“Loveyourfood,” he corrected her.
She beamed even brighter.
“Especially your tamales,” he added.
“Didtu madremake you tamales, Jacob?” she asked. “Is that why you love them?”
Jake's face twisted into a smirk. “No, Cat. My mom’s idea of cooking was throwing a frozen pizza in the oven or picking up a McDonald's on the way home from work. Pop-Tarts for breakfast and chips and dip for dinner were the norm for me growing up.”
Her brown eyes grew wide. She rested a hand across her chest and exclaimed, “Dios mío.”
Jacob laughed. “Ma couldn’t cook, but Dad could. He made the good stuff. He barbequed most nights, and to this day, Pop’s gumbo is legendary.”
Cat’s hand shifted to her heart, and she murmured, “Gracias a Dios por eso.” Then she gave Jacob a knowing look and announced, “Mi Santamakes good tamales. Your babies won’t have to eat Pop-Tarts.”
Jacob looked a little shocked. “You cook?”
I shrugged. “Yeah, a little. Cat taught me a few things.”
“Cat’s a fucking revelation,” a dry voice said from the doors. “Are you making tamales, babe? My stomach feels like my throat’s been cut.”
I turned to see Talia stepping through the bi-folds, sniffing the air appreciatively. “Is thatCafé de OllaI can smell?”
Cat gave her an indulgent smile. “Take a seat. I’ll fetch you some.”
Talia heaved her huge bag from her shoulders, dropped it onto the countertop, and slid onto a stool. “When are you gonna leave Saint and come to work for me, Cat?” She made a pouty face. “I wanna wake up toCafé de Olla.”
“I’ll never leaveSanta,” Cat said breezily, pointing a finger at Talia. “And you are too messy and have too many men.” She shook her head disapprovingly. “Every time I bring you food, I see a different boy. One in and one out. Every day it’s different.”
Talia grinned. “What can I say? So many men, so little time.”
“These modern girls,” Cat grumbled. “You need a good boy who’ll give you many babies.”
“What I need is a good, big, hard d?—”
“Talia!” I barked, cutting her off. “What are you doing here?”
She chuckled, throwing Catalina an apologetic wink. “The boys will be here any minute. We need a band meeting to discuss the latest development with weirdo stalker.” She gave a little shudder. “That photo was creepy as fuck.”
I glanced at Jacob, who was leaning on the countertop, sippingCafé de Ollawithout a care in the world.
“Hombre loco,” Cat announced, opening the fridge to pull out a packet of beef. “Crazy man.”
The sounds of laughter and footsteps drifted in from the backyard, and Sam and Boomer appeared at the doors.
“Morning!” Boom sang.
“Hola, hijo,”Cat called out.“Café de Olla?”
Boomer held his arms out and ran toward Cat, enveloping her in a bear hug. “Cat. I love you.”
“Jonny’s taking a swim,” Sam informed the room, jerking his thumb toward the pool just as I heard a loud splash.
I rolled my eyes. “That asshole better be wearing swim shorts this time.”
Jacob’s gaze hardened, his neck craning toward the glass doors.
“Bah!” Cat exclaimed. “Jonny J shows off.” She emptied the packet of beef into a frying pan, shaking her head exasperatedly. “Always with thepene.”
