she invited. As she passed by, he caught a whiff of the sweet fruit and his belly grumbled.
They entered the kitchen where she placed the berries on the counter. Without asking, she poured him a cup of coffee and placed it in front of him. She poured the strawberries into a colander, ran them under the faucet and then began slicing them. No questions.
Jake, too, waited until she split the strawberries between two bowls, retrieved a small pitcher from the fridge and sat across from him. He poured thick cream over the fruit and tasted it. “Good,” he sighed.
She smiled. “Yes.”
“Have you heard from Castaña?” He took another bite.
“Not since she came to tell the cops about the guy who got run over. Did something happen to her?”
Why would she think that? “I don’t think so, but we got separated and I haven’t seen her since.”
Motioning toward his empty bowl she asked, “Would you like more?”
“No, thanks.” He studied her over the rim of his cup. “Where are you from, Briar Rose?”
“Nowhere special.” She rose and began clearing dishes.
“Do you have any family?”
She turned on the water faucet. Was it his imagination, or did her hand shake? “Why?”
“I’m just curious.” He hoped a low key approach would get her to open up a little.
For a long minute, she didn’t answer, concentrating on washing their dishes. “I have a huge family.” Washing and rinsing a spoon seemed to take her a full five minutes. “We’re from a small town outside of Phoenix called Sunspot.” She dried the spoon with great care. “I prefer not to talk about them.”
He waited a moment then asked, “Do you have sisters named Heather and Lacey?”
“No.” She got very busy putting away the berries. Didn’t anyone around here tell the simple, straight truth?
“How did you meet Martin?”
With her back to him, placing the dishes in the cupboard she said, “At the roundup last year.”
“What roundup?”
“Every year there’s a wild horse roundup outside of Payson where some of the horses are offered for sale. I stopped by to look at the horses and met Martin.” She turned around with a secret smile and rubbed her belly. “One thing led to another.”
“Lucky you.” He meant it. He wished he could meet a nice girl to have a family with, but after the way Linda had tricked him, getting him shot in the process, he was more than a little gun shy. Castaña’s face came to mind and he quickly forced her out of his head. She might not be as deadly as Linda, but she was just as determined to keep her loved one out of jail.
“Yeah.” She sighed. “I hope he comes home soon.”
“You don’t think he’s hurt?”
She shrugged. “Who knows with Martin.”
He stood. He wasn’t getting anywhere by badgering her, and he might in fact make her clam up completely. “Do you care if I use your shower?”
“Of course not. I’ll lay out some towels for you.” She waddled out of the kitchen.
Jake walked out to the corral, leaned on the fence and dialed Kelso. He filled him in then asked, “Do you have anything for me about the Castillo women?”
“There’s nothing on Castillo’s sister. She’s clean as a whistle. She’s never even had a traffic ticket.” Jake’s heartbeat sped up at Kelso’s clearing of Castaña. “I can’t find a thing on the other girl, but with no date of birth it’s a little tougher. I can’t find any record of Martin Castillo ever being married.”
“That doesn’t surprise me. From what I’ve learned of Martin, he’s not one to follow anyone’s rules but his own. Briar Rose told me today her family’s from Sunspot. She also said she’s from a huge family.”
“You talking about that little hole in the wall an hour outside of Phoenix? Wasn’t there some kind of cult based there?”
Jake couldn’t wrap his memory around the exact details. “Sounds right.”
“That’s something,” Kelso muttered. “Okay, I’ll see what I can dig
They entered the kitchen where she placed the berries on the counter. Without asking, she poured him a cup of coffee and placed it in front of him. She poured the strawberries into a colander, ran them under the faucet and then began slicing them. No questions.
Jake, too, waited until she split the strawberries between two bowls, retrieved a small pitcher from the fridge and sat across from him. He poured thick cream over the fruit and tasted it. “Good,” he sighed.
She smiled. “Yes.”
“Have you heard from Castaña?” He took another bite.
“Not since she came to tell the cops about the guy who got run over. Did something happen to her?”
Why would she think that? “I don’t think so, but we got separated and I haven’t seen her since.”
Motioning toward his empty bowl she asked, “Would you like more?”
“No, thanks.” He studied her over the rim of his cup. “Where are you from, Briar Rose?”
“Nowhere special.” She rose and began clearing dishes.
“Do you have any family?”
She turned on the water faucet. Was it his imagination, or did her hand shake? “Why?”
“I’m just curious.” He hoped a low key approach would get her to open up a little.
For a long minute, she didn’t answer, concentrating on washing their dishes. “I have a huge family.” Washing and rinsing a spoon seemed to take her a full five minutes. “We’re from a small town outside of Phoenix called Sunspot.” She dried the spoon with great care. “I prefer not to talk about them.”
He waited a moment then asked, “Do you have sisters named Heather and Lacey?”
“No.” She got very busy putting away the berries. Didn’t anyone around here tell the simple, straight truth?
“How did you meet Martin?”
With her back to him, placing the dishes in the cupboard she said, “At the roundup last year.”
“What roundup?”
“Every year there’s a wild horse roundup outside of Payson where some of the horses are offered for sale. I stopped by to look at the horses and met Martin.” She turned around with a secret smile and rubbed her belly. “One thing led to another.”
“Lucky you.” He meant it. He wished he could meet a nice girl to have a family with, but after the way Linda had tricked him, getting him shot in the process, he was more than a little gun shy. Castaña’s face came to mind and he quickly forced her out of his head. She might not be as deadly as Linda, but she was just as determined to keep her loved one out of jail.
“Yeah.” She sighed. “I hope he comes home soon.”
“You don’t think he’s hurt?”
She shrugged. “Who knows with Martin.”
He stood. He wasn’t getting anywhere by badgering her, and he might in fact make her clam up completely. “Do you care if I use your shower?”
“Of course not. I’ll lay out some towels for you.” She waddled out of the kitchen.
Jake walked out to the corral, leaned on the fence and dialed Kelso. He filled him in then asked, “Do you have anything for me about the Castillo women?”
“There’s nothing on Castillo’s sister. She’s clean as a whistle. She’s never even had a traffic ticket.” Jake’s heartbeat sped up at Kelso’s clearing of Castaña. “I can’t find a thing on the other girl, but with no date of birth it’s a little tougher. I can’t find any record of Martin Castillo ever being married.”
“That doesn’t surprise me. From what I’ve learned of Martin, he’s not one to follow anyone’s rules but his own. Briar Rose told me today her family’s from Sunspot. She also said she’s from a huge family.”
“You talking about that little hole in the wall an hour outside of Phoenix? Wasn’t there some kind of cult based there?”
Jake couldn’t wrap his memory around the exact details. “Sounds right.”
“That’s something,” Kelso muttered. “Okay, I’ll see what I can dig
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