eyelashes. “Maybe your dad will hire me,” she whispered coyly.
“Maybe.” His gaze lowered. He lifted the silver necklace Tami had borrowed from Megan and dragged his thumb along the swell of Tami’s breast. Megan turned away. She didn’t like the way he touched her jewelry, but the casual way he fingered Tami bothered her even more.
His voice lowered. “It’s frustrating Ramon doesn’t allow me to have guests, querida . You and I, we could have a good time.”
Despite her aversion, Megan couldn’t resist another peek. When Miguel wasn’t smiling, he looked older, almost jaded. He also looked tall for a jockey and the way he shifted his eyes when he spoke of racing was interesting. Perhaps Joey had been lured to the Baja Tinda for a job. But then what?
“Does your father ever hire students from here?” At her abrupt question, both Tami and Miguel turned, as though they’d forgotten Megan’s presence.
“No,” Miguel said. “There are too many of my countrymen who need jobs. But he sometimes follows my recommendations.”
He dismissed Megan and turned back to Tami, splaying a bold hand over her breast. His voice lowered to a sultry whisper. “It’s ten o’clock, querida , and I must leave. Ramon doesn’t like me spending time with beautiful American women. But with you, I can’t help myself.” His left hand slid beneath Tami’s shirt, his head blotting out her face in a noisy kiss.
Megan yanked her gaze away and walked into the bathroom.
Five minutes later, footsteps sounded. A door opened and closed amidst the murmur of soft good-byes. She cautiously opened the bathroom door and glanced around. Tami was alone on the bed, smiling dreamily and clasping a pillow to her chest. “Isn’t he wonderful?”
“I guess,” Megan said, hiding her concern. It wasn’t any of her business but if Tami were her little sister, she definitely wouldn’t want her hanging around with a player like Miguel. “Did he give you the barn tour before you went to town?” she asked.
“Yeah.” Tami sighed. “It’s real nice there. The jockeys have their own washer and dryer. They also have a big kitchen with a fridge. Miguel gave me a cup of coffee and even had some Tia Maria. It was wicked.”
Megan nodded, realizing she hadn’t seen her roommate all day. She wanted to ask what Scott’s class had been like, but Tami clearly preferred to talk about Miguel.
“Wouldn’t it be great if he found me a job?” Tami’s arms tightened around the pillow. “Moving to Mexico. That would be so romantic. And the Baja Tinda is beautiful.”
“How do you know? It might be a dump.” Megan hated her cynicism but Tami was a sweet girl and while it was nice to see her happy, there was an unsavory element about Miguel.
“It’s not a dump. Look.” Tami tossed the pillow aside and grabbed her phone. She jabbed at the screen. “I bookmarked it. The barns and track are new. And they have one of those straight race strips with a fence down the middle.” She pushed the screen in front of Megan’s face.
Megan had pored over the school website, checked every link when Joey had disappeared. However, this was an entirely different site, and the Baja Tinda looked massive. There was even a narrow track, separated by a rail, where two horses broke from a starting gate to race in a straight line. She’d heard of that type of racing but had never seen it before.
“And look at all the little houses.” Tami scrolled along her screen with proprietary pride. “There’s no picture of Miguel’s house but he said it’s very big. It’s behind that high wall. Wouldn’t it be cool if he could get me a job?” She clutched the phone to her chest and bounced on her bed, making the mattress squeak. “I wouldn’t mind moving to Mexico. Miguel is twenty-six. He probably wants to settle down.”
“You hardly know him,” Megan said. “And men are always eager at the beginning. It never lasts.”
“Who cares. It’s fun when
“Maybe.” His gaze lowered. He lifted the silver necklace Tami had borrowed from Megan and dragged his thumb along the swell of Tami’s breast. Megan turned away. She didn’t like the way he touched her jewelry, but the casual way he fingered Tami bothered her even more.
His voice lowered. “It’s frustrating Ramon doesn’t allow me to have guests, querida . You and I, we could have a good time.”
Despite her aversion, Megan couldn’t resist another peek. When Miguel wasn’t smiling, he looked older, almost jaded. He also looked tall for a jockey and the way he shifted his eyes when he spoke of racing was interesting. Perhaps Joey had been lured to the Baja Tinda for a job. But then what?
“Does your father ever hire students from here?” At her abrupt question, both Tami and Miguel turned, as though they’d forgotten Megan’s presence.
“No,” Miguel said. “There are too many of my countrymen who need jobs. But he sometimes follows my recommendations.”
He dismissed Megan and turned back to Tami, splaying a bold hand over her breast. His voice lowered to a sultry whisper. “It’s ten o’clock, querida , and I must leave. Ramon doesn’t like me spending time with beautiful American women. But with you, I can’t help myself.” His left hand slid beneath Tami’s shirt, his head blotting out her face in a noisy kiss.
Megan yanked her gaze away and walked into the bathroom.
Five minutes later, footsteps sounded. A door opened and closed amidst the murmur of soft good-byes. She cautiously opened the bathroom door and glanced around. Tami was alone on the bed, smiling dreamily and clasping a pillow to her chest. “Isn’t he wonderful?”
“I guess,” Megan said, hiding her concern. It wasn’t any of her business but if Tami were her little sister, she definitely wouldn’t want her hanging around with a player like Miguel. “Did he give you the barn tour before you went to town?” she asked.
“Yeah.” Tami sighed. “It’s real nice there. The jockeys have their own washer and dryer. They also have a big kitchen with a fridge. Miguel gave me a cup of coffee and even had some Tia Maria. It was wicked.”
Megan nodded, realizing she hadn’t seen her roommate all day. She wanted to ask what Scott’s class had been like, but Tami clearly preferred to talk about Miguel.
“Wouldn’t it be great if he found me a job?” Tami’s arms tightened around the pillow. “Moving to Mexico. That would be so romantic. And the Baja Tinda is beautiful.”
“How do you know? It might be a dump.” Megan hated her cynicism but Tami was a sweet girl and while it was nice to see her happy, there was an unsavory element about Miguel.
“It’s not a dump. Look.” Tami tossed the pillow aside and grabbed her phone. She jabbed at the screen. “I bookmarked it. The barns and track are new. And they have one of those straight race strips with a fence down the middle.” She pushed the screen in front of Megan’s face.
Megan had pored over the school website, checked every link when Joey had disappeared. However, this was an entirely different site, and the Baja Tinda looked massive. There was even a narrow track, separated by a rail, where two horses broke from a starting gate to race in a straight line. She’d heard of that type of racing but had never seen it before.
“And look at all the little houses.” Tami scrolled along her screen with proprietary pride. “There’s no picture of Miguel’s house but he said it’s very big. It’s behind that high wall. Wouldn’t it be cool if he could get me a job?” She clutched the phone to her chest and bounced on her bed, making the mattress squeak. “I wouldn’t mind moving to Mexico. Miguel is twenty-six. He probably wants to settle down.”
“You hardly know him,” Megan said. “And men are always eager at the beginning. It never lasts.”
“Who cares. It’s fun when
Similar Books
