Tangled: A Moreno Brothers novella (12 page)

Damn it, he hated this. He hated feeling and acting like an
insecure ass, but he reasoned he had made some progress. In the past, his
normal reaction to hearing her call Elliot brilliant would’ve been to snap—to
ask her just what was so fucking brilliant about the guy. But that wasn’t him
anymore. He promised her years ago he’d work on not losing his shit so easily,
and they’d been over this already. He didn’t want her to know he was beginning
to obsess about this. She’d already assured him he had nothing to worry about.

But even her deciding to leave early and wanting to meet up with
him instead of hang out with Elliot alone made him suspicious. Was there a
reason why she didn’t want to be alone with the guy? Was it possible Manny was
actually on to something and she too picked up on something about Elliot? Or
worse, did she not trust herself to be alone with the guy too long?

He banged the steering wheel as he got in and took a deep breath
and exhaled. After doing that a couple more times, he said the words out loud
as if they’d be more convincing that way.

“She’s
your
wife. She loves
you
. She’d
never
cheat. She said she’ll belong to you for eternity. There is no fucking reason
not to believe that. This is Izzy. She’s perfect, damn it!” With another deep
breath, he smiled. “She’s perfect,” he whispered again.

Yeah, she was, and this shit ended right here. He was done
obsessing about this guy. Izzy deserved to be trusted, and he did trust her.
With that, he shook away all the unsettling thoughts of his beautiful wife and
the professor and took off to meet her.

Nine

Snap!

er husband’s sexy eyebrow was arched sharply, and
Isabel smirked as she watched Romero turn to his uncles in the back seat of his
SUV. “No shoving or name-calling in the crowd this year,” he warned them sternly.
“This is a Christmas parade for crying out loud. We’re supposed to be in a
jolly mood.”

“Not when someone’s fat ass is blocking my Mandy’s view,” Manny
shot back.

“I remember that,” Romeo said from his car seat next to Manny. “That
was funny, Uncle Manny.”

It surprised Isabel that her son would remember that since he
hadn’t even been four then.

“Yeah, well funny or not,” Romero said firmly, but Isabel saw the
unmistakable smirk, “it’s not happening this year. We’re gonna get banned from
coming to this thing soon.”

Thankfully, when they arrived at the beach, the Morenos were all
there and set up. They’d reserved a whole area for their group and made a
makeshift kid area up front where they could better see the lighted boats go by.
Isabel smiled, knowing this year there’d be no danger of any
fat asses
blocking her kids’ view. They already had the canopy set up with hot chocolate,
pan dulce,
and all the other food needed for their evening under the
stars.

Isabel was glad to see her sisters and her mom there. The kids
were off and running almost immediately, though Isabel insisted they say hello
to everyone first. After saying hello to everyone herself, she sat down in the
empty chair next to her sister Gina. She knew the chair was for Gina’s husband,
Brandon, but he was off chatting with some of the guys. It would also be a
while before Manny, Max, and Romero got their chairs set up then argued about
the bonfire, so she made herself comfortable next to her sister.

Gina immediately shared her blanket with her. Isabel’s mom, who
was around the same bonfire as Gina, asked Aida to join them, offering the
chair between her and Isabel’s other sister, Pat. Fortunately, it wasn’t too
close. Isabel was looking forward to chatting with Gina about her pregnancy. It
was almost impossible to talk about it at home where Romero was constantly
within earshot of her phone calls.

“So he still doesn’t know?” Gina whispered.

Isabel had warned her sister about why his uncles couldn’t be
told, so Aida couldn’t be let in on the secret either.

“No,” Isabel whispered back, glad that Aida and her mom and Pat
were engrossed in a conversation of their own already. “But I can tell he’s
getting suspicious.” She giggled. “He knows this time of year I get very sneaky,
so I’m sure he knows I have a surprise for him. He just has no clue what it is.”

“What about work?” her sister asked. “Are you gonna keep working
until you’re due?”

“Oh heck no!” Isabel said, shaking her head, and remembered to lower
her voice again. “If I could, I’d quit now, but Elliot . . .” She turned to see
where Romero was. He was close at the table with all the food but far enough he
couldn’t hear them talking, so she turned back to Gina and pouted. “He’s
counting on me to stay at least until Christmas break.”

Gina laughed. “Bell, that’s in, what? Less than two weeks? You
act like it’s months away.”

“I know,” Isabel said, smiling, and then leaned her head against
Gina’s shoulder. “But I’m so tired all the time now, Sissy,” she whined softly
and buried her face into the blanket on Gina’s shoulder then turned sideways so
she could continue her whining. “You know how it is in the beginning. All I
wish I could do after dropping off the kids in the morning is go back home and
sleep.”

“Oh yeah, I’d forgotten about that. How are you doing with the
morning sickness?”

“That’s another thing,” Isabel said, liking how comfortable it
felt leaning against her sister’s shoulder. “It’s getting worse and worse, and
it’s not just in the morning. You know that, right? It hasn’t been easy keeping
it from Romero, but I keep telling myself the surprise is gonna be so worth it.”

“Oh my God, I’d be dying. Not only that, I think Brandon might be
a little miffed at me for keeping something this huge from him.”

“Really?” Isabel asked curiously, and she was seriously beginning
to think she could fall asleep right there on Gina’s shoulder. “But it’s for
the sake of surprising him.”

“Well, you’re braver than I am, let me tell you. I can’t even
imagine doing what you’re doing, Bell. I’m surprised Romero hasn’t suspected.”

“I know. Me too,” Isabel said, taking a deep breath. “And the
worst part is I’m starting to fumble all my lies.”

“You crying, Izzy?”

Isabel’s head jerked up at the sound of Romero’s voice. He stood
there, holding what looked like two cups of coffee.

“No,” she said, wondering just how much he’d heard because his
brow was up but not in a playful way.

“You’re surprised I haven’t suspected what?” he asked Gina. Gina
turned to Isabel, eyes wide open, but before she could say anything, Romero
went on, his tone like none she’d heard in years—none he’d ever used on Gina. “What
lies are you fumbling, Isabel?”

And there you had it. He hadn’t called her Isabel in
years
either
because she hadn’t seen him this mad in years.” Sh-she can’t tell you,” Gina
said.

“Why’s that, Gina?” he shot back, his tone even deadlier. “And
what exactly is she doing that makes her braver than you?”

“It’s a surprise,” Isabel said with conviction, reaching out for
the cup in his hand.

Romero stared at her then her sister. Reluctantly, he handed both
cups to them just as Brandon walked over, holding some sweet bread he handed to
Gina first then to Isabel.

“Oh, here,” Isabel said, standing up. “Let me get out of your
chair.”

“You’re fine,” Brandon said. “I can stand.”

“No, no,” Isabel said. “Come sit with your wife. Our chairs
should be all set up.”

“They’re right behind you,” Romero informed her, slipping his
hand in hers, but that look in his eyes hadn’t eased up.

“You see,” Isabel said to Brandon. “My chairs are right here.”

She started toward them but kept going when Romero tugged her
hand so she continued to walk with him. A few yards away, he stopped in front
of her and faced her. Feeling her brows furrow, she stared at him a bit
concerned. Clearly he was still visibly shaken, and she had a feeling what he
might be thinking—it’d be the only reason he’d call her Isabel and be so coarse
with her sister.

Almost since he’d first met her and gotten to know Isabel’s
sister, he’d referred to Gina as his baby sister even if she was older than he
was. He’d always spoken to Gina just as sweetly as a big brother would. So the
tone he’d taken tonight was too telling of what had been going through his
mind. Not once had he ever taken that tone with her. Pat, yes, on more than one
occasion, but Gina,
never
.

“Look at me,” he said, staring into her eyes. “What were you and
your sister talking about back there?”

“I told you,” she said as his eyes searched hers. “Your Christmas
surprise.”

“She said she couldn’t imagine doing what you’re doing.” He
squeezed her hand, still searching her eyes almost desperately. “She said you’re
braver.”

“Maybe I am.” She smiled, touching his face.

“
Why?”
She saw the flicker of terror in his eyes as he
squeezed her hand tighter. “What are you doing, Isab—?”

“I don’t know,
Ramon
,” she said, feeling more than annoyed
with him suddenly because she was certain now what he was thinking, and while
she couldn’t really blame him, it still wasn’t fair to her. How dare he? She
felt her own expression go as hard as his. “What do
you
think we were
talking about?”

Instantly, his demeanor changed as if it hit him just then how
wrong he’d been. He tried to kiss her, but she pulled back, so he wrapped his
arms around her tightly. “I’m sorry,” he said immediately against her ear.

It wasn’t until that moment that she realized just how convinced
he must’ve been about what he was thinking because, when he pressed against her
now, she felt how erratically his heart was beating. She tried pushing him away,
but he held her tighter. “I’m sorry, baby,” he said urgently again.

“I know what it sounded like Romero, but, Jesus, can you give me
some credit?”

“I know,” he said finally, pulling away to look at her, but
brought his hands to her face, cupping it. The intensity in his eyes was still
there but different. He looked truly sorry now and at the same time relieved. “I-I
just . . . I didn’t know what to think. You called this guy brilliant, you’re
around him all the time, and then I hear this—”

“Stop,” she said, furious with herself now for having slipped and
told Romero she thought Elliot was brilliant.

She knew it then and this only confirmed it. It’d been a mistake.
It wouldn’t faze most men, but Romero wasn’t most men. She already knew he was
struggling with this whole thing. Adding that to everything else he already had
to tolerate about her working so closely and alone with Elliot was just stupid.

“Listen to me, sweetheart. We’ve been over this already. You have
absolutely nothing to worry about.”

For a moment, she was tempted to just tell him that she was
pregnant and would be quitting soon, but she was so looking forward to his Christmas
morning surprise. This would be hands down her best surprise for him ever. She
did, however, want to ease his mind a little, so she let him in on something
else.

“I haven’t said anything to Elliot yet.” He was watching her so
closely she hoped he didn’t pick up on that slight insincerity, but she was
afraid he might put two and two together if she told him it was a sure thing. “I
haven’t decided yet if I’m going back to work after the holidays.” His eyes
widened immediately and she smiled. “I said I haven’t decided, but this
has
been a lot of work, and I have been missing my time at home. I feel guilty that
I don’t put together the kind of meals I used to anymore because I’m too tired
and don’t have the time.”

His bright eyes lost some of their shine for a moment. “I don’t want
you quitting because of me. I swear to you I won’t be such a dumb ass anymore.”

Isabel frowned. “You’re not a dumb ass.”

“I’ve been acting like one, and just the other day, Izzy, you
said you really enjoyed doing that lecture.” He was doing it again, searching
her eyes, only this time he seemed more worried than angry. “If that’s your
dream, if it’s what you really want, I promise you, baby, I’ll stop being so
fucking paranoid about this whole thing. I don’t want you to feel like I made
you quit.”

Well shit. She was going to have to fess up and admit he was
right after all: that it
had
been too much for her and she really didn’t
want to work anymore. She truly did miss being home and running a tight ship as
she always had. It’d been
so
hard to keep up lately, especially with her
being so tired now. But she didn’t have to tell him all that just yet.

“I haven’t decided,” she said with a smile. “But I promise when I
do it’ll be
my
decision completely.”

“Mom!” Isabel turned at the sound of Amanda’s voice. “Romeo’s
playing with the fire.”

“He’s fine,” Manny hollered. “Don’t listen to Mother Theresa. We
got this.”

“I
hate
when your uncles call her that,” Isabel said just
as Romero tugged her hand and they started back toward the bonfire. “She’s only
doing what I ask her to, and that’s looking after her brother, and they call
her that
every
time.”

“I’ll talk to them,” Romero said then stopped and turned to face
Isabel again. “I’m really,
really
sorry about how I reacted, okay? I’ll
apologize to Gina too. I swear to you I know it doesn’t seem like I am, but I
am
trying.”

Isabel nodded, but for two reasons, she didn’t do so quite as
enthusiastically as she had in the past when he’d apologized before about this.
One, it was getting annoying and insulting that he’d so easily think the worst
of her. And two, a part of her felt as remorseful as he looked. Romero may be
Romero and react too quickly to his gut feelings, but his gut feeling in this
case wasn’t that far off. More than ever she was glad she’d be done with this
job in less than two weeks.