Destination: Love (The Sandera, Texas Series)

by Hollister, Raine

  The snub to her son did not go unnoticed. Josie compressed her lips tightly, threw her napkin on the table, and started to rise, but Consuelo came over and sat down next to Logan.

  Again Josie wondered if Consuelo and Logan were sweethearts. It was none of her business, of course, but how could someone as nice and spirited as Consuelo choose a lover as arrogant and boring as Logan McKinnon? Josie could well imagine what it would be like to share an intimate, day-to-day relationship with this stuffed shirt. Why, he was probably about as lovable as a prickly cactus.

  “Sorry it took me so long, but I had some last minute catering changes for a party this weekend,” Consuelo announced. “One of my cooks always gets nervous that things aren’t going to go just right. She’s afraid that we’ll run out of meat for the fajitas or the enchiladas will burn. Sometimes she can be such a pessimist. If she wasn’t my aunt, I’d fire her. Besides, she makes the best tamales at Christmas time.” Consuelo smiled at the thought. “So how’s the food, chica?”

  Josie leaned back and sighed. “Best fajitas I’ve ever eaten. But way too much food for me,” she added, pushing her plate to one side. “If I eat anymore, I’ll have to unzip my jeans.” Josie was uncomfortably aware of Logan’s assessing gaze.

  Consuelo gave them her infectious grin. “Well, as soon as you can breathe, I’d like to show you something.”

  Josie glanced down at Michael. “Are you through, sweetheart?”

  Michael nodded and lifted his napkin to wipe his mouth.

  “All right,” Josie said. “We’re ready. And I can really use the walk.”

  Consuelo turned to face Logan. “Would you like to come along?”

  Logan rose from his chair. “No. You go ahead. I have to leave.” He turned to Josie. “I’ll send my deputy by later to take your statement.”

  He barely gave her time to reply before he walked away. She remembered he’d done the same thing at the hospital last night—just left without a backward glance. Her brows drew together in a frown as she stared at his retreating back. He certainly was a man of very few words.

  Consuelo was leading them away from the table when Josie stopped suddenly. Her dislike of Logan had made her forget her manners.

  “Consuelo, would you mind waiting for a moment? I need to speak to Logan. It won’t take long.”

  “Of course. Come, Michael, there’s someone I want you to meet.”

  Josie caught up with him just as he reached the door.

  “Sheriff McKinnon!”

  Logan stopped, turned around, and waited for her.

  Rather stiffly at first, Josie said, “I almost forgot to thank you for all you’ve done. It was ... kind of you to help us.”

  His expression remained somber and guarded. “It’s my job. I was glad to help.”

  Nodding politely, Josie added, “Nevertheless, you saved my life, and you brought us here. Thank you.” She held out her hand.

  He didn’t take her outstretched hand immediately, and Josie wondered if he would leave her hanging.

  When their hands finally touched, she was surprised by the warmth and strength of his palm.

  Warm hands. Cold heart.

  “You’re welcome,” was his husky reply.

  And in the second before he let go of her hand and opened the door, just before the sun blinded her eyes, she saw his golden eyes squint slightly with amusement.

  Then the door closed in her face, and he was gone.

  He had done it again—made her feel like a complete idiot.

  Well, he was gone, and most likely she wouldn’t see him again. As she threaded her way between tables in search of Consuelo, she wondered why he had kept staring at her lips.

  A thought occurred to her. Were there crumbs on her mouth? Embarrassment swept through her as she reached up to rub her mouth, just in case.

  Consuelo led Josie and Michael through the kitchen and up a flight of stairs. At the top, she opened a door that led to a small foyer and beyond.

  “This is the living room, of course, and the kitchen. It’s small, but then I usually eat in the restaurant kitchen downstairs. The living room and a bathroom separate the two bedrooms. My bedroom has its own bath.

  “It’s very nice,” Josie said.

  “It suits me just fine,” Consuelo admitted proudly. “And I don’t have to commute to work. That’s the best part.”

  “Do you have family here in Sandera?” Josie asked.

  “My father died six years ago, and a year later, my husband.”

  “I’m sorry. It must have been terrible for you.” Josie’s heart ached for her newfound friend.

  Consuelo shrugged. “They had both been ill for some time. My younger sister lives with my mother.

  “Mom, I’m tired. Can I sit down?”

  Josie glanced down at Michael in time to see him yawn.”

  “Of course he can. Here, Michael, would you like to lie down on the bed for a while? Your mommy and I can sit right here and talk, okay?”

  “Okay,” Michael said, and he yawned again. He rubbed his eyes and lay down, but not before he made sure his mother was still close by.

  “Thank you,” Josie said to Consuelo as she sank wearily into an overstuffed chair beside the bed. The rich food she’d just eaten was making her feel drowsy, too. Oh, to be a child again, like Michael and be able to sleep so easily, she thought.

  The seriousness of her plight hit her again, and she wanted to close her eyes to shut out the world, to rid herself of all the anxiety she felt at this moment.

  “So how are things going?” Consuelo pulled a chair from in front of a vanity table and set it down next to Josie.

  Tears threatened to spill, but Josie blinked them away. “My car was found, but it won’t run, needs serious repairs. The insurance company won’t pay my claim because my ex-husband didn’t pay the premiums like he promised.”

  Consuelo nodded in understanding. “So now you’re stuck with a repair bill and no car.”

  “Yes,” Josie sighed.”

  Consuelo glanced toward the bed and lowered her voice. “Well, my invitation still stands. You’re welcome to stay here until you figure out what to do.”

  Josie managed a weak smile. “Thank you, Consuelo. I would like to stay the night. I’ll call my aunt tomorrow and ask her to send us bus fare.”

  Consuelo was silent for a moment.

  “There’s another way, Josie. I happen to need help here at the restaurant. One of my people quit to have a baby and stay home. If you like, you could work here until you get the money to fix your car. Free room and board plus salary and tips, and you’ll have Michael close by.”

  For a moment, Josie looked hopeful.

  Consuelo leaned forward. “Josie, the first thing I always tell someone I like—and believe me, I don’t go to all this trouble for everyone—I tell them to take a deep breath, and then do what their heart tells them. I know you’re going through a tough time, but try not to let things get you down, because that tends to hinder you from going forward. You know what I mean?”

  Josie nodded. “And do they? I mean, take your advice?”

  Consuelo cocked her head to one side. “Well...sort of. That’s why the second thing I tell them is to ignore what I said. Then if things don’t turn out, they can’t blame me.”

  Both women laughed. Josie really liked Consuelo and how easily she made her laugh. She was small, but her heart was big.

  Josie couldn’t resist asking. “Consuelo, do you follow your own advice?”

  A dimple appeared on one cheek. “Absolutely. Being a free spirit gives me lots of room to grow. I try not to take things too seriously.” She was thoughtful for a moment. “Although, it wasn’t always that way. I learned my lessons the hard way. But that’s another story, and I’m afraid you’d find it boring.”

  Josie couldn’t imagine Consuelo boring anyone.

  Consuelo patted her on the hand. “Tell me, why do you have to make sense of it all? Why not trust? Just jump, and see where y
ou land.”

  Josie sighed. “I wish I could be as sure as you.”

  “I’m not certain of anything. I just sort of go with the flow. You can do the same. Trust your faith, Josie, and see where fate takes you.”

  Josie gave a hollow laugh. Look where fate had landed her so far—broke and stranded in a strange town, rescued by a man whose penetrating eyes told her she wasn’t welcome there. What would Logan say if he knew she was thinking of staying in town? Judging from the way he’d treated her and her son today, he would probably take up a collection to get rid of her.

  Josie cleared her throat. “Can I give you my decision later?”

  “Of course.”

  Both women fell silent. Josie leaned back, resting her head against the back of the cushiony chair, and closed her eyes. Only for a moment, she promised. I’ll just rest my eyes.

  Her breathing slowed, and her nostrils flared slightly from the sweet scent of a burning candle. Rose petals? Somewhere close by, a clock ticked off a minute, then another.

  Josie’s last thought before she drifted off to sleep was how good it felt not to think.

  Logan sat behind the steering wheel of his car outside the restaurant, its engine running and his mind spinning with unwelcome thoughts. Ten minutes had passed, and still he made no move to leave.

  Earlier, he’d been tempted to draw Consuelo to one side, to remind her of what happened to people who did good deeds. Sometimes strays bit the hand that fed them.

  He knew Consuelo would offer Josie and her son shelter for the night, and that tomorrow she might even spring for their bus fare. But he’d wanted to make certain that was all.

  Consuelo liked to help people. Logan recalled how one of her Samaritan acts had cost her plenty. A couple, so-called friends of one of her cousins in Houston, had spent the night on their way to Mexico. They had left the following morning, taking some of Consuelo’s jewelry and linens. Consuelo had been in a rage. She didn’t care about the jewelry, but the linens had been gifts—lovingly crafted and embroidered by her grandmother. She had vowed she would be very leery of ever helping anyone again.

  His thoughts returned to Josie. Once she was gone and he didn’t have to look at her son’s familiar features again, his life could return to normal. At Tinos, when she’d hugged her son tightly, Logan had seen how much Josie loved him. And Logan was banking on her concern for her son. It wouldn’t allow her to stay in a strange town. After all, she had the boy’s welfare and future to think about.

  He glanced up toward the balcony and Consuelo’s guest room—where Josie would be sleeping that night.

  If he knew anything about women, it was that they held on to their independence like a security blanket.

  And Josie Hughes looked like the kind of woman who valued security over everything else. She would run to familiar ground.

  She’d be gone tomorrow.

  He had nothing to worry about.

  Chapter 4

  “I’ll stay.” Josie’s heart hammered with somewhat hollow zeal as she pushed uncertainty aside and stood facing Consuelo downstairs in the kitchen.

  Surprised to discover she’d drifted off to sleep, Josie had awakened, startled, glanced over toward the bed, and seen Michael napping peacefully. Without another thought, right there on the spot, she had decided to accept Consuelo’s offer.

  She’d leaned over and kissed Michael awake and told him of her decision, explaining it would only be temporary. With a sleepy nod, he’d given his approval.

  Josie didn’t make decisions lightly. She usually weighed and analyzed her options to the extreme. Often they were finally taken out of her hands, and carried through by someone else. Her marriage had been a prime example.

  For several months, Josie had put aside the problem of how to deal with a strained marriage. In the end, Doug had come to her and told her he wanted a divorce.

  His announcement had thrown her into a tailspin, and she was still reeling from the aftershock.

  Josie had considered moving in with her parents, retirees living in Monterey, Mexico, but decided against it. The last phone conversation she’d had with her extremely traditional parents had decided for her. They’d made it quite clear that a wife and mother always stuck it out in a marriage, no matter what. Out of respect, Josie had kept from blurting out that her soon to be ex-husband would not appreciate her hanging around while he and his new future wife planned their honeymoon.

  Now, as she stood facing Consuelo with a choice that would ultimately alter her and her son’s life, Josie told herself that her decision wasn’t chiseled in stone. She could change her mind anytime.

  But the truth was, having decided to stay and work off her debt, Josie now felt stirrings of sober reflection on life. Did people ever fully control their own destinies? Consuelo had asked her to trust, to see where fate led her. As far as Josie was concerned, there was no more room for doubt. If she suffered any pangs of doubt, they were soon erased by Consuelo.

  “Hey, Josie, that’s fantastic. I have a good feeling about this!” Consuelo smiled as she hugged her newest friend. “Come, I want you to meet everyone.”

  The noon rush was over, and Consuelo opened the kitchen door to summon the waiters, Danny and Enrique, along with the hostess, Sophia. Josie waited nervously, aware that the cook studied her closely.

  Consuelo quickly made introductions, and when she reached the cook she said, “This is my aunt Juana. I love to cook, so I often help her. I also have a cousin who comes in on weekends to help with the cooking.”

  Josie smiled, hoping she wouldn’t call everyone by the wrong name.

  “When would you like me to start work?” she asked, more than a little timid.

  “How about tomorrow? My uncle told me that you need to take it easy today.” Consuelo frowned. “I heard you suffered quite a bump on your head. I’m glad you decided to stay. Why don’t you and Michael get situated? One day this week, I’ll be glad to show you around town.”

  “I’d like that. Thanks!” Josie paused and took a nervous breath. “I hate to impose further, but is there some way I can get our clothes from my car? It’s at Tino’s.”

  “No problem. I’ll send one of my—.”

  “Cousins?” Josie finished.

  Consuelo grinned and nodded. “What can I say? I have a big family.”

  Several hours later, after Josie had retrieved their luggage from the car, unpacked, and put away the last item of clothing, a bolt of apprehension ran through her again, but she pushed it away. This was the right thing to do— for now. She classified it as an ETA—emergency, temporary arrangement.

  She went outside to the balcony of their bedroom. It looked out on a river that ran along the back of the restaurant. Consuelo had called it Dry Devil’s River, adding that it snaked through town but was virtually dry most of the time.

  In the twilight, as shadows yawned and stretched before her, Josie stared at the river for a long moment. It was as empty and black as her future.

  She knew the time ahead would be busy and alien to her. The future would come one day at a time, and Josie was determined to get through each one the best way she could.

  After all, they were just days.

  The following morning, Josie showed up for work thirty minutes early. She had simply followed the clatter of dishes and enticing aroma of freshly ground coffee downstairs, to the kitchen.

  Just before eleven o’clock, when the restaurant opened, Josie made her way to the front door, where she would act as hostess until one o’clock. Then, from three until seven-thirty or eight, she would wait on tables. The hours suited her because they allowed her to have lunch with Michael and spend the evening with him.

  Josie felt self-conscious as she escorted a couple to their table. The bright red uniform Consuelo had handed her last night consisted of a full skirt and a peasant blouse that could be worn on or off the shoulder. Josie had frowned as she’d glanced in the mirror that morning. The skirt seemed too short, and the blouse a lit
tle snug. And, was it her imagination, or did she look like a tomato? She shrugged. There was nothing she could do about it right then. She had her first day of employment to get through.

  By the end of the day her feet ached, and her back felt stiff. Yawning, she wondered how long it would take her to raise the money to repair her car. She yawned again. She would figure it out tomorrow, when she could keep her eyes open.

  By Sunday, she was no closer to figuring it out. The hours flew by.

  On Monday, the restaurant closed, and, true to her word, Consuelo took Josie and Michael on a trip through town. They visited several shops and bought fresh vegetables from El Mercado, the produce market. On their return trip home, Consuelo shared town history and gossip.

  The rest of the week passed by in a frenzy of activity as Josie attempted to adjust to the town, to work, and to her situation. She knew the whole town was abuzz with the news of what had happened to her, because there hadn’t been a day when someone didn’t come into the restaurant wanting to help in some way. They had offered to donate clothes and had issued invitations to parties and other celebrations. Josie had politely turned them all down.

  Most people asked Josie about her ordeal. Had Logan really picked her up like a sack of potatoes and taken her to the hospital? With a prim smile, Josie had answered that no, he had only carted her as far as the ambulance.

  Consuelo said that she hadn’t had that much business since she’d first opened the restaurant five years ago. “It’s a small town,” she told Josie. “These people lack excitement, so you’re it for now.”

  But Josie wasn’t used to the kindness of strangers. Her ex-husband’s friends had been snobs. Was it possible for this many people to be so concerned about someone they didn’t know?

  Juana was the exception. Juana, who seemed to reserve judgment about Josie, had taken to her son immediately, though. She took Michael under her maternal wing, told him she had five children of her own, all grown and married, and added that as long as Michael planned to be in town he should learn how to cook, and she was just the one to teach him. Josie could tell her son liked the elderly woman.