Beef Stolen-Off (32 page)

“Then why kill Rusty?”

“I don’t know, Lucas. Maybe she decided if she eliminated the real threat to her not getting your money, the rest of it would fall into place. My guess is she presuaded Diego and Maria to keep Gia’s secret all those years mainly so you wouldn’t try to get custody of your son. Maybe that was what she meant when she said Diego had been blackmailing her all these years.”

“You think Rusty knew?” His voice choked on the last few words.

“No. From the short time I knew your son, I could tell he thought of you as a father, but I don’t believe he knew the truth. Bella was beginning to see her plan unravel when Diego demanded more and more money. I think she did what she felt she had to in order to get what she believed was her hard-earned money.”

She left out the part about Rusty’s being involved with Bella in the cattle-rustling ring, as well as his affair with her. Some things were better left unsaid. His choked cry was proof she’d made the right decision. The man was in enough pain already.

When Lucas pulled up in front of the Empire Apartments and dropped her off, he reached over and grabbed her hand. “I forgot to tell you. I’m having a brand new Suburban delivered to your friend tomorrow morning. Tell him if he doesn’t like the color, he can go to the dealership and pick whichever one he wants.” When she nodded, he added, “It’s the least I can do.”

Jordan sighed and got out of the car, promising to keep
in touch. Totally exhausted from the emotional day and from hobbling up the stairs, she was looking forward to a hot shower and a bowl full of German chocolate ice cream from Braum’s.

When she opened the door to her apartment and walked in, she was surprised to see her friends huddled in the living room, concern written all over their faces.

Pasting a smile on, she nodded.

“We have a surprise for you,” Rosie said, grinning like the proverbial Cheshire cat.

Jordan sighed. “I hope it’s a quick one. I’m done in, both mentally and physically.”

“Not exactly what I wanted to hear.”

She gasped, immediately recognizing the voice behind her. Twirling around, she came face-to-face with Alex—and he had a sinfully rich chocolate cake in his hands.

“Alex, how…”

“Don’t even ask.” He put the cake on the counter and took her into her arms. “Thought you might need this today. It’s Myrtle’s famous Better Than Sex Cake, one of your favorites.”

“Jordan has never met a chocolate cake—or any other cake for that matter—that isn’t one of her favorites,” Victor said, rushing over for a closer look. “Yum.”

Jordan stared up at Alex, seeing his concern despite the smile on his face.

“I’m okay,” she said, standing up on tiptoes to kiss his cheek. “But I’ll be even better when I find out how long you get to stay in Ranchero this time.”

“As long as it takes to wipe the sadness from your face.” Alex grabbed her and kissed her. When he released her, he held her away slightly and drilled her with his eyes. “Did that help?”

“Maybe a little. At least twenty more just like that and one or two slices of that cake might do the trick.” She swallowed back the tears. “What are we waiting on? I’m starving.”

“Hold that thought,” he said. “Let’s get some carbs into you. It’s gonna be a long night.”

BELLA’S STEAK AND GRAVY

Boeuf Cuis au Jus de Viande

Yields 3–4 servings

Preheat the oven to 325°F.

Cut the meat into 3–4 single-serving-size pieces if it has not already been done. Trim
all
the fat. Sprinkle a little flour (approximately 1 tablespoon) on one side of the steak pieces and pound it in with a tenderizing hammer, flattening
the steak. Turn and repeat for the other side. (If you use a butcher, you can ask him to tenderize the steak for you. Then, you can simply rub a little flour on each side of the meat.)

In a Dutch oven or skillet that has a lid, heat the oil over medium heat. Brown the steak pieces on both sides (2–3 minutes per side), working in batches if necessary so as not to crowd the pan. When all the pieces are browned, place them back in the Dutch oven, layering them. In a bowl, whisk together
cup of flour and 2½ cups of water, blending well. Whisk out any clumps of flour, then add the bouillon cubes and pepper. Pour the mixture into the Dutch oven. The liquid should cover the steak and will become the gravy. Continue cooking on the top of the stove until bubbling.

Cover and transfer the Dutch oven to the preheated oven and cook for 1½ hours. After about 45 minutes, check the gravy for thickness: if it is too thick, add more water; if it is too thin, add 1 tablespoon of flour to 4 ounces of water and whisk until smooth before adding to the gravy. If the flour clumps, simply remove it with a louvered spoon. Taste it and see if it needs more pepper or bouillon cubes.

If you are doubling the recipe, add one bouillon cube at a time after the initial four cubes and taste after each one.

Serve with mashed potatoes.

BRENDA SUE’S WATERGATE SALAD

Yields 8–10 servings

In a large bowl, mix together the first five ingredients. Fold in the whipped topping. Cover and refrigerate several hours before serving.

• • •

MYRTLE’S BETTER THAN SEX CAKE

Prepare the cake mix according to package directions and bake in a 13-by-9-by-2-inch pan 32–37 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 20 minutes on a rack, then punch 20–25 holes in the top of the cake with the handle of a wooden spoon. Microwave the hot fudge sauce for 20 seconds and then pour it into the holes. Microwave the caramel sauce and the condensed milk separately and add one at a time just like the hot fudge sauce. Frost with the whipped topping. Sprinkle the Heath Bars over the whipped topping. Refrigerate.

• • •

ALEX’S LASAGNA

Yields 8–10 servings

FOR THE MEAT SAUCE:

FOR THE LASAGNA:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a Dutch oven over medium heat, cook beef, sausage, and chopped onions until brown. Drain. Add the next twelve ingredients and simmer uncovered for 3 hours.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8–10 minutes or according to directions. Drain. (If you prefer, you can use oven-ready lasagna noodles that need no cooking.)

Spread 1 cup of the sauce in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Cover the sauce with 3 noodles. Cover the noodles with one third of the remaining sauce. Top with half the ricotta cheese, dropping by tablespoonfuls evenly on the noodles (3–4 dollops per noodle). Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then Parmesan cheese. Top with a third of the mozzarella. Repeat this entire sequence. For the last layer, use the remaining 3 noodles and cover with remaining sauce. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella over the sauce and cover tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil.

Bake in the preheated oven 45 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 20 minutes or until the cheese on top is bubbly. Let stand 20 minutes before serving.

BEEF DADDY’S BANANA PUDDING

Yields 12 servings

In a saucepan, whisk together the cornstarch, sugar, and salt. Add the egg yolks and 1 cup of the cream and beat until smooth. Gradually whisk in the hot milk and cook over medium-low heat, stirring until the mixture is thick and begins to bubble in the middle, about 5 minutes.

Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the butter and 3 teaspoons of the vanilla. Allow to cool before spooning the mixture into a glass container and sealing with plastic wrap pressed on the surface of the pudding. Refrigerate.

When the pudding is cold, slice the bananas about a quarter-inch thick and toss with the lemon juice. In a large bowl or trifle dish, arrange a layer of wafers, then banana slices, then pudding, repeating three more times. Spread
the final layer of pudding to the edges of the dish to seal the bananas. Cover again with plastic wrap pressed to the surface.

Refrigerate at least 3 hours and up to 2 days so flavors meld and the wafers soften. Just before serving, whip the remaining 1 cup of heavy cream until soft, then add the powdered sugar and the remaining teaspoon of vanilla and continue whipping until stiff. Serve the whipped cream on top of the pudding.

• • •

MARIA’S SANGRIA

Yields approximately 4 cups