17
Danny whistled as he lathered his face. For the first time since Bailey had returned his ring, he had hope they could work things out. He regretted now that he didn’t go after her that morning and make her tell him why. The things she’d gone through in Mexico could have been avoided. They could have even had a little Bailey or Danny running around. He stopped with the razor halfway to his face.
Tonight he would ask her to marry him again. And this time he would put his mother’s engagement ring on her finger. Which meant he’d have to talk to his dad first. What if she turned him down? That wasn’t happening. They loved each other.
As soon as he was dressed, Danny hurried down to the kitchen, hoping Bailey needed coffee as badly as he did. He pushed through the swinging door and stopped when she turned from the coffeemaker. The smile she flashed warmed him all the way to his toes.
“Good morning,” Bailey said. “On your way to the plant?”
“Yep. Dad insisted that I attend this morning’s meetings.” He checked his watch. “I hope we can leave by ten. I’ll call you when I know.”
She handed him a cup of coffee, but what he wanted was to steal a kiss from her. He set the cup on the counter and took her in his arms.
“This.” He bent down and kissed her lightly on the lips.
She pulled back, looking over his shoulder. “What if someone comes in?”
“What does that have to do with the price of eggs in Russia?”
A grin teased her kissable lips, and he felt her relax in his arms. “You’re crazy. You know that, don’t you?”
“Crazy in love,” he said. He trailed his fingers down her cheek, stopping at her lips. Then he bent down and kissed her again. His heart leaped when her lips responded. When they broke apart, he put his forehead to hers.
Marry me. He caught the words before they spilled from his mouth. Later tonight he wouldn’t stop them.
Footsteps in the hallway made them both jump back. He grabbed his coffee and Bailey turned to pour hers as Angel came into the kitchen.
“Good, coffee is made,” he said.
Danny moved away from Bailey to the table, and Angel joined him. “Where did you go last night?”
Angel lifted his shoulder in a half shrug. “To see Chavez at his motel. I knocked on your door, but you didn’t answer.”
“About?”
“What happened in Mexico two years ago.” He took the coffee Bailey handed him. “Do you know a doctor I can take Solana to and get that cast taken off?”
Angel didn’t look away as Danny studied his face. Evidently that was all Angel was telling. Maybe later when they were alone, Danny would get more out of him. “I play handball with an orthopedic doctor. Maybe I can get her in to see him.”
He searched his contacts for the doctor’s cell phone number and called. A few minutes later he disconnected and smiled. “He said to bring her in by nine.”
“Great. But I better let her know. That’s only an hour away.”
“And I have to get to the plant,” Danny said. He turned to Bailey. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
Fifteen minutes later, Danny unlocked his office as Ian rounded the corner. “Have you seen Dad?” Danny asked him.
“He’s in the boardroom, waiting for you to join him and Montoya.”
Edward Montoya was early. That also meant Danny wouldn’t get a chance to talk privately with his dad. “Why can’t you handle this? You’re better at it than I am.”
“We decided you need to come to work for a while.” Ian followed him into his office.
“You mean you told Dad I needed to be here.”
“You’ve spent too much time on this Mexico connection. The DA called this morning, said you’d been back out to the Franks place.”
“So?” Danny opened his desk drawer and rummaged for a notepad.
Ian sighed. “The DA asked you not to go around Franks. If he makes a deal with the Feds, you’ll find out then.”
“What have you heard about that?”
He shrugged. “Just that the DA made him an offer.”
“You could have told me.”
His cousin braced his arms on the back of a chair. “You haven’t been around long enough for me to tell you anything. If you spent half as much time doing your job as chasing down this gun buyer, the company would be better off.”
Danny eyed his cousin. “What’s up with you? Why don’t you want to catch this guy? He and Franks and Gresham almost ruined our company’s reputation. And now Franks won’t serve a day for what he did.”
Ian held his palms up. “It’s over. Get past it. Besides, we were cleared of any wrongdoing. It’s time to focus on the tasks at hand. Like this contract with Montoya.”
Danny walked to the window and stared out at the parking lot. He didn’t want to be like Ian. Get up, come to work day after day. There had to be more to life than that. Ever since his mom died, he’d wanted to make a difference. He just didn’t know how.
He blew out a deep breath. But until then, he really should do what he was being paid for. He was part owner, he should want to make the company grow. He turned around. “Okay. As soon as I’m certain Bailey will be safe, I’ll return to work. But today I’m escorting her to Corning.”
“You’ll have to tell your father that yourself. He made it clear he wanted you in on the negotiations.”
“No problem.” Hopefully they wouldn’t drag on all morning. He also hoped he got the opportunity to ask his dad about the ring.
A few minutes later, Danny knocked on the boardroom door and entered.
“Well, Son, glad you can join us.” Phillip Maxwell’s voice held no sarcasm.
Danny nodded and took his seat at the conference table as Ian joined them, and for the next hour he mostly listened and occasionally added his input as his father and Ian negotiated with Montoya. When Montoya received a phone call and stepped out of the room, Ian left as well, leaving Danny with his father.
His dad tented his fingers. “What do you think?”
“I think Montoya is coming out ahead. His costs haven’t increased significantly while our fuel costs for transporting the raw materials have.”
“Good point. You should have brought it up.”
“I was going to when he received the phone call.”
“How’s it going with Bailey?”
Danny jerked his head up. “How did you know?”
“Son, you brought her back from Mexico, you’re staying at the B&B, and you’re itching to leave this meeting, I presume to be with her. So, answer my question.”
Danny squared his shoulders. “I’m going to ask her to marry me again, and I’d like to give her Mom’s ring, with your permission, of course.” He swallowed and waited.
A slow smile spread across his dad’s face. “Do you think she’ll have you this time?”
Tension eased from his shoulders. “I hope so. We’ll know tonight.”
Phillip frowned. “You two haven’t been near each other in two years. Don’t rush it. Give her a little time, a little space.”
Resistance welled up in him. “We’ve wasted enough time.”
“One more thing—have you considered she might not want to give up her mission work?”
“We’ll work that out.”
He held his father’s steady gaze, and finally he smiled. “Well, you have my blessing. Of course you can have the ring.”
Yes! Danny restrained from pumping his fist in the air.
“I would appreciate your help with the negotiations today,” his dad added.
That meant he wouldn’t get away anytime soon. “I’ll stay, and thank you, sir. Now, if you don’t mind, I’m going to give Bailey a call.”
“Not at all. Just be back by the time Montoya finishes his business.”
Danny took out his phone as he exited the boardroom, his elation tempered by a question his dad raised. What if Bailey didn’t want to give up her mission work?
Bailey caught a glimpse of herself as she brushed her hair. She had to do something about the dark circles under her eyes.
Maria looked up at Bailey in the mirror. “Don’t you feel good, Miss Bailey?”
She yawned and turned the brush on Maria’s hair. “I’m fine, just a little tired.” Fatigue caused by another round of dreams, except last night, the man in the nightmares wasn’t Mr. Carver. The man who chased her had ghostly blue eyes. Not sky blue like Maria’s but pale like Joel’s. With a start, she realized it had been the man in the poppy field in Mexico. Maybe she should talk to Ben about what happened.
Maria patted Bailey’s hand to get her attention. “Are we really going to see my grandma and grandpa today?”
Bailey finished tying the ribbon in the girl’s dark hair and smiled. “Yes, ma’am. As soon as Angel and Solana get back from the clinic.”
“Is Mr. Danny going?”
“I think so.” Danny. Bailey touched her lips, remembering his kisses last night and her response. So why did her heart ache? Because her admission gave him the wrong impression as evidenced in the kitchen earlier. He thought they were on the same page. And why weren’t they?
“Can I wear my necklace today?”
Bailey glanced at the locket that Robyn had brought from the jeweler last night. “If you will be very careful. Like your uncle Joel said, this is a very expensive necklace.”
“I’ll be careful. I want to show it to my grandmother.”
She fastened the locket around the child’s neck. “You look very pretty, but remember—”
“I know. Be very careful with it.” She mimicked Bailey’s words. “Is it time to go yet?”
Bailey laughed, remembering how hard waiting was for a child. “No, not yet.”
Bailey hoped everyone would be back from their various appointments in time for them to leave at ten thirty, but she’d heard Joel go out earlier, and he hadn’t said when he would return. And she hadn’t heard from Danny either.
“Is Tio coming?”
“I don’t know.” She’d never met Maria’s great-uncle and would like to. “Do you have a picture of him?”
Maria shook her head. “I don’t think he likes it when someone takes his picture. Am I going to fly to see my grandparents?”
“You are.”
If the cartel had followed them to Logan Point and was waiting for an opportunity to grab Maria, the drive to Corning afforded them the perfect time since parts of the highway weren’t well traveled. Maria would fly with Danny and Bailey to the little airport outside of Corning, while Angel and Solana drove the Escalade and picked them up. She assumed Joel would drive himself.
Maria tugged at her arm. “Can I put on the dress that my daddy bought?”
“Let’s eat breakfast first, little chatterbox.”
Maria nodded. “So I don’t spill anything on it.”
“That’s right.”
“Where did my daddy go?”
The child couldn’t seem to get enough of calling Angel daddy. “He took Solana to get that cast off her foot.”
Her eyes widened. “Do you think he’ll marry Solana and make her my mommy?”
“Where did you get such an idea?” She’d seen how protective Angel was of Solana but hadn’t dreamed Maria had noticed.
Maria hunched her shoulders in a shrug. “He’s always smiling at her. Will I live with him when we go home?”
“I’m sure you will.” Bailey couldn’t imagine any other scenario even though she hadn’t heard Angel discuss the subject. How would Joel feel about losing Maria? Her chest tightened. Joel wasn’t the only one losing the child. Bailey had grown close to her in the last year, and this week had cemented that bond.
Remembering the sad child she’d first met and seeing her now warmed Bailey’s heart. She’d made a difference in Maria’s life. That made the trip to Mexico worth all the bad that happened.
Maria tilted her head. “Are you coming home with us too?”
“I don’t know.” Bailey bit her lip. She hadn’t decided if she wanted to return to Mexico other than to finish out the school year. The school expected her to teach next year, but she wasn’t sure she could. She shook her head, dispelling the memory of fear, of running away. “How about we go downstairs?” she asked. “I think I smell bacon and cinnamon rolls.”
“And then I can put my new dress on?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
When they entered the kitchen, Bailey spoke to her mom before helping Maria into a chair. Her cell phone rang and she slid the phone out of her pocket. “Hello?”
“Hey, bad news,” Danny said.
“What?”
“Dad’s insisting that I sit in on the contract negotiations with Edward Montoya, and Angel called. The doctor who was supposed to see Solana was called out for an emergency. She has to go back to the clinic this afternoon—they’re on their way back to the B&B now. Looks like we’ll have to reschedule the Corning trip for tomorrow.”
Bailey didn’t relish telling Maria or Joel that news. “Looks that way, doesn’t it. Do you know when you’ll be back?”
“Depends on how well the negotiations go.” His voice turned husky. “I was looking forward to being with you on the flight over.”
A shiver raced through her. “Me too.”
“See you soon.”
Joel entered the kitchen from the back door as she disconnected from the call, and Maria scrambled from her chair and ran to him. “Uncle Joel!”
He picked her up. “I see you’re wearing your necklace.”
A grin spread across Maria’s face. “Are you going with us in the plane?”
“No, sweetheart. I’ll be driving to Corning in case I need to stay behind.” He shook his head. “You wouldn’t believe the trouble I had getting a rental car yesterday so that I didn’t have to use Edward’s. How long does that convention go on?”
“Through the weekend,” Kate said. She took a breakfast casserole from the oven. “Is everyone ready for something hot?”
“That looks good, Kate.” Joel set Maria in the chair Bailey pulled out. “So tell me, how do you have rooms available when no one else does, other than the fleabag I vacated.”
Kate poured him a cup of coffee. “My bed-and-breakfast was omitted from the list that went out to attendees. By the time I found out, it was too late to change it.” She glanced at Maria. “And now I’m glad it worked out that way.”
Bailey was too. She turned to Joel. “I hope you slept well.”
“I did. And whatever your mother just took out of the oven smells wonderful.”
“It is.” Bailey dished out three servings of the casserole, then took a cup from the cabinet. “I’m afraid our plans have changed from last night. Neither Danny nor Angel can go today or at least not this morning.”
Joel jerked his head toward her. “You’re kidding.”
“Not unless something changes.” She explained the problem to Joel and her mother.
“I may be able to help with Solana,” Kate said.
Joel turned to Maria and took a small box from his pocket. “I have something for you. You don’t have to worry about losing this one—it’s not that expensive.”
Bailey smiled as Maria’s eyes grew round as he opened the box and took out a necklace. “She wants to show it to her grandmother.”
“Well, this one is just like it.”
“Does it have Mommy’s picture?”
Joel seemed to stop breathing. “Ah, I’m afraid not. But we can transfer the picture from the other one.”
“Let me take a look at it,” Bailey said and opened the locket Joel held. She winced. There was no frame to slide a picture into like in the original. “I don’t think your sister’s photo will fit.”
Maria’s bottom lip poked out, and she placed her hand over the locket she wore. “I want to wear this one. I want to show Nana Sue my mommy’s picture.” She raised her tear-filled eyes. “I’ll be careful, Uncle Joel. I won’t lose it, I promise.”
“I’ll try to make sure she doesn’t lose it, but if something happens to it, I’ll pay you for it,” Bailey said. She hoped the child didn’t lose it since the necklace obviously cost a pretty chunk of money, but Maria had been through so much in her short life, it seemed a shame to deny her wearing the necklace with Claire’s picture in it. Besides, Joel should have known how much having the photo meant to Maria. Men. They knew nothing about females, even very small ones.
Joel’s lips twitched, then he nodded. “I suppose one more day won’t hurt. But be very careful.”
Maria’s eyes lit up, and she threw her arms around his neck. “Thank you, Uncle Joel. I’ll be careful, I promise.”
“You better,” he said as Maria climbed back into her chair. He took a sip of coffee. “I’m still making the trip, and there’s no reason why Maria can’t go with me.”
“I doubt Angel would go for that.”
The back door opened, and Angel and Solana came in just in time to catch what Bailey said.
“Go for what?” he asked.
“Daddy!” Maria squealed. “Are you ready to take me to see Nana Sue and Papa Joe?”
Angel swept her up. “I think we will wait until tomorrow. Will that be okay with you?”
Her face fell. “Can we go back to that park, then?”
“Maybe.” He turned to Bailey. “What is it I won’t go for?”
Joel squared his shoulders. “I talked with my mother, and the doctors have scheduled my father’s surgery for tomorrow morning. I’m going to see him today, and I want to take Maria with me.”
“On Saturday?”
“Evidently the doctor operates on weekends.”
Angel folded his arms across his chest. “No.”
“Why not? He’s facing a risky operation and may die, and I’d really like for him to see Maria. I’m sure Bailey would be glad to accompany me, and it’s what Claire would want.”
Memories of Wednesday in Mexico sent shivers down Bailey’s back. Although there’d been no indication that they’d been followed to Logan Point, she wasn’t certain she wanted to risk the trip without Danny and Angel along.
“Please, Daddy, I want to wear my new dress you bought me and go with Uncle Joel.”
The tendons in Angel’s neck throbbed as he ground his molars. If Joel thought he’d use Claire to play on his sympathy, he’d learn quickly it wouldn’t work. Maria was going nowhere without him.
“Angel,” Solana spoke quietly. “Why don’t we reschedule my appointment?”
He directed his gaze to her. “Because you’ve worn that cast long enough.”
“But what if he . . . it would make me feel terrible if she couldn’t go because of me.”
Kate cleared her throat. “Excuse me,” she said. “There’ll be no need to reschedule or for Angel to stay behind to take Solana. I can take her to the clinic this afternoon. That is, if Angel wants to work it out that way.”
It was a solution. But he didn’t like it that Maria would be traveling by car. “Let me call Danny. Perhaps he will be finished by noon—there would still be time to go.”
He stepped out of the kitchen and walked to his bedroom to call. Danny answered on the first ring. “Angel? Is everything okay?”
“There’s a problem with waiting until tomorrow to go to Corning. Claire’s father is having surgery tomorrow, and there’s some question as to whether he’ll make it through the surgery. I’m trying to work out a way to take Maria to see him today. I’d really prefer her to fly rather than travel by car. Less chance of something going wrong. Do you think you’ll be finished by noon?”
“We’re waiting on Edward to start the meeting now—he stepped out for a few minutes, so I don’t know how long this will take.”
“Would you consider letting me fly your plane?”
“What? Are you telling me you can pilot a plane?”
“I guess I am.”
“What else have you not told me?”
Danny wouldn’t want to know all of his secrets. “That’s it. I didn’t think my piloting skills were relevant.”
“You have a valid license?”
“Of course.”
“Let me think about it. If I see I won’t get through here by noon, I’ll call you.”
“Sure. Do you mind if I check out your plane? Maybe take care of refueling it?”
“That’s a good idea.”
Angel pocketed his phone and walked back to the kitchen. Joel’s voice stopped him just outside the door. From where he stood, Angel could see and hear his brother-in-law. Joel was doing what he did best—charming the people around him. The man thrived on attention.
Even though he’d wanted Joel at the bed-and-breakfast, being under the same roof gnawed at his insides. And when Maria climbed in his lap, as she was now, his desire to kill the man intensified. But Joel’s death would not bring back Claire, and if Angel wanted justice for what happened in the warehouse that day, he needed to keep Joel alive. There was always a chance his brother-in-law would make a slip, and Angel would have the evidence to turn him over to the Mexican authorities for collaborating with the Calatrava.
Angel stepped back into the room. “Danny said it would depend on Edward as to whether or not he could fly Maria to Corning. Can you influence my uncle into wrapping up the negotiations by noon? Do that, and now that Kate has offered to take Solana to the doctor, we should be able to fly Maria to see your father before he has surgery.”
Joel’s eyes narrowed, then with a blink, a smile appeared on his lips. But Angel knew from the rigid jaw and tense shoulders, anger at not being in control smoldered just below the surface.
“You can’t drive her?” Joel asked.
“I’d rather not, just in case . . .” He cast his gaze toward Maria.
“I’ll see what I can do.” He took his phone out and walked away from them. When he finished his call, he turned and nodded. “Edward promised to wrap up today’s negotiations within the hour.”
“Good.” Angel winked at Maria. “And now you get to wear your new dress today, after all.”
Joel checked his watch. “What time do you think you’ll arrive?”
“If everything stays on schedule, around two.”
Joel nodded and knelt to hug Maria. “You be good today, okay?”
She kissed him on the cheek. “I will. I wish you could fly with us.”
“Me too, honey. But I need to go early and visit with my dad.” He gave her one last hug and straightened up. “Don’t let anything happen to her.”
Angel couldn’t reconcile the man he knew with the one embracing Maria. At first Angel thought it was an act, but just as he’d seen unbridled anger in his eyes, he now saw real love.
Joel stopped at the door. “Are you really going to bring her, or is this all an act just to get rid of me?”
“You have my word that I will bring her.”
His brother-in-law lifted his eyebrows, then turned and shut the door behind him. With Joel gone, tension eased from Angel’s body.
Solana squeezed his arm. “You made a good decision.”
“I hope so.” He ignored the way his heart raced at her touch, but he couldn’t look away from the adoration in her eyes. If she knew the blackness that filled his heart, she would run as hard and fast as she could from him.
Solana turned to Kate. “And thank you that I’m not the reason to keep Maria from going.”
Kate hugged her. “Glad to do it. Until then, I’ll be in my pottery shop.”
Angel said, “And I’m going to the airport to get Danny’s plane ready.”
Two hours later, he returned to the house. Regardless of who flew the plane, it was ready to take off. Maria met him at the foot of the stairs. His heart warmed at the sight of the only good thing in his life.
All the time he had lain in the Texas hospital, thoughts of Maria and Claire had given him the will to live. Three bullets had lodged in his body that day at the warehouse, one near his spine. For a while the doctors thought he’d never walk again, but as the swelling and inflammation subsided, feeling returned to his legs. Now the only residual effect of the bullets was in his mind.
“Daddy, you didn’t answer me!”
He brought his attention back to Maria. “Sorry, baby. What did you say?”
She put her fists on her waist. “I asked how I looked.”
Oh, shades of Claire. He laughed and picked Maria up. “You’re beautiful, like your mommy.”
“Really? Uncle Joel says the picture is so I won’t forget what she looks like.” She gazed into his eyes. “I feel bad sometimes when I can’t remember. I think that’s why Uncle Joel gave it to me. Can you open it for me?”
“Let me set you down.” His fingers shook as he held the small heart-shaped locket and stared at the photo of Claire from their wedding. His stomach lurched.
Why couldn’t Joel stay one-dimensional? When he did something nice like this, it made Angel doubt his assessment of his brother-in-law. What if he was wrong about Joel? What if he wasn’t the one who tipped off the Calatrava? But if not Joel, who?