Page 65 of Bullets and Dandelions

Mamma Rose and Hector followed them into the house.

I laughed. “That good, huh?”

“Yes, they are.” Stone held the door open for me. “And call me Alex.”

I stared up at him in surprise. “You sure?”

“I am.” He leaned down and brushed his lips over mine. “I’m keeping you.”

“I have a lot of baggage.”

He kissed me again. “So do I.”

“The food is getting cold,” Hector called.

Alex escorted me to the dining room, and being the perfect gentleman, he pulled out my chair and took the seat next to me. I couldn’t remember the last time I had laughed so much or eaten such wonderful food.

That’s when it hit me. Thiswasmy home, and theywerethe family I always longed for. “Can you teach me how to make tamales, Momma Rosa?”

“It would be an honor to teach you, Tess.”

Shooting her a nervous smile, I added, “I don’t know how to cook. Anything. Will that be a problem?”

“No, it will not.”

I beamed happily. “Great.”

The phone rang.

Everyone stared at it.

“What’s wrong?”

Alex scowled. “That phone is only used for business.” He got up and answered it. “Stone.”

My stomach knotted when anger clouded Alex’s face. Had Roberts or Pops found us?

“I understand. I appreciate the update.” Alex hung up the phone. “That was General Masters. He wanted to let us know the fiasco at the rodeo made the national news and it shows us rounding up the loose livestock. Masters doesn’t think anyone will recognize us.”

Damn, Pops would. “Did they show me too?”

“No.”

The wall phone in the kitchen started ringing.

“That can’t be good,” Tex muttered.

Alex picked it up. “Hello. What? How did that happen?”

I stiffened when Alex’s gaze fixed on me.

“Thanks for the heads up, deputy.” Alex replaced the receiver.

“What’s wrong Sarge?” Johnson asked.

“Doss escaped custody, didn’t he,” I interjected.

A muscle jerked in Alex’s jaw. “He did.”

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