some sword used in the Holy Crusades—”
“It is also the sign you asked for.” Smiling, Zafiro leaned over in her chair and placed the gleaming weapon on the table. “Your heaven-sent sign.”
“It is not!” Sawyer slammed his fist down on the table. “Tia said that Sister Carmelita and Sister Pilar brought the sword while you and I were still at the stream! The nuns told her they thought I might be able to figure out a way to use it bring down fresh meat.”
“Yes, that is what Tia said the nuns told her.”
“I can just see myself running through the mountains chasing animals with a sword.”
“Sawyer, who do you think made the nuns think of bringing a warrior’s weapon?”
“What?”
Zafiro smiled more broadly. “God told them to bring it.”
“That’s stupid!”
Zafiro gasped and clutched at her sapphire. “Do you say that God is stupid?”
“I didn’t say God was stupid, and stop twisting around my words!”
“He is yelling at you, Zafiro,” Maclovio slurred from across the room, so drunk that his eyes were crossed. “Do you want me to smash his face?”
“Grace?” Lorenzo asked. He looked up and watched Tia remove a fried lamb chop from a pan of hot grease. “Yes, let’s say grace so we can eat. I am hungry for the lamb the good sisters brought to us.” He bowed his head, but instead of praying, he fell asleep and would have fallen out of his chair had Sawyer not reached out and pulled the old man into his lap.
“Hold him, Sawyer,” Zafiro entreated when Sawyer began to put Lorenzo back into the chair. “He will wake up in only a minute. If you sit him back up now, he will only fall out again.”
Sighing with irritation, Sawyer leaned back in his chair, holding the frail Lorenzo in his arms like a baby. Just when he’d adjusted himself comfortably, he saw Azucar leave her chair and walk around the table toward him. The satin-garbed hag ran her bony fingers across her sagging breasts then lifted her gown to show Sawyer her sticklike leg.
Dammit, there was no way in hell he could hold Lorenzo and fend off Azucar at the same time. “Get her away from me, Zafiro,” he demanded.
Zafiro quickly complied, taking hold of Azucar’s arm and leading the old woman back to her chair. “Sawyer does not have any money, Azucar. Would you give yourself to him for free?”
Azucar frowned fiercely. “No. Men pay me with full bags of gold.”
Listening to their exchange, Sawyer wondered why he hadn’t thought of the poverty-stricken idea. “Sorry, sweetheart, but I’m fresh out of gold.”
“Tomorrow you will have some gold,” she told him. “Then you will be able to afford the pleasure you will find in my arms.” To make sure that he understood her promise of sexual ecstasy, she closed her eyes and slowly ran her tongue across her bottom lip.
“Tomorrow it is.” Sawyer went along with her because, after all, he wouldn’t be here tomorrow.
“I am ready for my lamb chop,” Lorenzo said, twitching while he awakened and yawned. “Ready for…” His voice trailed away when he realized he was in Sawyer’s lap. “Why are you holding me, Sawyer?”
"Because you—”
“Dinner,” Tia announced, placing a platter of sizzling meat on the table. Roasted potatoes, black beans, a stack of hot corn tortillas, and a bowl of green chili-laden sauce accompanied the succulent lamb. “We must remember the good sisters in our prayers tonight,” she said, wiping her hands on her apron. “Not only did they bring us the fresh meat, but they also brought tea and a big batch of apple tarts that they baked this morning. We should enjoy this wonderful meal because no one knows when we will get another like it. Apple tarts, they are your favorite, aren’t they, my sweet Francisco?”
Sawyer didn’t bother to reply. Lifting Lorenzo from his lap, he placed the man back into his chair. “You almost fell on the floor!” he shouted into Lorenzo’s hairy ear. “Try not to go to sleep at
“It is also the sign you asked for.” Smiling, Zafiro leaned over in her chair and placed the gleaming weapon on the table. “Your heaven-sent sign.”
“It is not!” Sawyer slammed his fist down on the table. “Tia said that Sister Carmelita and Sister Pilar brought the sword while you and I were still at the stream! The nuns told her they thought I might be able to figure out a way to use it bring down fresh meat.”
“Yes, that is what Tia said the nuns told her.”
“I can just see myself running through the mountains chasing animals with a sword.”
“Sawyer, who do you think made the nuns think of bringing a warrior’s weapon?”
“What?”
Zafiro smiled more broadly. “God told them to bring it.”
“That’s stupid!”
Zafiro gasped and clutched at her sapphire. “Do you say that God is stupid?”
“I didn’t say God was stupid, and stop twisting around my words!”
“He is yelling at you, Zafiro,” Maclovio slurred from across the room, so drunk that his eyes were crossed. “Do you want me to smash his face?”
“Grace?” Lorenzo asked. He looked up and watched Tia remove a fried lamb chop from a pan of hot grease. “Yes, let’s say grace so we can eat. I am hungry for the lamb the good sisters brought to us.” He bowed his head, but instead of praying, he fell asleep and would have fallen out of his chair had Sawyer not reached out and pulled the old man into his lap.
“Hold him, Sawyer,” Zafiro entreated when Sawyer began to put Lorenzo back into the chair. “He will wake up in only a minute. If you sit him back up now, he will only fall out again.”
Sighing with irritation, Sawyer leaned back in his chair, holding the frail Lorenzo in his arms like a baby. Just when he’d adjusted himself comfortably, he saw Azucar leave her chair and walk around the table toward him. The satin-garbed hag ran her bony fingers across her sagging breasts then lifted her gown to show Sawyer her sticklike leg.
Dammit, there was no way in hell he could hold Lorenzo and fend off Azucar at the same time. “Get her away from me, Zafiro,” he demanded.
Zafiro quickly complied, taking hold of Azucar’s arm and leading the old woman back to her chair. “Sawyer does not have any money, Azucar. Would you give yourself to him for free?”
Azucar frowned fiercely. “No. Men pay me with full bags of gold.”
Listening to their exchange, Sawyer wondered why he hadn’t thought of the poverty-stricken idea. “Sorry, sweetheart, but I’m fresh out of gold.”
“Tomorrow you will have some gold,” she told him. “Then you will be able to afford the pleasure you will find in my arms.” To make sure that he understood her promise of sexual ecstasy, she closed her eyes and slowly ran her tongue across her bottom lip.
“Tomorrow it is.” Sawyer went along with her because, after all, he wouldn’t be here tomorrow.
“I am ready for my lamb chop,” Lorenzo said, twitching while he awakened and yawned. “Ready for…” His voice trailed away when he realized he was in Sawyer’s lap. “Why are you holding me, Sawyer?”
"Because you—”
“Dinner,” Tia announced, placing a platter of sizzling meat on the table. Roasted potatoes, black beans, a stack of hot corn tortillas, and a bowl of green chili-laden sauce accompanied the succulent lamb. “We must remember the good sisters in our prayers tonight,” she said, wiping her hands on her apron. “Not only did they bring us the fresh meat, but they also brought tea and a big batch of apple tarts that they baked this morning. We should enjoy this wonderful meal because no one knows when we will get another like it. Apple tarts, they are your favorite, aren’t they, my sweet Francisco?”
Sawyer didn’t bother to reply. Lifting Lorenzo from his lap, he placed the man back into his chair. “You almost fell on the floor!” he shouted into Lorenzo’s hairy ear. “Try not to go to sleep at
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