“Of course.” She nods, moving to the front of the small plane. “The captain said as soon as you’re in your seat, we’re clear for takeoff.”
Easing out of my blazer, I put it on the chair across from me and take a seat. “Let’s go.”
Four hours later, I’m in a car headed out of Cuidad Victoria, northwest towards the rising peaks of the Sierra Madre mountains.
My phone buzzes on the seat, and I glance at the face. The words sit on the screen, and I start to smile.
He orders a beer and a mop.
While I was waiting for the car to come around, I’d sent a text. A skeleton walks into a bar…
The road grows narrower and turns to cobblestones as I enter the Villa de Santa María de Aguayo. Colorful houses rise in layers along the foothills of the mountains.
It’s exactly as she described it, exactly as it was when I left two days ago to settle matters with our families. I approach the ranch house, which is in the in the process of restoration, and warmth spreads across my stomach when I see her.
Angel stands on the front porch beneath a strand of yellow twinkle lights. She’s in a thin cotton sundress, and her feet are bare when she walks to the top of the porch steps.
Stepping out of the car, I pause a moment to take in the beauty of her waiting for me. Her stomach is just starting to show the smallest baby bump.
I grin, and she blinks quickly, her cheeks flushing. “Did you miss me?”
“I always miss you when you’re gone.”
Closing the door, I leave my bags for later. It’s a beautiful night, and my lady is looking at me like I’m the best thing she’s ever seen.
She’s the best thing I’ve ever seen, and I want her in my arms.
32
Angel
“Tell me about my brother. What did he say?”
The white sheets on our king-sized bed are rumpled from our love-making, and we’re surrounded by sheer mosquito netting. Workers have finished this half of the house, and it’s like a luxurious resort. Through arched windows, we can see the purple peaks rising in the distance during the day. At night, the moon shines overhead, bathing us in silvery light.
Deacon’s head rests against my chest, and he smooths his palm over my growing belly. “She’s getting bigger.”
The warmth in his voice makes my chest squeeze. I reach down and trace my fingers through his hair. “We don’t know if it’s a girl yet.”
“She’s a girl, and she’s going to be as beautiful as her mamma, with a cute little dimple at the top of her cheek.”
“Is that so?” I rise up on my elbows to look at him, but a sharp pain makes me drop quickly onto the mattress again. “Ouch.”
His head pops up. “What happened?”
“Just forgot I’m still healing.”
After the surgery to remove the bullet from my shoulder-blade, I spent a month wearing a tight bandage from my neck to my elbow, while the bullet wound in my shoulder blade healed. Since graduating from that, I’ve been doing physical therapy, but I still have to work on the muscles of my right side.
Deacon frowns, shifting his position so he’s behind me, cradling my upper body in his arms with his palms never leaving my stomach.
It’s like since almost losing us, he never wants to be far away. He even complained about returning to Plano for two days while he discussed his plans with Winnie then completed the transaction with my brother.
I give him another nudge with my elbow. “Tell me what happened.”
“Winnie thought it was overkill. She actually surprised me—she took her father’s side, like he was the victim and what he did was justifiable.”
“That is unexpected.” We’re quiet while I consider this angle. “I’d think the woman who charged out of her house brandishing a double-barrel shotgun and ordering my brother off her property would be a bit more understanding of her mother’s predicament.”