Chapter Four

Chapter Four

Carlos smiled as he walked to the front door. His mother was already through the doorway, with his father right behind her. Marcella and Tony Santini had always been one unit, complete. He couldn’t think of one without the other, even after all the time they had spent apart thanks to deployments.

“Carlos, what are you doing walking around here wet?” she asked before kissing his cheek.

“I got caught in the rain.”

She shook her head in that way she had. He always assumed she had learned the dismissive gesture to keep herself from going crazy with six kids running around her house.

“Go get changed.” He might be in his thirties, but Marcella Santini still gave him orders like he was ten. And just like his brothers and sister, he wouldn’t deny her the privilege. “Is Tia around? Is she going to join us for dinner?”

“I told her she had to.”

She frowned at him. When he had been young, that look had terrified him. Now it only worried him. “You need to be nice to her.”

“I am nice to her.”

She patted his cheek and walked to the kitchen.

His father smiled at him. “Hope we aren’t interrupting anything.”

“Not a thing, especially when you come baring gifts of food. It was a long day of work.”

“Nothing wrong with that.”

“Not at all,” he said as he followed his parents into the kitchen. His mother was already there working to get everything ready. She’d brought tamales, rice, and beans for dinner.

“I’m going to heat these just a little. Go change.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“And make sure you tell Tia we are here. Where is she, by the way?”

“Upstairs.” His mother paused in what she was doing and looked up at him. “We both got caught out in the rain so she’s changing.”

“So, that’s what the kids are calling it these days?” his father murmured.

He knew his father had detected what had been going on there, but when Carlos looked at his mother, she seemed oblivious to his father’s insinuation. She was either pretending not to hear her husband, or she truly hadn’t picked up on what his father had said.

“Go change and tell her we are here. It’s been almost a month since I’ve seen her. It will be good to catch up.”

He left to do his mother’s bidding. There was no question. They had been raised by a Marine, but their mother was the true commander in the household. Of course, all Santini women were like that. Strong, hard-headed women, as his father and his uncles would say. Of course, all of them would deny the description of hard-headed if asked in front of their wives. They weren’t stupid.

He made it to the top of the stairs just as Tia stepped out of the guest room. She’d pulled her hair back into a ponytail, and was wearing a pair of shorts and a huge t-shirt.

She stopped as soon as she saw him.

“Mom said to tell you she’s downstairs.”

“I know that.”

“I’m just making sure I deliver the message.”

“Good to know.”

Then, again, they stood there. He wasn’t sure why he finally had taken the plunge earlier and kissed her. It just had seemed like the right thing to do. Like right now. He could almost taste her on the tip of his tongue. Tia and rain…a delicious combination.

Even before he could act on the thought, she held up a hand. “No.”

“What?”

“Carlos Santini, I can tell by the look in your eye just what you’re planning, and you are not going to get away with it.”

He smiled.

“And that won’t work either.”

He didn’t stop smiling. “Why not?”

“Your parents are downstairs, and I’m not about to fool around with you.”

“I have a feeling that at least my father’s pretty sure what was going on here before they showed up.”

Tia settled a hand on each hip. Dammit. When she did that, it made him want to kiss her. He knew he was a freak, but the fact that he got turned on because she was mad at him made him question his own desires. For just a second, until she stepped closer. Then he forgot worrying about that and just watched her.

“What do you mean by that?”

“He’s not stupid.”

She closed her eyes. “God.”

“Are you embarrassed?”

When she opened her eyes, she threw her hands up in the air. “Of course I am.”

“Who would have thought Tia Mendoza was such a prude.”

“I am not a prude. I just like to be discreet.”

“I’ll be discreet.”

“No.”

“What?”

“No. End of story. Nothing will happen.”

“Something already did, and I think it will happen again.”

She made a sound that sounded like a strangled growl. “I’m not talking to you anymore. Go change.”

She brushed past him and he almost let her go. Instead, he got a whiff of that honeysuckle scent and he couldn’t resist. He grabbed her and pulled her back against him.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

He knew she was trying to sound like a ball buster, but her voice had turned breathy, just like when they had been outside. It sunk beneath his flesh and made him wonder what it would sound like in the morning when he woke up beside her. He nuzzled her neck.

“Just wanted to let you know we will finish what we started outside.”

“No, we will not.”

He took one of her earlobes between his teeth and tugged on it. She moaned, or at least would have if she had opened her mouth.

“We’ll talk about it at least, Tia.”

She didn’t say anything, but she nodded. He let her go. “It isn’t a smart thing to do,” she said.

“It might not be smart, but it would definitely be a lot of fun.”

Without looking at him, she shook her head and headed down the stairs. He went into his room and stripped out of his clothes. After he grabbed a towel from his bathroom, he thought about Tia as he started to dry off. He’d always had a thing for her, from the first time she gave him a mean look, but in the last year, they had been working side-by-side. Every time they had fought, it was like foreplay. He liked a contrary woman, and Tia was definitely that.

But, there was one thing that contrary woman was going to have to learn. She was going to have to deal with the feelings between them. That one little kiss would have led to a lot more than just that if his parents hadn’t arrived. She knew it, and he knew it. They had to deal with the issue at hand. And it was tricky. She didn’t really work for him, but with him. But this ranch, it was more important to him. It was more important to her, he knew that. He couldn’t risk that and their friendship for just some fun.

In that next instant, it hit him. He wouldn’t even be thinking of this if all he wanted was fun. He wanted more, and he wanted it with Tia. Staring at himself in the mirror, he waited for the implications to hit him. Granted, he wasn’t really sure what he wanted with her, but he knew he wanted more than just a little fun in bed. Carlos wasn’t stupid. He knew that any kind of sexual relationship with Tia would have to be a serious one. She wasn’t the kind of woman to fool around, and she definitely would never put the ranch into jeopardy. He wasn’t sure what, but he knew he wanted to at least get to know her on that level.

With that resolved, at least for him, he decided to get dressed. They had a benefit to discuss and he had plans to make.

Tia drew in a deep breath and released it slowly. More than once on her way down the stairs, she had contemplated running away. She wasn’t good with parents—although, the Santinis treated her like family—and she wasn’t in the mood. She was tired and cranky and, dammit...horny. The man had her head spinning, and she didn’t want to sit through a dinner thinking about what would have happened if his parents hadn’t shown up.

It was cowardly, but she turned to walk to the front door.

“Come in, Tia,” Marcella Santini said.

Dammit. The woman had a sixth sense when it came to her kids, and apparently also for Tia.

“Okay.”

Dragging her feet, Tia made her way to the kitchen. Marcella puttered around the space. “I brought some sweet tea.”

And, of course, she had been dreaming of just that when she had finished working. Marcella always knew what they needed.

“That sounds fantastic.”

Marcella nodded and took down two glasses from the open shelving. After filling them with ice, tea, and lemons, she carried them over to the kitchen table, setting one glass in front of the empty chair. She settled in the chair and smiled at Tia. The message was clear. There was no getting away at this point. She expected Tia to sit and talk.

Damn. Where was Mr. Santini when you needed him? He was about the only one who could control Marcella—and that was pushing it with the description. With regret, she sat down in the chair and took a sip of the tea. It was perfect, of course.

“I’ve always worried about all my children.”

Ooookay, so she wanted to talk about kids. “It couldn’t have been easy raising that many kids in a military family.”

She smiled. “No, it wasn’t. They kept me hopping that’s for sure. And don’t be fooled that one of them was a girl. Elena was the worst in a lot of ways. She and Dante always tortured each other. But Carlos, he worried me in particular. Always did.”

“Why?”

“You’ve met his brothers, yes?”

“I met Brando and Anthony.”

She smiled. “Of course. They are both very loud. But Carlos was always the quiet one. More so when he returned from Iraq the last time.”

“Carlos? Quiet?”

Marcella chuckled. “Yes, always. I take it isn’t the case with you?”

“No. Sometimes, he just won’t shut up.” Then she realized who she was talking to. “Sorry.”

“Oh, don’t be. All my men need a woman who puts them in their place. Tony definitely did. The man was so full of himself when we met.”

Alarm bells went off. She had always worried that Marcella wanted her to date Carlos. From what Carlos had told her, all the Santini moms thought it was their God given duty to get everyone married off. And there was talk of some kind of a curse. It was going to be hard enough resisting Carlos; she didn’t need his mother egging him on.

“There’s nothing going on between us. So there is no place-putting. Or whatever.”

Brilliant, Tia. Wow his mother with your verbal skills.

“Why isn’t there? Don’t you like him?”

“Not really.”

Marcella said nothing for a long moment, and Tia was worried that maybe she might have stepped over a line.

“That’s good. Give him hell.”

She opened her mouth to argue with her, but Marcella laughed.

“Oh, the look on your face is perfect. Yes, I know they are all hard to deal with, but that just means they need a woman who knows how to deal with them. Take Anthony. I never thought he would get married.”

“Carlos said the same thing.”

She sighed. “They all say that about themselves. Even Elena. They want to wait to get married, they won’t fall for the curse.”

“Curse?”

Marcella smiled and patted her hand. “Just nonsense they talk about getting married. It’s a family thing they like to throw around. But, when Carlos came back, I didn’t know how to deal with him. No one did.”

She remembered. The first time he had been out to the ranch hadn’t been pleasant for either of them.

“Yes.”

“But, you handled him. You told him what to do and wouldn’t take any lip, as my sister-in-law Joey would say.”

“Yes, but I think you have the wrong idea about us. We’re partners.”

Marcella said nothing for another long moment. “So, you are not attracted to Carlos?”

She opened her mouth, but couldn’t seem to answer no. She should. Tia didn’t need his mother egging him on. She needed balance. Nothing about being involved with Carlos would balance her.

“Of course he’s attractive. He’s a Santini.”

Marcella shook her head. “They are not interchangeable.”

“No. It’s just...good genes.” She shrugged.

Again, another long study before his mother smiled. “Good. Don’t worry, it will all work out, Tia.”

Before she could respond, his mother rose. “I have some tamales warming in the oven, and I brought some empanadas. Should be done in a few minutes.”

“I thought Mr. Santini was with you.”

“He is. He went to go look at the horses.”

“He should come out more often and ride. I know he likes it.”

“Yes. I tell him the same thing, but he always says he has work.” She made a face. “He’s always been a workaholic. If it hadn’t been for me, he’d be dead by now.”

“We all agree with that,” Carlos said from the doorway. She hadn’t heard him approach, but that was nothing new. Even in shoes, he was quiet.

“Go get your father. Tia and I are ready to eat.”

“Please.”

“What was that?” his mother asked.

“I said please. As in please go get your father.”

His mother turned to face him. “Are you telling me what to say?”

He chuckled. “No. Be right back.”

Then he winked at Tia and left. She glanced at his mother to see her reaction.

“See. I told you. Every one of them needs to be put in his place.”

Carlos stepped out onto the front porch and winced. The rain had left a heavy feeling in the air. Now the heat was just wet. Damn, it felt like Florida in August. He jogged down the steps and made his way to the barn. It wasn’t usual to feel like this. Dry air was one of the things he loved about Arizona. Out of all the kids, he was the one who had come back here time and time again. His mother was originally from Mexico, but spent most of her life in Arizona before marrying his father.

He found his father in front of Starburst’s stall.

“Mom said she’s ready to eat.”

Tony Santini smiled. “And one thing we know about your mother is never let her get too hungry.”

Carlos chuckled as they started back to the house side-by-side.

“So, you want to tell me what’s going on with you and Tia?”

“Not really.”

“Your mother is probably dropping very obvious hints right now.”

Yeah, he gathered as much as he had heard part of the discussion. “We don’t know what is going to happen, if anything. Nothing really has yet.”

“Ah.”

“What does that mean?”

“Nothing. Just be careful.”

“I will.”

“You’ve built something good here, and I’m happy that you’ve found your place.”

“But...”

“No but. Building something like this, it forms a friendship, and that is sometimes the best foundation for a relationship.”

“You and Mom were friends first?”

He chuckled. “No. But our relationship is more than a marriage. You know that. Tia is a lot like your mother.”

That made him frown. “How so? She can’t cook to save her life, and she has a mouth on her that would embarrass Anthony at times.”

“I mean that she’s strong. And she’s a woman who would stand beside you no matter what. Just make sure you don’t screw that up.”

“Noted.”

“Good,” his father said, just as they made it to the front door.

As soon as they stepped through the door, his mother called out, “Hurry up or we’re eating it all ourselves.”

He heard Tia laugh and his heart did that little dancing thing that left him lightheaded. As he followed his father down the hallway, he wondered about that. Sure, he’d remembered the crush on his second grade teacher, along with the first crush of puppy love in middle school. His infatuation had never been this strong, even then. He stepped into the dining area and stopped right there. In the years he had known Tia, he hadn’t really paid attention to the feeling. He had ignored it, tried to pretend he didn’t have those feelings. Now, all of a sudden, it had snuck up on him. Seeing her there laughing with his mother, smiling at his father…she fit.

Dammit. He wasn’t ready for this, and he definitely would not accept it. Of course, it didn’t mean he would ignore his attraction, but he had to be careful. All the weddings had gone to his head. He wanted Tia, but it didn’t mean he wanted her beyond that.

Shit.

Yeah, he did. He thought he would panic when he had these first feelings. Still, it could be just that it had been so long since his last real relationship. Years. The idea of tying himself to one woman for any amount of time was a big step. One that could have consequences for the ranch. That had to be the issue.

“Carlos?” his mother asked.

He looked at his father and his mother, then finally at Tia. He’d been standing there contemplating things while the rest of them already had food on their plates.

“Sorry. It was a long day, and this smells wonderful.”

He’d thought to get a beer, but after his actions just a moment ago, he decided to grab some water.

Tia was still looking at him strangely when he sat down. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Yes,” he said from behind clenched teeth.

“I was just checking to make sure you didn’t have heat stroke. It was really hot out there today.”

“I don’t have heat stroke.” Not of the temperature kind of course. He still felt disoriented after the kiss. When he saw his mother’s frown, he knew he had been rude. “Sorry. I just have a little jet lag left over.”

“Good. Now we can talk about the benefit.”

With a sigh, he settled in for the discussion and wondered when he could get Tia alone again.