Love Untrusted

by Tressie Lockwood

  “Eres tan hermosa. You’ve made my party a success, Jas.” He deepened his voice as he spoke. She assumed it was to sound sexier.

  The problem with Laredo was that while he wasn’t a bad-looking man, he wasn’t all that hot either. His belly was round like he was nine months pregnant, his hips were narrow, and his legs were skinny. He had chosen to tame his hair with gel or mouse and slick it sideways across his forehead. Maybe he thought he was cool, but she disagreed. It looked ridiculous.

  “I want to reward you for taking care of me.” He made it sound like he’d been laid up in bed, and she was his nurse. That wasn’t happening.

  “You are rewarding me—with my catering fee.”

  He poked his lips out. Who told him men could pout? “That’s not enough. Let me take you to dinner, just you and me.”

  “Weren’t you hitting on my sister earlier?” She was letting Katrenda’s bluntness influence her.

  “Me and Katrenda aren’t a good fit. I realized I was letting her fill in for you.”

  Wrong answer.

  “Come on. We’ve been sending each other signals for a long time. Let’s quit playing these games with each other.”

  She twisted out of his hold. “I don’t know what kind of signals you think you’ve been getting, but let me assure you I have only been professional when it comes to business and friendly when it comes to being neighbors. If you have a complaint about my services—”

  He raised his hands in defense and widened his eyes. “No, no. Everything is great. I thought… Well…”

  “Good, then we’re done here.” She spun on her heel and walked away.

  Katrenda met her on the way to the house, and Jasmeka snatched the empty serving tray out of her sister’s hands just to have something to do with her own.

  “Yikes, you look intense. What’s that for?”

  Jasmeka rolled her eyes and hurried inside the house. A cool blast of A/C hit her, making her realize just how hot under the collar she was feeling. Her anger died as quickly as it rose. She didn’t like to hold on to a negative mood for long.

  “Nothing, just Laredo coming on to me. What else is new? He was trying to get you earlier, wasn’t he?”

  Katrenda snorted. “Until I cut him down to an inch tall. If he’s messing my little ray of sunshine Jasmeka me and him is going to have a problem.”

  Jasmeka laughed. “Leave it alone. He got the message.”

  “No man ever gets the message with you.” Her sister frowned. “I’m the one searching high and low for a husband. Meanwhile, they’re clamoring over you, and you won’t give them the time of day.”

  “You’re exaggerating.”

  Katrenda penned her with a look of disbelief. “You think I didn’t notice how long you were inside with Miguel?”

  “He was helping with the tray. I told him he didn’t need to, but I think he needed to stay busy. Probably why he came to the barbecue.”

  Jasmeka held her breath, hoping her sister would believe her. She didn’t want to get into talking about the arrangement she had made with Miguel. Back when she told Katrenda about her feelings for David, her sister had had a fit. It grew worse when Katrenda learned David rejected her. Afterward, her sister kept pushing her to leave her job and do catering fulltime. Jasmeka knew she could be successful at her dream even now with her current clients, but she wasn’t ready to make the move.

  “Oh, well, anyway, there’s no way Laredo is going to take the hint.” Katrenda might be younger than Jasmeka by a year, but she had always stood in defense of Jasmeka because of her more forceful personality. “He’s not going to leave you alone until he thinks there’s somebody else.”

  Jasmeka busied herself with pulling out a bowl of ambrosia from the fridge. “That or you get violent. Stay away from him, Tren.”

  “You make me sound wild.”

  Jasmeka cut her eyes at her sister.

  “What?”

  “Tren!”

  Katrenda held her hands up. “All right. I was just going to threaten him, but I’ll wait until after he pays the rest of what he owes you.”

  “If you threaten him, I’m going to fire you.”

  “You wouldn’t!”

  Jasmeka straightened and tucked a hand on her hip. She bit back a smile and kept a stern look on her face. The truth was, she had fired Katrenda twice before—both times because her sister didn’t know how to keep her lips together. This was why she was just an extra pair of hands when Jasmeka needed her.

  “Fine. If you’re going to be like that, I won’t say a word.” Katrenda was never offended or truly mad at Jasmeka. Her sister went far beyond loyal, and she loved her for it.

  “Thank you.”

  “Until you beg me.”

  “Tren.” Jasmeka snorted with laughter.

  “Just sayin’.”

  “I don’t know what to do with you. Take this outside, please. The sooner this party is over, the better.”

  They worked the rest of the party, and to Jasmeka’s relief, Laredo kept his distance. He handed her a check for the balance of what he owed her, and she was able to get off her feet to drive home.

  * * *

  The shower felt good after a long day, and Jasmeka let the water run over her skin until it cooled. She scrubbed her aching muscles, rinsed, and hopped out to find a change of clothes.

  Something rustled, and she glanced around to find a note sliding beneath the door. Her heartbeat kicked up a few notches as she strolled over to pick up the note.

  Meet me down at the river near the hollow tree.

  Don’t keep me waiting.

  She rolled her eyes. Bossy much? She wondered how he knew about the hollow tree with all the running around he’d done since he arrived in town.

  “Oh, yeah, he grew up here.” She shook her head at her forgetful mind. Maybe he didn’t know his brothers liked hanging out down there. Who didn’t, especially at night? With silver light from the moon, a peaceful song from the crickets, and warm weather with a slight breeze coming off the river, it was the perfect spot.

  Jasmeka slipped into a sundress and flip-flops instead of her usual shorts and T-shirt. She puttered about the house, pretending to clean up some more. The truth was, she had taken care of everything earlier. They were all pretty good about considering her workload and straightening up after themselves.

  The boys had gone out right after dinner, and Thiago shut himself in his study as he often did. When Aunt Rosa retired to her private room on the first floor, Jasmeka wiped her hands on a dishtowel, and took off the apron she’d been wearing. She poured herself a glass of ice tea and took it to the porch. Slipping her feet out of her flip-flops, she sat down on the swing and began to rock.

  “Jas.”

  She jumped and peered into the shadows. Two figures dislodged themselves from the darkness and walked toward her. She’d known they were waiting until no one was around and was glad her eagerness hadn’t driven her straight to the meeting spot.

  “You scared me, Tony.” She rested a hand on her chest. “Don’t do that.”

  “Sorry.” He sounded annoyed, always so angry, just like his big brother. She found it funny that they would probably both deny it. Neither was very honest with themselves or others when it came to their emotions.

  “Jas,” Angel began, but Antonio bumped him aside. Antonio would never let his twin get ahead of him. He almost forced Angel to follow no matter what. She dreamed of seeing Angel step out and be the man she knew he could be someday.

  “Let me do it,” Antonio demanded. “We’re sorry, okay? There!”

  She chuckled under breath. Pretty defensive.

  He went on. “You have to admit we kind of saved you, right? I mean he’s a loser. We don’t need him around here. We’re fine without him.”

  “He’s your big brother.”

  Antonio growled in disgust.

  “He abandoned us,” Angel said, and her heart broke.

  “He’s not your dad, Angel, and to be fair,
he was just your age when he moved away. He wasn’t a legal adult yet, so he had to go where his mother took him.”

  “You’re defending him?” Both of them spoke at the same time.

  She sighed. “No, I’m not. But I would love to see you three get along and get to know each other.”

  Antonio spat on the ground.

  “Antonio!” She hated that habit some of the guys used to express their dislike of something. It was gross.

  “Sorry,” he muttered, “but I don’t like him, and I’m never going to. I hope he leaves tomorrow. Good riddance.”

  She decided not to mention that their intense dislike had nothing to do with Miguel’s character, which they knew nothing about. It had everything to do with the poison Aunt Rosa had sowed into their hearts. She heard it a few times herself in the past, especially because David often talked about Miguel. He’d missed Miguel, and he saw him in Antonio just like she did. Aunt Rosa would always jump on the opportunity to negate the good memories David shared with sour comments of her own.

  “What about you, Angel?” she said. “You feel the same way?”

  “Of course he does!” Antonio answered for his brother and pointed a finger at her, straightening to his full height. “You saw how he is, so don’t be nice to him. You’re always good to everybody.”

  “Don’t worry.” Angel’s voice was full of embarrassment. He looked everywhere but at her. “We’ll take care of you and Aunt Rosa and Dad. We’re the head of the house now, and we’ll protect you.”

  Tears filled her eyes. “Aw, you boys are so sweet.”

  “Men,” they both shouted. She laughed.

  “My bad. You men are so sweet. Thank you.”

  They nodded at her acknowledgement of their status. There was no sense correcting them that, against his and their will, Miguel was the head of the family. Both boys moved toward the door to enter the house. She bit her lip, trying to think of an excuse to question them on what they intended to do.

  “Um, there’s no way you’re about to turn in this early.” She couldn’t come up with anything better.

  Angel practically bounced up and down, and from the light coming out from house, she saw the excitement on his face. “We have to. We’ve got to be up early. Tomorrow we’re breaking in a horse.”

  Antonio talked over him. “We bought Dusty Sun, Jas. Dad signed the papers and everything!”

  She frowned. “Are you sure about this, boys? You’ve never broken a horse without David’s help.”

  “But he was going to let us this year. Aunt Rosa made him too overprotective. We’re doing it. Dad said we could.”

  They both whined, trying to convince her although she didn’t have any say in the matter. The fact that they needed her to be excited about their intentions worried her that they weren’t mentally ready to go it on their own. Thiago probably had no clue what he was signing or the danger involved. Once again, she regretted that Aunt Rosa wasn’t allowing them to be prepared for life or for the real work of the family business. David had never pushed for them to grow stronger either, maybe because he was afraid of losing more family. It made her sad to think about.

  “All right. Just be careful. I beg you.”

  “We will,” they chimed and disappeared into the house.

  Jasmeka took only a moment or two to drink her iced tea and then put the glass in the kitchen before heading down to the meeting spot. Her heart hammered in her chest as she went. She didn’t know why she felt so nervous. Maybe because this idea was outside of her comfort zone, and she already knew how far she was willing to go.

  As she stepped off the paved trail onto the beaten one made by years of town residents, she picked up the pace. Anticipation came over her to see him, to feel his arms around her and their lips touching.

  “Wow, Jas, it’s been a while.” She chuckled under her breath. “Get a grip, girl. Next, you’ll be thinking you’re falling for him. That can’t happen.”

  She found him leaning against a tree when she arrived, his handsome profile making her pulse even more erratic. He didn’t look her way, although he must have heard her approach. She paused, drinking him in with his jeans slung low on his hips and wearing cowboy boots. The pale colored tee caught the light of the moon. All he needed was a hat tucked low over his eyes, and he’d be perfect. Did he know how much he had slipped into the role of a cowboy in the few days since he had been home? This was where he belonged. She was sure of it. That scent of the big city had already faded, and she couldn’t help liking the fact. Maybe she should do all in her power to convince him to stay.

  “Contemplating your existence?” she teased.

  His gaze shifted to her, but she couldn’t see into his eyes. Did he feel a shortness of breath the way she did? Probably not. Attraction maybe. “You kept me waiting,” came the deep response.

  “I couldn’t help it. I had things to do, and the boys hadn’t turned in yet.”

  “You’re ignoring their warning, after all the trouble they went to. I don’t blame you for hiding.”

  She pursed her lips. “You’re the one who wanted to meet down here.”

  He pushed off from the tree and faced her. “Because I didn’t want any disturbances.”

  He opened his arms and waited, threatening to stop her heart. She hesitated only a moment before drifting into his embrace. As soon as she rested against his chest, his hands came around her, sending fire through her body from his fingertips on her rear. He drew her closer, and she went up to her tiptoes. His head came down, and he claimed her lips in a searing kiss. She surrendered to the thrust of his tongue and moaned softly.

  Afterward, she panted but was satisfied to hear he’d lost his breath too. Sliding her hands up his chest, she nestled closer to him and locked her fingers at his nape.

  “You taste sweet,” he moaned.

  “I had iced tea before I came.”

  “Not that.”

  She tilted her head to the side. “What?”

  His gaze flicked to her lips, and she licked them. It was as if a spark of lightning passed between them. Just that tiny move had heightened his interest, and it blew her mind to know it. Nervous tension stirred in her belly, and she found a need to talk.

  “Miguel, the boys are supposed to be breaking in a horse tomorrow. I don’t know if you know anything about it, but could you at least keep an eye on them? It would be a huge favor to me.”

  His eyebrows rose, and his hold loosened a little. “It shouldn’t be a big deal at their age.”

  “Aunt Rosa has protected them like they’re babies all their lives, and David didn’t go against her all that often.”

  He frowned.

  “If you don’t want to, I can find someone else.” She started to pull out of his arms, and to her surprise he let her go. He moved to the water’s edge, and she watched his back all rigid and unyielding. Frustration washed over her. “They haven’t done anything to you, Miguel. They’re kids, and they don’t deserve to have you take your dad’s sins out on them.”

  He swung to face her, obviously ticked off. “I’ve never acted against them!”

  “You haven’t done anything for them either.”

  “You’re blaming me too?”

  She snapped her lips together, shocked at her own anger. He stepped forward, and for some reason his presence was so overwhelming, she dropped back a pace. Before she could get out of reach, Miguel’s hand snaked out, and his fingers encircled her wrist. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of struggling.

  “Why don’t you tell me how you really feel?” he growled.

  “I-I don’t feel anything.” She looked away. “I’m just thinking of the boys.”

  “You’re lying. I deal with criminals every day.”

  “You’re calling me a criminal?”

  He uttered a low dry chuckle. “No, I’m saying I know when someone’s lying to me. I’ve had practice at it. Besides, you’re not very good at hiding your feelings.”

  He dragged he
r against his chest. Even angry he was still so obviously turned on. His arm was a steel band about her waist, and his fingers bit into her back. Not painfully so but with such heat, he scorched her skin.

  “You want me,” he explained, “but you’re also pissed at me.”

  “I don’t—”

  “—know what I’m talking about?”

  She pressed her lips together and then relented. He wanted to hear it, so she might as well tell him. “It’s your fault that David wouldn’t let himself love.”

  “Excuse me?”

  She pushed his chest and got a couple millimeters of space to look into his eyes. “I put two and two together. Some of the things he said to me and how you admitted you left the relationship. You accused him of being just like Thiago, that he was a womanizer and a drunk. Then you told him you were never coming back.”

  Miguel released her, and she almost fell on the ground before she caught herself. He turned away again, but she wasn’t going to shut up now. She moved around in front of him to force him to look at her.

  “You said all that horrible stuff. Did it ever occur to you how much that would hurt him?”

  “I’ve said worse to Thiago.”

  “Yeah, well David wasn’t like your dad. Not by a long shot. If he really was the way you say he was, he changed. For the entire time I’ve worked for your family, I’ve never seen him get drunk. Ever. I’ve never seen him go on a date. Women were always trying to get his attention, but he didn’t give them a chance. Maybe he kept it really private, but I doubt it. He worked like an animal building up the ranch.”

  “That has nothing to do with me.”

  “It has everything to do with you!”

  She grabbed his arm, but he shook her off. He wasn’t getting away that easily. She got into his face, but being shorter than he was and smaller, she had to tilt her head back and stand as strong as she could against his stocky build.

  “David loved you. He missed you, and he was doing all he did for you, in preparation for when you would come back to the ranch and make it your home again.”