more talk about murder, or sex.’’
“Sex, too?’’ Sal grinned at her. “I hope that doesn’t mean you’re sending me to sleep on the couch. We haven’t been married long enough for that.’’
Mama snapped a dish towel at him. “Stop it, you!’’
Teensy awoke with a bark.
“We have leftovers,’’ Mama said. “Are you two hungry?’’
Sal licked his lips. “Starving—’’
“—We already ate,’’ Carlos said at the same time.
All of us laughed, except Maddie. The look on her face was serious. “Everything in this world seems to come down to sex one way or the other, doesn’t it? Wanting it. Getting it. Doing the wrong thing because of it.’’
Sal cocked his head at my sister. Strait-laced Maddie voluntarily bringing up S-E-X ? Carlos and Mama aimed puzzled frowns her way, too. I was the only one at the table with any idea why Maddie’s mind was on sex.
The quizzical stares didn’t seem to register with Maddie. Frowning, she took out her phone again. Her face darkened as she began typing out a message, thumbs striking the keypad like angry pistons.
sixteen
“Just me. I’m back.’’
Marty’s voice from the front porch kick-started Teensy’s engines again. The dog darted to the door. In addition to shattering eardrums with his piercing barks, he seemed intent on protecting the home and the helpless humans inside. To wit: One hardened police detective from the mean streets of Miami; a three-hundred-plus-pound tough guy from Da Bronx; a principal whose raised eyebrow could silence a cafeteria full of middle-schoolers; an outdoorswoman and sometime alligator trapper; and a four-foot-eleven-inch dynamo whose dainty feminine stature belied an iron will.
“Teensy! Quiet!’’ Sal’s shout was so loud it made waves of the sweet pink wine inside Mama’s vibrating glass. It stopped the barks
in mid-yap. Teensy let out one final protest whine.
“Good dog! Everybody’s safe.’’ Marty scooped up the Pomeranian and brought him to the kitchen. Her face glowed a bit from hiking a mile or so back from the hotel in the warm evening. “You are SUCH a brave boy.’’
Wagging his whole body, Teensy dog-kissed Marty’s face from chin to forehead.
“Gross,’’ I said.
“Don’t encourage him,’’ Maddie added.
“Don’t listen to your sisters, Marty.’’ Mama chucked Teensy under the chin. “Only truly mean and awful people don’t like dogs.’’
“Oh, I like dogs, Mama. I just don’t like that dog.’’ I pointed at the offending animal wiggling in Marty’s arms.
“He’s not so bad.’’ Carlos reached out a hand to pat Teensy. Letting out a yip, the dog bit him on the thumb.
¡ Dios mío , that hurt!’’ He narrowed his eyes. “Little bastard.’’
When Sal and I laughed, both Mama and Carlos scowled at us.
“Why don’t we all move into the living room?’’ said Marty, making peace. “Teensy can stay here and defend the kitchen against any further intruders.’’
Grabbing a bottle of soda water, Maddie followed the men out of the kitchen. Mama twisted the spigot on the box of wine, adding a half-glass more for Marty and her. I took three beers from the ’fridge for Sal, Carlos, and me.
“Uh-oh, Mama’s having more wine,’’ Marty said. “Somebody keep an eye on her ring.’’
Meeting Marty’s jibe with a frown, Mama spooned up some premium dog food for Teensy. When he skittered over to his bowl, she slid a doggie gate across the kitchen entryway and made her exit. Loud enough for us to hear her in the living room, she said, “It’s a shame the only one of my babies who never criticizes me has to stay in the kitchen.’’
I grabbed a seat next to Carlos on Mama’s peach-colored sofa. When I offered him one of the beers, he winced as he grabbed the bottle.
“Let me look.’’ I lifted his right hand, and examined the thumb. “The skin’s barely broken.’’
“It still hurts.’’
“Give me a minute,’’ I said.
In the
“Sex, too?’’ Sal grinned at her. “I hope that doesn’t mean you’re sending me to sleep on the couch. We haven’t been married long enough for that.’’
Mama snapped a dish towel at him. “Stop it, you!’’
Teensy awoke with a bark.
“We have leftovers,’’ Mama said. “Are you two hungry?’’
Sal licked his lips. “Starving—’’
“—We already ate,’’ Carlos said at the same time.
All of us laughed, except Maddie. The look on her face was serious. “Everything in this world seems to come down to sex one way or the other, doesn’t it? Wanting it. Getting it. Doing the wrong thing because of it.’’
Sal cocked his head at my sister. Strait-laced Maddie voluntarily bringing up S-E-X ? Carlos and Mama aimed puzzled frowns her way, too. I was the only one at the table with any idea why Maddie’s mind was on sex.
The quizzical stares didn’t seem to register with Maddie. Frowning, she took out her phone again. Her face darkened as she began typing out a message, thumbs striking the keypad like angry pistons.
sixteen
“Just me. I’m back.’’
Marty’s voice from the front porch kick-started Teensy’s engines again. The dog darted to the door. In addition to shattering eardrums with his piercing barks, he seemed intent on protecting the home and the helpless humans inside. To wit: One hardened police detective from the mean streets of Miami; a three-hundred-plus-pound tough guy from Da Bronx; a principal whose raised eyebrow could silence a cafeteria full of middle-schoolers; an outdoorswoman and sometime alligator trapper; and a four-foot-eleven-inch dynamo whose dainty feminine stature belied an iron will.
“Teensy! Quiet!’’ Sal’s shout was so loud it made waves of the sweet pink wine inside Mama’s vibrating glass. It stopped the barks
in mid-yap. Teensy let out one final protest whine.
“Good dog! Everybody’s safe.’’ Marty scooped up the Pomeranian and brought him to the kitchen. Her face glowed a bit from hiking a mile or so back from the hotel in the warm evening. “You are SUCH a brave boy.’’
Wagging his whole body, Teensy dog-kissed Marty’s face from chin to forehead.
“Gross,’’ I said.
“Don’t encourage him,’’ Maddie added.
“Don’t listen to your sisters, Marty.’’ Mama chucked Teensy under the chin. “Only truly mean and awful people don’t like dogs.’’
“Oh, I like dogs, Mama. I just don’t like that dog.’’ I pointed at the offending animal wiggling in Marty’s arms.
“He’s not so bad.’’ Carlos reached out a hand to pat Teensy. Letting out a yip, the dog bit him on the thumb.
¡ Dios mío , that hurt!’’ He narrowed his eyes. “Little bastard.’’
When Sal and I laughed, both Mama and Carlos scowled at us.
“Why don’t we all move into the living room?’’ said Marty, making peace. “Teensy can stay here and defend the kitchen against any further intruders.’’
Grabbing a bottle of soda water, Maddie followed the men out of the kitchen. Mama twisted the spigot on the box of wine, adding a half-glass more for Marty and her. I took three beers from the ’fridge for Sal, Carlos, and me.
“Uh-oh, Mama’s having more wine,’’ Marty said. “Somebody keep an eye on her ring.’’
Meeting Marty’s jibe with a frown, Mama spooned up some premium dog food for Teensy. When he skittered over to his bowl, she slid a doggie gate across the kitchen entryway and made her exit. Loud enough for us to hear her in the living room, she said, “It’s a shame the only one of my babies who never criticizes me has to stay in the kitchen.’’
I grabbed a seat next to Carlos on Mama’s peach-colored sofa. When I offered him one of the beers, he winced as he grabbed the bottle.
“Let me look.’’ I lifted his right hand, and examined the thumb. “The skin’s barely broken.’’
“It still hurts.’’
“Give me a minute,’’ I said.
In the
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