catalyst for so many things. She’d gone there to find herself. She’d experimented, thrown herself into life away from the ranch, made new friends. But she’d been unable to escape the inevitable. She loved Seth and Zane. Would always love them. That wouldn’t go away with time, distance or newfound maturity.
She trudged down the stairs, hungry and wanting the comfort of Carmen’s company. But when she walked into the kitchen, she was greeted by a sniff and a reproving look.
Not what she needed today. Was everyone mad at her? She plopped down onto a barstool and propped her elbows on the counter.
“Good morning to you, too, mamacita .”
Carmen stared balefully at her. “Hungry, niña ? You’re awfully late for breakfast. I should make you wait for lunch.”
Jasmine sighed. “Why are you angry with me, mamacita ?”
Carmen ignored her and bustled around the kitchen plating some of the leftovers from breakfast. She thrust the plate into the microwave and stood, hands on her hips as she waited for the time to lapse.
The door from the patio opened and shut and Jasmine swiveled on the stool to see who had come in. She gasped when she saw Zane standing there, rumpled, dirty, his mouth bleeding and his eye blackened.
Before she could open her mouth to ask him what the hell had happened, his lips tightened, and he strode out of the kitchen in the opposite direction.
She turned back to Carmen. “What on earth happened?”
Carmen huffed and plunked the plate down in front of Jasmine. “You are what happened, niña . You and these games you are playing with the boys.”
Jasmine shook her head in confusion.
“They fight,” Carmen said in exasperation. “I go outside and the two of them are rolling around in the dirt trying to kill one another. It’s no way for brothers to behave.”
Jasmine felt sick. She shoved the plate away, unable to stomach the thought of eating. She buried her face in her hands. “Oh, God, I never meant for this to happen.”
Jasmine heard the ruffle of Carmen’s skirts, and then she was enfolded in Carmen’s arms. Carmen coaxed her hands from her face and cupped her chin in her hand.
“You’re playing with fire. You know this, eh niña ?”
“I love them, mamacita . What would you have me do?”
Carmen’s face softened and she hugged Jasmine to her. “I know you do. But these boys. They’re stubborn. They won’t be easy to win over.”
Jasmine nodded as Carmen moved back toward the stove to stir the chili she was making.
“What are your plans, niña ? Now that you are home from Paris. What will you do now?”
The earlier email floated through Jasmine’s memory. She leaned forward, resting her chin on her upturned palm. “I don’t want to do anything. Is it so terrible that I don’t want my life to take me away from here? This is my life. It’s where I belong.”
Carmen walked over to stand close to her once more. “Listen to me, niña . You can’t put all your eggs in one basket. Because if that basket falls, all the eggs break and you have no more. You can’t put your life on hold waiting on something that may never happen.”
Jasmine winced even as she knew Carmen spoke the truth. She did have to plan for a future that may not include Seth or Zane.
“Oh, Carmen, what am I going to do?”
She let all the pent-up despair spill over. Carmen hugged her close and stroked her hair soothingly. “You’re young, niña . Young and beautiful. You have your entire life ahead of you.”
“But I don’t want a life without them,” Jasmine said quietly. “I realize how dramatic it may sound. You think I’m young. I don’t know my mind. That this is all some crush that will fade as soon as the next hunky guy comes along.”
She broke off but Carmen remained silent, waiting patiently for her to have her say.
“I left here, mamacita . I left here with the intention of not coming back. I didn’t think I could ever have what I wanted, that there wasn’t a way
She trudged down the stairs, hungry and wanting the comfort of Carmen’s company. But when she walked into the kitchen, she was greeted by a sniff and a reproving look.
Not what she needed today. Was everyone mad at her? She plopped down onto a barstool and propped her elbows on the counter.
“Good morning to you, too, mamacita .”
Carmen stared balefully at her. “Hungry, niña ? You’re awfully late for breakfast. I should make you wait for lunch.”
Jasmine sighed. “Why are you angry with me, mamacita ?”
Carmen ignored her and bustled around the kitchen plating some of the leftovers from breakfast. She thrust the plate into the microwave and stood, hands on her hips as she waited for the time to lapse.
The door from the patio opened and shut and Jasmine swiveled on the stool to see who had come in. She gasped when she saw Zane standing there, rumpled, dirty, his mouth bleeding and his eye blackened.
Before she could open her mouth to ask him what the hell had happened, his lips tightened, and he strode out of the kitchen in the opposite direction.
She turned back to Carmen. “What on earth happened?”
Carmen huffed and plunked the plate down in front of Jasmine. “You are what happened, niña . You and these games you are playing with the boys.”
Jasmine shook her head in confusion.
“They fight,” Carmen said in exasperation. “I go outside and the two of them are rolling around in the dirt trying to kill one another. It’s no way for brothers to behave.”
Jasmine felt sick. She shoved the plate away, unable to stomach the thought of eating. She buried her face in her hands. “Oh, God, I never meant for this to happen.”
Jasmine heard the ruffle of Carmen’s skirts, and then she was enfolded in Carmen’s arms. Carmen coaxed her hands from her face and cupped her chin in her hand.
“You’re playing with fire. You know this, eh niña ?”
“I love them, mamacita . What would you have me do?”
Carmen’s face softened and she hugged Jasmine to her. “I know you do. But these boys. They’re stubborn. They won’t be easy to win over.”
Jasmine nodded as Carmen moved back toward the stove to stir the chili she was making.
“What are your plans, niña ? Now that you are home from Paris. What will you do now?”
The earlier email floated through Jasmine’s memory. She leaned forward, resting her chin on her upturned palm. “I don’t want to do anything. Is it so terrible that I don’t want my life to take me away from here? This is my life. It’s where I belong.”
Carmen walked over to stand close to her once more. “Listen to me, niña . You can’t put all your eggs in one basket. Because if that basket falls, all the eggs break and you have no more. You can’t put your life on hold waiting on something that may never happen.”
Jasmine winced even as she knew Carmen spoke the truth. She did have to plan for a future that may not include Seth or Zane.
“Oh, Carmen, what am I going to do?”
She let all the pent-up despair spill over. Carmen hugged her close and stroked her hair soothingly. “You’re young, niña . Young and beautiful. You have your entire life ahead of you.”
“But I don’t want a life without them,” Jasmine said quietly. “I realize how dramatic it may sound. You think I’m young. I don’t know my mind. That this is all some crush that will fade as soon as the next hunky guy comes along.”
She broke off but Carmen remained silent, waiting patiently for her to have her say.
“I left here, mamacita . I left here with the intention of not coming back. I didn’t think I could ever have what I wanted, that there wasn’t a way
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