Laura Mae hesitated long enough to make Bubba’s throat tight, but she finally took Marisol’s hand and gave it a squeeze. “Well, Bubba hasn’t said anything about you, I’m afraid. We had no idea he was bringing company. I wish you’d called ahead, Bubs.”
The words were enough to shock him speechless. From the time he was a boy, his mother had made it clear he was welcome to invite his friends over any time. He never had to ask permission to have Ugly Ross—so nicknamed because he had the misfortune of being uglier than the only other Ross in town—come ride four-wheelers, or make sure it was okay to bring Mia and Tulsi along to Sunday brunch. When he was dating Casey, she’d come over every day after school, and as an adult, he’d continued to bring the occasional girlfriend over to go riding and to tote truck beds full of friends up to the ranch for impromptu BBQs.
Laura Mae had always said that this was Lawson land, and as a Lawson, Bubba should never feel like he had to ask permission to use it the way he saw fit.
But apparently something had changed…
“I’m sorry, Mom,” he finally said. “Calling didn’t cross my mind.”
“It’s just that everyone’s been sick, and we’re shorthanded as it is,” Laura Mae said, maintaining rigorous eye contact with her son, obviously making an effort not to look at Marisol. “We really don’t have the energy to entertain company.”
“I don’t need to be entertained, Mrs. Lawson,” Marisol piped up in a cheery voice. “I’m here to help in whatever way I can. Just let me get changed, and I can help get supper on the table.”
Laura Mae’s gaze flickered to Marisol, but she didn’t return the younger woman’s smile. “Thank you, but I won’t need help. I’ve already got most everything made. Just a matter of setting the table.”
“Then I’ll set the table,” Marisol said firmly. “Now, if you’ll show me where you’d like me to sleep, I can take a power nap and stay out of the way while you and Robert catch up.”
“I guess we can put you in Cole’s old room,” his mother said, starting slowly back toward the house, her stiff hip seeming to bother her more than it had five minutes ago. “The sheets are clean, but there’s dust everywhere. I haven’t had time to fuss over the rooms we don’t use every day.”
“Dust doesn’t bother me, and I don’t bother dust,” Marisol said, picking up her suitcase and following his mother into the house.
Bubba tried to catch her eye, and silently apologize for his mother’s chilly reception, but Marisol didn’t turn to look at him. Her gaze remained fixed firmly ahead. Her chin was held high and a steady smile graced her pretty face, but the spring in her step was gone and her hair lay calmly around her shoulders as she followed his mother inside.
There had been a few times in their relationship when Bubba had wished Marisol had a little less spark—usually when she was getting ogled by creepy club managers, or attracting too much male attention on the dance floor—but he’d never truly wanted to see her light dimmed. He liked watching her liven up a room. She was something special, and he’d assumed anyone who took half a second to look her in the eyes could see that. The fact that his mother didn’t was disappointing.
After a moment, Bubba followed the two women into the house, but for the first time in his life he couldn’t say he was happy to be home.
CHAPTERFOUR
Marisol feltlike she’d gone home again, complete with the chilly reception, judgmental looks at the hem of her skirt, and grudging acceptance of her attempts to be useful.
She’d stayed in her room until shortly before supper, changed into jeans and a tank top, helped set the table and toss a salad, and jumped up to refill the water pitcher when it got low, but by the end of the excellent meal, Laura Mae hadn’t thawed a single degree. She was still as chilly as a December wind, and by the time the dishes had been cleaned up, Marisol was dying to get out of the cold.
When Robert suggested a tour of the property, she had to force herself not to grab his arm and haul him outside that very second. Instead, she politely said she’d love to, made sure Laura Mae didn’t need any more help in the kitchen, and calmly followed Robert to the door.
Only when they were safely outside did she allow a soft sigh of relief to escape her lips and her shoulders to relax away from her ears.
“I’m so sorry,” Robert said as he led her across the dusty yard toward the large shed where his family kept their four-wheelers and smaller ranching equipment.
“For what?” Marisol asked, determined not to make waves. They were only here for five days. She could put up with anything for that long.
Hell, a few days of suffering the cold shoulder would be good for her, help her remember why she should never take her oldest brother, Luis, up on his offers to come to his place for Christmas. Even the chance to see the one brother brave enough to defy the family party line wasn’t worth the snubbing she’d endure from the rest of the people who had once allegedly cared about her. There were no more happy family holidays in her future. If she dropped her guard and dared hope for forgiveness—even at the time of year when people were supposed to be inclined to offer it—she would be sadly disappointed.
“I have no idea what’s up with my mom,” Robert said, proving he wasn’t as blinded by mama love as her younger brothers were when it came to her own mother, a woman who had her baby boys wrapped so tightly around her finger they were incapable of seeing anything but Delfina’s good side.
“I’ll talk to her after you go to bed tonight,” Robert continued. “I thought she’d snap out of it once we sat down to the table, but…” He shook his head and let out a long sigh. “I swear, I’ve never seen her act like this. It’s like she decided to dislike you on sight.”
Marisol shrugged. “It happens.”
“No, it doesn’t,” Robert said. “Mom loves meeting my friends.”
“No, I meant it happens to me,” Marisol clarified. “I occasionally inspire contempt at first sight. It’s like love at first sight, but more…contempt-y.”
They stopped in front of the shed, and Robert turned to her with a raised brow. “Contempt-y?”
“That’s a word, right?” She grinned up at him, ready to turn this all into a joke and move on. “So where are we going first? As good as those ribs were, I could go for an ice cream. Or one of those popsicles that are red, white, and blue. Does your brother have any of those in his secret fridge? I was addicted to them when I was a kid.”
“I don’t see any reason you should inspire contempt at first sight,” Robert said, stubbornly refusing to let her change the subject. “And I’m not going to put up with it. If Mom can’t get over whatever’s bothering her, then we’ll go stay at my place for the rest of the week, and I’ll get up twenty-minutes early to drive back to the ranch.”