Renegade Moon (CupidKey) (13 page)

The brothers exchanged grins and Destiny smiled at them in turn. Obviously they shared much rivalry and conflict, yet at the same time an unmistakable current of strong love flowed between them.

Eric got to his feet and offered a hand to Destiny. Martin stood up beside them. Eric looped one arm around Destiny and the other over Martin’s shoulders and steered them to the barn door.

“Let’s go eat,” he said.

The next morning Destiny went to the long dining table quietly and took her usual chair at Eric’s left, not sure what his mood might be. He sat in his regular place next to the end closest to the kitchen, his back to the enclosed courtyard, facing the front door. Domingo sat directly across from Eric, and Martin was sitting beside Domingo. Estrella always sat at the end nearest the kitchen so she could jump up and fetch things. At the moment she was buzzing around, asking Destiny what she wanted to eat.

“Morning, sugar,” Martin said, flashing a dazzler at Destiny.

“Morning,” she responded with a smile. Her eyes slid over to Eric, trying to gauge his mood. Oh, why did that man confound her so? One moment he was her dream lover and the next he was a remote iceberg, as forbidding as Mount Everest in deepest winter.

Feeling her gaze, Eric cut his eyes at her and gave her a slow smile. “Morning.”

“Good morning.” Sometimes she felt the perfect fool, positive he could look into her eyes and find all her feelings there to read at his leisure.

The men resumed their conversation, held in a Spanish/English mixture. Destiny caught enough English words to gather they were planning repair work on the house. Domingo gestured with his fork and the brothers’ eyes followed it as if it were drawing blueprints in the air.

“I realize that, and I’m not arguing with you,” Eric said, biting into a biscuit. “You know more about roof repair than I do.”

Ah-ha.
Roof repair, Destiny thought, buttering a biscuit. “These are delicious,” she said to Estrella.

“
Grácias, niña
.” Estrella smiled with pleasure. “Try the cactus jelly. I make it myself.”

Destiny smiled back, recalling the cactus jelly she’d bought at a specialty shop in Austin. “Why, thank you. I will.” She reached for the clear ruby jelly. “Prickly pear?” she asked, scooping some for her biscuit.

“
Sí
, and Estrella, she take out the stickers,” Domingo offered.

He’d said ‘steekers’ and Destiny couldn’t hide a grin. She adored accents, and his English was more heavily accented than Estrella’s. Destiny needed to monitor herself so she didn’t unconsciously mimic him.

Estrella turned down Destiny’s offer to help clear the breakfast things, so she went to her room to ponder on the news Iris had proclaimed the day before that today was Eric’s birthday. She really wanted to get him something, but what? Even if she knew what she wanted, where would she buy it?
Not a shirt. Perhaps a decorative belt buckle? No. Not that, either. Phooey.

Noticing her collection of photos, she sat down on the bed and started going through them, choosing the three best enlargements of the sunset she’d taken that first evening she’d arrived, when she and Eric had met. How fortunate she’d printed these off when she was still at the cabin. Now, without power, her printer was useless.

She studied them critically, finally settling on a dramatic shot of an ocotillo’s spiny branches, outlined like a collection of a naughty child’s Christmas switches against the deep orange of the sunset. But she needed a frame! Seeking collusion, she went to Estrella, who was in the kitchen, hands white with flour, humming over a recipe.

“Estrella, I need your help.”

“
Sí, niña
. What can I do for you?”

It felt almost disloyal to seek help from the housekeeper, but it was all for an innocent cause, so Destiny viewed it as a conspiracy of the best kind. She kept her voice low and Estrella tilted her head to hear. “I want to give this picture to Eric for his birthday, but I don’t have a frame. What should I do?”

“Ah! I have just the one. Come.” Wiping her hands on her apron, she led Destiny to her room. Many family photos hung on the wall, and Estrella went to one with a rustic wooden frame and took it down.

“Oh, don’t do that,” Destiny protested when she realized Estrella’s intentions.

“Do not worry,
niña
,” Estrella reassured her, removing the photo of a plump Mexican woman whom she resembled. “This is my sister. She is very romantic. She would approve.” Estrella polished the glass with a tissue and took Destiny’s photo to place into the frame.

“Perfect!” Destiny held it up to admire it, touched by the gift. “Custom made for my photo. Estrella, thank you. And thank your sister, too.”

“
Es nada
. You are good for Eric George. You make him smile. And Eric George has never smiled easy.” Estrella led the way back to the kitchen. “I make him a birthday cake and we surprise him at lunch, no?”

“Sounds fun. Can I help you with anything?”

“No, no. I take care of this. Pretty soon it will get hot in here when I turn on the oven to bake the cake. Maybe you go outside in the breeze.”

First putting away her photo, Destiny roamed outside, the dogs trotting over to greet her. Hearing racket from above, she stepped away from the house far enough to see up onto the roof. All three men clomped around up there. She waved.

Eric saluted and moved to the edge with a grin. “Come on up.” He pointed to the side of the house. Following directions, she located the ladder and climbed up, leaving the dogs milling at the bottom. Joby put a paw on a rung as if to follow her, but he couldn’t quite get up the nerve. “Not for doggies,” she told Joby with a laugh.

Destiny reached the top and Eric held a hand out to help her over the parapet.

“Be careful. Don’t step in the tar,” Eric warned, still holding her hand.

“Thanks.” She clutched his strong, calloused hand.
Did he know how good it felt?
Taking mincing steps over the composition roof, she moved cautiously to avoid the strips of roofing tar.

“Check out this view.” Releasing her hand, he swept his arm in an arc.

“Wow!” The magnificent vista spread before her. “I didn’t realize how much more can be seen with only a small increase in height. I can see where the arroyo goes behind that hill.” She turned back to him, unable to disguise her delight.

“Figured you’d enjoy seeing it.” Pride colored his words and she could sense his joy in this land—his land.

“It’s amazing, Eric. Thanks for letting me come up here to share it with you.”

“Glad you like the view. But you should go back down. For one thing, it gets hot up here. For another, I’d better help these guys bring up some material or they’ll pitch me off.”

Martin hollered over, “Got that right, little brother.”

Again holding Eric’s hand for balance, Destiny stepped over the parapet to the ladder and descended. Happy for her company again, the dogs circled her, licking her bare legs.

“Stop that,” she scolded, petting them to distract them. Rowdy, Martin’s Shepherd, had taken to her as much as Joby and Muddog, all three demanding attention at the same time. “Go lie down,” she shooed. They obeyed, flopping down in the shade of the house.

Destiny went inside for a while and worked on an article, then unable to resist the thumps and bumps on the rooftop, returned outdoors and looked up. Eric and Martin both had stripped to the waist. Martin wore a feed store ‘gimme’ cap. His hair blue-black in the sunshine, Eric had a bandana tied around his head, like a warrior with his headband. His bronze body glistened with sweat and his muscles rippled as he lifted the heavy rolls of roofing.

Destiny once again climbed the ladder to the roof, then sat down on the parapet. The bumpy stucco nibbled the backs of her legs so she sat on her hands for protection and watched.

Domingo was dressed as usual, in a long-sleeved cotton shirt and jeans, and battered cowboy hat.

“Martin, you’re going to burn,” Destiny pointed out.

He glanced at his shoulders. “I’m trying to get rid of this farmer’s tan. But you’re probably right.” He put his shirt back on, leaving the tail hanging out over his jeans. “Some people don’t have to worry about burning,” he directed loudly at Eric.

“Some people don’t,” Eric agreed with a grin, keeping his attention focused on smearing seams with roofing tar. After a moment, he gave Destiny a quick glance. “But somebody else had better worry about burning.”

Her skin had darkened more since her overheating episode, but she didn’t want to risk another burn and have it all peel off. She didn’t want to leave, either. She wanted to sit here and watch Eric work those fabulous muscles, his body gleaming as though oiled. Picking her way across the roof, she shook out his discarded shirt and slipped it on. The hem hung to her knees. All three men laughed at her, but she merely smiled.

Again she sat on the parapet, only now the tail of the shirt protected the backs of her legs from the stucco. The shirt caressed her as if it were a living thing, teasing her skin with the idea that Eric had worn it just a short time before. It carried his scent; that clean sunshine-musk that was so uniquely his, making her want to bury her face in its folds. Instead she contented herself with brushing her cheek against her shirt-clad shoulder until she saw Eric glance around at her. She quit, feeling foolish.

Martin took his shirt off again, but his olive skin should tan easily so Destiny didn’t think he’d run too much risk. He looked different in the baseball cap. More innocent, not as rakish as he did in his western hats. He caught her stare, turned the bill of the cap around backward, and gave her a stupid grin. She giggled at him.

“This is the last roll,” Eric announced.

“Hallelujah,” Martin cheered.

“It just means I’ll have to buy more, get more tar, and then we’ll get up here another day and work again.”

“Yeah, but it’s nearly noon and getting too hot up here.” Martin wiped his forehead with the back of his wrist. “Is that it?”

“That’s it,” Eric confirmed. They began picking up tools, so Destiny climbed down the ladder, still wearing Eric’s shirt.

After the men cleaned their hands, boots and tools with kerosene to remove any tar, Eric got the water hose and ran water over his arms.

“Give it to me,” Martin said, reaching, but Eric held the stream over Martin’s arms. Suddenly Eric wiggled the hose, sending water splashing over Martin’s chest.

“Whoooo!” Martin gasped at the shock of the cool water on his sun-heated body. Eric put his thumb over the hose end and sprayed Martin.

“Hey!” Martin roared, grabbing for the hose. Laughing, Eric tried to keep it from Martin, but Martin managed to redirect it and sprayed Eric right in the face. Sputtering, Eric released the hose and Martin took advantage to spray him full length.

The brothers frolicked like two kids, spraying each other, squirting streams of water at the hastily retreating Domingo, before turning the hose on her. She squealed and ran away. The water splashed over her back as she dashed around the side of the house. Then the wicked water fiends squirted the dogs, who leaped up and raced off as though they’d been sprayed with acid.

Eric and Martin strode laughing and dripping around to the front of the house.

“Those dogs took off, didn’t they?” Martin chortled.

“Yeah, but they’d go jump in a mud puddle in a minute,” Eric added.

Estrella, obviously warned by Domingo about the horseplay, came out with towels for the brothers. “You clean up now,” she scolded. “It’s almost lunch time. Get.”

Destiny removed the wet shirt and handed it to Estrella as she followed the housekeeper to the kitchen. “Mmm, chocolate. My favorite.” She admired the cake Estrella had baked.

“Chocolate is his favorite, too.” Estrella smoothed the icing on with sweeping strokes.

“When should I give Eric my photo?” Destiny stole a finger full of frosting.

“Put it beside his plate.” Estrella eyed the cake critically, adding a few more swipes.

Destiny got the picture and laid it on the table where Eric usually sat. Soon the brothers came in and without glancing at the table, Eric walked over to look out the screen door. Then he pushed it open and stepped out onto the porch. Martin walked right by the table and his gaze fell on the photo.

“What’s this?” he asked, picking it up.

Destiny took it from him. “Eric’s birthday present. Should I give it to him now, or wait until he comes to the table?”

“Take it out there to him.”

“Okay.” She walked outside and down the porch to stand beside Eric. “I thought you might like this,” she said, suddenly shy, offering the picture. He gently took it in his big rough hand, his fingers brushing hers as he did. Electric tingles sparked her hand at his touch. She watched that endearing smile transform his stern features as he examined the photo.

“Thanks,” he said, his deep voice husky. “I like it very much.” A pulse beat at the hollow of his throat. She wondered what he’d do if she tiptoed and kissed him. She dared not, because she never knew how he’d react to anything. What a puzzle he was to her.

“Lunch is ready,” Estrella announced, shattering the moment.

“That’s the sunset I photographed when I first arrived here,” Destiny said as they headed toward the door.

“When we met?” One dark brow lifted.

She nodded, going inside as he held the screen door open for her. “Happy birthday,” she added when he walked through.

“
Sí
, Eric George, happy birthday!” Estrella echoed cheerily, placing the cake on the table. One candle burned atop the cake, its flame dancing merrily.

Eric grinned and gave Estrella a hug before sitting down.

“I’m only a year older than you are now,” Martin said.

“Only for a few months,
hermano
. Then you pull ahead again.”

“Well, here’s to you, little brother,” Martin toasted, lifting his lemonade glass. Everyone clinked glasses.

“Blow out your candle and make a wish,” Estrella instructed.

With a fast glance at Destiny, Eric obeyed. They all clapped. He held up the photo. “From Destiny.” He turned it so they could all see, then put it down beside his plate.

What a pleasant occasion!
Destiny felt close to them all, sitting here as though part of the family, sharing food and laughter. After they finished eating, Estrella shooed them all away.