“What was your sugar level?”
“Four hundred,” she answered, looking properly chastened, “but I didn’t eat anything that wasn’t on the diet today. I even turned down the muffins in knitting class. I must be coming down with something.”
“I hope not.” Moving closer, he kissed her cheek and enjoyed the warm hug. As she released him, he took one look at the computer screen and burst into laughter. “Computer dating for seniors, Mom?”
“Why not?” she asked with a straight face. “I’m not looking to get married, but I could sure use some company. I don’t remember the last time I had a date.”
“I take you out to dinner every week, Mom,” he reminded her.
She gave him the look and deepened her tone. “And you’re my son. You’re cute, but you don’t count, Be-be.”
He studied the questionnaire she’d been filling out. He didn’t like the idea of his mother dating someone off the Internet. He knew that all sorts of predators lurked there, hidden behind their computers. Still, Trudy wasn’t his child; she was his mother and would do as she pleased. “Don’t give them any personal information.”
“Of course not,” she agreed readily, “And you’ll probably want to personally meet and check out any of them before we go out, right?”
“For sure.” Reed pulled a chair up next to her. “Why don’t I help you with the form?”
“I’d love that.” She patted his hand. “You sure you don’t have a date or something better to do?”
“What could be better than you?”
Trudy grabbed his hand and shook it gently. “Don’t try to play me, son, ’cause I’ve been played by the best of them and am still here to talk about it. Your heart ain’t been into dating since you messed around with Marina and things fell apart. Let’s talk about your social calendar.”
“I’ve got a date with Sondra. We’re going to dinner and the movies on Friday,” he said as he started adding his mother’s name to the computer form.
Trudy snorted. “Sondra does not count, and you know it. You’re not interested in her.”
Still typing, Reed bit back a smile. He’d never said anything, but his mother was right. “I got a new assignment today at work,” he began, changing the subject.
An hour later he let himself out. He’d talked about the task force assignment but neglected to mention that Marina was the FBI agent he would be working with. In his mind he’d rationalized his omission because he didn’t want to get his mother’s hopes up. Both he and Marina had moved on. The uneasiness between them now was only due to both of them trying to figure out how to work with each other on a daily basis.
Outside the house he stepped into warm darkness once more. There was no one around. As he neared his Explorer Sportrac, he noticed that it was pitched at an odd angle. Whipping out his flashlight he examined the tires. The front tire on the driver’s side had been slashed.
From time to time youths in the neighborhood vandalized property, but Reed seldom had a problem. He hoped there was no connection with his new assignment.
Angry, Reed surveyed the area once more, certain that someone was behind the curtains of a nearby house, laughing. The perpetrator was long gone. Opening the trunk, he took out his tire iron and jack, and got to work. He was going to have to be more cautious at work and during his time off. Hopefully this wasn’t the start of something nasty.
Marina’s dinner with her dad at the Italian restaurant was a dramatic affair. In between salad and lasagna, Javier, darkly handsome with just a touch of silver at his temples, was usually a very charming and talkative man. Tonight he punctuated the silences with soulful sighs. This unconscious habit was something he did when he was worried and wanted to discuss his concerns with her. Through conversation she usually got it out of him.
For some unfathomable reason she suspected that this was one time she should ignore the signals. When she could stand it no more, she fixed him with an exasperated gaze. “What? What is it, Dad? What’s got you so stressed?”
He reached across the table to pat her hand. “Marina, you know you’re my heart. Maybe I didn’t always make the best example for you, but I always tried to do my best.”
Cocking her head to the side, she gave him a puzzled look. “Sometimes you drive me crazy, but you’re a wonderful dad. Have I ever complained?”
He shook his head. “No, but it’s not your nature. I should have remarried after your mother died, let you see what it’s like to have a mother around all the time instead of…all the girlfriends.”
This time Marina sighed loudly. Her father was as amorous as they came. Simply put, he liked women, and age, beauty and intelligence were no barriers. One concession she appreciated was that he’d never dated any of her friends, but that hadn’t dampened the interest of a determined few once they reached legal age. “Dad, where are you going with this?”
Javier gripped her hand. “Chica, is it my fault that you don’t get married?”
“No.” She eyed him as if he’d transformed into a three-legged chicken. “Uh—how’d you come up with that?”
“You and your cousins Janisa and Carmen, are all about the same age, but both of them are married. Carmen’s little Chico has the birthday party this week. Janisa is expecting. But you, you are alone. You don’t even have a boyfriend. Why not? I want you to be happy. And I can hardly wait for some grandchildren.”
“You’ll get grandchildren. One day,” she added quickly. “What’s the rush?”
“You’re twenty-eight now. You don’t have a long time to make babies.”
Marina rolled her eyes. “Uh…thanks, Dad. Do you think I’m almost old enough to retire?”
Ignoring her comment, he thrust another question at her. “What happened to Emilio?”
“I told you. It didn’t work out.”
“But you liked him. We liked him.” Javier’s tone deepened and he leaned forward, intent on pressing his point.
It had been a number of months since she’d sent Emilio on his way. Resenting her father’s pushing himself into her love life, Marina leaned forward, too. “Yes, I liked him, but I didn’t love him and he wanted to get married.”
“Then what about the other guy? Rich? Rod?”
“Reed,” Marina corrected. “And don’t tell me you liked him. I know better.”
“He was okay,” Javier corrected her gently. “But his Spanish wasn’t that good and he didn’t share the Puerto Rican heritage of our family.”
“Mama was African-American,” she stated flatly.
“Yes, mija, my daughter, I loved her very much. Why do you think no one has replaced her?”
“And her Spanish was good?” she asked, knowing the answer but wanting to hear him say more.
“Her Spanish was excellent. She tutored me in English.”
“But she didn’t share the Puerto Rican heritage,” Marina noted, just to see what he’d say.
Javier’s eyes lit up as he gazed inwardly. “To tell you the truth, I was so in love with Lily Ann Taylor, she could have been an alien and I would have followed her to the end of the universe.”
“Oh, Dad.” Marina gave his hand a squeeze. Hearing her dad talk about her mother often made her misty-eyed.
Javier lifted her hand and kissed it. “That’s what I want for you, mija, a love so strong that nothing else matters.”