“You seemed to have cared about my brother,” he said.
She spilled hot water on the counter as she poured and then mopped it up. “Of course. I told you. Your family is like mine.”
“You don’t have a family of your own?” He hadn’t meant it to sound mean or accusing, but no doubt she heard it that way. Just coming to Texas had ticked him off. In New York he was much more relaxed when he wasn’t working.
You’re lying to yourself, Miguel. No one is as intense as you are.
He rubbed his neck and prepared to apologize. She cut him off. Her voice was as conversational and pleasant as usual, but he caught an underlying pain. He’d have to try harder not to bully her with his words. She wasn’t a Torres after all.
“I have a sister, and my parents live in a small house over on the west side of town. You’ll get to meet Katrenda soon. She had to take care of some stuff for our mom. Funny enough, what you said sounds like her. She’s always saying I’m throwing my life away for a family that’s not mine.”
He studied her face. The narrow chin came up, and a stubborn expression lit her beautiful eyes. He had the feeling nothing anyone said would influence her once she had set her mind on a task. Perhaps he should be grateful Thiago had her around, someone strong. He had nothing against his little brothers or against Aunt Rosa, so at least they could be helped.
“I suppose I could use a cola,” he said.
She hooked a thumb toward the fridge as she added sugar to her tea. “Help yourself. You’re home.”
He hesitated. “I’m a visitor, even if I am related.”
She held the mug to her lips. Over rising steam, the brown eyes examined him. He didn’t feel awkward at all but let her look. As he expected, her gaze flitted from his face to his chest and downward toward his jeans. He’d slipped back into them before leaving the room but left the belt off. The heavy denim hung low on his hips. Too bad he’d also pulled on a T-shirt or he would give her more to look at.
Once again, he thought of Carmen and how quickly he’d gone to desiring a new woman. He didn’t want to think he was like his dad or David. He’d been faithful to Carmen as long as he called her lover. Maybe it was a good thing he’d broken it off.
Or could it be Jasmeka’s allure? Would making love to her be radically different than what I’ve experienced so far?
Jasmeka grabbed a cola from the fridge for him, and they headed outside. As soon as he opened the door, the night sounds assaulted him along with the humid heat lingering from the day. He paused, looking left and right for one of the lounge chairs with a seat cushion still on it.
“Oh crud,” Jasmeka said. “I forgot I took the cushions in. Let me go get a couple.”
An impulse hit him, and he grasped her wrist to stop her. “I’ve got a better idea. The hammock.”
She might have frowned. Her face wasn’t very illuminated in the moonlight. “We can’t both get on it.”
“It’s big enough for three or four.”
“But—”
He took her mug from her and set it on the windowsill near where the hammock hung from the verandah’s ceiling. After sitting his cola next to it, he held the hammock still, waiting for her to climb on. Miguel hadn’t known her long, but he could read people fairly well. Jasmeka was probably the type of person who would take a challenge thrown out to her every time.
She climbed on, careful not to let her nightie rise. Too bad. He took in the sight of her rounded rear as she positioned herself first on hands and knees and then flipped over to lie down. A powerful desire came on him to forget about lying beside her and just mount her. She’d no doubt fight him off, so he resisted and settled with his hip pressing against hers. Unless he missed his guess, a small shiver ran through her.
“Tren and me used to do this as kids.” She wiggled her fingers toward her mug, and he reached across to get it for her. “Thanks.”
“I thought you said you’ve only worked for my family ten years. You can’t convince me you’re younger than twenty-five.”
She grumbled. “I’m twenty-nine, and I meant at my parents’ house. They have a small hammock that’s big enough for two wild little girls. After we ripped and ran all over creation, we came home and lay in that hammock until my mom demanded we go to bed. Tren would get me to tell her all about my dream, and I’d give her the details until we started to nod off.”
Curiosity rose in him, making him forget his desire for the moment. He didn’t suppose she wanted to grow up and become someone’s maid. “Your dream?”
“To own my own restaurant. I loved to cook even then. I actually do a little catering on the side right now.”
“Interesting.”
“What about you?”
“Me?”
She rolled to an elbow and seemed to try to see him in the dim lighting. “Do you like your job?”
He smirked. “You mean am I a cowboy at heart, running away to work as a Marshall?”
“You said it, not me.”
“I’m doing an important job.”
“Now that’s a copout.”
He sighed and answered her question although he didn’t know why he should. He didn’t owe her an explanation of his decisions or of his life. Something about her drew him to talk about himself, at least a little.
“When I was a boy, I dreamed of growing up and raising cattle, running a ranch. At the time, I thought it might be fun to breed horses.”
“Every little Texas boy’s dream,” she teased. “What happened?”
He stiffened. “Dreams change.”
“I have a feeling it’s more than that.”
“Wishful thinking of a woman with too much imagination.”
She didn’t appear to be offended, but chuckled. He wondered if there was anything in life that could keep her down long and doubted it. Maybe her joyful disposition was where she found her strength.
“Come on, Miguel. Don’t be shy.” Her small hand brushed his chest in a playful smack. He captured it before she could move it away, and he dipped his head closer to hers. She gasped, and by the pale rays of the moonlight, he saw that she parted her full lips. One kiss couldn’t hurt, could it? He hadn’t been there but a few days or known her long, but oh how he desired to taste her lips. It wasn’t like he was going to ask her to be his lover, not when he planned to leave.
“W-what are you doing?” She tugged at her captured hand, but he held on. Her fingertips grazed his skin as she curled her fingers. He tightened his grip and leaned in farther. Warmth from her mouth stirred his senses until he knew he wouldn’t resist wherever this led. She could have turned her head or moved away. She could tell him no. If she did, he would back off. Like a frightened but intrigued little doe, she froze in place.
Miguel lowered his head even more, and just when their lips were millimeters apart, sound exploded in the stillness of the night. He stopped cold and looked up. A moment or two passed while he tried to identify the sound.
“I think that came from near the barn,” Jasmeka said.
He released her and stood. His weapon was back in the bedroom, and he considered going to get it but changed his mind. “Might be just an animal.”
“Probably.” Her tone came across as more relieved than fearful, and he figured she was glad for the disruption.
“Stay here while I look around,” he ordered.
She didn’t answer, but she remained where he left her. He searched the perimeter of the house, starting with the direction where the sound seemed to originate. The moon cooperated by coming out from behind a few clouds and shining extra brightly. At the barn entrance, a good-sized rock lay on the ground. He picked it up and looked it over. Someone must have thrown it, a prank, he decided and relaxed.
He tossed it amid the trees and returned to where he had left Jasmeka. She clutched her mug of tea in front of her. He saw it as a small barrier and got the message. If he decided to pursue her a little more, the mug wouldn’t stop him. She was interested. That was for sure,
even if she did hesitate. Maybe she did so because she was an employee of the house. Well, he didn’t see himself as her employer, so it was fine.
She yawned and covered her mouth with the back of her hand. “I’m going to get to bed. I’ve got to be up early.”
He made a small noise in response.
“I enjoyed talking to you. I hope you’ll open up next time.”
He resisted telling her not to hold her breath because he had been close to doing just that. “See you in the morning,” he grumbled.
She put a hand on her hip. “Is that all?”
He raised his eyebrows. “Was there something else?”
She chuckled. “Never mind. Goodnight, Marshall.”
In a few minutes, she was gone, and Miguel examined his mood and level of tiredness to see if he also wanted to turn in. A little longer in the warm night air, and he would return to his bed. He stretched out on the hammock and shut his eyes. For a moment, he enjoyed the whistling of the crickets and the rustle in the trees as a breeze stirred them. Tomorrow, he would tell Thiago he was going. Right after he stole a kiss from Jasmeka. It would be enough.
Chapter 4
“Que es esto?” Miguel appeared at his bedroom door with the shadow of a beard growing on his jaw. His hair was all over his head, and his eyes were only half open. Jasmeka nearly chewed her bottom lip off, especially considering he wasn’t wearing a shirt. The man couldn’t possibly know how good he looked all sleepy like he was and speaking in Spanish.
She felt kind of guilty being attracted to him, but there was no doubting she was. Especially when he acted like he would kiss her the night before. She was going to let him too. How stupid could she be? Did she have no shame? He’d just arrived. The only consolation was she felt like she wasn’t totally in her right mind with everything that had happened, and Miguel was the one that came on to her, not the other way around.
Oh, yeah, blame him. So mature.
She jerked herself from her thoughts. “It’s a phone call for you. Mr. Hernandez.”
Miguel became more alert. “I don’t know anyone by that name.”
Talk about cranky. Jasmeka loved coaxing others out of foul moods, but Miguel was a full time job. She didn’t blame him with the loss of his brother, but he didn’t seem to be grieving all that much. Maybe he hid his pain well. She knew she hid hers behind keeping busy and thinking about making other people happy.
“Well, he asked for you, Miguel. Are you going to answer the phone, or should I tell him something else?”
He sighed and turned to pull on a T-shirt. “I’ll get it.”
Jasmeka showed him to David’s old office where he could get the phone. She could have told him Mr. Hernandez was David’s attorney, but he would find out soon enough. There weren’t many in Stump Valley who didn’t know everyone else’s business. Mr. Luis Hernandez had come to the house only once that she could remember, and at the time, David and Thiago had gone off with him. They didn’t share their business with her even if she was treated as one of the family most of the time.
Jasmeka went to the kitchen to finish breakfast, and she set everything on the dining room table. On Saturday mornings, she let the family wander in from bed whenever they liked. A buffet layout, kept warm, worked because on that day not only did the family eat in the house, but a few of the employees who worked closest with the family stopped in. Jasmeka loved having the extra mouths to feed so she could stretch out a bit and try one or two new recipes.
“Ms. Jas, this muy bien.” Hector, one of her favorites to feed, stabbed a fork toward his plate. He launched off into rapid fire Spanish, and she shook her head laughing. Hector didn’t know a lick of English when he started working for the family, but she had been teaching him. The poor man didn’t have that much motivation. She believed the only reason he tried was so she would keep feeding him. As if she would stop. He cracked her up.
“Me alegro de que te guste. I’m glad you like it,” she repeated for his sake. Her words went in one ear and out the other. His eyes were practically rolling back in his head as he shoveled food into his mouth. Well, at least he was happy. He’d been moping about after they learned about David. Hector was the one to tell Thiago, and it broke his heart to do it.
The dining room door opened, and a sleepy Antonio wandered in. He dropped into his chair and yawned, his eyes closed. Jasmeka watched him for a few minutes. She didn’t serve on Saturday mornings. He would need to snap out of it and get his plate to fill himself.
The door opened again, and Angel came in. The younger twin was more alert. “Buenos dias, Jas. Do you have sausage?”
She tucked a hand on her hip. “Good morning, Angel. I have sausage every morning.”
He walked over to his brother and dragged on his arm. Antonio stood, wobbled a bit with his eyes still mostly closed, and followed Angel to the table holding the food. As far as she knew it was the only time Antonio ever followed Angel.
“Why are you two up so early if you’re still sleepy?”
Laredo’s got two horses he’s selling,” Angel said. He debated over adding another sausage to his plate. “We’re going to see them.”
Antonio’s eyes popped open wide. “I forgot about that.”
Angel frowned at him. “Why did you think I woke you up?”
“To—” Antonio stopped and looked at Jasmeka then clamped his lips together. She wondered what that was about but didn’t push to know. “Never mind. We gotta get going.”
“Don’t you think it’s a little inappropriate right now to be thinking of horses?” She had a nerve given the direction of her thoughts lately.
“He’s going to sell them.” Antonio stole a piece of sausage off Angel’s plate causing his brother to chase him back to their seat. They were so immature. “Better we get there and look them over first. Dad might buy them for us.”
“Maybe.” She had to admit he was probably right. With Thiago so broken over losing David, he would do anything for the twins. Heck, he was a pushover even on a good day. That was why he’d given the ranch to David in the first place. “Guys, don’t push him, okay? Please. Just give Thiago a break for a while.”
Neither of them made any commitment to follow what she asked. Miguel walked into the kitchen, fully dressed and obviously agitated. His angry gaze grated over the others. Both Antonio and Angel glared for a half second and then lowered their heads. Jasmeka couldn’t help thinking of them as little pups submitting to an alpha against their will. She would rather have seen them yip at Miguel’s heels, all happy to see him. That was probably wishful thinking and too much to ask for.
Miguel strode with purpose over to her. He touched her elbow, and a zing shot up her arm. “I need you to go with me today to…” He hesitated and glanced at the twins then continued. “…to meet with someone. Afterward, I’ll buy you lunch.”
“Me?” She didn’t want to go, not when she was feeling the way she was. “I have so much going on. There’s food to be prepared, and…”
“Por favor,” he repeated.
The man had the nerve to have a straight face and not a lick of kindness or gentleness as he said please. It didn’t even sound like a request. His stern expression nullified the word. His continuing to wait at her side said he wasn’t going to take no for an answer.
At the table, the twins were silent. They didn’t look over at Miguel and her, but she sensed their attention. They were taking in every word. Maybe that’s why Miguel didn’t spell out what the meeting would involve. She figured it had to do with David’s lawyer. The twins had a right to be in on that meeting, as well as the rest of the family—not her. Ah well, maybe she would just go along with him and explain he needed to build better relationships with the others so they could help each other get through this sad time.
A short while later, Miguel drew up to Mr. Hernandez’s office and shut off the engine. He had completely taken over her truck as if it were his own. She didn’t see the need to argue with him at the moment.
/> “Do you want me to wait outside?” She hesitated to remove her seatbelt.
“Ven.”
She rolled her eyes and climbed out of the truck. He didn’t waste words—or courtesy. Soon they were sitting in Mr. Hernandez’s cozy chairs in his private office. This was after she’d again said she could sit in the waiting room until he came out. Looking closer at Miguel, she noted the tension around the ends of his mouth and how stiffly he sat. There was no way he was scared about this meeting, but maybe it ticked him off so much, he didn’t want to go it alone. She might be the voice of sanity, so she did her best to project calm.
Mr. Hernandez got straight to the point after opening a drawer and withdrawing a thick file folder. “Senor Torres, I’m not sure if you’re aware but you are the heir to all of your brother Thiago David Torres’ holdings.”
Both Jasmeka and Miguel’s mouths fell open. He pulled himself together first and frowned. “What are you talking about?”
The lawyer was unperturbed by the ice coming off Miguel’s words, but Jasmeka rubbed her arms as if she felt it physically.
“His holdings include several small investments, which I will outline, but the bulk of his estate is the ranch where your family home resides.”
Jasmeka knew just like everyone else at the ranch that years ago Thiago signed over ownership of the ranch to David. Miguel had found out after he arrived, but the lawyer’s announcement seemed to have shocked him. She had assumed the estate would either pass back to Thiago or go to the twins since David didn’t have his own family.
“You must be mistaken,” Miguel said, and his tone held a deadly calm. “I don’t know what reason my father gave the ranch to David, but he can take it back now. Just shift it over to him, and I’ll be on my way.”
Love Untrusted Page 3
