AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She gave Max one of the drinks and handed the other to Carlos. “Please, sit down and dig into this food, or we’ll be eating it for aweek.”
He was slightly shorter than Max, with the compact muscle of a baseball player and an uncanny stillness, like his dark eyes were taking in anything and everything, committing it all to memory for use later. His dark hair was cut close to his head, and he had the pronounced jaw and cheekbones of a covermodel.
Carlos laughed. “I can definitely help you out withthat.”
“I’ll start the steaks,” Maxsaid.
She squeezed his arm. “We have plenty of time. I’ll put the finishing touches on the other stuff while yourelax.”
She hoped Carlos couldn’t see Max’s reluctance as he sat in one of the chairs opposite the couch. She’d told him to keep an open mind, and she couldn’t tell if this was the best he could do or if he was beingstubborn.
She returned to the kitchen and poured herself a glass of wine, then started working on the salad that would accompany thesteaks.
True to his word, Carlos dug into the platter of appetizers with the unselfconscious exuberance of a teenage boy. In between bites, he asked Max questions — about his childhood in Vegas, his time in the Army, the land around the house. Max’s answers were stiff at first, but little by little, Abby sensed him looseningup.
It might have had something to do with the healthy second round poured by Max, but Abby would take it. Nobody wanted this to work more than her. Having someone like Carlos watch Max’s back would allow her to breathe a little more easily when Max wasworking.
She finished the salad and started chopping fresh garlic for the bowl of butter that would be spread on the loaf of bread waiting to go under thebroiler.
“You can probably start those steaks now,” she said, directing her voice toward the men in the livingroom.
Carlos stood. “I can help withthat.”
Max rose from the couch and put a hand on Carlos’s shoulder. Abby held her breath in the beat ofsilence.
“I’ll handle the steaks,” Max said. “But you can come out onto the terrace and keep me company if youwant.”
Carlos nodded. “You’re theboss.”
