Armando Returns (Barboza Brothers)

by Reeni Austin

  Cara’s eyes darted between the two brothers. “No, you don’t look identical, but there’s a strong resemblance. Your eyes and the way you smile. There’s a resemblance with Ramon too but not nearly as strong.”

  Victor sighed. “That reminds me.” He walked off to the kitchen. “Hey! You still cookin’ in here?”

  Armando, Cara, and Isaac followed Victor into the kitchen where a tray of biscuits sat on top of the counter, burnt to a crisp and emitting a thin layer of smoke.

  Ramon took some plates from a cabinet. “Nah. Just about done. I hope you all like your eggs scrambled.”

  Cara took the plates from Ramon. “Let me and Isaac set the table.” She glanced around the kitchen. “Need help with anything else?”

  Ramon shook his head and opened the drawer to get a spatula. “Nah. I’m good.”

  As Cara and Isaac went off to the dining room, Armando surveyed the kitchen, noticing a cabinet door dangling precariously a few feet above the stove. Then he looked around at the food, all of which appeared to be either burnt or undercooked. He eyed an unusually greasy plate of bacon and said, “Uh, you sure you’re all right, Ramon?”

  “Yeah.” Ramon narrowed one eye at him. “It tastes a lot better than it looks.”

  Armando asked, “What happened to your housekeeper, Elsa?”

  Ramon sighed and started prying the charred biscuits out of their pan. “She disappeared last year when Henry did. Guess they’re on an extended vacation together.” He chuckled. “She was never my housekeeper to begin with.”

  Armando gave Victor a suspicious look, which Victor met with wide eyes, telling Armando he had probably already asked Ramon these questions. But Armando pressed on. “So, you’re living here all alone in the big house?”

  Ramon snorted. “Yeah. So?”

  “Have you thought about hiring another housekeeper?” Armando asked. “Seems like maybe you’re a little too busy trying to run the ranch with Henry gone and—”

  Ramon let the spatula drop to the pan and glared at Armando, his jaw firmly set. “What’re you doin’? Trying to keep the attention off yourself and why you came runnin’ back to town for Dwayne McCormack’s daughter? Is that why you’re startin’ shit with me in my house? You got a lot of explaining to do.”

  Armando took a step toward Ramon, startled by his younger brother’s unusually short fuse. “I’m not trying to start shit with you. I’m just a little concerned, that’s all. You never told me Elsa wasn’t here anymore.”

  “So?” Ramon huffed. “Like I need some old lady hangin’ around, pickin’ up after me like she’s my mom? I’m not some pampered little pretty boy, like the both of you.” He shot a glance at Victor. “I know you both got people to make your beds and do all your cookin’ but I like to do things myself. Nothing wrong with hard work.”

  Victor groaned and gave Armando a massive eye roll.

  Armando swallowed his urge to scream. “It’s not about that. We all work hard. I know you get up early every morning and take care of things around here. I can’t imagine how you still have time to cook and clean and take care of yourself. There’s nothing wrong with hiring someone to come in and help. People need jobs. And what about those potholes—”

  “Shut up.” Ramon glared at Armando. “Now you sound like Henry. He calls at least every two weeks to bark at me about the potholes, the landscaping, the fences, making sure that stupid pond out back doesn’t dry up.” He brought his hand to his chest. “This is my ranch now. I decide what gets fixed and how things run around here.”

  Armando took in a very deep breath and tried to keep his voice gentle. “Do you need money?”

  Victor’s eyes widened at Armando just as Ramon gritted his teeth, ready to yell.

  Right then, Cara and Isaac entered the kitchen. The guys immediately calmed down.

  Cara went for the greasy plate of bacon. “I’ll start taking everything to the table.”

  Breakfast was awkward. The table was full of barely-edible food. Ramon appeared oblivious to the fact that everyone besides him had opted for a bowl of cereal as he crunched through his burnt biscuits.

  After breakfast was over, Ramon, Cara, and Isaac were in the kitchen, cleaning, when Victor saw an opportunity to take Armando upstairs for a private talk in an empty bedroom.

  As Victor shut the door, he said, “You know better than to ever ask Ramon about money.”

  “Well, I’m worried. Couldn’t help it.”

  “I know. I thought all the same things. But he showed me his financial statements. Unless he’s really good at fraud, he’s doing all right.”

  “Well, if he has money, he shouldn’t get so pissed when I ask about it.” Armando shrugged.

  “It’s about more than that. He’s really defensive about the house, the personal property. But if you go out there,” Victor gestured toward the back part of the property where the livestock was kept, “it’s impeccable. New equipment, happy workers, healthy cattle. But he won’t even ask any of the ranch hands to help fill in the potholes out front. I guess he still thinks of this as Henry’s house, and he’s got a big chip on his shoulder about Henry. It’s almost like he’s trying to let the place get run down, on purpose.”

  “Don’t you think that’s kinda weird? Even for him?”

  “Yeah.” Victor nodded. “It’s concerning. That’s why I’m gonna stay awhile longer. I have a feeling it has something to do with Henry taking off eight months ago. I still have no idea what happened.” Then Victor tilted his head to the side, calmly asking, “So what about you? Are you ever gonna talk to Katie?”

  Armando groaned. He hoped their troubles with Ramon had been enough of a distraction that he could avoid the questions for a bit longer. “Actually, I spoke to her last night. Invited her to come out here today after she gets off work.”

  “Huh.” Victor folded his arms across his chest and gave Armando a thoughtful look. “So you’re gonna go for it. What about the fiance?”

  Armando shrugged. “What about him?”

  “Shit, man.”

  Widening his eyes, Armando repeated himself. “No, really. What about him? She belonged to me first.”

  Victor took a deep breath, his eyes darting around the room. “Well, I guess that’s one way to look at it. So you really wanna try to win her back after all this time?”

  Armando sighed heavily. “Like I said. She was mine first.”

  Chapter 9

  Katie’s stomach fluttered every time she glanced at her watch. She usually had Sundays and Mondays off, so Saturdays passed much slower as her anticipation built for the weekend.

  But not today. No, this Saturday was different. The minutes raced by as she counted down to that moment when she would make a crucial decision about where to go after work. Today she had received eight text messages from friends and family—including her sister, Chelsea—to hang out tonight, since Mitch had to go out of town on short notice. But she hadn’t replied to anyone. The invitation to visit Armando dominated her thoughts. And to think, he was practically casual...“Come out to the ranch. We’ll catch up.”

  Oh, but there was nothing casual about it to Katie. His touch...his voice...his sweet face. It was like he’d stepped out of her wildest dreams and derailed her life. When she imagined seeing him again in person, she never anticipated feeling this way about him. It was chaotic and beautiful and, at the same time, sickening. It chased away all thoughts of the man who was supposed to be the current love of her life.

  A week earlier she would have pined away over Mitch. She would have already left him at least one voicemail telling him she would miss him and think of him tonight. But today she hadn’t called him, and he hadn’t bothered to call her either.

  And Katie was perfectly fine with that.

  Maybe I just need to see Armando one more time to sort out how I feel. Surely it was just the excitement of seeing him again after so long. The shock of him approaching me when I least expected it. Maybe that’s why I’m feeling this way.r />
  She took a deep breath to steady herself as she strolled into the dining room on her final walk-through before leaving for the night. There was absolutely no way she could tell anyone where she was headed. Not her sister, not her friends. And especially not Mitch.

  Her stomach twinged.

  Crap. Yes, I have to tell Mitch. After all, what if I see Armando again and feel nothing and I actually start thinking about Mitch again?

  She scowled to herself, then found an empty table in a lonely corner of the bar. Usually this time of day was when Jennifer, the dim-witted server, approached her with a last-minute dilemma that took up the rest of Katie’s shift. But Jennifer had called in sick today, and Katie had now finished her daily tasks with time to spare. She took out her cell phone and started to send Mitch a text message, but changed her mind and chose to call him instead.

  His phone rang four times and she was already silently rehearsing what she would say on his voicemail, when suddenly he picked up.

  “Hey babe.” Mitch’s quick greeting was almost drowned out by the sound of a bustling crowd around him.

  Katie cleared her throat. “Oh, hey. Didn’t expect to get you.”

  His tone was slightly anxious. “Yeah. So what’s up?”

  “Sorry. It sounds like you’re busy. Are you at dinner?”

  “Uh-huh. The clients chose the restaurant. I’m just waiting for them to get here. What’s up? You find something to keep you busy tonight?”

  “Actually, yes.” Katie tried to make her voice sound breezy as not to alarm him. “But I wanted to check with you first. See, there’s an ex-boyfriend in town and he asked if I wanted to have dinner.”

  Mitch paused, then his voice was muffled as if he had his hand over his phone and he was talking to someone else. When he came back to the phone he said, “I’m sorry. What was that? Did you say an ex-boyfriend asked you to dinner?”

  “Yes.”

  “Uh…” Mitch paused again in the same fashion, like he was having another conversation. When he spoke he said, “How long ago did you date?”

  “High school.”

  “High school?” He chuckled, and Katie swore she heard a female voice chuckling along with him. “That’s fine. I’m Facebook friends with most of my high school girlfriends. I don’t see the big deal.”

  “You are?” Stunned, Katie held the phone tighter in an effort to make sure she heard him correctly. She swore she heard a woman’s laughter a little too close by. “Is there someone there with you? Are you telling her what we’re talking about?”

  “No! You’re paranoid.” He produced a tiny gasp. “Hey, my client just got here. I gotta go. Have a good time at dinner tonight. Love you.”

  Before she could say, “Love you, too,” he hung up.

  Relieved, Katie stood and slipped her phone into her skirt pocket. Instantly, she felt like a liar. Armando was more than an ex-boyfriend; he was an ex-fiance. And she would have said so to Mitch if she wasn’t afraid he would casually mention it to her parents, who would immediately know who she had dinner with.

  She groaned aloud as she headed to the kitchen. After all this time, she still had to hide Armando from her parents.

  Five minutes later, Katie was in her car, poised to pull out onto the street from the parking lot. Heading to her apartment would require a right turn. But the road to Turnbrook required a left turn. She sat there looking both ways, contemplating her decision once again.

  Oh, who am I kidding with this? I know exactly where I’m going.

  Surprisingly, the left turn calmed her. The decision felt final now.

  Katie put her Bluetooth headset on her ear and took her phone out of her purse. At the first stoplight, she dialed his number, at the very beginning of her contacts list. She had sneakily programmed it into her phone simply as “A” for “Armando.”

  He picked up on the second ring. “Is this Katie?”

  “Yes.” She chuckled, startled by his greeting. “You still want me to come out to the ranch?”

  He let out a relieved breath. “Yes. Absolutely. I can’t wait to see you again.”

  Warmth slowly spread through her extremities. She fumbled for something to say, but he cut her off before she could speak.

  “Oh, be careful when you come up the long driveway to the house. Potholes. Ramon isn’t keeping the place up very well—”

  “Oh no. Ramon’s there?”

  “Yeah. Why?”

  “He hates me. He’s made that perfectly clear.”

  Armando grunted. “Don’t worry about it. You’re coming here to see me, not my brothers.”

  “Oh crap. Victor.” She sighed. “He didn’t know who I was when he came to the restaurant earlier this week. l assume he knows, now?”

  “Yes, but he’s fine.” He chuckled. “He’s a hell of a lot more mature than Ramon.” His voice softened. “Please Katie, don’t be nervous. Just come on out. I’m gonna hang up and let you drive uninterrupted, okay?”

  “It’s fine. I have Bluetooth.”

  “Doesn’t matter. It’s still a driving distraction. And after I finally found you again…” His voice trailed off and he let out a deep sigh. “Please, just be careful. See you soon.” And then he hung up.

  Katie blushed at his sweet overprotectiveness, then tightened her grip on the steering wheel. He was the same way in high school. Always watching out for her. Always putting her comfort before his. She had forgotten how that felt, until now.

  * * * * *

  Thirty minutes passed and there was still no sign of Katie. Armando sat on the couch and looked at the clock above the fireplace. Then he glanced at his watch.

  Ramon, sitting beside him, snorted and said, “You’re pathetic.”

  They had all just eaten dinner and were now resting in the living room. Isaac was on the floor, playing with some toy cars. Victor and Cara sat on a loveseat, watching him.

  It was Armando’s idea to eat before Katie arrived, since he wasn’t sure if she would even show up. And he was doubly sure of his decision after hearing Ramon’s attitude about her.

  Armando rolled his eyes. “For the last time, leave me alone. This has nothing to do with you.”

  Again, Ramon snorted. He put his hands behind his neck and his heels up on the coffee table. “Yes it does. Someone hurts my brother, I take it personally. End of story.”

  Victor gave Armando a sympathetic look and said, “When’s she supposed to be here?”

  Armando shrugged. “Don’t know. She should’ve been here already.”

  Isaac put his cars down and looked at Victor. “Who?”

  Victor said, “Armando’s friend, Katie.”

  His lips bunched in confusion, Isaac asked, “A guhl?”

  Ramon nodded. “Yep. A girl.” He put his hands in his lap and his feet on the floor, then leaned forward for emphasis. “Let me tell you something, Isaac. Girls are trouble. You’re better off to leave ‘em all alone. Trust me.”

  At the same time, Victor and Cara shot Ramon an angry look. Armando just smirked.

  Isaac’s eyes lit up at Ramon. He pointed his thumb at himself. “I know. That’s why I’m getting a baby bwothow.” He shook his head. “I don’t wike guhls.”

  Victor said, “Hold on a second. Your mommy’s a girl.”

  “No,” Isaac said. “She’s a mommy. I wike Mommy.”

  Cara sat up straight and reached out for her son. “Come here. You like girls. You play with girls at the playground all the time.”

  Isaac frowned as he walked to his mom for a hug. “I wike boys bettow.”

  Victor laughed and stretched his arm around Cara’s back. “That’ll change, buddy. I promise.”

  Peeking at Ramon, Isaac shook his head as he hugged his mom.

  Armando chuckled as they shared a look of agreement. He slapped Ramon’s leg with the back of his hand. “You’re a bad influence.”

  And then all heads turned in the direction of the car they heard driving up the gravel driveway.

&n
bsp; Armando immediately stood, his heart racing as he went to the front door. “You guys just stay here. Don’t scare her.”

  Victor laughed and followed him. “Geez, man. Stop being so nervous. She really has you worked up, huh?”

  “It’s not that.” Armando glanced over his shoulder at Ramon in the living room, then lowered his voice. “I don’t want anyone giving her a rough time. What happened back then wasn’t her fault.”

  Victor sighed and gave his brother’s shoulder a compassionate smack. “I know. And you have nothing to worry about from me. I’ll be nice to her. But in a way, I have to agree with Ramon. Someone hurts my brother, they hurt me. Until this week I hadn’t thought about what happened to you in a long, long time. Really pisses me off. Makes me wonder if we should do something about it, now that we got the means.” He widened his eyes.

  Armando scoffed. “Yeah, like what? How would we ever prove it after all this time? Henry sure as hell won’t speak up for me.”

  Victor shrugged then quickly glanced behind him to make sure no one was listening. His voice was quiet. “I guarantee we have more money than Dwayne McCormack’s ever seen in his entire lifetime. We could think of something. It’d be worth it after what he did to you.”

  “I don’t know.” Immediately, Armando thought of Mama, and her admonition to forget about it and resist the urge for revenge. For that reason alone—to appease their dying mother—Armando had spent years trying to forget. “Let me see what happens with Katie first. I don’t wanna do something to make her hate me.”

  Victor nodded.

  Armando turned away from his brother to the sound of footsteps on the front porch. As soon as he heard a knock, he opened the door.

  And there she was. Katie. The sweet, innocent girl he had fallen for so long ago. Damn. She was even more beautiful now, wearing a nice blue dress, looking shyly down at the floor as the gentle breeze rustled her long, red hair. Then she let out a nervous giggle.

  “Oh, sorry. Hi.” Armando extended his hand, then changed his mind and stepped outside the door to put his arms around her. Near her ear, in a gentle voice, he said, “I have no manners today. I’m so sorry.”