Like a man

“In the meantime,” he said, “why don’t I take you into town to talk to the sheriff?”

“Talk to the sheriff about what? That maybe someone tampered with my car and maybe someone tried to break into my cabin? What can they do?” She thought about all the paperwork, the wasted time. “I’m only here two more days, I can be careful. I’ll go to the police when I get back home.”

“If you live that long.” He sighed heavily. “All right, then, get your bag packed.”

“Didn’t you hear me, Rodriguez? I’m not going anywhere. I refuse to be scared off, and I’m not giving up on you, either.”

He hesitated at her words, then raised a brow. “But you are going somewhere, Blondie. You’re moving in with me.”

~~
She’d argued, of course, but he won. She might be stubborn as a mule, Miguel mused, but she wasn’t stupid. If someone was after her, she’d be a sitting duck up in the mountains alone. Reluctantly, she’d finally given in and moved her things over to his place.

He still couldn’t believe he had even considered moving her in with him, let alone insisted on it. What he should have done was to tie her up again, good and tight this time, and mail her back to Philadelphia. He smiled at the image, thinking that he wouldn’t want to be the person who opened up that box.

But he had insisted she stay, just as he’d insisted she come to dinner with him tonight at Edison and his wife.

She argued heatedly over that, too, insisted she’d be intruding on a private get-together. But in the end, he’d won that round, too, and now, deep in a conversation with Ross' fiance, she sat beside him at the dinner table.

He had to admit she looked pretty tonight. She’d worn a rose-pink silk blouse and tucked it into the narrow waist of her tailored white slacks. She’d done something different with her hair, brushed the sides away from her face and clipped them together in the back.

The style emphasized her high cheekbones, and the touch of cosmetics she’d applied to her eyes made them look wider, softer. If a man wasn’t being careful, it would be easy to drown in those eyes. But of course, he was being careful. Very careful.

He just felt some strange, twisted sense of obligation toward her. That was the only reason he’d insisted she move into his cabin and come to dinner with him, he reasoned.

She was here because of him, and he simply wanted to see her get back home in one piece.

He’d made inquiries into the occupants of the other cabins, but so far, no one was suspect. The honeymoon couple had checked into their cabin before Bella had even arrived, the father and son appeared legitimate, and the other two cabins rented were locals. Whoever was following her was hiding well.

But whoever was after her, wouldn’t stop here. Miguel knew they’d follow her back to Philadelphia, and once she left Wolf River, there was nothing he could do to protect her.

But someone else could. He’d already made a phone call that would ensure she’d be taken care of once she returned home. But she didn’t need to know about that right now.

She’d find out soon enough, and she wasn’t going to like it one little bit.

In the meantime, he wasn’t going to let her out of his sight. He almost laughed at the irony of it all.

“Hello. Earth to Miguel. Would you like some carrots?”

“Huh?” He blinked, then realized that Juliana was speaking to him from the other side of the Santos dining room table. “Oh, sure. Thanks.”

“You look like you got a bone stuck in your craw, Rodriguez. Hey, Vera,” Edison said from his place at the head of the table, “maybe you should slap him hard on the cheek, just in case.”

“I think you’re supposed to punch him in the stomach,” Ross offered. “Makes that bone shoot out like a missile.”

“Really?” Drew, Ross’s five-year-old son asked excitedly. “Can I watch?”

Miguel shook his head at their nonsense, while Maggie and Juliana rolled their eyes. Bella laughed, and in spite of himself, he couldn’t help but think that the sound was like music.

Shocked that he would even have a thought like that, Miguel frowned darkly. Good Lord, all this hearts and flowers stuff surrounding him must be rubbing off. He speared a big bite of carrots and concentrated on the food rather than the enticing scent of raspberries drifting from Bella.

“Thank you all for allowing me to join you tonight,” Bella said, and looked at Edison and Juliana, then Ross and Maggie. “I know this was a special celebration. I hope I haven’t intruded.”

“We’re glad you could join us.” Maggie glanced at Ross, and the tender look they exchanged baffled Miguel. Seeing Edison take the fall was bad enough, but Ross…Geez, what was the world coming to?

“We’d love to have you come to the wedding tomorrow, as well,” Maggie added with a smile. “In fact, we insist.”

Bella shook her head. “I couldn’t impose on you like that.”

“She’ll be there,” Miguel said flatly.

Her cheeks flushed pink. “I appreciate the offer, really, but I didn’t bring a dress on this trip.”

“What’s wrong with what you’ve got on?” Miguel ladled some gravy on a big mound of mashed potatoes. “It looks fine.”

“So like a man.” Juliana sighed with exasperation. “Don’t worry about a dress. We’re about the same size, at least, I used to be your size—” she glanced down at her twins sleeping in their carriers beside her chair, then smiled. “Everything’s so snug now I may have to hire Omar the tent maker to redo my wardrobe.”

Edison took his wife’s hand and kissed it. “You looked damn good last night in that—”
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