Intertwined Hearts Series (4 book collection): (Intertwined Hearts, An Exceptional Twist, Tangled Paths & Grafted Vines)

by Kimi Flores

I looked up at the guy at the register who’d been eavesdropping. I pointed to the menu as I ordered. “We’ll take two of those, a couple bags of chips, and two iced teas.”

  “You remember everything, don’t you?” Her hand made its way onto my good shoulder.

  My arm snaked around her waist. “That's all you ever order unless there’s Pepsi, of course.”

  She smiled widely, definitely milking the situation.

  I chuckled silently, holding my exclusive credit card high enough for Ben to see as I handed it to the cashier. I signed the receipt, then led her to the table, my hand still lingering on her lower back.

  Dr. Dipshit was glowering.

  Yeah, moron, that’s the way you treat a lady.

  I smirked at him as I pulled out Leah's chair. Ben’s food was already there, and he dug in in front of us. This guy needed training in Manners 101. He didn't even get up when she got to the table.

  Once we were seated, Ben ignored me completely.

  “So did I tell you I saw Matt Heller the other day?”

  Disgusting. This guy looks like a troll with his mouth hanging open while he chews and talks.

  Leah sat up straighter, her back stiffening. “No, you didn’t, but he’s not my favorite person.”

  “Why?” He asked with a huge piece of lettuce hanging out of his mouth and mayo on his lips.

  What the hell, dude? Nobody wants to see that shit.

  “I remember him showing up drunk at our graduation, and falling on the bleachers before he got kicked out. Why was he even there? Didn’t he graduate a few years before us?” She flipped her hair over her shoulder.

  Something’s off with her. What’s going on? Ben’s disgusting table manners almost overshadowed her discomfort, but I didn’t miss her shifting uneasily in her chair.

  Ben shrugged. “He was going through some rough stuff at the time. It sucks that everyone only remembers that one incident when he did all these really great things.”

  I raised an eyebrow, waiting to hear about these ‘great things’.

  He licked his fingers. “He was the best quarterback we ever had. His future was laid out in front of him, but things didn’t work out as planned.” Taking another bite, he tossed his sandwich onto the paper wrapper.

  I couldn’t hide my grimace if I wanted to.

  Finally, Leah vocalized my thought. “I know you looked up to him, Ben, but what great things did he do? I only know him as a heavy partier, the asshole who talked crap about my sister, and the guy who tried to get every girl he met to sleep with him, including me.”

  Ben froze. “He tried to sleep with you?”

  She sat back in her chair with her hands in her lap. “Yeah, at Julia Miller's party the summer after we graduated. You know, right after I saw you at the movies.” She looked at him, her expression matter-of-fact.

  I felt the negative energy radiating off her, and I wanted to know more.

  Mouth slacking, Ben’s neck bent forward, “Seriously? He knew I wanted to ask you out. Why would he do that?”

  As entertaining as it was to watch Ben’s irritation, I was too focused on my own blood boiling and the fact that Leah was starting to get so upset. I watched as she looked down and rubbed her palms together.

  “He was so drunk. It didn't take much to throw him off me.”

  The fuck?

  Fury ran through my body just thinking about a guy pushing himself on Leah. She made eye contact with me and offered a small reassuring smile, letting me know that I didn’t need to worry.

  “He was on you?” Ben was finally as pissed off as I felt.

  Our waitress seemed to realize she was walking into something personal, so she quickly placed our food on the table and took the plastic number with her.

  “Can we change the subject?” Leah gave an apologetic look to me as she waved her hands in the air.

  Ben glimpsed over as if he’d forgotten he wasn’t alone with her. “Yeah, I'll talk to him later about it.”

  My hands were fisted under the table. I’d love to ‘talk’ to him later, too.

  Leah took her first bite, and I followed—the way a gentleman should. Although I was still pissed, I could appreciate how good this sandwich was. Smiling as she caught my eye, I could see that she knew what I was thinking.

  You’re right. Best sandwich I’ve ever tasted.

  “So how’s work going?” Leah turned to Ben, who was closely watching her and my interaction.

  Pleased that her focus was back on him, he answered, “Long, draining hours. I can't wait until I'm done with my residency.”

  “How much longer do you have?” She dabbed her mouth.

  I frowned. It was strange that she didn’t already know the answer.

  He stretched his legs under the table as though he was the only one there. “I just graduated from med school in June and started my residency, so I’ve got at least three years to go before I can apply for my medical license. I haven’t decided where I’m going to practice yet but,” he peered at me before looking back at Leah, “that’s something we can talk about later.” His hint was obvious.

  Are you shitting me? They were planning a future already? Well, at least he wanted me to think that.

  “Oh, that long?” The disappointment showed on her face.

  Normally, I hated seeing that look, but at this moment, I was rejoicing.

  But apparently Ben’s cell was more interesting. He hadn’t even noticed her reaction when he dove for it. “I'm sorry. I've got to get going now, babe. Nice to meet you, Stefen.” He muttered the last part as he glared across the table.

  I politely stood up to shake his hand again. Reluctantly, he stood and extended his as well.

  “You, too.” Then I impassively sat back down.

  “Do you mind walking me out, Leah?” He grabbed his keys and cell off the table.

  Isn’t it the guy that’s supposed to walk the girl out? Dumbass.

  “Sure.” She smiled graciously, and Ben headed for the door before she even got out of her seat.

  Was she used to guys treating her like this? This bugged me to no end. All women—friends, relatives, or significant others—deserved to be treated like ladies. I would have to make a point to teach her that.

  He opened the door for her, placing his hand on her waist.

  Well, at least he’s capable of that, I thought just as Ben shot me another deadly glare.

  Or maybe that’s why he let Leah out first. He didn't want her to see him do that? I didn’t dare return it. With my luck, Leah would turn and catch me.

  A minute later, she strolled in. Again, I stood before she sat.

  Apprehensive, but with hope in her eyes, she asked, “So what did you think?”

  “About?” Talking crap about her new boyfriend wasn’t something I wanted to do, but I wouldn’t lie either.

  “Ben,” she emphasized, fiddling with her napkin. “We agreed to kinda date but not exclusively.”

  I sat back in my chair. Running my fingers down my jawline, I caught her eyes following my movement. “Hmm, that's why he was such a gentleman and made sure to kiss you in front of me,” I blurted that last part without thinking.

  “What do you mean?” she asked defensively.

  “You walked in with another guy, he wanted to make sure I knew you were with him, that's all.” I shrugged.

  She rolled her eyes. “Well, I’m not with him, but what is it with guys and being macho?”

  I raised my eyebrow, pointing out what I thought was obvious. “That's not macho. It’s just the way guys communicate.”

  “Yeah, macho,” she giggled, and my focus dropped to her mouth.

  Those giggles were going to do me in. “So you’re not with him, but you’re dating?” I wanted to gag on my own words.

  “We’re just seeing each other.” Scrunching her nose, she added, “It's complicated.”

  What a jackass. What’s complicated about a gorgeous woman wanting to be with you?

  Oh yeah—I
was that same ass not that long ago.

  Tucking those thoughts away, I wanted to know more about what they were talking about earlier. “What was up with that friend he was talking about?”

  She bit her bottom lip like she wasn’t sure she should tell me. “He’s a few years older and went to school with Dani. He spread rumors about her all over school, so when I saw him years later at that party, I went up to him to tell him off. The next thing I knew, we were in a bedroom, and he was on top of me. I didn't feel like explaining it all to Ben. But I hope I never see Matt Heller again.” She shivered at whatever memory was replaying in her head.

  “Is that the whole story?” I felt like she was hiding something. Suppressing a growl, I sat back and prepared myself.

  “He was—” She paused, swallowing as she tucked her hair behind her ears. “—aggressive, but nothing happened. I don't want to talk about it. And please don’t ever bring him up to Dani. She doesn’t know about the party and doesn’t need to rehash what happened to her. And before you ask, it’s her business to tell, so I’m not going to.” She pointed her finger to me.

  That was my next question, she knows me well.

  “Fair enough. For today, but—” I let that sentence hang, then added, “if I ever run into him, I’m kicking his ass.” I was livid again, just thinking about it.

  It was unbelievable that any guy thought they had a right to anything a girl wasn’t willing to give. I’d found ways to manipulate women’s feelings, but I never forced myself on anyone.

  Then again, the more I thought about it, I realized I wasn’t much better.

  “Did you like the food?” Pulling me out of my negative thoughts, Leah took her last bite before wrapping the second half up.

  “Delicious.” I grinned. “Thanks for bringing me here. Are you done?” I pointed to her half-eaten sandwich.

  “Stuffed. I'll take the other half to my mom. She loves this place, too.” Leah put it in a bag the waitress had brought earlier.

  “Shall we?” Getting up, I pulled her chair out as she stood.

  “Thank you. Such a gentleman. Your Mama taught you well.” The corners of her mouth rose as she stood up.

  I chuckled. Damn right, I’m a gentleman.

  That was the one thing I was still confident about. “All of those years at prep school. I just assumed all men treated ladies that way. Guess not.” I was hinting at Ben, but she didn’t seem to catch it as she walked in front of me to the door.

  “Are you up for a little stroll down Main Street? I could show you around before we go to my mom's.”

  Although I was starting to feel a bit tired, I also wanted to see where she’d grown up. Onlookers could naturally make the assumption that we were a couple.

  “Lead the way.” I spread my arm. “I’m all yours if you don’t mind being seen with a one-eyed pirate.” I opened the door for her and took the sandwich bag.

  “Stefen, pirates are ugly disgusting dirty hairy men. You are no pirate, my friend.” She patted my face on her way through the doorway, surprising me with both her words and her actions.

  I would be exhausted tomorrow.

  No pain, no gain, I told myself, threading her arm through mine. I would walk to the ends of the earth with her like this.

  ⁂

  Leah

  We’d walked around for several hours and arrived at my Mom's house right before dusk. It was fun showing Stefen all my old hangouts, but no matter how much he’d denied it, he was worn out.

  I got out of the van before Stefen had a chance to open my door.

  “Nice house.” He gazed at the one-story, Spanish-style home, and I noticed he’d left the eye patch in the car.

  When he wasn’t in public, he would get tired of wearing it and switch back and forth. I liked that he was comfortable enough for me to see him like that.

  “I love this house. I grew up here.” The majority of the residences in Alhambra were Spanish-styled, since the city was originally named after Washington Irving’s novel, The Alhambra, which was based on his travels to Spain in 1832. Like so many others in the city, my childhood home was located on long pieces of land. “My grandparents bought it back in the fifties for only twenty-thousand dollars, then gave it to my mom when she got married. They moved back to Mexico and passed away before I was born.”

  In typical fashion, my mom came charging out of the front door, practically knocking me down with a hug.

  “Mija! Two visits in a month. I love it!” Then came the loud, smacking kiss on the cheek.

  I stepped back, making introductions, “Hola, Mami. You remember Stefen from Abby's wedding?” I pointed to a weary Stefen standing behind me.

  My mom pulled him in to get a closer look. How did older women get away with stuff like that? I could only imagine the reaction I would get if I pulled some random hot guy toward me, just to get a better look.

  “Huy, of course. He's so handsome, how could I forget? You danced together. Muy guapo, mi hija.” She hugged Stefen and shot me a look.

  I just shook my head. Mom had no idea what had already gone down, but she would understand eventually that her wanna-be matchmaking skills were not going to work with us. I would just have to prove what good friends Stefen and I were.

  Stefen looked like he was turning blue, in need of some air.

  I patted mom’s shoulder. “Okay, Mami, you're making him a little uncomfortable. You can let go now.”

  Stefen laughed, “It's nice to see you again, Mrs. Valdez.”

  “Venga, come in, dinner’s ready.” My mom motioned them inside.

  I rubbed his back. “You okay? You look really tired.”

  Tucking his head so only I could hear, he chuckled, “I’m fine, but I almost blacked out there for second.”

  Cracking up, we walked straight into the dining room where I introduced Elena, my niece and nephew, then turned my attention to the gentleman at the head of the table.

  “This is my mom's fiancé, Sal.”

  Stefen walked over and shook his hand. “Nice to meet you.” Then he cocked his head, asking, “As in Congressman Salvador Ramirez?”

  Of course Stefen was into political affairs. I should have guessed.

  “Ah, you know politics. Yes, I am.” Sal was so proud of his position. He’d worked his ass off to get there and deserved the recognition. I adored my soon-to-be step-father. He had salt and pepper-colored hair, a strong jaw line, and deep set brown eyes. Each of his twenty-five years on the police force reflected in those eyes.

  “Very nice to meet you, sir.” Stefen’s voice went down a few octaves. It was so comical, I had to stifle a giggle.

  “You remember Dani,” I said as my middle sister carried a dish to the table before taking my seat.

  He nodded toward her. “Yes, nice to see you again, Dani.”

  “Likewise,” Dani snickered, triggering my stink eye.

  My sister knew way too much. Now she was like a ticking time bomb of information.

  Sal directed us to join them. “Grab a seat, so we can say grace and eat.”

  The only two empty chairs left happened to be next to each other. Everyone settled in, and Sal led the table in prayer.

  Amens were heard all around before dishes were passed.

  “We normally start with soup,” I said, leaning near him. “This is called pozole. It has pork, spices, broth, and hominy, which is kind of like corn. Wanna try it?” I hoped he was up to eating something new.

  “Yeah, I'll eat whatever’s here. I love trying new things.”

  Our eyes met for the briefest moment. I still couldn’t believe the pull he had on me, even with our new friendship status. “Here are some corn tortillas. It's delicious if you add some avocado and lime.” I passed him a couple small dishes. “When you're done with that, we have chicken with molé sauce, and lime and cilantro rice.” I pointed to the other serving dishes on the table.

  Confused, he asked, “What is mole-ay sauce?”

  I glared at everyone at t
he table, hoping they didn’t laugh at his pronunciation.

  Naming each ingredient, I counted off on my fingers. “It has cocoa powder, chili powder, coriander, lemon juice, tomatoes, onion, and honey. It's really good.”

  “Sure, I'd love some. Sounds delicioso.” He attempted to wink, and I couldn’t help but laugh.

  Last Wednesday, Madison was watching Dora the Explorer when I got to their house, and I caught Stefen sitting on the couch repeating Spanish words with the little girl.

  Leaning into him with a smirk, I nudged his shoulder. “I bet you thought Mexican's only ate burritos and tacos, huh?”

  Everyone at the table was quiet, observing our interaction like Ben had done earlier, until my nephew asked, “¿Tia, es Stefen tu novio?”

  I looked at him sternly. “No, Antonio. Stefen y yo somos sólo amigos. ¿Escucharon todos?” I scanned the table, making sure everyone acknowledged what I’d said, especially mom.

  All heads bobbed up and down, and I turned to Stefen. “Sorry, he just—”

  Stefen’s mouth was smiling, but his eyes were not. “I know, he wanted to know if I was your boyfriend. I remember a little bit of college Spanish.” He chuckled, but it didn’t seem like he thought it was funny.

  I wonder what’s going on in that mind of his. I began to eat my food, noticing Elena was uncharacteristically quiet. She wasn’t normally the life of the party, but it seemed like something was wrong.

  Dani saw me staring and mouthed, “I'll tell you later.”

  I nodded.

  After dinner, Sal announced that he had to leave. He shook Stefen's hand once more, kissed and hugged everyone at the table, then mom walked him out.

  I brought a stack of plates to the kitchen. “Give me a minute to show Stefen out back, then I'll help you with the dishes, Dani.”

  Picking up a farmer’s basket, I motioned with my head for Stefen to follow me. I led him through the kitchen and out the back door. This yard brought me back to all of those carefree childhood days. There was enough land back here to build two more houses if mom ever wanted to. It currently had peach, plum and apricot trees, as well as a few palm trees.

  He peeked out of the back door. “This property is huge. I'm surprised there isn't a pool back here. You could even add a tennis court.”