things with her big Latin
family. She sucked in a deep breath, then let it out slowly, and
mouthed, "I'm sorry..." to Chase then stepped back and turned to
face her family.
"Everyone, this is Chase Rhodes, a friend of
mine from Amarillo. He was at the wedding too, and we came back
together." Not entirely true, but not a lie either. "Chase gave me
a ride home, and he's heading back for Amarillo tonight."
Carlos stepped forward and shook Chase's
hand and introduced himself, then the rest of her brothers did the
same, followed by her father. Chase stepped over to her mother and
leaned down and kissed her cheek, then told her, "I see where your
daughter gets her beauty from...I almost mistook you for her
sister," he told her and Jazzie saw her mother's face flush and she
smiled, then patted his cheek.
"Jasmine, you should watch out for this one
and his silver tongue," her mother said with a chuckle.
"Oh, I know mama...he's a charmer for sure!"
Jazzie said then smiled at Chase.
"I have enchiladas, you come in and eat,"
her mother invited then grabbed Chase's arm to add, "Thank you for
bringing Jasmine home."
"It was my pleasure, Mrs. Ramos...Jazzie is
a good friend," he told her seriously, then looked into Jasmine's
eyes with longing in his. "I'd love to stay for dinner and get to
know the family."
Jazzie smiled, but stifled a groan, because
she didn't want to lead Chase on. They were friends, but that was
all...for now anyway. He wasn't hitting on her though, and he had
given her a ride, it was only polite to ask him in for dinner.
"Yes, please come in and eat, Chase," she told him, then walked
over to slide her arm through his free one, and turn him toward the
house.
Chase's hand slipped off of her suitcase
handle and instead of letting him stop to pick it up, she told her
brother over her shoulder, "Carlos, get my suitcase, will you?" She
heard him grumble, and chuckled, then walked toward the house with
her mother and Chase.
After everyone settled at the table, and the
kids sat at a card table beside the big table, Jazzie helped her
mom bring platters and platters of food to the table, then filled
everyone's glasses with sweet tea. Jazzie sat next to Chase and
folded her hands in her lap, while her papa said the meal
prayer.
The table erupted in raucous talking once
the 'amen' was said and her brothers started passing around plates
and scooping out huge servings on their plates. Chase was included
in that rotation, and wasn't shy about filling his plate, or
talking loudly with her brothers. Her older brothers wives filled
the kid's plates and got them set up, then settled beside Raffie
and Chichi.
Jazzie really was hungry, because all she'd
had was a small sandwich in Los Angeles and a bag of peanuts on the
long plane trip, so she wasn't shy filling her plate either, or
cleaning it. When she was done, she sat back and groaned. "My
goodness, mama, that was delicious," she said.
Her mother shrugged and said, "You know how
I get when I'm worried..."
"Considering the amount of food you cooked,
you must be out of your mind with worry," she said before she
thought better of it.
Her mother's dark eyes filled with tears and
her hand shook on the spoon she was using to dish up the rich flan
she'd made for dessert. "I'm very worried," her mother told her in
a trembling voice.
Jazzie felt terrible for reminding her about
Frankie. She pushed back her chair and walked around the table to
pull her mother into a hug, then said, "Mama you've worked too hard
today, and worried too much, go upstairs and take a nice bath, I'll
finish serving dessert."
"That does sound nice." Her mother sniffed,
then wiped her eyes with the corner of her apron.
Chase stood and walked around the table too
and leaned in to kiss Mrs. Ramos's cheek. "It's been a pleasure
meeting you, Mrs. Ramos...thank you for dinner, it was
wonderful."
"You're welcome, Chase...it was nice
family. She sucked in a deep breath, then let it out slowly, and
mouthed, "I'm sorry..." to Chase then stepped back and turned to
face her family.
"Everyone, this is Chase Rhodes, a friend of
mine from Amarillo. He was at the wedding too, and we came back
together." Not entirely true, but not a lie either. "Chase gave me
a ride home, and he's heading back for Amarillo tonight."
Carlos stepped forward and shook Chase's
hand and introduced himself, then the rest of her brothers did the
same, followed by her father. Chase stepped over to her mother and
leaned down and kissed her cheek, then told her, "I see where your
daughter gets her beauty from...I almost mistook you for her
sister," he told her and Jazzie saw her mother's face flush and she
smiled, then patted his cheek.
"Jasmine, you should watch out for this one
and his silver tongue," her mother said with a chuckle.
"Oh, I know mama...he's a charmer for sure!"
Jazzie said then smiled at Chase.
"I have enchiladas, you come in and eat,"
her mother invited then grabbed Chase's arm to add, "Thank you for
bringing Jasmine home."
"It was my pleasure, Mrs. Ramos...Jazzie is
a good friend," he told her seriously, then looked into Jasmine's
eyes with longing in his. "I'd love to stay for dinner and get to
know the family."
Jazzie smiled, but stifled a groan, because
she didn't want to lead Chase on. They were friends, but that was
all...for now anyway. He wasn't hitting on her though, and he had
given her a ride, it was only polite to ask him in for dinner.
"Yes, please come in and eat, Chase," she told him, then walked
over to slide her arm through his free one, and turn him toward the
house.
Chase's hand slipped off of her suitcase
handle and instead of letting him stop to pick it up, she told her
brother over her shoulder, "Carlos, get my suitcase, will you?" She
heard him grumble, and chuckled, then walked toward the house with
her mother and Chase.
After everyone settled at the table, and the
kids sat at a card table beside the big table, Jazzie helped her
mom bring platters and platters of food to the table, then filled
everyone's glasses with sweet tea. Jazzie sat next to Chase and
folded her hands in her lap, while her papa said the meal
prayer.
The table erupted in raucous talking once
the 'amen' was said and her brothers started passing around plates
and scooping out huge servings on their plates. Chase was included
in that rotation, and wasn't shy about filling his plate, or
talking loudly with her brothers. Her older brothers wives filled
the kid's plates and got them set up, then settled beside Raffie
and Chichi.
Jazzie really was hungry, because all she'd
had was a small sandwich in Los Angeles and a bag of peanuts on the
long plane trip, so she wasn't shy filling her plate either, or
cleaning it. When she was done, she sat back and groaned. "My
goodness, mama, that was delicious," she said.
Her mother shrugged and said, "You know how
I get when I'm worried..."
"Considering the amount of food you cooked,
you must be out of your mind with worry," she said before she
thought better of it.
Her mother's dark eyes filled with tears and
her hand shook on the spoon she was using to dish up the rich flan
she'd made for dessert. "I'm very worried," her mother told her in
a trembling voice.
Jazzie felt terrible for reminding her about
Frankie. She pushed back her chair and walked around the table to
pull her mother into a hug, then said, "Mama you've worked too hard
today, and worried too much, go upstairs and take a nice bath, I'll
finish serving dessert."
"That does sound nice." Her mother sniffed,
then wiped her eyes with the corner of her apron.
Chase stood and walked around the table too
and leaned in to kiss Mrs. Ramos's cheek. "It's been a pleasure
meeting you, Mrs. Ramos...thank you for dinner, it was
wonderful."
"You're welcome, Chase...it was nice
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