning that needed my attention. And it was more important than selling kolaches.”
“I’m sorry about Wendy. She was a good woman, but her grandson is none of your concern.”
Anamarie fingered the cotton of the apron in her hand and fought to keep words from spewing out. “A little boy walking around in the dark looking for food is everyone’s business. He didn’t know his grandmother had passed away. He only knew she wasn’t waking up. I went over to the jail to help tell him about his grandmother. If that offends you, then you have a problem.”
“You were with him. Don’t deny it.”
“If you mean Rico, yes, I was with him.”
“Bubba said he comes in here early before the store opens.”
Anamarie took a long breath. Thanks, Bubba. “Yes, he comes in early to pick up kolaches for the Rebel family.”
“Before six in the morning?”
“Yes.”
“And you let him in?”
Anamarie nodded, getting tired of this conversation, but she wasn’t going to lie to soothe her mother’s judgmental attitude. “We have a cup of coffee and talk. He’s a very nice man.”
“You know nothing about him.”
“I know everything that counts. He’s warm and caring and wouldn’t hurt a fly.”
“I won’t have this, Anamarie.”
“Have what?”
“Have you getting involved with that man. He’s an ex-con. Have you forgotten?”
“No. I see him as the man who risked his life to save all the kids in this town without thinking about himself.”
“That was Elias. You’re fantasizing about this man.”
“Elias couldn’t get all those kids out by himself. Rico was right there with him and if you can’t see that, then I’m not talking to you anymore.”
“I don’t like your attitude. I own this bakery and you will do what I tell you. You will not let that man in this bakery before six. I’ll call Miss Kate about it.”
Anamarie waved a hand. “Call Miss Kate and you’ll find out how much the Rebel family loves Rico. Once you make that call the Rebel family will not come back to the bakery, and do you remember Rachel, your daughter Angie’s best friend? She’s married to Egan and they will not be back in here, either. Miss Kate has a lot of power in this town and your customer list will dwindle. So please make that call.”
Her mother’s eyes narrowed to a steely foreboding. “I forbid you to see this man. I will not have you getting involved with an ex-con. That’s my last word. You will not bring disgrace to our family.”
She turned to hang her apron on the peg and saw Rico standing in the doorway. He held the quilt she’d given him for Dusty in his hands. Without a word, he laid it on the counter and walked out.
No
! No! No!
She ran after him but she wasn’t quick enough. She saw his truck leaving the parking lot. Not a sound could be heard as people stood there watching and waiting for their orders. Anamarie didn’t acknowledge anyone. She calmly walked back to the kitchen, seething.
The apron lay on the floor where she’d dropped it. She picked it up and hooked it over the peg. The moment she saw the hurt in his dark eyes she’d made a decision and she had to have the courage to follow through.
“It’s better he heard it this way.” Her mother went on as if nothing had happened. “There are a lot of men in this town who would go out with you. All you have to do is fix yourself up and lose some weight. You can find someone better than Jericho Johnson.”
The seething turned to a full-blown rage, which threatened to explode right into her mother’s face. But she was raised to respect her parents and she calmly reached for her purse and said. “As of this moment, I no longer work here. I quit. And I will not be coming back.”
“What are you talking about? You run this bakery.”
“But you own it, as you so rudely told me. Now run it.” Turning on her heel, she headed for the back door.
“Anamarie, come back here. Don’t you dare leave this bakery!”
Anamarie slammed the door so hard she was sure the customers at the front could feel it. She felt it, too. It was a release of all the anger inside her. But it would take a lot more than slamming a door to ease the pain in her.
For years she’d been on a treadmill of doing what her mother wanted and the sad part was she felt there wasn’t anything else out there for her but to become the old maid of Horseshoe, Texas.
No one is ever going to want you. Fix yourself up. Lose some weight.
She’d heard those words for years and the criticisms eventually got to her. She believed them. Rico showed her she was still young, vibrant and attractive. She saw it in his eyes every Tuesday morning. He teased her, laughed with her and made her feel things she’d thought had died long ago. For once in her life she wasn’t looking back or thinking the situation to death. There was only one option for her: she had to go forward to find herself, and to find the young girl she’d left behind with the heartache and the pain. And she had to embrace the woman she’d become to find the love she wanted. Because above all else she deserved it just like every other woman. And she saw her future in the dark, warm eyes of Jericho.
CHAPTER THREE
RICO DROVE STEADILY toward Rebel Ranch, trying to keep his thoughts at bay. He’d left this morning with hope and excitement in his chest. Now he was just numb with the words ex-con running through his brain. He knew Mrs. Wiznowski didn’t like him, but this was the first time he’d heard her say it and with such venom that it shook his stony composure.
It was a brutal awakening he hadn’t expected. He was letting himself dream about a life with Anamarie and he knew now that was never going to happen. The Wiznowskis were a tight-knit family and she would never go against them.
He’d never thought much about love until he came to live with the Rebel family. He’d loved his great-grandma. Familial love he was familiar with, but the man/woman thing eluded him. After what he’d been through, he never thought it would happen for him. He saw all the Rebel boys fall in love and get married. As he watched all that happiness, he began to yearn for something of his own. A family of his own.
He was afraid he would never be able to feel the emotion. Or even recognize it. Not many women wanted to spend time with a man who had a scar across the side of his face, wore a long ponytail and had been in jail. He was used to that, until he’d met the lady at the bakery. She smiled at him, treated him nicely and made him want to go back just to spend a few moments with her.
Then one day he went in late to the bakery while Anamarie was closing up. She quickly pulled the shades down and locked the door. He was confused and thought he should leave until she said she’d saved some kolaches for Pete, Egan’s dog. Then she offered him a glass of iced tea and they began to talk. As she was talking about her day, the rubber band around her topknot broke and her long hair had tumbled down around her. She’d laughed and immediately tried to put it back up, but he’d stopped her.
People tended to ignore her, but when he’d looked into her blue eyes that day, he received a jolt. The bright blue reminded him of the sky and what lay beyond. He figured God had checked out on him a long time ago, but that day he knew Anamarie was as close to heaven as he was ever going to get.
Love was that precarious thing all the Rebel boys talked about, but they had a hard time recognizing it. So he was surprised he could actually label his feelings: he loved her. Looking into her eyes, he saw it bright and clear. He had no idea how it had happened. He liked talking to her, being with her, but he never had the courage to tell her how he felt. And now he never would. Some things just weren’t meant to be.
He glanced back at Dusty who was sound asleep in the car seat. Luckily Rico had two car seats in the back. He kept Egan’s kids, Justin and Jordan, on date night.
He would weather this like all the other heartaches he’d been through. But he had to admit this cut a little deeper because it had taken a little piece of his heart.
* * *
ANAMARIE DROVE AROUND for a little while to cool down. If she went home, she was afraid her whole family would be there with their opinions of what she’d done. It was her decision and she wasn’t backing down now even if her family begged and pleaded, which she knew they would do. No one wanted to go in at three in the morning to make kolaches. Since her mother had gotten older, the responsibility had fallen onto Anamarie’s shoulders. There was only so much Anamarie was willing to take, though.
Riding around she realized what she was doing: avoiding a showdown. Time was up. She had to stand strong. She drove into the driveway of her home, her very own home. When Angie had come home from Temple with her daughter, Erin, she’d bought the house to keep their mother from controlling Angie’s and Erin’s every move, a decision that had infuriated their mother.
Later Angie had married Erin’s father, Hardy Hollister, and she’d put the house on the market. Anamarie had decided then it was time for her to move out of her parents’ home. Of course, her mother had fought it all the way and there was tension for several months until her mother had accepted it. It had been a lifesaver. She had her own space and peace and quiet.
Parking in the garage, she made sure to put the door down, and went inside to wait for the onslaught. It didn’t take long. Angie was the first to arrive, then the twins, Patsy and Peggy, and then Bubba. Her dad was the last to trail in.
Everyone talked at once like angry birds chirping in her face and Anamarie wanted to scream. She raised her hands and said, “Let me make this clear. I am not going back. Someone else will have to make the kolaches from now on. I made this decision and I’m not changing my mind.”
“Who’s gonna do the baking then?” Patsy asked.
“How about you?” Anamarie countered.
“Me! Most mornings I have to be at the shop by eight. There’s no way I’m going in to make kolaches. I didn’t like it when I had to do it and I’m not doing it now.”
“Don’t look at me,” Peggy said. “I have the same schedule as Patsy. And I do have a boyfriend, you know. I don’t want to spend my extra time in the bakery.”
Peggy was dating Stuart, the deputy. It was getting serious.
Everyone looked at Angie. “Oh, please.” Angie rolled her eyes. “I’m not leaving my family before three in the morning to make kolaches.”
Anamarie thought about her family and how the situation would affect them. She hated that she had a soft heart, but she was well aware of how her family used her.
Her eyes centered on Bubba. “Do you realize how hard it is on me when Margie doesn’t come into work? I have to do everything myself and it’s really stressful.”
> Bubba shifted in his chair. “We were up late and she forgot to set the alarm clock. Sorry, sis.”
“And that’s okay?” She lifted an eyebrow, letting some of the anger show in her voice. “You’re supposed to be a responsible adult, but I don’t see much of it when you let your sister do double the work.”
“Come on, sis. You know you love that bakery.”
“That’s a cop out, Bubba.”
“Okay, I’ll do better.”
“I don’t care if you do better. It’s too late. I’m not going back.” She looked around at their anxious faces. “Has Mom told you why I’m not going back?”
“She said you left the bakery with no one there to help the customers and when she called you on it, you were very rude and walked out.” Patsy was very quick to quote their mother.
Anamarie shook her head. “Oh, no, that’s not what happened.” She told them about Dusty and Jericho. “She was upset because I was with Jericho and that I let Jericho into the bakery before six. She forbade me to see him or to let him into the bakery before opening. She said she owned it and I had to do what she wanted. That’s what happened.”
“You’re seeing Jericho?” Patsy high-fived Peggy. “Now that’s a story. When did this happen?”
“Don’t encourage her,” Bubba said. “Mom doesn’t want her seeing him and it’s causing trouble within the family.”
Anamarie laughed. “A typical momma’s boy. You won’t marry Margie because she’s been divorced and that’s frowned on by the Catholic Church and your momma. You’re weak, Bubba.”
“Wait a minute.” Bubba got to his feet with a scowl. “Why are you picking on me?”
“Because you’re controlled by your mother. We all are,” Anamarie told him. “Well, as of today, I’m not. I plan to see Jericho anytime I want and that means someone has to open the bakery and make the kolaches.”
Willard, their father, stood. “Anamarie, why don’t you come over to the house tonight and talk to your mom. Everyone else has jobs they need to go to and I’m sure you and your mother can work this out. You know she tends to say a lot of things she doesn’t mean.”