Maria nodded, thankful. In some small way, Jeff’s presence was easing the pain of Wayne’s passing on Angie. Ironically, Angie had been the closest to Wayne, closer than either of his biological children.
“He’ll be here in an hour for supper. I guess I’d best get busy.”
“What are you making?”
“Beef empanadas.”
Harper laughed. “Any man who can resist your beef empanadas isn’t worth having around.”
* * *
Thirty-Three Years Earlier
“See something you like?”
Jeff broke his gaze on the hot little Latina number and turned to Max, who’d just finished gassing up his bike. The hottie and her friend were across the street in the high school parking lot. “Nope. Just admiring the view. I don’t do high school girls. Jailbait and all.”
“The one with the long hair? I can’t remember her name, but I know she’s eighteen.”
Jeff’s heart lurched. “Yeah? How do you know?”
“That’s my cousin Shelley she’s talking to.”
“Really? So you know her?”
“Nope. Shelley’s mom and my mom don’t talk. Some stupid-ass sisters’ feud. But I met that friend of hers a while back, before the big falling out, and Shelley mentioned that she was exactly a month older than her friend. Shelley turned eighteen almost two months ago, so do the math. She’s grown up damned nice, I’ll say.”
* * *
“He’s bad news, Maria,” Rochelle Harte said. “He’s always in trouble. I heard he held up Moon Liquors last weekend.”
“Heard from whom?” Maria had locked her gaze on the tall biker with dark hair and eyes. His face was beautiful—angelic almost—but in a completely masculine way. God, he screamed man with a capital M.
“Just heard. He’s part of that Rebel Riders gang.”
“Do you know his name?”
“Bay. Jeff Bay.”
“Not the Bays of Bay Crossing Ranch?” Maria’s heart nearly skipped a beat.
“Yup. The one and only. Though from what I hear he’s been disinherited and darn near disowned. Plus he’s too old for you. In his twenties.”
“That’s not too old. I’m legal.”
“Right. What’s he going to want with a high school student?”
“We graduate in two weeks, Shelley. Sheesh.”
“What are you looking around for, anyway? You and Greg are practically engaged.”
“That may be what he thinks, but no, we’re not.” She held up her hand. “Do you see a ring on this finger? I’m not ready to settle down, anyway. College is going to be a blast.”
“Yeah, it is. So what are you making moon eyes over Jeff Bay for? He’s no college man. We’re all going to CU together, including Greg.”
“Yeah.” Try as she might, Maria couldn’t get excited over another four years with Greg Black. He was handsome, and he was smart, and he was captain of the football team…yada yada yada. He was also boring. All they did was make out. He’d tried many times to go further, but she wouldn’t. “I’m holding off until I’m eighteen,” she’d say.
That excuse no longer held water. She’d been eighteen for nearly a month now. Luckily, they were all busy with finals and the impending graduation, and Greg hadn’t been pestering her. But it would happen, and soon.