“Hear, Hear!”
“If there’s a way to make himself look stupid, this guy’s going to find it.”
“Hear, Hear!”
“Trying to intimidate not one, but two guys who ended up being herbrothers.”
“Hear, Hear!”
“Yeah, yeah,” I said, rolling my eyes. “I’m going to need a chart of those fuckers at this rate.”
“Yeah, or you can just stop being a dumbass,” Jules snorted.
“Yeah, or that,” I trailed off, biting my lip as I looked out the window of the shop. “Hey, J? What’s on my schedule for the rest of the day?”
“You finally got that full side piece coming in. They called and confirmed they were making it this time and everything.”
“Shit, really?” My heart sank. This client had been dodging and canceling our appointments for the better part of a season. If I could finally get them done and squared away, it would be a big strain lifted off my schedule.
“What’s up?” Quis asked, lifting his head from some guy’s arm. “Thought you’d be more excited. You’ve been trying to get that piece out the way for months.”
“Yeah, I know.” I scratched at my neck, my eyes drifting to the little packet Alta’s brother dropped off. Whatever it was, it was sealed so neatly in its envelope, it reminded me of her. So organized and put together and driven. And if all her siblings were all working, then who was making sure she had enough fruit and cucumbers right now? The thought lifted my head, turning my attention back toJules. “I hate to be this guy, but J can you contact them to tell them I can’t do it today?”
“Yeah no problem…” she said, snatching up the phone but paused before dialing. “But why?”
She didn’t know that thewhywasn't important. The important part waswho. Because when it came to this girl, she could stub her toe, and I’d be there.
“Ally’s sick,” is all I said.
The entire shop didn’t need to know how I’d signed my sanity away to Alta Fernandez weeks ago. They couldn’t know that my heart was in the fine print of the deal, either. Or that she had me, body and more.
I wouldn’t let them know it yet. Not when she still had no clue.
Chapter Twenty-Five
ALTA
No matter how independent I got, when I was sick, I still wanted my mom. There was something about the familiarity of her that soothed a part of me that couldn’t be cured by medication, and I craved it now at twenty-six every bit as much as I did when I was a child.
“I’m coming over there right now, mija,” Amá said over the phone. “God only knows why your brothers and sisters haven’t checked on you already. You have been sick for a week without me knowing!Enserio! Que hacen!”
“Amá, no,” I insisted for the hundredth time. “I only called because I wanted to hear your voice, but I don’t want you catching what I have. I swear I’m almost over it.”
“And what about your good-for-nothingsiblings, huh? Don’t you nurse them back to health when they so much as bump their big heads?” she harrumphed.
“Amá,” I soothed. “Iaskedthem not to come.”
“Por que?” I could hear the frown in her voice. “I don’t understand this?”
“Because I’m a big girl. I can handle a little cold, huh?”
Her silence was pointed. It meant something beyond what was being said, like it always did. My guess was, she didn’t like this one bit.
I sighed, her worry welcome but tiring too. “Just talk to me until I fall asleep again, okay?Porfa, por tu hija?”
She sighed too. “And you have seen the doctor, yes?”
My silence was met with a frustrated groan.
