“He’s right,hermanita.This is a no-blame, no-shame zone.” Mila slowed Sol to a walk so he could step carefully over a branch lying across the trail. “Since I’m his sister I’ve seen him at his worst, but I can understand why women find himdelicioso.”
Claudette laughed. “Yeah, even when he’s a pain in the butt he’s still a cutie-patootie.”
“I’m right here.”
“That’s why I said it, big brother. I hardly ever tell you you’re good-looking and I should do it more often. You get such a nice shade of pink.”
“Cut it out.”
Tracy took pity on him. “Bet you wish you hadn’t come with us.”
“I don’t wish that.” He met her gaze. “I need to be here. We’re in this together.”
Her stomach did a backflip. Why, oh why did he have to be sodelicioso?
She waited until Moonlight made her way carefully over the branch before speaking again. “We haven’t talked about what worries — no, that’s not strong enough — what scares me to death. What if I somehow ruin everything? You’re all part of my extended family, and I?—”
“That’s why you can’t ruin everything. Whoa, Sol.” Mila turned the palomino back to face her. “You care about us and we care about you.”
“But all this family stuff is why they’re each other’s forbidden fruit.” Claudette swung Pickles around, too.
Adam blew out a breath. “Could we stop using that term? It sounds… well, never mind what it sounds like. It just?—”
“Has sexual overtones?” Claudette smiled at him.
“Yes, damn it! This discussion is hard enough—stop laughing, Claudie, or so help me?—”
“Sorry.” Claudette ducked her head and pulled her collar up to muffle her giggles.
Tracy took pity on him. ”Hey, Mila, last night you said this was better than discussing it in your living room because we wouldn’t be looking directly at each other. But here we are.”
“You’re right.” Mila wheeled Sol around and started off at a brisk trot. “We need to keep riding. I wanted to make a point, but I don’t have to look you in the eye for that.”
Claudette followed suit. “And I’ll quit teasing you, Adam.”
“Thanks.”
“Time to get back on track.” Mila was using her big-sister voice. “Adam, did you say you might have a plan?”
“I briefly thought… but no, I don’t have one.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Okay, then Trace? Any ideas?”
“Considering the stakes, I think we should just keep seeing each other a lot, but in group activities like this, and dinner here last night, and at the Raccoon. It might take some time, but eventually we’ll forget about New Year’s Eve.”
“In other words,” Claudette said, “you’ll sweep it under the rug.”
“That’s another way of putting it.”
Claudette shook her head. “That never works, Trace. One or both of you could turn into pressure cookers that, sooner or later, will blow.”
Mila chuckled. “That would make a hell of a mess under that rug.”
“You know what I’m saying, Mil.”
