Tangled: A Moreno Brothers novella (14 page)

“Yes,” she admitted, trying to smile genuinely, especially after
hearing him call her Isabel. She leaned in and kissed him. “Christmas is just
around the corner, baby. There are things hidden all over, including my purse.”

They stood there facing off for a moment more before he leaned in
and kissed her back since he hadn’t so much as puckered up the first time. “I’ll
be glad when I find out what this surprise of yours is because it’s making you
jumpy as shit.”

She smiled, nodding without another word as she walked off and he
followed. They both thanked her mom again as they walked out of the house.
Isabel was so glad Christmas break for her was just two days away. Her kids
were already out of school, and her mom had offered to come over and stay with
them for the four hours Isabel had to work.

With the mornings being so cold lately, her mom didn’t want her
taking the kids out for no reason. It was such a welcome assistance because,
with the kids sleeping in, there was no running around trying to get them ready
or having to drop them off before or pick them up after school. The last couple
of days since her mom had been staying with the kids had been so much easier
than normal.

Even as she watched Romero get in his car with that eyebrow still
riding high, she knew he wasn’t entirely convinced her stupid reaction to him
nearly going in her purse was all about Christmas. It didn’t help that the
alarm hadn’t gone off this morning and they’d been running late. He was already
in a tense mood, and then Elliot’s text that morning had made him even tenser.

Her phone had gone off on the counter just as Romero poured
himself coffee. Even though he hadn’t actually read the whole thing, he did
glance at her phone and saw who it was from and the preview of the message. She
didn’t even have to ask who it was from. Just looking at Romero’s face she knew
immediately.

“What’s going on today?” he’d asked as he handed her the phone.

She looked down at the text that explained why he was asking. The
preview on the text read:

Excited about today? I am!

Before she even read the rest of the text, she’d reminded Romero
that she was doing the lecture today. The whole thing again. Romero’s only
response was to nod, but she knew her husband too well. Elliot’s excitement
about her lecture was not something that would thrill Romero. If anything, he
looked even further irritated by it.

Thankfully, he’d walked out of the kitchen when he got a call
from a client, and Isabel had been able to read Elliot’s message in its
entirety. She had a feeling the rest of it might be just as galling for him,
and she’d been right.

Excited about today? I am! Just wanted to let you know we’ll
be in the lecture hall today, not my classroom as I thought. Looking forward to
being fascinated again. ;)

Things had gotten even tenser when it came to Elliot in the last
few days. Her morning sickness would strike out of nowhere, and she was forced
to leave the room suddenly some times. It was why she kept the bag of crackers
in her purse and why she’d been so quick to lunge at it when she saw Romero
going for it. She knew Romero would remember she did the very same thing when
she’d been pregnant with both Amanda and Romeo. Keeping a bag of unsalted
crackers in her purse was something her doctor had advised way back when she’d
first been pregnant. Some days it’d been the only thing she could keep down. Romero
had often reminded her to make sure she didn’t leave the house without the
crackers because he knew how bad her nausea could get. It was something he’d definitely
remember, and it would be a dead giveaway.

It was also impossible to be in a cheery mood as she normally was
this time of year when she was feeling like crap most of the day. It wasn’t
just the morning sickness anymore. She’d been getting increasingly emotional
lately, and she knew it was the hormones going nuts. She’d been tempted on more
than one occasion to just tell him the truth and be done with it. Romero would
understand her sudden mood swings completely if he knew the truth, and she
could tell right now they only confused the hell out of him. But Christmas was
so close now.

Even better, this was her last week working. It would alleviate
some of the tension she knew Romero was still feeling about Elliot, and then
just a few days later he’d know about the baby. She could hold out a little
longer. The moment she told him, she was certain any and all discomfort he
might be feeling about everything she’d had to do to surprise him would be
gone.

As if her nausea weren’t bad enough, her stomach was in knots now
just thinking about her lecture. The one she’d done last time was nerve-wracking
enough, and that one had been in the classroom. Now Elliot had informed her
they’d be in the lecture hall. It was three times bigger, and Elliot always
packed in a full house.

To her pleasant surprise, the lecture hall wasn’t as packed as it
normally was. Elliot said it was likely due to a lot of the students already being
done with their classes and already on the way home for the holidays. That was
when he told her these last few days weren’t even mandatory for his class.

At first, Isabel had been stunned. As usual, she’d jumped to
conclusions. But he did need her here this week. While finals were last week,
this week they were correcting them. Not all were on Scantron. As expected, Elliot
was one of those professors whose finals included a good part to be
handwritten—essays. Those took much longer to grade, so it did stand to reason
he’d want her there to help. Though today she probably could’ve stayed home.

When she’d finished her lecture today, she’d been just as excited
about it as the last time. The lecture hall may not have been filled to
capacity, but there had still been a lot of students there. Isabel assumed they’d
all been expecting Elliot to do the lecture.

Elliot had sat in the audience this time, and she saw him make a
few notes. As the students filed out of the lecture hall, he made his way to
where she was gathering her laptop. She’d used it for the PowerPoint
presentation she’d given to make her lecture a bit more visual. Something
Elliot often did.

“Wow,” he said with a smile as he approached her. “I know your
being pregnant brings that added glow and the extended twinkle in your eyes
when you’re really driving home a point, but that was unreal. Actually, all
your expressions as you speak are as captivating as they are endearing.” Isabel
could feel her face begin to flush even as he went on. “It’s a shame you won’t
be back after the break. I was fascinated the first time, but clearly the more
you do it, the better you’re gonna get. You seemed so much more relaxed this
time—in your element. I knew you were a natural, but wow.” He clutched his
chest dramatically. “Any chance I can persuade you to come back even after the
break? Maybe just a few times a week?”

She knew her face must be on fire.
God,
she hated how
powerless she was to do anything about it. And she really didn’t want him to
think his words had that much of an effect on her. It was just a curse she’d
had to deal with her whole life. So she looked down for a moment, shrugging. “Thank
you, but I’m already feeling so exhausted as it is. I can only imagine how much
more exhausted I’ll be as I get further along with this pregnancy. Besides”—she
looked up at him, ignoring the heat she was still feeling in her face—“when my
husband finds out about the pregnancy, I’m sure he’ll want me home. He wasn’t
too happy about me coming back to work in the first place. My children are both
still so young. I’ve actually been looking forward to getting back to the way things
were before I started working again.”

She held his gaze for a bit because this wasn’t the first time
this week he’d made a comment about his displeasure about her not coming back. Yesterday,
he’d actually worded it in such a way she thought maybe he was hoping for a
reaction.

It was one of those days when the students had been dismissed
early and it was just the two of them again. She’d been helping him grade the
finals, something she’d always been so good at getting through quickly, so when
she announced she was finished with the stack he’d given her, he sat back in
his seat with that same
fascinated
expression on his face. “I can’t
believe you’re not coming back to me, Isabel. How in the world will I ever find
someone who can replace
you
?”

She’d been stunned silent momentarily, but she managed to shake
it off with a smile. “I’m sure you’ll find someone.”

Like in the past when she’d suspected he was saying things to her
without actually saying them, he responded with what almost felt like a planned
counter—as if he already knew how she’d respond to his question. “That’s funny
because I was just thinking that I’m sure I never will.”

Just as he seemed to be trying to say something to her without
being so blatant about it, she was sending back her message, only she wanted hers
to be absolutely clear. There’d never even been a choice to make, but if he
thought for a moment there had been, he was dead wrong. The only reason she was
still here was to repay him for the opportunity to do this in the first place.
She’d felt indebted, but if she’d had it her way, she would’ve quit weeks ago.

“You should tell your husband to think of the students,” he said
with a playful smile, “and what they’ll be missing out on if you don’t come
back.”

Now she laughed softly, thinking of what Romero would say if she
really passed on Elliot’s persuasive message to try and get her to come back—to
him
.

“I’m sure he’d retort with something about what he and my kids
are missing out on not having me home full-time.” She smiled back, just as
playful. “Speaking of my kids, if we’re done with the finals, do you mind if I
leave early? I have my mom watching the kids for me, and I’d like to take
advantage of it and run to get a few last-minute things at the mall.”

“Not a problem,” he said, standing up. “We’re done with the handwritten
stuff. The rest is all Scantron stuff that I can just put through the machine.
So by all means, go ahead.”

She happily gathered her things as he continued to go through the
papers she’d corrected, and he praised her for the
phenomenal
job she’d
done. If he said he couldn’t believe she wasn’t coming back to him just one
more time, she was seriously going to have to say something.

It wasn’t until she’d gotten in her car that she thought about
something else. If they were done with correcting finals and the classes weren’t
even mandatory anyway, why would she have to come back the next day? More than
likely she’d be in the classroom with just him while he continued with his mind
games.

Not happening.

She picked up her phone, annoyed with herself that she hadn’t
thought of it sooner, and texted him.

Listen. I was just thinking, since we’re all done with
the finals, is it okay if I don’t come in tomorrow? I have a lot to do still
for Christmas.

His response made her happy that she thought of asking to take
her last day with him off and even happier that she’d waited until she was out
of the classroom to do so.

Sure. But if I’d known I wasn’t going to see you after
today, I would’ve given you a proper goodbye.

Rolling her eyes, she started out of the parking lot and didn’t
even respond. Proper goodbye? What the hell did that mean? She was only glad
now she’d never know because she didn’t plan on responding to that at least for
a few days. Even though he did get a little weird on her toward the end, he
never actually crossed any lines. She did at least want to thank him for the
opportunity he’d given her and tell him it’d been pleasant to work with him.

As expected, the mall was packed. Just when she’d almost given up
looking for a parking spot, she found one. She knew her surprise for Romero
would be more than enough, but she still wanted to give him something fun to
unwrap. She’d already gotten him a few baby-related things, but Valerie had
mentioned she and her two sisters-in-law along with Sofie had gotten all their
husbands matching Charger cufflinks. She assured her they weren’t gaudy or
anything and they actually looked very classy.

The first thing Isabel had thought of was the Padres. Since a
Padres game was their first official date and where they’d first kissed, she asked
if they had any Padres ones. Valerie told her she’d seen just about all the
teams.

Not surprisingly, she ran into several people while working her
way through the crowded mall. First Amanda’s teacher stopped and chatted with
her about how awesome she was doing in school. Then her brother-in-law Brandon had
been happy to see her because he wanted her opinion on the gift he’d bought her
sister.

Gina was Brandon’s princess, had been from the moment they
started dating, and over the years, he’d showered her with tons of princess-related
gifts. He was by far the most romantic gift giver Isabel knew, so it surprised
her when he said he’d bought her a new waffle maker. Theirs was on the blink,
and waffles were one of her sister’s favorite foods.

“That’s sweet,” Isabel said, not very enthused.

Over the years, Romero had even admitted to asking Brandon for
ideas for unique gifts. Since he said Brandon’s gifts to Gina always put Romero’s
gifts to Isabel to shame, Isabel would never compare her and her sister’s
husbands. Obviously, Brandon was a very deep thinker, and he’d paid very close
attention to the smallest of details. Sometimes too close according to her
sister. Gina had complained on more than one occasion about him never
forgetting
anything!
According to Gina, it wasn’t always a good thing.

“You don’t think she’ll like it?” Brandon asked, looking down at
the bag.

“Oh, I’m sure she will. It’s . . . practical.” She looked up at
him, almost disappointed. “But you’re not known for giving practical gifts. I
always look forward to seeing what you got when she opens her gifts.” She
crinkled her nose. “A waffle maker?”