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Talk about cranky. Jasmeka loved coaxing others out of foul moods, but Miguel was a full time job. She didn’t blame him with the loss of his brother, but he didn’t seem to be grieving all that much. Maybe he hid his pain well. She knew she hid hers behind keeping busy and thinking about making other people happy.
“Well, he asked for you, Miguel. Are you going to answer the phone, or should I tell him something else?”
He sighed and turned to pull on a T-shirt. “I’ll get it.”
Jasmeka showed him to David’s old office where he could get the phone. She could have told him Mr. Hernandez was David’s attorney, but he would find out soon enough. There weren’t many in Stump Valley who didn’t know everyone else’s business. Mr. Luis Hernandez had come to the house only once that she could remember, and at the time, David and Thiago had gone off with him. They didn’t share their business with her even if she was treated as one of the family most of the time.
Jasmeka went to the kitchen to finish breakfast, and she set everything on the dining room table. On Saturday mornings, she let the family wander in from bed whenever they liked. A buffet layout, kept warm, worked because on that day not only did the family eat in the house, but a few of the employees who worked closest with the family stopped in. Jasmeka loved having the extra mouths to feed so she could stretch out a bit and try one or two new recipes.
“Ms. Jas, this muy bien.” Hector, one of her favorites to feed, stabbed a fork toward his plate. He launched off into rapid fire Spanish, and she shook her head laughing. Hector didn’t know a lick of English when he started working for the family, but she had been teaching him. The poor man didn’t have that much motivation. She believed the only reason he tried was so she would keep feeding him. As if she would stop. He cracked her up.
“Me alegro de que te guste. I’m glad you like it,” she repeated for his sake. Her words went in one ear and out the other. His eyes were practically rolling back in his head as he shoveled food into his mouth. Well, at least he was happy. He’d been moping about after they learned about David. Hector was the one to tell Thiago, and it broke his heart to do it.
The dining room door opened, and a sleepy Antonio wandered in. He dropped into his chair and yawned, his eyes closed. Jasmeka watched him for a few minutes. She didn’t serve on Saturday mornings. He would need to snap out of it and get his plate to fill himself.
The door opened again, and Angel came in. The younger twin was more alert. “Buenos dias, Jas. Do you have sausage?”
She tucked a hand on her hip. “Good morning, Angel. I have sausage every morning.”
He walked over to his brother and dragged on his arm. Antonio stood, wobbled a bit with his eyes still mostly closed, and followed Angel to the table holding the food. As far as she knew it was the only time Antonio ever followed Angel.
“Why are you two up so early if you’re still sleepy?”
Laredo’s got two horses he’s selling,” Angel said. He debated over adding another sausage to his plate. “We’re going to see them.”
Antonio’s eyes popped open wide. “I forgot about that.”
Angel frowned at him. “Why did you think I woke you up?”
“To—” Antonio stopped and looked at Jasmeka then clamped his lips together. She wondered what that was about but didn’t push to know. “Never mind. We gotta get going.”
“Don’t you think it’s a little inappropriate right now to be thinking of horses?” She had a nerve given the direction of her thoughts lately.
“He’s going to sell them.” Antonio stole a piece of sausage off Angel’s plate causing his brother to chase him back to their seat. They were so immature. “Better we get there and look them over first. Dad might buy them for us.”
“Maybe.” She had to admit he was probably right. With Thiago so broken over losing David, he would do anything for the twins. Heck, he was a pushover even on a good day. That was why he’d given the ranch to David in the first place. “Guys, don’t push him, okay? Please. Just give Thiago a break for a while.”
Neither of them made any commitment to follow what she asked. Miguel walked into the kitchen, fully dressed and obviously agitated. His angry gaze grated over the others. Both Antonio and Angel glared for a half second and then lowered their heads. Jasmeka couldn’t help thinking of them as little pups submitting to an alpha against their will. She would rather have seen them yip at Miguel’s heels, all happy to see him. That was probably wishful thinking and too much to ask for.
Miguel strode with purpose over to her. He touched her elbow, and a zing shot up her arm. “I need you to go with me today to…” He hesitated and glanced at the twins then continued. “…to meet with someone. Afterward, I’ll buy you lunch.”
“Me?” She didn’t want to go, not when she was feeling the way she was. “I have so much going on. There’s food to be prepared, and…”
“Por favor,” he repeated.
The man had the nerve to have a straight face and not a lick of kindness or gentleness as he said please. It didn’t even sound like a request. His stern expression nullified the word. His continuing to wait at her side said he wasn’t going to take no for an answer.
At the table, the twins were silent. They didn’t look over at Miguel and her, but she sensed their attention. They were taking in every word. Maybe that’s why Miguel didn’t spell out what the meeting would involve. She figured it had to do with David’s lawyer. The twins had a right to be in on that meeting, as well as the rest of the family—not her. Ah well, maybe she would just go along with him and explain he needed to build better relationships with the others so they could help each other get through this sad time.
A short while later, Miguel drew up to Mr. Hernandez’s office and shut off the engine. He had completely taken over her truck as if it were his own. She didn’t see the need to argue with him at the moment.
/> “Do you want me to wait outside?” She hesitated to remove her seatbelt.
“Ven.”
She rolled her eyes and climbed out of the truck. He didn’t waste words—or courtesy. Soon they were sitting in Mr. Hernandez’s cozy chairs in his private office. This was after she’d again said she could sit in the waiting room until he came out. Looking closer at Miguel, she noted the tension around the ends of his mouth and how stiffly he sat. There was no way he was scared about this meeting, but maybe it ticked him off so much, he didn’t want to go it alone. She might be the voice of sanity, so she did her best to project calm.
Mr. Hernandez got straight to the point after opening a drawer and withdrawing a thick file folder. “Senor Torres, I’m not sure if you’re aware but you are the heir to all of your brother Thiago David Torres’ holdings.”
