Bad Habit (9 page)

His sister Esme, giggled and his
mother looked disappointed. Esme and Rosario had waist length hair
that was auburn like Isabel’s, while Elena’s was dark and twisted
into a thick knot at the nape of her neck. Mikey and Angel also had
their dad’s dark hair.

“
If I say anything more, you’ll be
counting your grandchildren,” Angel said. “Now, leave it alone.
Tell me what’s been happening here.”

“
I have news, big brother.” Elena
held out her hand, showing off a diamond engagement
ring.

Angel grinned. “Who among your many
admirers is the lucky man?”

“
Charlie, of course.” She said it
with a straight face and then collapsed in a fit of
giggles.

Angel feigned outrage. “Who does he
think he is? I haven’t approved of him marrying my
sister.”

Arturo cleared his throat. “In your
absence, my son, I gave my approval.” He spoke with a wry grin not
unlike Angel’s.

Angel shrugged. “Then I must
approve as well.” He winked at Elena who dimpled at him. “He was my
best friend, growing up so I suppose he hasn’t changed all that
much. What about you Rosario? Who is going to marry you?” Angel
asked.

“
Nobody,” she said. “When I finish
at the junior college, I’m going to go to San Marcos for a teaching
certificate.”

“
That sounds like a great plan.”
Angel reached for Esme who was curled against him. “And who is
going to marry you, Esme?”

“
You are!” she shouted.

“
Not me,” he said. “I’ll pick out a
husband for you Esme. I’ll find you a nice, fat
husband.”

Esme howled, protesting that she
didn’t want a fat husband. They all laughed and Teri was
entertained with stories about Angel as a young man. She learned
that he had gone to a Catholic school and played every sport well.
He was offered scholarships but chose to enlist in the
Navy.

“
The Navy took my son away,” Isabel
pronounced with finality. “He never wanted to come home after
that.”

“
I’m here now,” he said
quietly.

Arturo nodded at him. “Yes you are,
son, and we’re happy that you brought your lovely
friend.”

Teri felt her color rising and
exchanged a look with Angel. He didn’t appear to be at all
uncomfortable that his family thought they were involved.
Not at all.

Esme and Rosario played a duet on
the upright piano in the corner of the room. They were quite good
and Teri applauded.

“
You should hear Uncle Ricky,”
Rosario said.

“
Yes, you should,” Isabel said. “We
can all go tonight.”

Angel frowned. “We’ll
see.”

“
What does Uncle Ricky do?” Teri
asked.

“
He has a band.” Rosario jumped up
and began to dance, shaking her hips to an unheard tempo. “He plays
at his club on the Riverwalk.”

“
You young ones can take Teri
tonight,” Isabel said.

“
We should join them, Querida,”
Arturo said. “We haven’t danced together since your cousin
Gonzalo’s wedding.”

“
Perhaps,” she responded, a
flirtatious smile on her lips.

“
We’re not making any promises,”
Angel said. “I have some errands to run but I’ll see if we can make
it tonight.”

“
What kind of errands?” Teri
asked.

“
Something to do with the business
from New York.” Angel gave her a look and she nodded. “I thought my
family could keep you entertained by telling embarrassing stories
about me while I’m out.”

“
You’re leaving me?” Teri hated
that she sounded so desperate, especially when his parents
exchanged a knowing smile.

Angel, however, loved it. That
little catch in her voice hooked him. He gazed into her eyes and
was right back in bed with her, wanting her. Wanting to kiss
her.

Esme giggled.

Angel and Teri looked around at the circle of amused
expressions surrounding them. They both laughed and the others
joined in.

They chatted until lunchtime and
Teri went into the kitchen with Isabel and Elena.

“
What can I do to help?” she
asked.

“
Nothing, nothing,” Isabel said.
“You are a guest in our home.”

“
Please let me do something,” she
insisted.

“
You can slice tomatoes for the
salad,” Isabel said.

Elena set a bowl of washed plum tomatoes in front of
her and gave her a small cutting board and knife. Teri was happy to
have a task to do.

“
So, how long have you known my
son?” Isabel asked.

“
Not very long,” Teri answered
truthfully.

“
You seem to have a lot of
chemistry with my big brother.” Elena took a seat across from Teri
and tore lettuce for the salad.

Teri smiled, unsure how to respond. “What makes you
think so?”

“
The way you look at each other,”
Elena said. “The way he keeps you close to him. I can tell he loves
you a lot.”

Teri stared at Elena, wondering why the thought of
Angel being in love with her made her heart beat faster. “I’m sure
you’re mistaken. We’re just friends.”

“
If you say so,” Elena said in a
sing-song voice, a smile on her lips.

Isabel stirred a wooden spoon through something in a
large pot and replaced the lid. “Love,” she said. “That’s all you
think about Elena.”

“
That’s true,” she happily
agreed.

“
Tell me about your family, Teri,”
Isabel said. “Where do your parents live?”

“
My parents were killed in an
automobile accident when I was a child,” Teri said. “My
grandparents raised me. My only living relative is my sister. She’s
a nun and she lives in a convent in Maine.”

“
A nun?” Isabel’s voice resounded
with enthusiasm. “You’re Catholic?”

“
Absolutely!” Teri’s stock answer
seemed out of place to her ears but Isabel was delighted. She
grinned at Teri in approval.

“
What are you cooking?” Teri asked
to change the subject.

“
Carne Guisada, papas,
calabaza, ensalada y torta chocolate por
deserté.

“
She’s being difficult,” Angel said
from the doorway. “Salad, stewed beef, potatoes and squash.
Chocolate cake for dessert.”

Teri realized he’d overheard their
conversation. “It smells delicious.” She lifted her eyes to meet
his, stirred by the intensity of his gaze. Was there was any truth
to his sister’s remark. Could Angel have any real feelings for
her?

Elena tossed the salad and poured
dressing over it.

“
Go sit down with Angel,” Isabel
directed.

Teri rose from the kitchen table
and walked to the doorway where Angel waited for her. He led her to
a chair and pulled it out.

Arturo entered the room carrying a
tiny elderly woman. He gently placed her in a chair and arranged a
napkin in her lap. She smiled up at him and he dropped a kiss on
her cheek.

Angel went to the woman’s side and
spoke in Spanish close to her ear. He said the name Teresa and they
both looked her way.

Teri waved and smiled as the woman nodded.

“
Teri, this is my great-grandmother.
She is my mother’s grandmother.”

“
Amazing,” Teri said. “You have such
a great family. No wonder you are the way you are.”

“
And how am I?” He came to stand
beside her, his voice almost a whisper.

“
I don’t want you to get a big head
but I think you’re pretty amazing, too.”

He grinned at her. “That makes it
mutual.” He took a seat beside her.

“
I’m not amazing,” she said. “I
keep making all the wrong choices. Given an opportunity, I turn the
wrong way and get lost every time.”

“
You’re not lost.” He winked.
“You’re with me now.”

A chill ran down her spine causing
a visible shiver.

He put his hand on her shoulder. “Are you
alright?”

“
Absolutely,” she said.

The others began assembling at the
table. Isabel brought a plate to her grandmother with the meat cut
into bite-size pieces. Elena brought a plate to Teri and one to
Angel. The two women served everyone a generously filled plate
before joining them at the table.

Arturo crossed himself and the
others followed suit. He said grace, looking up to smile at Teri.
“And we are so thankful to have our son, Angel, and his lovely
friend, Teri at our table. Amen.”

Teri smiled back. The family ate
and talked, passing food back and forth. Elena and Rosario served
chocolate cake with ice cream for dessert.

“
I think I’ll have to be rolled out
of here,” Teri said to Angel.

“
You need some exercise,” he said.
“I’m going out but I’ll try to return in time to take you
dancing.”

“
I have nothing to wear,” she
protested.

“
Don’t worry, Teri,” Rosario said.
“We have lots of dancing dresses.”

“
It’s settled.” Angel rose from the
table. He kissed her temple and delivered the same to his mother
and his great-grandmother. He tousled Esme’s hair and got a hug
from Rosario and Elena who were clearing the dishes from the
table.

Teri sat for a few minutes,
watching him leave through the back door. She tried to process her
feelings. How did she feel about being included in the affectionate
farewell he gave the women in his family?

Good. It felt good.

#

CHAPTER NINE

Angel drove to the side street and
parked where he could observe the nun’s apartment, the convent and
school. He kept the motor idling with the air conditioning running
for survival. Thankfully, the rental car idled silently. He
observed the area for several hours and made notes concerning some
of the vehicles and passers-by. It appeared that the cars parked
along the street were either tenants or visitors at the apartments.
The area around the school and convent was quiet and dimly lit with
deep shadows, making it easy to secret oneself.

Angel exited the vehicle and
quietly closed the door. He walked, in what he hoped was a casual
manner, along the sidewalk across the street from the apartment and
convent. He examined each car and found them to be unoccupied.
Arriving at the corner, he crossed and returned on the opposite
side. These cars were also unoccupied.

Angel checked the grounds and
ducked into the shadows as a priest and several nuns left the
church. They chatted for a few minutes and then separated. The
priest went to a small bungalow located at the back of the property
and the nuns went into the convent.

Angel remained where he was,
breathing silently and listening for anything out of the ordinary
as his eyes became accustomed to the darkness.

Crickets chirped and traffic noises
from a busy main artery several blocks away punctuated the
stillness. The night was hot and damp. He smelled the fragrance of
flowering shrubs nearby.

He stepped from the shadows and
walked quietly around the perimeter before making his way to the
nun’s apartment in the next block. He circled, approaching from the
rear.

He stopped short. The smell of a
cigarette reached his nostrils. A thousand pinpricks tingled at the
back of his neck as all his senses went on alert.

A smile quirked his lips. Someone
stood in the shadows behind the tree where he had encountered the
private investigator earlier. The tip of a cigarette glowed in the
darkness and a thin wisp of smoke curled upwards.

Angel made a wide and surreptitious
circle, coming up behind the smoker.

“
Marcel, Marcel.” He said. “What am
I going to do with you?”

Marcel dropped the cigarette and spun around. “Jeez!
You scared me.” He leaned his hand against the tree for
support.

Angel took a step closer.

“
Don’t hit me!”

“
Marcel, you need to respect the
need for privacy here. Leave them alone.”

“
Look, man,” Marcel croaked out. “I
don’t want any trouble.”

“
In that case, you should leave
now.”

“
I can’t,” he said. “I need this
job.”

“
You can tell me who hired you.”
Angel took another step toward him, his hand resting lightly on his
holstered weapon. Not that he’d ever draw it without just cause,
but it posed an implied threat, nonetheless.

Marcel swallowed. “I
can’t.”

“
Yes, you can. If it’s not someone
harmful, I’ll leave you alone.”

Marcel seemed to consider this,
eyeing Angel and his threatening stance. “Okay. It’s a man named
Martin Kelso from New York. I got this referral from an
acquaintance and he’s paying top dollar. I’m just supposed to look
out for a woman whose sister lives in this apartment.”

“
And if she turns up? What
then?”

“
I’m supposed to call this Mr.
Kelso. That’s all.” Marcel looked at Angel, his palms spread
upward.