Page 35 of Loving My Enemy

I didn’t believe this transformation for a second but I was choosing to accept him at face value until he gave me a reason to think otherwise. “I’m sure your ego is rock solid. The whole town does nothing but sing your praises.”

“That’s growing up in a small town for ya. Everyone knows your business and they spread it around, good or bad. Butthey’re quick to come help and everyone knows who you are. Everyone.”

“You say it like it’s a bad thing but I can see in your eyes that you love it.” I would have loved to have all these people looking out for me as a kid. Or even just the two who brought me into the world.

“I hated it as a teenager when I just wanted to do dumb shit and kiss pretty girls.”

“Only kiss?”

He rolled his eyes but I detected a faint blush on his cheeks. “Sometimes more than kiss.” He shrugged. “It was like having a hundred brothers and sisters.”

“That doesn’t sound so bad.”

“It wasn’t.” His lips curled into a grin that did strange things to my body that I tried to ignore. “You know how that is, don’t you?”

“I do, actually. One year for New Year’s Eve, Austin and I were left alone while our parents went to a party. We bought a UFC fight and ordered pizza. The pizza was delicious because it was something we weren’t allowed to have, but the fight was gory and brutal and so bloody. We had so much fun.” The pizza hadn’t made him sick like Mom and Dad had insisted and that begun a monthly fight for pizza, which was, of course, my fault.

“Sounds like you two were close.”

The question didn’t seem probing but I opted for honesty. “We were. Losing him nearly broke me.” I still wasn’t sure it hadn’t.

“But it didn’t.” That sympathetic smile made me want to get to know the guy the rest of the town seemed to know. I liked the brief flashes of the nice guy I’d seen, but I hadn’t seen nearly enough of him.

“Austin would have hated it if I had. He even threatened to haunt me if I stopped living.” Said he’d cockblock me during ladytime if I didn’t live for us both. “Some days I’m tempted to stop just so I can see him again.” It still hurt like hell to be without him and I didn’t know how long it would be until it started to hurt less.

Instead of offering trite words of comfort, Antonio ate a few spoonfuls of chili and groaned. “It’s perfect without the fixings, but this is Texas and we like our chili dressed up.”

“Kind of like your cowboy boots?” He laughed and, dammit, that sound—it was like a warm hug that quickly turned to something more.

“Not quite, but close.” Antonio winked and again it sent a shiver of awareness through me. I chose to ignore it, at least as much as I could.

We dressed our chili, me with sharp cheddar and jalapenos, and him with scallions, avocado, and lime. “How come you’re not the sheriff? I mean, other than your excellent people skills.”

He quirked a smile. “When I came back to Tulip after working homicide in New Orleans, I just wanted to work the everyday job of keeping people safe.”

“Homicide. That makes sense, actually. Everything about you has a ‘serious vibe’ to it.”

“It’s a pretty serious job and what passes for humor is dark. Really dark.” He shrugged it off, but I was starting to see the demons he carried. “What about you? Did you always want to do what you do?”

I laughed at the way he didn’t even try to put a name to my work. “No. I wanted to do something with computers, but I hadn’t decided yet, and then Austin got sick. It was my sophomore year and I never went back.” There was a look. It was there for only a second, but I saw it. “You assumed I dropped out or no, wait … failed out?” He didn’t answer, but the flash of guilt was unmistakable.

“I didn’t—”

“Oh, but you did. If you really want to know the truth Deputy Vargas, I had to leave school to give my brother a kidney to keep him alive. It’s the only reason why my parents wanted me around, and after that, they were terrified I’d pick up mono or something in the dorms, which meant I wouldn’t be well enough to help Austin. They said I could go back but I’d have to pay for it myself.” I stood and pushed away from the table, feeling tears well in my eyes even thinking about that day. The day I couldn’t keep pretending that my parents gave a damn about me. My feet moved and kept moving until I was in the safe confines of my bedroom, where I stayed until I was sure Antonio was gone.

Hours later, I found the kitchen cleaned, with the chili still cooling on the stove. I smiled. Maybe now that he knew the truth, Antonio would stop snooping into my life and accusing me of things.

Chapter 21

Antonio

“Your chopping skills have improved.” I sat at the kitchen table with a cutting board right in front of me with a pile of tomatoes on it and a stack of onions to my left.

“Thanks. I’ve been practicing.”

She looked over her shoulder, a knowing look on her face. “With Elka?”

“Mom, don’t.” The last thing I needed was for my mother to start matchmaking. “Please.”

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