Love Caters All

by Nicci Carrera

  “So...does that mean you’re not interested in him?” Cara said. “If I find him interesting, I can have him?”

  Maya’s throat tightened. Should she tell them she had a date with Rick? No, they hadn’t set a specific time. She really didn’t want to say anything only to have the plans fall through.

  “How’d you get him to come to our party?” Blanca said.

  Of course one of the twins would be more appropriate for Rick. In fact she should just fix one of them up with him, get it over with. The cold heavy cream cheese was hard to stir. She should have brought the mixer home from work.

  “Maya?” Blanca said.

  “Yes?”

  “How did you convince Rick Nordan to come for lunch?”

  “Mama made cookies for him last night.”

  “Say no more,” Cara said.

  “What was she doing baking cookies?” Blanca said. “She’s not going to do that with all the guests, is she?”

  “That’s the problem! She thinks of them as guests, not as customers.”

  “Maybe Mama isn’t cut out to be a real-estate mogul,” Cara said.

  “How did he take it?” Blanca said.

  An image of Rick without his shirt flashed. Maya gripped the long wooden spoon. She leaned hard into the heavy mixture. “Well, he loved it, but someone else might not.”

  “I can’t wait to meet him,” Cara said.

  Maya gulped.

  ****

  Rick pulled to a stop in front of a log cabin shaded by heavy forest. The house was solid enough, but little signs pointed to deferred maintenance, if not neglect. The worst part was the brush encroached too near the house. There wasn’t enough defensible space. Maybe they didn’t have to worry about forest fires here on Mount Desert Island as much as in California, but he still didn’t like it.

  Grabbing the bottle of wine he’d bought at a local liquor store, Rick climbed from the car. The rustic house was two stories with a separate garage. In addition to the two cars parked in front, a pink van with “Love Caters All” painted inside a big heart completed the picture. Too damn cute but pure Maya Cruz. She was cute and sexy. What would she be like around the twins? Would her life-raft role, as Sin had described the family dynamic, be on display?

  A beautiful woman answered the door. Dark hair spilled over a well-filled-out white sweater.

  “Hi, you must be one of Maya’s sisters.” She was a lot taller than Maya.

  “Hi, I’m Cara Cruz. You must be Rick Nordan! Blanca and I are huge fans.”

  “Blanca?”

  “You called?” said an exact replica of the woman before him, except with a red sweater.

  “Hello.” Rick knew Maya’s sisters were twins, but their similarity was amazing. Good thing they weren’t dressed the same. “I’m Rick Nordan.”

  “Oh...I know.”

  “Are you Blanca, then?”

  “Yes, sorry!” Blanca shook his hand.

  “Are you going to let Rick in or what?” Maya’s voice came from behind the two women. Poor thing. Probably not wearing those heels today. Maybe she took after her mama while the sisters took after the dad.

  The wall o’ supermodel parted, revealing Maya in skyscraper heels, lips painted fuck-me red. Rick’s body tightened.

  “Woof!” A black lab shoved his completely white muzzle between three sets of feminine legs. Clouded dark eyes gazed up at him.

  “No, Ripper!” Maya said.

  “Woof!” Ripper’s tail wagged, undermining his fierce warning.

  “Hey, boy.” Rick crouched.

  The dog surged. His long tongue slid out, delivering a sloppy lick across Rick’s face.

  “Ripper!” Maya said. “I’m sorry. There’s a bathroom right there if you want to wash your face.”

  “No problem.” Rick stood, wiped his face with the back of his hand, and offered Maya the bottle of wine.

  “Thanks!” She glanced at the label with a smile. “I know our family has strange welcome routines.”

  “They work for me.”

  Maya’s face relaxed. She must be worried about the line she walked. They didn’t rent the house for grins. It was their business. Had she come to her senses about flirting with him? His gut tensed.

  The tangy aromas of the kitchen were replaced by something foul. Rick suspected the source. He stood, but left his fingers on the dog’s head. He followed the women into a great room with a vaulted ceiling. To the left, steep steps ended on the second story where a walkway connected the rooms with a way-too-low railing. Nothing in this place looked up-to-code. A lot of things looked not quite...finished. A set of temporary steps made from two-by-fours descended to a basement. The living room was cozy, though. The big fireplace had lighted candles of varying heights, a nice touch since the room didn’t get a lot of light. They were vanilla scented too.

  “Hello, Mr. Nordan.” Maya’s mom rose from the couch.

  He took Mrs. Cruz’s hand. “Please call me Rick, Mrs. Cruz.”

  She nodded. Some inner light fired her perceptive eyes. He was drawn to her like a cold skier to a blazing hearth.

  “You must call me Pilar,” she said. “How do you like Lobster Cove so far?”

  “It’s great. I took a walk around the town. It’s a marvel how the island combines forests, mountains, and the ocean. I’d like to get some pictures while I’m here.”

  “There are a lot of artists in Lobster Cove,” Cara said. “In fact, there’s an Oil and Water Art Festival on Sunday. There’s lots of stuff—paintings—for sale that depict the area. Photography too. Some artists open their studios. It’s a hoot. I plan to go if you want to join me.”

  Maya frowned.

  Pilar’s gaze slid between her two daughters. Her brow furrowed.

  Either Maya hadn’t told Cara about their date, or Cara was a real bitch. Either way, Rick had a bullet to dodge. “Thanks, but I thought I’d try fishing on Sunday.” It was all he could think of.

  “There’s a reception on Friday night,” Cara said.

  Maya’s face was red. “Yes, which I happen to be catering.”

  “That’s perfect! Rick and I could come by to visit.”

  “Sounds like a lot of work,” Rick said. “How ’bout if I help you cater, Maya?”

  Cara smiled. “You?”

  So the little sister was trying to see if he was interested in Maya. He was. If he helped Maya he would be close to her when she was hot and sweaty. Not how he wanted to get her hot and sweaty, but it was a start.

  “Don’t be ridiculous,” Maya said to Cara. To Rick, she said, “Are you going out on one of the charters?”

  Rick bristled at Maya’s dismissal of his offer to help. “Yes.” He kept it short. Maybe because his shorts had just been yanked. What made the idea of his help so ridiculous?

  “Rick is the CEO of one of the companies we studied in school, Mama.” Blanca said.

  “It’s called GameCom,” Cara added.

  Fishing sounded pretty damn good now. Get out on the water, away from all this estrogen. “What school did you go to?” An attempt to redirect the conversation off himself.

  “UC Berkeley,” the twins chorused.

  “Why so far from home?”

  “Scholarship.”

  He whistled under his breath. Brains must run in the family. Maya looked a little strange, both proud and...something else. If only he could kiss the sweet pout off her lips.

  “Maya had a scholarship too.” Pilar beamed at her eldest child. “For cooking school in New York.”

  Maya shook her head. Odd. He tore his gaze from Maya and returned it to Pilar. “You have a lot to be proud of.”

  “Yes.”

  “Well, lunch is almost ready,” Maya said.

  Pilar led the way into a dining room off the kitchen. More incomplete details were in evidence in both rooms. Windows framed-in but not finished. Two-by-fours used to frame steps should have been replaced by hard wood. The pine boards were not made for weather. They’d warped an
d separated. The gap would eat one of Maya’s high heels for lunch.

  “I hope you’re hungry,” Maya said.

  “Yes. The Sailor’s Special from Maggie’s Diner has worn off.”

  “Maggie’s is a great place. I’m glad you tried it.”

  “I ran into a friend of yours there.”

  “Oh?” Maya headed into the kitchen. “Who?”

  “Sinclair.”

  “Sin! How was she?”

  “In rare form.”

  Maya fussed with some vegetables. “I bet she flirted with you.” Her lower lip slipped between her teeth.

  “At first.”

  She glanced at him. Was that relief in her eyes? She looked about to say something but glanced at Cara who watched the interchange with a smug smile.

  “How does Packer Howler buying Boston Gaming Inc. affect you?” Blanca had opened a bench-seat. She removed plates from the storage area which looked like it also stored books. Bent at the waist, Blanca regarded him through a curtain of dark hair. Maya’s sisters were hot. Maya was more beautiful, though. “The merger between Packer Howler and BGI must be really bad for you.”

  “Packer Howler is such a big multinational computer company.” Cara picked up the new thread. “Now, BGI will go from being your biggest competitor to having access to Packer Howler’s legendary development lab. Everyone’s talking about it in B-school.”

  Rick clenched his jaw. Time to set the record straight. “Packer Howler Labs is a legend in their own mind. They haven’t produced anything competitive in the last 15 years.”

  “So you’re not worried?”

  “No. Quite the contrary. The merger is the best thing that could have happened.”

  “How so?”

  Now was not the time to offer his views on business. Rick took a deep breath. The room would have been too warm had the dining room windows not been open. A breeze carried woodsy scented cool air inside. It would be nice to relax, to enjoy the atmosphere, instead of answering curious business-school students’ questions.

  “Give the man a break,” Maya said, from the kitchen sink where she was washing vegetables as Pilar handed them from the fridge. “He’s on vacation.”

  Rick couldn’t let the gauntlet lie, however. “The worst thing Packer Howler did was fire the founder. They ended up pissing off the top engineers. They all left. The former BGI power-house is now just a hollowed-out shell.”

  “These big companies have no idea people are by far their most important asset,” Maya said, dicing the vegetables at an alarming pace. The sound of the knife’s rapid click added a beat to the kitchen atmosphere.

  His concern for the welfare of Maya’s fingers eased as he absorbed her skill with a knife and her keen observations about business. Maya seemed to understand subtleties of human relations in a way most B-school bean counters overlooked. In fact considering people a company’s most important asset was what gave Rick’s company its advantage. Treating people well had made GameCom’s growth skyrocket. Maya should have gone to business school too. Or maybe she didn’t need it. She had excellent instincts.

  Maya glanced up, still slicing a cucumber at top speed. “Why did they fire him?”

  “Be careful there, Maya.” Only when she turned her attention back to the cucumber did Rick continue. “The guy didn’t know he needed to kiss the CEO’s ring. He made the mistake of contradicting Dick Byrd in public.”

  “Ouch.” Maya shook her head. “Politics.”

  “Where’s your fiancée?” Cara said.

  He tried not to wince.

  Mama slammed the refrigerator. “You don’t ask someone personal questions.” She waggled her finger at Cara, ordering her wayward daughter into the kitchen.

  “I’m so sorry,” Maya said, with a sharp glance to her sister. “Cara is sharp like a tack but also as subtle.”

  “Oh, no, it’s okay. The problem with being a public figure is everyone knows your business before you do.”

  “Well, I’m still sorry. You’re a guest here.”

  “You certainly have made me feel like a guest.”

  “Not a customer?” She smiled.

  “No. That’s a good thing.”

  “I’m done with the prep work. It’s the girls’ job—I mean Cara’s and Blanca’s—to set up the buffet. We have a few minutes. How would you like a house tour?”

  “Sounds great.”

  Maya led the way to the stairs. The railing on the stairs came up to about the height of his knees. He didn’t like the safety hazard, but following Maya’s heart-shaped ass was a treat.

  “There are three bedrooms on this floor.” She pointed to the left.

  “Why didn’t you go to college?”

  Maya whipped around so fast she almost fell over, but he was ready for that. In fact he had counted on it. This way he could hold her. He gripped her upper arms.

  She stared up at him like a startled doe. “I—I—I―” she stuttered.

  Good. He’d knocked her off-balance. Now he would toss her the softball. “When are you mine for our dinner date?”

  She exhaled. “I’m free Saturday.”

  Good. Now for round two. “I meant it when I said I would help at the Oil and Water show.”

  “Oh...okay.”

  Rick suppressed a grin. He’d won everything he wanted. He knew not to blow it by gloating. The conversation about college would come later. “By the way, my fiancée and I came to a mutual decision to end our engagement.”

  Maya jerked in his hands. She blinked a couple times. “You and your fiancée? I’m sorry to hear that. It’s really tough.” She pushed past him.

  “The breakup is part of why I came here. Not just to decompress but also to put it behind me.”

  “I went through one last year myself. Although the relationship wasn’t as serious, of course.”

  Of course she’d had lovers. But none like him. “Of course?”

  Maya turned red but didn’t drop her gaze. “I mean, I wasn’t engaged.”

  So why did he feel jealous? “Anyone who walked away from you is a fool.”

  She turned a darker shade of red. Maya had her shy side. “Don’t be such a charmer.”

  “Who, me?”

  She stepped past him to lead the way to the next room and tripped.

  Luckily he grabbed her before she went over the railing! “This place is dangerous. You shouldn’t even be living here.” His hands were on her waist. Her eyes were dark pools where a man could drown. It was all he could do to resist nuzzling her sable hair.

  A movement downstairs caught his eye. Oh shit. Pilar was watching. The older woman had paused for a moment, her hand poised on the wall. The message in her lined face was clear: Mess with her daughters and you’d pay.

  He should inform Sin she didn’t have to worry about Maya. Pilar was wholly in command of this family even though it might appear Maya was the one in charge. Maybe Pilar knew Maya assumed too much responsibility for the family. Maybe she allowed her daughter to carry mistaken notions because she thought Maya needed them. Or perhaps she had no control over the cross her daughter bore. All she could do was make sure no man made that burden heavier.

  Pilar turned away and sat at the table. The blue fabric across her solid back pressed through the spindles of the dining room chair. Her head sank into her shoulders. Maybe she let Maya fight the battles so Pilar could save her strength for the war?

  Maya was watching him intently. When she had his attention again, she said, “As I was going to say, the reason I can afford to live here is because of those railings.” She waved at the offending structure. “I talked the owner into renting it to me for a cut rate. I promised to be careful.”

  Was she letting him off the hook? Or was there really nothing to say about the fact her mama had just delivered The Warning Talk? “Why don’t you just live in your mother’s house?”

  “You are oblivious.”

  He was? What’d he miss?

  Maya shook her head, but her e
yes softened. At least she wasn’t pissed at him. “I’m getting a deal on this place because it’s not finished. Being far from town also reduces its cost. Mama can stay with me during the summer and rent out the house, which helps her—makes things a bit easier.”

  “I don’t like the thought of her coming up the stairs either.”

  “There’s a bedroom on the first floor.”

  “That’s good.” Note to self—get back here and replace these railings. ASAP. For now, Maya needed to be back in his arms. His body didn’t appreciate being teased with an appetizer without getting the entrée.

  “You can skip the last room. I get the picture.” Her fresh scent filled the air. Could he trust himself around anymore bedrooms?

  “Okay. Sorry.”

  “No, I appreciate the tour. You need to stay in the downstairs room.”

  She smiled. “Cara and Blanca too?”

  “Yes.”

  “I’ll be more careful.” She marched down the stairs while he walked behind her with his hands inches from her ass in case she tripped. “I hope you’re hungry.”

  His stomach let out a growl.

  The three other women stood by the kitchen like an overstaffed restaurant crew.

  “Please go ahead,” Blanca said.

  “No, please,” he said, “you first.”

  “No, you’re the guest.”

  “Really, I insist. Ladies first.”

  At the buffet he found a platter of cheese, a bowl of white glop, and a basket of rolls. The sea was represented in the aromas that swirled around the kitchen. A sharp bite came from fresh-made vinaigrette presented in a small bowl beside a large mixed-green salad. Waving at the glop, he asked, “What’s this?”

  “Lobster spread,” Cara said. “It’s delicious. Maya makes a killer spread.”

  Ah, that was the seafood scent. Guess he should have mentioned he was allergic to shellfish. The spread really would be killer for him. Never mind, he’d be discreet. The rolls were still warm. He took two. He cut them in half, put a very small portion of the lobster spread on one, and loaded up the other one with cheese. No one seemed to notice his choices.