“She’s passed out,” Rowe confirms. “What do we do?”
I unsnap my seat belt and kill the engine. “I’ll carry her in.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“I don’t mind.”
With Rowe leading the way, I gently take Cristina from the back seat and carry her up the stairs and into the apartment, which Rowe unlocks with a key from Cristina’s purse. It’s neat. Tidy. Smells like citrus. Rowe leads me to the bedroom and pulls back the sheets while I gently lay Cristina down.
One of her eyes opens a slit. “You’re a good one, Pane Maddox. Rowe, you really need to hit that.”
I cough into my fist.
Crimson explodes across Rowe’s cheeks. “I’ll get you a glass of water. Be right back.”
I wait outside until Rowe appears and gently shuts the door. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
She sinks her teeth into her bottom lip. “Sorry about that back there.”
“What’s there to be sorry about?”
She rolls her eyes. “You know about what.”
“No, I have no idea what you’re talking about. Unless you mean the whole hitting—”
“Yesthat’swhatImean,” she says in one breath. Then she exhales. “Let’s go home and eat.”
We eat in the gazebo overlooking the rolling meadow behind the house. The moon is high, washing the farm in its milky glow. Neither of us says a word as we unwrap our dinners.
I bite into my empanada and groan. “Oh, wow. I’ve had plenty of picadillo empanadas before, but this is amazing.”
Rowe grins from behind her meat pie. “Plus, you don’t need a knife. Not when you eat it with your hands.”
I chuckle. “That’s definitely a perk.”
“I knew you’d like it. I mean, you have to be lacking taste buds to hate these.” We’re silent for a few moments before she quietly adds, “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For helping with Cristina.”
“You’ve already thanked me.”
“I know, I just wanted to say it again.”
“So, this Jace guy. Has he made the rounds in Mystic Meadows, breaking hearts?”
Has he broken yours?If so, where can I find him and break his face?
She eyes me shyly, as if deciding what to say next. “They dated for a couple of years. At first everything seemed good—normal, even. But then Jace started acting like a jerk. He told her that she could become his first wife.”
The empanada almost falls from my mouth. “Hesaidthat?”
“Told you he’s a jerk.”
“Heisa jerk. Sounds like he wanted her to break up with him.”
