“Nothing to tell. Tripp wanted to keep it, so we did,” Knox answered.
“Why did you have it anyway? You talk about your mother’s estate, and you share a plane with your brothers. Are you rich or something?”
“Let’s leave the rich story at ‘or something,’ but I will tell you about the plane. Tripp and my dad used it to fly to places where Dad had either oil wells or companies that he had to check on regularly. I’m a carpenter, so I never got into all that business end of things. But it has come in handy a few times since we sold the company and Mother’s estate and moved to Spanish Fort,” he answered and changed the subject. “Now, let’s talk about why Thomas’s tacos are any better than any fast-food joints.”
“One more question, and then we’ll talk tacos,” Lottie said. “Are you really a prince in pauper’s clothing?”
“Never heard it put that way before.” Knox chuckled. “I’m not royalty, but I was never a real pauper, so I wouldn’t know about either one. My parents raised us to be responsible and hard workers, and we never felt entitled.”
“Fair enough,” Lottie said. “What makes the tacos so special is that Thomas makes his own blend of spices for the meat. He makes the corn and flour tortillas from scratch, and also a special salsa. And…” She turned around to face the wall. “He does not share his recipes for any of it, so we only get them once or twice, depending on how long the construction project lasts.”
Knox got dressed and then took his place in the far corner. “Martha, my mother’s housekeeper and cook, used to make homemade tortillas for us. She said that we had hollow legs that she could never get filled up, no matter how much food she made.”
“I’m decent now,” she said. “And my mama used to tell me that feeding three boys was a lot tougher on the checkbook than one girl. I guess boys just eat more, but tonight I plan to run all y’all some competition.”
Knox wiggled his eyebrows. “So, you worked up a big appetite in here with me, did you?”
“Of course,” she said without a second’s hesitation. “Staring at a blank wall while you cover up all those muscles takes a lot of energy and eats up a lot of calories.”
“You think I’m a stud, then?” He continued to tease.
She picked up her tote bag and dirty towels and opened the door. “I did not say that.”
He followed her out. “You implied it.”
“Did not!” she snapped.
“Is there trouble in Paradise?” Jack asked from across the room.
“I wouldn’t know about Paradise,” Knox answered, “but we’re all good here.”
“We are not fine, Uncle Jack,” Lottie disagreed. “He’s not remembering my exact words.”
Jack draped an arm around her shoulders and guided her over to the bar, where Thomas flipped fresh, hot tortillas onto a platter. “It’s a guy thing, sweetheart. Us men have selective hearing.”
“Mama says that same thing,” Lottie said.
Knox handed her a plate and got in line behind her. “ That’s why women are from Venus, and men are from Mars. Want me to get you a beer? There’s no way you can handle two dozen tacos and a bottle at the same time.”
Lottie took the plate and began to put together half a dozen tacos. “What do you know about that old book about women and men?”
Knox had talked himself into a corner without meaning to do so. A woman from one of his previous short-lived relationships had quoted lines from the book when she was angry with him for not doing what she wanted. This was not the time or place to discuss the past with his fake girlfriend.
“Someone mentioned it, so I checked it out.” It wasn’t acomplete lie because hehadscanned through the book after his last girlfriend threw it at him when she left the house during a hissy fit.
* * *
Knox covered a yawn with his hand and glanced at the clock. “Would I be a horrible fake boyfriend if I leave you alone to watch the last of this episode? I can hardly keep my eyes open.”
“Of course not,” Lottie said. “It’s an hour past my bedtime, too, and we both have to work tomorrow morning.”
“You can come to bed with me if you don’t want to go home,” he suggested. “It’s a king bed, so we probably wouldn’t even touch each other.”
“No thanks, but I do want to finish the rest of this episode. Go on to bed. I’ll turn out the lights and make sure Bally doesn’t sneak out when I leave.”
Knox stood up and headed back to the bedroom end of his trailer. He pulled back the covers, and she heard a few soft snores in only a little while.
Lottie intended to watch the last twenty minutes of the final episode in theDark Windsseries and then go back to her own trailer. But her mind and body had different ideas when she stretched out on the makeshift couch/bed and pulled a throw over herself. She was already half-asleep when she picked up the remote and turned off the television.
