Chapter 27
27
Lenore checked the roast beef, pulling it from the oven to allow it to sit in its juices under the foil tent. The potatoes and carrots were in the oven now, and the broccoli had steamed. She sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly, running her hands down her dark jeans to wipe the sweat from her palms. She hurried to the bathroom to check her hair and makeup. Staring at her reflection, she realized this was the first, true, alone date night she'd had since the divorce.
When Sisco called to say he was back in town earlier, she told him she wanted them to have dinner at her house instead of going to a restaurant. She was prepared with all the reasons to convince him, but he acquiesced quickly. So quickly that she wondered if it wasn't what he wanted all along.
The doorbell rang, and she raced to the front door, quickly disarming the security and throwing it open. She grinned as soon as her gaze landed on him, not missing that he smiled just as widely at her.
“Hey,” she said. “Come on in.”
She stepped back, and he entered, then turned around and set her alarm again.
“Something smells amazing,” he said. He immediately pulled her into his arms. “You look beautiful and smell even better.”
She looped her arms around his neck, and as he bent his head, she lifted on her toes, accepting the kiss she'd been waiting for all week. He took the kiss deeper, and she felt the tingle straight from her lips to her core, then down to her toes. Before she was ready, he pulled back slightly.
“Did Evie get to her sleepover?”
“No problems. She was excited.”
“Still with the Mayers down the street. The address you gave me?”
Leaning her head back to see his whole face more fully instead of just concentrating on his lips, she nodded. “Yeah. Why?”
“I just wanted to make sure I knew where she was.”
“Are you using your sneaky superpowers to keep her safe?”
“Maybe.” He chuckled.
She narrowed her eyes on him. “Is there something you're not telling me? Should I be afraid for her?”
His brows came together, and he huffed. “I'm just taking care of the ones I care about.”
She wasn't sure that was all, but she trusted Sisco. He'd more than earned her trust with Evie, and he'd make sure her little girl was safe while having a good time with her friend just down the road.
“Okay, I'll let you have your superpower secret that I'm sure somehow involves your friends keeping an eye on us. But now, are you ready for dinner?”
“Absolutely,” he said, loosening his arms from around her middle before linking his fingers with hers as they walked into the kitchen. “What smells so good?”
“We're having roast beef with potatoes, carrots, and broccoli to go with it. And then, cherry pie for dessert. Cherry pie is her favorite.”
“I really meant to take you out to dinner but didn't mind when you suggested we eat here. Now I feel badly thinking about you fixing all this food instead of us paying someone else to cook and serve.”
She laughed and shrugged. “Well, we won't eat the entire roast, and that gives me leftovers for sandwiches. Plus, I promised Evie that I'd save her a piece of cherry pie.”
His smile widened, and he gathered the plates and silverware without her having to ask. They served their plates on the kitchen counter before carrying them and the wineglasses to her table.
As they dug into the food, she asked, “Can you tell me about your family? I know you mentioned your parents had passed, and you'd spent time in El Paso after leaving the military.”
She hoped her questions weren't too invasive, and he quickly put any fears to rest when he smiled and grabbed his phone. With a few taps, he turned it around and showed her a picture of a younger couple with black hair and five stair-stepped children in front of them.
“Oh my goodness! Are these your brothers and sisters?”
“It looks like my parents were busy, doesn't it?”
“Yes, both in making babies and then caring for everyone!”
He barked out a laugh, then took a sip of wine and nodded. “My parents were shopkeepers in Mexico, then immigrated to the United States right after they got married. They were so excited to become American citizens and opened up a little food shop in El Paso. Eventually, my father also worked in a garage and took it over while my mom ran the food shop. My brothers and sisters and I were often in the shop after school. We would sweep the floor and put items on the shelves. Our parents would give us some spending money… well, saving money is what they called it. Save most, spend a little, and we'd be fine. That's what they taught us, along with hard work, duty, and the belief that we could be anything we wanted to be.”
Lenore leaned back, enthralled to hear about his childhood. “Which one of the three boys is you?”
He pointed at a dark-haired boy standing between the two girls. “I'm the middle boy. And the middle child. First came Carlos Junior, named after my dad. Then Juanita, then me, then Julianne, and then Hank. There was only about a year and a half to two years between us, so we truly grew up as one big family altogether. I shared a bedroom with my two brothers until I left for boot camp. My sisters shared a room until they went to college.”
“I like that you all were so close. I didn't have any siblings, and that always made me sad. I so hoped that I would have more babies so that Evie would have siblings.”
“You don't know that you won't.”
Her gaze held his across the table, wondering if his words had hidden meaning, but she couldn't tell. Was it the intimation that she might meet someone and have more children, such as with him? Or just a comment to make her feel better? Either way, she shook her head and just smiled. “Perhaps.”
They continued eating in silence for a few minutes. Finishing, she leaned back and continued her quest to know more about him. “Were you all raised in El Paso?”
“Yes, we stayed there until all of us left the nest. My oldest brother earned certification in heavy duty auto mechanics, then found a job in North Carolina. He’s married and has three kids. My oldest sister went from nursing assistant, to RN, and now is the head of a home-based nursing program in Oregon. She’s married and has two rug rats. My younger brother joined the Marines, and when he got out, he headed to North Carolina to work with our oldest brother. He and his girlfriend are planning a wedding, and they already have a two-year-old. And the baby sister is in law school in Pennsylvania. She married right out of high school. We thought it was too early, but she and her husband are still together and have two kids.”
“Wow… your parents did such a good job raising all of you.” She tilted her head to the side. “But when you left the Navy?”
“When I left the SEALs, my siblings had moved away, but my parents still lived in the same house. They were having health problems, and I had nowhere in particular I needed to be, so since I was the only unmarried sibling, I moved to El Paso and lived with them. I obtained my paramedic training, which wasn't hard after being a medic, and I was employed by the city of El Paso as a paramedic. It also gave me time to take my parents to doctor appointments and make sure everything was settled. My dad had a bad heart and died too soon. My mother had cancer, and I think she simply gave up the will to live after my dad was gone.”
She reached over and placed her hand on his, her heart aching because she knew what it was like to lose at least one parent. “I'm so sorry.”
“You lost your dad, so you understand. I'm sorry for your loss, also.”
“Mom and I were devastated, but thank God, she's still in good health. She'd always wanted to go on a cruise, but with everything going on with Evie's health and then William leaving, she put that item on her bucket list away. When Evie went into remission, I told her she needed to take the cruise she'd always wanted. She decided to wait until the weather was chilly here and then went to the Caribbean. It's a two-week cruise, and she has combined it with visiting her sister in South Carolina. I talked to her last night. I hadn’t told her much before, but I decided to let her know what was happening. She wanted to cut her trip short, but I told her everything was fine here. She should return in another week unless she decides to visit with her sister a little longer.”
She stood, walked over to get the cherry pie, and set it on the table before retrieving the ice cream from the freezer.
“How was school this week?” he asked as she brought the ice cream and sat down.
“It was a good week. It's interesting to teach in such a small school system. When I earned my degree from Montana Western, I did my student teaching at a large middle school with many students. When I got offered the job in Valier, I met William, an attorney here. It took some getting used to, but children and teenagers are pretty much the same everywhere. The most challenging thing here is that we have to share so many resources. I'm glad that the school building has a nurse, but there's only one counselor at the high school and middle school, and since I'm certified, they have me teach English half days on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday so that my afternoons can be spent in the high school counseling center.”
“And Evie's week?”
Before she could answer, he took a large bite of the cherry pie and groaned. The low rumbling deep in his chest sent vibration straight through her, and she hoped before the evening was over, she'd have the opportunity to feel those rumblings up close in the most personal way.
“This pie is delicious,” he said.
“My grandmother taught me how to make pie crust, so it was buttery and flaky.”
“I can't believe you made this from scratch.” He held her gaze and smiled. “I'm honored.”
“Well, I thought I would tempt you with my culinary prowess.”
“Woman, you don't have to tempt me with anything. Just being in the same room with you is temptation enough.” He blew out a long breath. “Now, tell me about Evie's week before I give in to my baser urges.”
As interested as she was in discovering his base urges, she loved that he wanted to know about Evie. “Her week was good. She's getting stronger and participating more in all the activities. She goes back in a month for more blood work, but that's the only test she needs to do at that time.” She closed her eyes for a few seconds and felt his hand on hers, giving a little squeeze. Keeping her eyes closed, she said, “Every day, it seems like I recognize more of a healthy, normal childhood for her. I think that's all any parent should ever want.”
“Absolutely, Lenore. Happy and healthy is what matters.”
She opened her eyes to see his worried gaze on her. His brow was furrowed, and she leaned forward to glide her thumb over the crinkle, feeling his facial muscles relax under her ministrations. “Can you tell me where you were this past week, or is that top secret?” Now, it was her brow that furrowed. “You know, I'm not even sure what you can discuss with your job.”
“I went to Canada and then flew to Mexico.”
She blinked in surprise, not actually thinking he'd be able to tell her. She was also surprised at the two diverse regions he'd traveled to in five days. “Oh wow. I don't even know what to say to that, Sisco. I hope your trip was productive, and I'm glad you're home safe and sound.”
“The trip was fine. I didn't get exactly what I was looking for, but I got a lot of information on our investigation. It was certainly worth the trip.”
By now, their dinner was finished, and his second piece of pie with ice cream had been decimated. They stood and walked around the counter to the sink, where he nudged her out of the way. “I'll rinse off the dishes, and you can take care of the leftovers.”
She held his gaze, then simply nodded and turned so that her back was to him as she found plastic containers to put the leftovers into the refrigerator. She busied herself, hoping he wouldn't notice the tears gathering in her eyes. She couldn't remember William ever volunteering to help in the kitchen. Sure, when they had a lot going on, and she had a screaming or throwing up Evie, she could guilt him into at least putting the dishes straight into the dishwasher. She supposed it might have been Sisco's upbringing with a large family where everyone had to pull their weight. Or maybe it was his military training. Or perhaps it was just him. Whatever the reason, the simple act felt more than good—it felt like care.
When she turned around, he held up their wineglasses. “Do you want another glass of wine? We could take it into the living room.”
She reached out, took the glasses from his hand, and set them on the counter. Swallowing deeply as nerves shot through her, she slowly shook her head. “I don't want another glass of wine right now, thank you. And I don't actually want to go into the living room.”
He tilted his head to the side and stared deeply into her eyes, as though trying to discern what she was implying. She knew she was messing things up when she saw resignation on his face and realized he thought she was kicking him out.
She hastened to step closer and placed her palms on his chest. “What I'd really like,” she murmured, then chewed on her bottom lip before blurting, “is to take you to my bedroom and do what I've been dreaming about since the moment I saw you.” Seeing his eyes widen, she wanted to ensure there was no misunderstanding. “And I want you to spend the night so we can do whatever we want in bed for as long as we want.”
She watched as his face morphed from concern to sexiness, and his lips curved, exposing his brilliant smile, which shot straight to her heart.