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  “Okay. You want to know what I have to say?” I asked, deciding I’d much rather be on this subject than on the subject of how hard I climaxed.

  His brows went up, “You remember?”

  My eyes narrowed, “Don’t be a jerk.”

  He rolled again, this time, me on my back, Eddie up on his forearm, half his body on mine.

  “Okay, Chiquita, I’m listening.”

  And he was.

  Shit and damn.

  I looked at the ceiling.

  “Fine, then. You and me. We’re not going to work.”

  He didn’t say anything so I looked at him.

  He was watching me, his eyes hard to read. I just stared at him.

  Then he spoke.

  “That’s it?”

  I nodded.

  “That’s it.”

  “Let me get this straight.” He didn’t move, just watched me, “You’re lyin’ naked in my bed and you’re breaking up with me?”

  I didn’t know there was something to break but I nodded anyway.

  “Why?”

  I was afraid he’d ask that. Mainly because I didn’t have an answer, at least not one that I’d share with him or even one I fully understood myself anymore.

  In the end, I did the only thing I could think to do, I grasped at straws.

  “I know you have a thing for Indy.”

  Um….

  Uh-oh.

  I should have left it where it was.

  His face wasn’t hard to read anymore, at all. His eyes were glittery and his jaw was clenched. He said some stuff in Spanish then reverted to English.

  “You’re a piece of work. You’ll say anything to protect yourself even when you don’t know what you’re protectin’ yourself from.”

  “So, you’re saying you don’t have a thing for Indy?”

  There was another jaw clench but he spoke through it and through his teeth too.

  “No, I’m not sayin’ that. What I’m sayin’ is, what I felt for Indy disappeared the minute you dropped those fuckin’ cups.”

  My mouth fell open and I stared.

  “It was obvious to everyone who watched our idiot dance. The only one it wasn’t obvious to was you.”

  I didn’t have anything to say to that because he was right, it wasn’t obvious to me. In fact, it was news to me, news I didn’t know how to cope with.

  “Christ!” He tore his hand through his hair and then fell to his back. “I even know you’re worth it and I’m wondering if you’re worth it,” he muttered and it was his turn to address the ceiling.

  I lay there a moment and then, mindlessly, I got up and grabbed the t-shirt I slept in. I didn’t know where to go from there. I pulled it over my head and just got my arms through when I was tagged around the waist and pulled back into bed.

  “What are you doin’?” he asked, again looming over me with me on my back.

  “Getting up.”

  “Why?”

  I blinked. “You’re angry at me. I thought I’d go.”

  His eyes narrowed.

  “Is this your new tactic, piss me off and I’ll let you go?”

  It wasn’t, but it was a good tactic. I wished I’d thought of it. It was kind of the essence of the Bitch Strategy, but that was more to make him think I wasn’t worth the effort. Now that he thought he knew I was and he knew I couldn’t hold onto the Bitch Strategy for more than an hour and a half, I was looking for new ways to go.

  He watched my face move with my thoughts and then he rolled over me. His hands went in the shirt and swept it off faster than it took me to put it on. He arched up and tossed it, far, far away from the bed. Definitely not in arms reach.

  Then he came back to me, opened my legs and pulled them around his back.

  Dear Lord.

  “Eddie,” I said.

  “I thought I wanted to hear what you had to say, but I prefer you bein’ secretive. Your friends and family will tell me all I need to know and it’ll be the truth.”

  “Eddie,” I tried again.

  “Chiquita, you come complete with bad guys after you with guns and knives, an asshole father that takes you for a ride and puts you in harm’s way, a Mom you have to take care of a lot less than you think you do and a sense of self preservation that’s nearly impenetrable—”

  “Eddie,” I tried to interrupt him but he was on a roll.

  “You also have the prettiest smile I’ve ever seen and you’re the sweetest piece of ass I’ve ever had. I don’t know if that balances out, but right now, I don’t give a shit. You aren’t goin’ anywhere.”

  “Eddie!” I yelled.

  “What?” he yelled back.

  “Okay! I’ll stay, we’ll see how it works out.”

  The minute the words left my mouth, my eyes grew huge.

  What was I thinking? Had I lost my mind?

  No.

  No, no, no.

  I had to find a way to go back.

  He watched my face again and shook his head.

  “Un-unh, Cariña, no retreat. You’re mine.”

  Then, he kissed me, his tongue slid inside my mouth at the same time he slid inside of me.

  He started moving, his mouth went to my ear and into his I said, “I can’t do this, Eddie. I have things to do, I have to find another job… I have to…”

  “Jet. Quiet.” he said, moving inside me, “We’ll figure it out.”

  My arms went around him and my hips started moving with his.

  “You don’t understand,” I whispered.

  “We’ll figure it out,” he repeated.

  “I can’t ask you to…” I started to say but his hand went between our bodies, his fingers pressed against me and my mouth stayed open but no sounds came out as electricity shot through me.

  His mouth came to mine and against it he said, “We’ll figure it out.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Blanca’s Party

  “Isn’t this exciting?”

  Ada was sitting between Eddie and me in the truck and we were on the way to Blanca’s. Mom and Trixie were following, it was easier for Mom to get in and out of Trixie’s car and her wheelchair was already safe in the trunk. Ada wanted to ride in the “fancy truck” and no one had the heart to refuse her. It took us three goes to shove her bony behind into the cab but we got her in and we all headed out.

  So, there we were, a mini-convoy on the way to my doom.

  I’d spent most of the day in Eddie’s bed, Eddie spent most of the day in me.

  Around three o’clock, I caught sight of the clock and panicked.

  I pulled Eddie out of bed and nagged at him to shower.

  Then I paced and texted Daisy as a response to her second phone message (the one left after the call Eddie didn’t let me answer), setting a meeting with her the next day while he showered and dressed. He wore what I considered (in my limited experience) an Eddie dress-up outfit, black, light-weight, v-neck sweater over a white t-shirt, jeans that were seriously faded (the only kind I think he owned) and his signature black cowboy boots and silver-buckled belt.

  Then, I dragged him to Fresh & Wild so I could buy flowers for Blanca. I even wore my Smithie’s uniform, ignoring all the stares as I tramped through a swank Cherry Creek grocery store in my slut outfit.

  Then we went to my house. I took a shower and began my herculean preparations. At the same time I made peanut butter cookies and smushed a big, old square of Hershey’s chocolate in them after they came out, hot and puffy, from the oven. I ran back and forth between the bathroom and the kitchen like a woman on fire.

  Eddie hung out through all this activity, alternately watching a football game and watching me.

  At one point, he strolled into the kitchen and grabbed one of the cookies when I wasn’t paying attention and ate it in one bite then immediately reached for another one.

  I smacked his hand.

  “Those are for your mother.”

  His arm wrapped around my waist and he pulled me to him. “Tri
xie was wrong. Chocolate sheet cake bought you protection. Make these for me and I’ll put a ring on your finger.”

  Dear Lord.

  Trixie and Mom came home, thankfully both already done up in new outfits they reported they’d picked up that day at TJ Maxx; hair and makeup at the ready.

  I wasted precious time trying on seven hundred and fifty outfits for them while my ear was to the cell phone, describing every outfit to Ally for her opinion.

  We settled on the green dress Trixie bought me for my birthday the year before. It had cap sleeves, a square neckline, a square cut at the back exposing my shoulder blades and the skirt came to a respectable brush-the-knee hem. Problem was, it was skintight. That was a con. The pro was, it went with Tod’s sexy green sandals. I had nothing else suitable and Mom, Trixie and Ally all approved so I went with it.

  Trixie did my hair while I did my makeup, saving time multi-tasking. I put some big, gold hoops at my ears, some clackety, thick, carved-wood bracelets on my wrists, spritzed with my swish perfume and tore out of the bedroom.

  We had five minutes to get to Blanca’s.

  “Let’s motor,” I announced and shoved the cookies at Trixie, the flowers at Mom and herded everyone out, standing at the front door and motioning everyone through with a wide sweep of my arm.

  Eddie stopped at the door and called into the hall where Mom and Trixie were knocking on Ada’s door.

  “We’ll be out in a minute.”

  He closed the door and pushed me against it.

  “Eddie! We have to go, we’re going to be late.”

  He didn’t respond, he pressed his body into mine and he kissed me.

  Not a light touch on the mouth but a full-on make-out session.

  I was stuck in an Eddie Daze when he disengaged from my lips but rested his forehead against mine and ran his hands down my sides.

  “I like your dress,” he said.

  I was getting that.

  His fingers trailed the zip at my side.

  “I like it but I’m gonna like takin’ it off more.”

  Eek!

  Eddie idled at the curb outside Blanca’s bungalow in the Highlands area while we all unloaded.

  The street was packed with cars and you could hear a party in full swing.

  Mom took my arm and Trixie took off to look for a parking spot, Eddie trailing her.

  I watched them go and then asked Mom, “Don’t you want your chair?”

  She shook her head.

  “Nancy, is that wise?” Ada asked softly, looking at Mom closely and carrying both the cookies and the flowers.

  “I’m going to walk in there,” Mom said.

  It wasn’t that she was in the mood to show off and challenge herself again. This was a pride thing. She’d already had a long day and this concerned me.

  I knew better than to argue, and luckily Mom had me to hold on to before she fell. And hold on to me she did, she had my arm in a death grip.

  We walked slowly to the house and I saw Rosa, Eddie’s sister, coming around the side.

  “Hola!” she said smiling. “Thought I heard Eddie’s truck. We’re around the back, this way.”

  She led us to the back and into a yard that was one of the most magical things I’d ever seen. Late summer blooms were still in the garden, bushes held bunches of Christmas lights, colorful lanterns were strung up high and lit lumieres were down low.

  It looked like every chair and card table in the neighborhood had been set up, most of them full of food and there were more people there than in the parking lot doing tailgates at Mile High Stadium before a Broncos game. I saw Indy, Lee, Ally, Hank, their parents and Indy’s Dad hanging around and I gave them a wave.

  Soft, Mexican guitar music played in the background.

  I realized immediately that I should have made more cookies.

  I was impressed that Blanca could pull this off in less than forty eight hours.

  I was terrified that all of this was for Eddie and me.

  I couldn’t have asked for a better wedding reception.

  “Jet!” Blanca disengaged from a bunch of people and rushed forward. The bunch of people she was with turned and stared at me openly.

  I smelled Eddie before I felt his hand at the small of my back and Trixie came around the other side of Ada. I didn’t have the chance to greet them as Blanca was there.

  “How are you?” she asked, her eyes smiling with the sheer delight of a mother intent on ending her days spoiling her grandchildren into unruly brats and seeing that time looming brightly just ahead of her.

  “Bien. Y tú?” I replied.

  She grabbed my cheeks, pulled me down to her and gave me a big kiss on the lips.

  “Bien, mi hija.” she said softly, letting my face go.

  Uh-oh.

  In less than a week and with Eddie and I only having one (weird) date, I’d graduated to her hija.

  Eek.

  I pushed down the panic and made the introductions. “Blanca, I’d like you to meet my Mom, Nancy, and our friends, Trixie and Ada.”

  Mom’s fingernails were digging into my arm but she let go, balanced and held her hand out to Blanca. Blanca took it into both of hers.

  “Welcome to my home,” Blanca said.

  Mom smiled her majorette smile and I saw Blanca’s eyes become dazzled.

  Then Mom grabbed onto my arm again and we nearly both went to the ground as I staggered slightly with the weight she transferred to me. Blanca’s eyes moved to Mom’s hand on my arm and then to me. They were questioning. I shook my head in the barest hint of “no” and she immediately turned her attention to Trixie and Ada while I steadied Mom and myself.

  “Jet made you cookies!” Ada announced and shoved the cookies at Blanca.

  I turned to Eddie, leaning away from Mom as best as I could while still holding her up.

  I got up on tiptoe, put my free hand on Eddie’s bicep and said into his ear, “Mom needs a chair, like, now.”

  Our eyes caught, he nodded, then he touched his lips to mine.

  I could swear I heard a collective sigh from our audience.

  Wonderful.

  “Nancy, do you want a drink?” Eddie asked and pried her hand loose from my arm and guided her away.

  I watched them go, Mom leaning heavily into Eddie’s body.

  Okay, so, I could love that guy.

  There you go, I admitted it.

  Shit and damn.

  * * * * *

  I spent the next two hours shuffled between Blanca, Elena and Rosa being introduced to Eddie’s family; aunts, uncles and cousins.

  And there were a lot of them.

  In this time, Eddie semi-disappeared. He was there but wasn’t there. I saw him with Lee. I saw him with Hank. I saw him with Lee’s Dad, Malcolm and Indy’s Dad, Tom. I saw him with some of his male cousins (needless to say, there was definitely a male/female divide). I did not see him anywhere near me.

  I also had more food shoved at me than I’d eaten in a week (all of which I consumed so I wouldn’t appear rude) and I seemed to be carrying a mystical bottomless margarita glass.

  Bottom line, no matter how full I was, I was also quite drunk.

  I kind of needed to be drunk because I found out the reason behind the big bash that included Christmas lights and tables groaning with food. In Eddie’s thirty-three years (yes, I learned that too), I was only the second woman he’d ever brought to meet “the family”.

  Worse than that eek-worthy fact, I was the only one Blanca liked.

  I also found out a lot about Eddie. Maybe too much.

  See, there’s a reason Eddie seemed dangerous. Eddie had a chequered past. In fact, everyone, all the way down to the cousins, were still saying rosaries in grateful thanks to the Holy Trinity that Eddie chose to enter the Academy rather than embark on a life of crime.

  Though, from the many, many accounts of his escapades, he would have been pretty good at a life of crime.

  I was listening in a drunken stupor-esqu
e glaze of horror to one of Eddie’s aunties talking about one particular time (there were several) when Eddie stole a car, when a hand wrapped around my arm.

  I turned, then looked down to see Eddie’s sister, Gloria.

  She said something in Spanish to the auntie and then led me away.

  I looked over my shoulder.

  The auntie seemed somewhat perturbed to be interrupted while scaring the bejeezus out of me, so I turned back to Gloria.

  “I think that might have been rude,” I said.

  “You should thank me. I’m saving you,” Gloria replied. “They’re trying to scare you. See if you got grit. Any girl of Eddie’s has to have grit. You looked ready to bolt.”

  She wasn’t wrong, I was ready to bolt.

  “You need another margarita,” Gloria decided.

  That was the only thing I didn’t need.

  “I’m already two sips away from blotto.”

  In fact, I was finding it difficult to walk straight and could no longer feel my tongue.

  Gloria laughed, “You need to be two drinks into blotto to deal with my family.”

  I was thinking she wasn’t wrong about that either.

  She led me to Indy and Ally and I collapsed in an unoccupied chair. Gloria whisked away my margarita glass and headed toward the nearest full pitcher.

  “You okay?” Indy asked. She was smiling.

  Drunk or not, I didn’t find anything amusing.

  “My life sucks.”

  She laughed.

  “This is the new definition of trial by fire,” Ally remarked, glancing around.

  “You got that right, sister,” I said, Gloria handed me a fresh drink and sat down with us. “I’d rather be shot at,” I finished.

  “The night’s still young,” Ally said.

  I wished she wasn’t speaking the truth.

  A peel of female cackles tore through the crowd and I looked over to where Mom, Trixie and Ada were sitting with Ally’s Mom, Kitty Sue, Blanca and some of Eddie’s aunties.

  “Your Mom’s having a good time,” Indy said.

  “You meet her?” I asked.

  “Yeah, she’s sweet,” Indy replied.

  “She’s the devil,” I said.

  It was our turn to dissolve in peels of female cackles.

  It was when I stopped giggling and was brushing a tear of hysterical hilarity from the corner of my eye when I noticed Eddie’s gaze locked on me. He was standing with his brother, Carlos, and Lee and Hank and he had a beer in his hand.