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There it was again.Angel.The word that sent a tingle through me every time.
* * *
Dennis
I tookher hand and led her outside.
The woman was an enigma—smart, talented, a little sassy, and a lot sexier than she gave herself credit for.
We walked the path along the edge of the beach toward my favorite taco stand in this part of town. Her head was on a swivel, taking in the sights, all with an excited smile pasted on her face.
I squeezed her hand. “Ever been down here before?”
“No.” She looked away. “I’ve only been to the beach at Santa Monica once.”
“Only once? If you live in LA, you have to come to the beach more often than that. Here you get away from the endless city. Half the horizon has no people and no buildings.”
She shrugged. “It is nice.”
Perhaps I was happier to be with her than she was with me. That was a disturbing thought.
Something had bothered her this morning that she wouldn’t talk about, but true to form, the beach-breathing technique I’d long practiced had helped her deal with whatever it was. I’d seen it in her face as she’d silently matched her breaths to the ocean waves. It had given her a moment of calm.
In time, I hoped she’d trust me enough to open up. “Have you lived with your sister’s family long?”
Her smile dimmed. “Since Mom died. It’s just the three of us now: me, my sister, and Billy.”
“What happened to Billy’s father?”
“He didn’t stick around long. Ramona’s raising Billy herself.”
My heart went out to them. “That must be hard.” With what my father meant to me, I couldn’t imagine a boy growing up without one. It would leave a huge hole, and the workload for Jennifer’s sister had to be tough without the father around to help.
We kept walking.
Jennifer didn’t elaborate, and I didn’t pry.
Taco Bandito was just opening up when we arrived.
I knew how she liked her coffee from Starbucks, but I had no idea what food she preferred. “I forgot to ask if Mexican is okay.”
“Sure.” She perused the menu for a second. “Are the chicken tacos any good?”
“Everything is good. Just take it easy on the salsa.”
While I ordered for us, she took the drinks to a table under an umbrella.
I joined her with the chips and salsa.
She absentmindedly twisted the silver ring on her finger.
I pointed to her hand. “You do that a lot.”
She pulled her hand away. “Sorry.”
“It’s special to you, isn’t it?”
She looked down at the ring with a smile. “It was the first ring my stepdad gave my mother.”
