Page 32 of Loving My Enemy

She smiled and bit into the cake with her eyes closed. The way cake was meant to be enjoyed. “That is wonderful. Just sweet enough. Will it get me buzzed?”

Her question shocked a laugh out of me. “It hasn’t worked for me, so I have my doubts, but let me know.” Maybe the key was more beer or maybe I just needed to get really drunk, cry about my problems, and when I woke up hungover, I’d be all new and transformed. Like in the movies.

“How do you like Tulip?”

“I love it. Mostly.” I didn’t want to offend the woman because this town had pride like I’d never witnessed before.

She arched a blond brow knowingly. “My son is the part making it miserable?” I guessed you didn’t have to live in Tulip full time to be part of the gossip grapevine. “Don’t look so surprised. He’s told me all about you, just like I’m sure you complained to your own mother about him.”

At least she was more subtle than her son about her interrogation. “No, I didn’t. We aren’t close.” There was no point in lying since Antonio had probably filled her in on his version of my life.

“Well you probably know by now how Tulip is, so you know they’re all talking about how wonderful you are and how crazy you’re making my boy.”

“They must have me confused with someone else. Antonio hates me.” Enough to do what he’d done and say what he’d said right after. Nothing could be clearer than that. “He thinks I’m someone I’m not and treats me like the former instead of the latter. I can’t change it and I’m not going to try.” I already tried that and it was madness and depression and insecurity. And it still didn’t work.

“Smart.” Liz dug into her final piece of cake and I cut another slice for her to take with her. “Don’t let any man define who you are or what you can be. Do that for yourself.”

“Thanks, Liz. I’ll keep that in mind.” She stood and I handed her the cake. “For later.”

“Thank you, Elka. Now I don’t have to forget my manners and ask for another piece.” Liz was a fun woman who wasn’t afraid to smile or speak her mind. “Oh, and I have something for you.”

I should have known she hadn’t come just to return my supplies. “A word of warning?”

“Do you need one?”

“I don’t need anything.”

“You need this.” She handed me a long object wrapped in foil. “It’s malagueta pepper. Antonio’s father put it in the chili he made just for me. It’s just what you need.”

Now I felt like a jerk. “I’m sorry, Liz. You were trying to be nice and I … I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize, honey. It sounds like things have been rough for you for awhile. Keep the pepper and win the cook-off.”

I snorted a laugh. “I just don’t want it to be so bad that I piss people off.”

Liz threw her head back and laughed. “Never pass up an opportunity to piss people off, Elka. Thanks for the cake!”

Alone again with nothing but my thoughts, I turned the chili to simmer and did what all lonely soon-to-be spinsters did.

I buried myself in work.

Chapter 19

Antonio

Standing on the doorstep of Elka’s cottage with two bags of groceries might be a big damn mistake, but it couldn’t possibly be worse than all the other things I’d already done to her. So here I was. Hoping today was the day she stopped pretending she couldn’t hear when I knocked. Rang the bell. Knocked even louder and called out to her.

The door swung open and Elka looked up at me with suspicion and fear swimming in those big blue eyes. Her hand never left the doorknob, giving me an unobstructed view of her hot pink bra under her mostly see-through tank top with a faded daisy on the front. “What do you want, Deputy Vargas?”

So we were back to Deputy Vargas. I deserved it but it still stung. I put on a smile and lifted the bags in my arms. “Practice. For the cook-off.”

She frowned. “I’m not doing the cook-off so you should find someone else to assist.”

I should have known she wouldn’t make it easy for me. “Is this because of us?”

She scoffed and rolled her eyes. “Yes, deputy, everything in my whole entire life is about you.”

She was right. I sounded like a complete asshole. “Sorry. Of course it’s not about us. Or me. Listen, I wanted to apologize about the other—”

---