An Exceptional Twist

by Kimi Flores

  Of course Stefen was into political affairs. She 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. Leah adored her 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, Leah had to stifle a giggle.

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

  He nodded toward Leah’s older sister. “Yes, nice to see you again, Dani.”

  “Likewise,” Dani snickered, triggering Leah’s stink eye.

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

  Sal directed them 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.

  “Dear Lord and Heavenly Father, thank you for always blessing us with time to spend with our friends and family. Thank you for providing all of our needs. We ask that you bless this food into our bodies. It's in your precious name we pray this evening. Amen.”

  Amens were heard all around the table before dishes were passed.

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

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

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

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

  Leah glared at everyone at the table, hoping they didn’t laugh at his pronunciation.

  Naming each ingredient, she counted off on her 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 winked, and she couldn’t help but laugh.

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

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

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

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

  All heads bobbed up and down, and Leah 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. Leah began to eat her food, noticing Elena was uncharacteristically quiet. She wasn’t normally the life of the party, but it seemed like something was wrong.

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

  Leah 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 Leah's mom walked him out.

  Leah 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, Leah motioned with her head for Stefen to follow her. She led him through the kitchen and out the back door. This yard brought her back to all of those carefree childhood days. There was enough land back here to build two more houses if they wanted to. It currently had peach, plum and apricot trees, as well as a few palm trees.

  He peaked 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.”

  “We didn't have a lot of money growing up, so a pool was never in the budget.” She stepped onto the grass.

  It was already dark, but the flood lights lit the immediate area.

  “No rose bushes back here?” Stefen chuckled as they walked. “Is that why you don’t like them?”

  So he did catch my smartass comment that day at my shop.

  She swung the basket back and forth as they made their way to the vegetable garden. “Nope. I didn’t grow up with roses, and I just don’t think they’re a very original flower to give a girl.”

  They stopped in front of the planters.

  “What kind of flowers do you like?” he asked, tilting his head to the side.

  Smiling warmly at him, she squatted down by the plants. “Pretty much anything that isn’t a rose, but my favorites are proteas and hydrangeas.” Moving her fingers through the soil, she searched for some potatoes.

  “How did your mom and Sal meet?” Stefen crouched next to her, watching what she was doing as she put some vegetables into the basket. The light brightened the back enough to see if they were ripe or not.

  Solemnly, she explained Sal’s relationship to their family. “He was my dad's partner. His wife and baby boy died in a car accident about a year before my dad died. Sal was the one that delivered the news to us, the day my father was killed.”

  Leah had to close her eyes momentarily. Every time she mentioned her father’s murder, it opened the door to her pain once again. She’d learned how to close it back up quickly, though.

  Clearing her throat, she continued. “He and Mami bonded over my dad's death. They hung out for about five years before they started to officially date. He was always there as my stand-in dad. They were together for seven years before he finally proposed last Thanksgiving. They decided on a courthouse wedding. It’s in a couple months.” Leah smiled thinking about how happy they would finally be.

  Moving onto the tomatoes, she plucked a few, then smelled the stems before adding them to the basket. She chanced a quick peek at him. Sure enough, he was watching her with a smirk on his face.

  “Why did it take so long?” He picked up the same tomato and smelled it where she had, mumbling, “I still don’t get it.”

  Leah smacked his leg. “I think they felt guilty. We all knew they were in love a couple years after my dad passed, but they wouldn't admit it to themselves, or each other. I think they were also afraid of how everyone else would react.” What a waste of time, she thought sadly. “I'm happy for my mom. She deserves a man that’ll love her as much as my dad did.”

  “What a waste of time,” Stefen said nearly knocking her flat on her ass.

  “Do you read minds?” She blinked at him. “I just thought the same thing.”

  He moved in closed, wiggling his eyebrows. “Great minds think alike.”

  Oh shit, he’s too close now. Her heart suddenly sped up as her eyes traced his face, from his lips to his eyes.

  Clearing his throat, he backed up, and she immediately began counting the potatoes.

  “Uh, I think I need one more to make my potato nachos for everyone tomorrow night.” She dug in the dirt and grabbed ahold of another one.

  Standing up, she dusted off her behind then picked up the basket. “Let's get back inside. I need to help with the dishes. We’ll go home when I’m done. I'm getting tired, and I already know you’re exhausted.”

  Something tickled her fingers as she grabbed the last potato.
She didn’t think much of it until the tickle moved up her palm. Picking up the vegetable with her other hand, she saw the most horrific, god-awful, disgusting creature laying backside up in the palm of her hand.

  She jumped back, throwing it in the air as she screamed, “Hijo de puta!” She ran around doing the heebie jeebie dance, utterly repulsed.

  Stefen watched, completely amused until he spotted what she’d been screaming about. Vaulting away, he shouted, “What the hell is that!”

  Dani and her mom came running out of the house, nearly tripping over one another down the stairs. “Are you okay?” They shouted simultaneously, then Dani asked, “What happened?”

  Leah quivered and swiped at her arms. “One of those evil spawn’s of El Diablo was just sitting in my hand.” Leah couldn’t stop herself from wiggling her back on her way to the hose to wash the funk from the demonic alien baby off her hand.

  Dani began her own grossed-out dance as Leah’s mom walked up to it, bent down, and picked the potato bug up by one of its legs.

  “Oh hell no, Mami. I’m going back inside.” Dani zipped into the house as quickly as she came out.

  Leah’s mom spoke to the wriggling creature as if it were nothing. “So you’re the little devil eating through my garden, huh?” She dropped it back on the ground and squashed it with her sandal.

  Hearing the popping sound, Leah thought she might pass out.

  The water from the hose wasn’t enough, so Leah darted into the house, straight to the bathroom where she scrubbed her hands raw with cleanser. Something moved beside her, causing her to jump.

  “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you.” Leaning against the open doorframe, Stefen’s scrunched eyebrows showed his concern.

  “It’s okay.” She pressed a hand to her heart. “I just didn’t expect you to be standing there.” She picked up a hand towel that sat on the counter and dried off her hands, ignoring his intense stare.

  “You don’t like potato bugs, huh?” He reached out to touch her arm, imitating the feel of the insect.

  She socked his arm, thankful when she realized it was the uninjured one.

  “Ow, shit, you hit hard.” Stefen rubbed the spot she punched.

  She wasn’t sorry. “Don’t do that shit to me, or I’ll beat the hell out of you in your sleep.”

  He may think I’m kidding, but I’m dead serious.

  “Well damn, dully noted.” They moved down the hallway together when she noticed just how tired he looked. His shoulders were slumping, and his eyes were drooping.

  “Why don't you go hang out with my mom while we clean up? We have a long drive back. Go relax.” Leah ran her hand up his arm, then regretted it when goose bumps broke out on her own. No matter what, she would never grow tired of touching him.

  He turned to look her in the eyes. “If you’re sure you don’t need me for anything.” He tucked his chin in and looked deeper in her eyes.

  Oh crap. Did he know what she was thinking? Wouldn’t surprise her if he did. He seemed so in tune with her lately.

  Making herself take normal breaths, she redirected him. “Stefen, please go relax. You can even lay down in my old bed if you want.” Now that she was paying a little more attention, he really did look exhausted. As if it was the most natural thing to do, she cupped his face with her hands. “Seriously. You don’t have to put on a front with me. I want you to be comfortable.”

  His expression changed, as if he was trying to figure something out. Slowly, he pulled her hand from his face and squeezed it. “I know. I won’t hide anything from you, Leah. You’ve already seen me at my worst. As long as she doesn’t step on me, too, I’ll go join your mom.”

  Leah shuddered. “And don’t ever mention that again.”

  “Done,” he chuckled, looking at her so intensely, she found herself shuddering again.

  For an entirely different reason.

  Stefen heard the TV blaring in the large front room and smiled at Leah’s mom. “I got kicked out of the kitchen. Mind if I join you?”

  Maria had her elbows on her knees. Her eyes were glued to the TV like she was enjoying the best hockey game ever.

  “Shh.” She waved at him without turning her head. “I'm watching my novellas. Sit, but be quiet,” she demanded in a stern tone.

  She was more like the exterminator from the yard than the carefree woman joking at the dinner table. She didn’t move a muscle, and Stefen seriously wondered if he should stay or join the girls.

  Sighing inwardly, he sat down next to her on the couch, careful not to make a peep.

  The Spanish program was filled with half-naked actresses and what looked like a crazy plot. Someone’s sister was in love with a husband, who was in love with another sister. At least, that’s what he thought was happening. He couldn’t keep up.

  As soon as a commercial came on, Maria finally turned to him. “So this is what’s happening. The farmer's daughter, Belinda, fell in love with the landowner's son. Felipe, he's the son, is also in love with her, but he’s having an affair with his stepmom, Lucida, who is only two years older and is blackmailing him. Felipe's father, Jorge, doesn't know they’re having an affair because he is too busy sleeping with the farmer's wife. Now they’ve been together since before Belinda was born, so she is possibly Jorge’s daughter, and if they’re in love, it could be with their own sibling.”

  She took a breath only to notice the commercials were over. “Okay, it's back on, now silencio.” Correcting herself, she repeated in English, “Be quiet.”

  Stefen's head was spinning. Felipe, Lucida, Jorge, son, stepmom, farmer’s wife, all naked together? What in the hell kind of show is this? And why did Maria tell him to be quiet when she was the only one talking. He got up, wordlessly excused himself, and went into the kitchen.

  “Hey, I thought I told you to rest.” Leah put her hands on her hips.

  “Uh.” Stefen scratched his head. “Do you know your mom watches porn?”

  Leah spun around to face him. “What?”

  Bewildered, he pointed to the hallway. “Yeah, I was sitting there with her watching all of these half-dressed people getting it on with everyone on the show, and I do mean everyone.”

  Leah bent over in a fit of laughter. “Those are her novellas.”

  Dani came in, glancing at both of them. “What’s so funny?”

  “Stefen said Mami's novellas were porn.” Leah tried to catch her breath and let out a small snort, and then Daniella started to cackle.

  Stefen just shook his head, dumbfounded. “For such a conservative family, you guys are pretty open to some raunchy TV.”

  “Every Latin woman over a certain age watches those shows. They’re not porn.” Leah tried and failed to stop laughing. “Just soap operas.”

  “I beg to differ. That was the most uncomfortable fifteen minutes of my life. Please don't make me go back in there.” His voice became pleading. Leah threw a dish towel over her shoulder. “All right, you big baby. Have a seat while we finish the dishes, and then I’ll drive us home.” She pulled a chair out for him and grinned. She was taking an awful lot of pleasure in this.

  “What was up with Elena tonight?” Leah asked Dani as she grabbed the dish towel from her shoulder.

  Dani eyed Stefen momentarily. “Charles just told her he wants a divorce, and she needs to move out. Apparently, he’s selling the house and moving closer to his kids. We all knew he was a jerk. It was bound to happen sooner or later. To be honest, I think she’s already seeing someone else. She’s been hanging out with Joaquin a lot lately.”

  “Are you serious? What’s she going to do?” Leah dried a glass and put it in the cupboard as she listened intently to Dani.

  “Well, Mami told her she could move in here after she and Sal get married, since they’re moving to Sacramento. But there is no way in hell I can live with Elena and the kids.” Dani pointed her finger in the air and waved it around.

  Stefen listened quietly. They’d talked about Elena earlier, which explained her u
nconcern. He respected that Leah would do anything for anyone, but also had healthy boundaries to protect herself.

  She bumped her hip with Dani’s, smiling as she dried a plate. “Perfect time for you to move out by me.” She looked over her shoulder, placing a stack of dry plates in the cupboard. Even doing the most mundane things like dishes, showed off her beauty. Her genuine smile, the curve of her hips and ass, her perfectly toned calves, and that hair nearly had him panting at her feet. He could run his fingers through her hair all day long if she let him.

  “I’ve been thinking about it already,” Dani admitted. “There are so many cuts going on at the hospital that I’ve been looking into home health care. Since I’ve saved most of the money I’ve made, I should be able to take a little time off, too.”

  Leah gasped, bounding over to her sister. She pulled her in for a huge hug. “Are you serious? You can stay with me until you find your own place.”

  Stepping back, Dani said, “Hold on, I haven’t decided anything yet. I’m just thinking about it. What if you get married and leave me behind?” She stuck out her lower lip, pouting.

  “Not likely.” Leah rolled her eyes. “I’m nowhere near that.” Her eyes found their way to Stefen, and he had to wonder what that look was about.

  “Speaking of which,” Dani smirked, “how was it with Ben today?”

  Fantastic. Stefen was going to have to sit and hear about Dr. High School Quarterback. He wasn't sure if he should go back to the grandma porn, or sit and listen to this crap.

  “He was fine. I mean, it was fine.” Leah blushed a little, looking over at Stefen again.

  “No, you were right the first time—he is fine.” Dani laughed loudly and bumped Leah’s shoulder with her fist. “Not that you’re chopped liver, Stefen.” Dani winked, causing him to smile weakly in return.

  What does she know?

  “I’m just not sure what to think, that's all. It's weird,” Leah admitted.

  Now Stefen was interested.

  “Well, it’s new. Let things take their natural course,” Dani advised.

  Stefen grumbled under his breath. Don’t tell her that!