Page 85 of Her Sensual Protector

“There’s a pudding cup in the fridge that you can have.” She waved to the fridge, not even looking at her youngest son. “You’ll have cobbler after dinner like the rest of the family. Daisy gets hers now.”

Daisy took a bite and moaned. “This is delicious.”

“It is my mother’s recipe. She used lime juice.”

“I don’t know what she did, but you could sell it to restaurants.” She took another big scoop.

“Would you like some ice cream?” Gloria asked.

“No,” Daisy answered. “I don’t want anything that would dilute the taste of this.”

“I’ve researched your charity. I can’t believe all the things it has accomplished. I’ve already made a donation.”

Daisy sputtered and grabbed her napkin.

“You didn’t have to do that, Mrs. Perez.”

“I told you to call me Gloria. And yes, I did. I think this is my new favorite charity, after St. Jude’s of course. Those girls you saved in Africa. It made me cry. All the good work you do. My Leo told me what you’re trying to accomplish for all of those women in Yemen. I understand. My husband died many years ago. It is difficult for a woman to raise her family on her own even here in the United States. I can’t imagine what it would be like under those circumstances in Yemen. You are to be commended.”

Daisy ducked her head and took another bite of the dessert.

“She doesn’t take compliments well, does she, mijo?”

“No, she doesn’t.”

“How is your father?” Gloria asked.

Daisy didn’t know what to say, she had only talked to him once since she’d been back in the states. “Fine.”

“That’s another thing that impressed me, that you went to Afghanistan to help your father. That was wonderful.”

“Gloria, you’re getting the wrong impression of me. I’m not that great. It was my brothers who did all the work. I just was over there to talk to the embassy because I knew how to do that. My brothers were the real heroes.”

“And she’s modest.” Gloria beamed at Leo.

“What was it like raising so many children?” Daisy asked Gloria. “Especially Leo. He must have been a handful.”

“He was. Out of all my children, Leo was always getting into the most mischief. I was so sad when he decided to join the military. Sad and scared. I wanted him to stay close by me, like the others. But he wanted to see the world and fly those planes. I thought that was as bad as it could get. Then he changed from being a Navy pilot to special forces, and he gave me all of my white hair.”

Daisy looked at the four strands of gray in Gloria’s fabulous black hair that was so like her son’s.

“His job is scary, but he does it well.” The fact that her father was alive was a testament to that.

“I still wish he could become a local police officer like his big brother Martin, or a firefighter like his brother Felipe.”

“It sounds like all of your sons believe in serving others.”

“Just like their father. He was a Marine.”

“I didn’t know that.”

Gloria nodded solemnly. “They are all good men like their father. I am blessed.” She looked down at Daisy’s chest. “Do you like your necklace?”

“Yes. I was missing my medal. A nun had given it to me years ago when I was in Guatemala. I felt lost without it.”

“My son, he thinks of everything.”

“Okay, time to go,” Leo interjected.