LITMIR.BIZ

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      The rest nodded, almost in unison.

      “My money’s on Katherine,” another customer called out from a side table.

      “You weren’t around when Wolf came back to town after college,” another spoke up. “Never seen a man so cold or in control.”

      “Looks like six years away hasn’t changed him, either,” Vivian said. “When I passed him on the street a little bit ago, he gave me an icy stare that sent chills down my spine.”

      Vivian, Sarita noted, was really getting on her nerves. “He’s probably had people staring at him all day. He was just returning tit for tat.”

      Vivian snorted. “I don’t know why you’re so intent on defending him. I don’t recall the two of you being such good friends.”

      Sarita was surprised herself by the intensity of her desire to defend Wolf. It was very close to a need. “We weren’t, but I don’t think it’s right to sit here and condemn him with unsubstantiated gossip.”

      “Bradford Dillion obviously likes him,” Jules pointed out. “I’ve always thought he was a good judge of character.”

      “Bradford Dillion was a friend of Wolf’s mother and her family. I don’t think he ever approved of Frank’s marriage to Katherine,” Vivian said.

      Sarita found herself fighting the urge to shove a pie into the woman’s face. Shocked that she would consider going to such lengths on Wolf’s behalf, she reminded herself that Vivian had always gotten on her nerves.

      “And the fact that Katherine has made it clear she intends to petition the court to have Dillion removed as executor of Frank’s estate and Greg Pike put in his place might have something to do with Dillion’s joy at seeing Wolf. Wolf will fight her tooth and nail to see that his father’s wishes are followed to the letter, especially any that go against hers,” one of the men from the back offered.

      “If I were Katherine O’Malley, I’d hire a bodyguard.” Vivian gave her head a violent nod to add emphasis to her words.

      Sarita’s patience came within a hair of snapping. “That’s the most absurd thing I’ve ever heard.” When only Charlie added a grunt of support, it did snap. She glared at the assembly. “Don’t you all have something better to do with your afternoon than sit around and rehash old gossip?”

      Jules looked at her worriedly, then a look of apology spread over his face as his gaze swept his customers. “It is past three.”

      In a mild flurry of activity, the patrons paid and left.

      When he, Gladys and Sarita were alone, Sarita braced herself to be fired. Instead Jules studied her with interest. “I’ve never seen you lose your temper. Is Wolf O’Malley an old flame that hasn’t quite died?”

      “I didn’t know you even knew him,” Gladys muttered, also studying Sarita. “The two of you didn’t act like old friends when he was in here this morning.”

      “When he was still going to school here, we were in the same class. And, you’re right, we weren’t friends. But I felt someone should stick up for him. It was like a lynch mob in here.” Not wanting to answer any more questions, she looked to Jules and said stiffly, “Now are you going to fire me or shall we get this place cleaned up so we can go home?”

      “It’s been a long day. Let’s clean up this place,” he replied.

      Both Gladys and Jules allowed her to do her work in peace, but she could feel them covertly looking her way every once in a while and was glad when she was finally on her way home.

      The old rambling adobe ranch house she shared with her grandfather was a couple of miles out of town. In bad weather she drove. In good weather she preferred to walk. As she neared the end of the long, dirt driveway, she could see Luis Lopez seated, as usual, in his cane chair on the front porch, whittling. The chair was balanced on the two back legs, and his feet were propped up on the porch railing.

      “Abuelo, did you hear the news?” she asked, mounting the porch, then leaning against one of the pillars holding up the roof.

      He grinned, causing the deep weather-induced wrinkles of his permanently tanned skin to become even more pronounced. “If you’re talking about Wolf O’Malley returning, I did. I was weeding Mrs. Yager’s flower garden when the young Ballori woman came by to tell her. Seems his reappearance has caused quite a stir.”

      Sarita nodded. “This turn of events should stop Greg Pike from pestering us about purchasing this land.”

      “You’d think so.” Luis’s grin disappeared. “But it hasn’t. When I came home for lunch, he was on our doorstep with an even bigger offer. He says that since we have the spring on our property, Katherine can still build her spa.”

      “Once she gets a notion, she’s like a dog with a bone,” Sarita muttered.

      “I’ve been thinking that maybe I should sell.”

      Shock registered on Sarita’s face. “You can’t be serious. You love this land.”

      “I’m an old man. I’m satisfied with my life. But you...you could take the money to travel, to see the world.”

      Sarita saw the worry in his eyes and guessed what was really on his mind. “I like it here. This land is as much a part of me as it is of you. It’s where I belong. And if I want to see the world, I’ve got enough saved up to take a trip.”

      “You could go to college.”

      They’d had this discussion before, as well. “I don’t want to go to college. I like my life as it is.”

      “You have taken the vow you made to your father to watch over me much too seriously. You’ve restricted your opportunities. You work at the café, you come home and work in the garden, you ride your horse, you take care of me. What kind of life is that?”

      “Peaceful.” Silently she admitted that there were times when her life seemed to lack fulfillment, but she wasn’t ready to admit that to her grandfather. Both her mother and grandmother had died when she was very young. Her father and grandfather had raised her. When she was in her late teens her father had died, leaving her the only one left to watch over the old man in front of her, and she would not shirk that duty.

      “I worry about what will happen to you when I’m gone. I don’t want to see you alone in the world. You should have a husband and a family.”

      They’d had this conversation a hundred times before. Her usual response was to say that she would do just fine on her own, that she liked being an independent woman. The words formed on the tip of her tongue, but when she opened her mouth, she heard herself saying, “All right. I’ll admit, I’d like to find a husband and have a family. But I’m not so desperate I’d take your money and go scouring the world or college campuses for one.”

      Triumph glistened in his eyes. “You could go stay with my cousin José in Mexico City,” he coaxed. “The last time you were there, you had four proposals.”

      “They wanted an American wife so they could come to this country.”

      “You don’t have enough faith in yourself. One, maybe two, had that in mind, but not all four. I know for a fact that Greco was in love with you.”

      “He got over it fast enough. He was married within two months of the time I left and the father of twins barely nine months later.”

      “You rejected him and he was forced to move on with his life.”

      “For someone as desperately in love as he claimed, he moved on fairly quickly, don’t you think?” she returned dryly.

      Luis’s gaze narrowed on her with purpose. “I want to see you married, with a husband to look after you.”

      “I don’t need anyone to look after me.” She gave an impatient snort. “Men! If I was a male

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