Nilo.’”
Isabel bit her lip. “Wouldn’t you like to sign it yourself?”
“No thanks. Can I go play in the sandbox?”
A little while later, having sent the children outside, Isabel looked up at a tap on the back door. She laid down her sewing and walked into the laundry room.
“Eli!” She caught herself just short of flinging her arms around him. Isabel backed toward the kitchen, and he came in, wearing jeans and a T-shirt that said “Two lefts don’t make a right, but three do.” She laughed. “Are you moving in?”
He looked down as if he’d forgotten the overflowing grocery sacks in both hands. “Oh. I went by the HEB and picked up a few things for you.”
“Did you leave anything in the store?” she teased. “Come in. Let’s see.”
He clunked his load down on a counter and backed away. “You said you needed the basics….”
Isabel pulled out a half-gallon container of peanut butter and smiled. “This ought to last us a while.”
“I always liked peanut butter when I was a kid.”
“Danilo does, too. I’ll make some cookies this afternoon.”
Eli grinned. “I knew this was a good idea.”
Isabel unloaded a huge can of baked beans, a six-pound package of ground beef, three boxes of Cap’n Crunch—“It was on sale,” Eli said sheepishly—and a towering stack of frozen pizzas.
Isabel hid a smile. “I hope I have room for all those in my freezer.”
“I’ll eat three of them tonight, myself.” Eli opened Isabel’s pantry and looked over his shoulder. “I thought I’d stay with the kids and let you go shopping or whatever. You must be getting tired of staying home.”
Isabel sighed. “You have no idea. I know it’s silly, but I’ve felt like I’ve been in prison.”
Eli folded his arms. “I’m really sorry. I didn’t think it would take this long.” He hesitated. “Owen and I did some surveillance in his chopper yesterday.”
“Really? Any news?”
He shook his head. “Just routine illegal crossings, which of course we had to follow up on.”
“What about the orphanage? Is Benny safe there?”
“Acuña PD is still keeping an eye on her. They did find somebody in the neighborhood who saw a brown LTD speeding away about 1:00 a.m. the night Dulce died. And no—” he anticipated her question “—they haven’t nailed a good suspect. The car was stolen, but they’re checking on every possibility.”
“Eli, you know I’m glad to help, but the longer Mercedes stays here the harder it’s going to be for her to leave when the time comes.”
Truth be told, Isabel knew she was the one who’d have a hard time. She looked out the window. The children were taking turns on the swing Rico had hung on one end of the clothesline. Right now Danilo was pushing Mercedes, who hung backward with her long, black hair trailing in the dust. Isabel smiled. Time to wash heads tonight.
Eli was silent for such a long time that Isabel turned to make sure she hadn’t offended him. She found him standing beside the table, holding the letter she and Danilo had written to Rico.
He looked stricken.
He met her eyes. “Isabel, I’m sorry. I have no intention of taking Rico’s place.”
There were so many implications to that statement that Isabel hardly knew where to begin. “I know that. And I don’t think Danilo feels that way, either.” She looked away. “He’s only five, Eli. He enjoys having an adult male to play with.”
“Maybe that’s all it is.” Eli didn’t sound convinced.
“Listen, if you’re worried that he’s getting too attached to you, I’ll explain you’re busy and—”
“No! Don’t do that.” Eli laid the tablet on the table and approached Isabel. “I get a kick out of the superhero stuff, and I offered to teach him to hit a baseball off a tee.” He stopped close to her, resting a hand above her head on the pantry door. “It just didn’t occur to me that it might upset you.”
Isabel looked up at him, and something stung her heart,
Isabel bit her lip. “Wouldn’t you like to sign it yourself?”
“No thanks. Can I go play in the sandbox?”
A little while later, having sent the children outside, Isabel looked up at a tap on the back door. She laid down her sewing and walked into the laundry room.
“Eli!” She caught herself just short of flinging her arms around him. Isabel backed toward the kitchen, and he came in, wearing jeans and a T-shirt that said “Two lefts don’t make a right, but three do.” She laughed. “Are you moving in?”
He looked down as if he’d forgotten the overflowing grocery sacks in both hands. “Oh. I went by the HEB and picked up a few things for you.”
“Did you leave anything in the store?” she teased. “Come in. Let’s see.”
He clunked his load down on a counter and backed away. “You said you needed the basics….”
Isabel pulled out a half-gallon container of peanut butter and smiled. “This ought to last us a while.”
“I always liked peanut butter when I was a kid.”
“Danilo does, too. I’ll make some cookies this afternoon.”
Eli grinned. “I knew this was a good idea.”
Isabel unloaded a huge can of baked beans, a six-pound package of ground beef, three boxes of Cap’n Crunch—“It was on sale,” Eli said sheepishly—and a towering stack of frozen pizzas.
Isabel hid a smile. “I hope I have room for all those in my freezer.”
“I’ll eat three of them tonight, myself.” Eli opened Isabel’s pantry and looked over his shoulder. “I thought I’d stay with the kids and let you go shopping or whatever. You must be getting tired of staying home.”
Isabel sighed. “You have no idea. I know it’s silly, but I’ve felt like I’ve been in prison.”
Eli folded his arms. “I’m really sorry. I didn’t think it would take this long.” He hesitated. “Owen and I did some surveillance in his chopper yesterday.”
“Really? Any news?”
He shook his head. “Just routine illegal crossings, which of course we had to follow up on.”
“What about the orphanage? Is Benny safe there?”
“Acuña PD is still keeping an eye on her. They did find somebody in the neighborhood who saw a brown LTD speeding away about 1:00 a.m. the night Dulce died. And no—” he anticipated her question “—they haven’t nailed a good suspect. The car was stolen, but they’re checking on every possibility.”
“Eli, you know I’m glad to help, but the longer Mercedes stays here the harder it’s going to be for her to leave when the time comes.”
Truth be told, Isabel knew she was the one who’d have a hard time. She looked out the window. The children were taking turns on the swing Rico had hung on one end of the clothesline. Right now Danilo was pushing Mercedes, who hung backward with her long, black hair trailing in the dust. Isabel smiled. Time to wash heads tonight.
Eli was silent for such a long time that Isabel turned to make sure she hadn’t offended him. She found him standing beside the table, holding the letter she and Danilo had written to Rico.
He looked stricken.
He met her eyes. “Isabel, I’m sorry. I have no intention of taking Rico’s place.”
There were so many implications to that statement that Isabel hardly knew where to begin. “I know that. And I don’t think Danilo feels that way, either.” She looked away. “He’s only five, Eli. He enjoys having an adult male to play with.”
“Maybe that’s all it is.” Eli didn’t sound convinced.
“Listen, if you’re worried that he’s getting too attached to you, I’ll explain you’re busy and—”
“No! Don’t do that.” Eli laid the tablet on the table and approached Isabel. “I get a kick out of the superhero stuff, and I offered to teach him to hit a baseball off a tee.” He stopped close to her, resting a hand above her head on the pantry door. “It just didn’t occur to me that it might upset you.”
Isabel looked up at him, and something stung her heart,
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