“Don’t jump to conclusions, Ginny. I had no idea that Francesca would be here. San Antonio is not exactly the kind of place she likes to visit.”
“Ah, I’d forgotten. The great Signorina di Paoli seems to prefer singing in London or Paris…yet here she is. What a wretched coincidence!”
“Believe it or not, it is a coincidence. In case you’ve forgotten, I’ve been out of touch lately.”
“Oh, Steve, I know that. It just…surprised me that she is here, that’s all.” Ginny smiled but she sounded uncertain as she moved to the window of their hotel room. Across the street, the marquee of the Majestic Theater advertised the world-famous opera singer, Princess Francesca di Paoli, in San Antonio to celebrate the grand arrival of the Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio Railway.
It didn’t make things any better that Shanghai Pierce was in town as well. The man was unscrupulous. A perfect match for Brandon, but even the senator had enough scruples not to get too involved with him.
Ginny turned away from the window. With the light behind her forming a hazy halo, she looked to Steve like a seductive angel.
“You needn’t look so wary, Steve,” she said. “I don’t intend to make any kind of a scene.”
“I’m relieved to hear it.”
She smiled slightly, and moved to the wardrobe where her new clothes had been delivered earlier. “These will do,” she said now as if there were nothing more important, “until I can have some made. I suppose I should be accustomed to having garments strewn all over Mexico, but somehow, I never quite adapt to misplacing my beautiful gowns. Such a waste, when all of them were sewn especially for me.”
She turned suddenly, eyes wide and innocent. “But then, you probably left them in New Orleans anyway when you packed contraband instead.”
Amused, he said as he buckled on his gun belt, “You have no faith in me, Ginny love. I sent them to my grandfather’s, but maybe not as we had planned.”
“So I found out. Honestly, Steve, I constantly surprise myself with how much of your plans I can guess. You forget, I’ve worked for Bishop, too, and can always discern his fine hand mixed up in your plans.” Her loose hair brushed against her waist, and she pulled it over one shoulder, combing her fingers through it. “Should I ask where you’re going?”
“You can if you like. Paco is waiting on me. You’re getting skinny, my love. You need some meat on your bones. Have a good meal tonight, and don’t wait up for me.”
Before she could do more than splutter a protest, he grabbed her by the shoulders and kissed her, his mouth effectively cutting off any more questions.
“Behave yourself,” he said when he lifted his head, “or you’ll upset Missie.”
Some of the anger leached from her stormy face. “Missie and Renaldo are here?”
“In the restaurant we passed—and so was your father. It looks like a reunion in town. Just what I need. Since I’ll be busy for a while, do you think you can stay out of trouble?”
“Steve! My father is here, too…I wonder what he’s doing here still? I mean, he was here before Christmas, but I assumed he’d rejoined Sonya in Louisiana by now. Oh, I must go and visit him, then. I have some things I want to discuss.”
“You’ll have to wait your turn. I have business with him first. Besides, you’ll want to see Missie. You’ll be traveling back to my grandfather’s with them when they leave.”
As he expected, her eyes narrowed at him. Before she could reply, he added, “I’ll meet you there as soon as I can.”
“You’re not leaving me now! We just got to town. You haven’t been here an hour yet, Steve Morgan!”
“Ginny, the sooner I take care of what I have to do, the sooner we can send for the children. Keep that in mind while you’re badgering me.”
Two bright spots of color flamed in her cheeks, but she said with prim resignation, “I have no intention of badgering you, Steve, so you needn’t look so expectant. I know you have to finish whatever it is Jim Bishop has sent you to do, and I know you have no intention of taking me with you. It should make you happy to know that I’m quite content to stay here. I’m just rather surprised to discover that Renaldo and Missie are here, as well as my father. Quite a crowd. Are you sure you didn’t send for all of them, just to keep me busy?”
He grinned. “Maybe I did mention to my cousin in a telegram that we would be visiting San Antonio and suggested it was a good idea for him to get Missie away for a while. You like Missie well enough, don’t you?”
“You know I do. And I see through your plan. You’re quite obvious, you know. I’ll go back with them, don’t worry about that. And I will wait for you, Steve Morgan, but I won’t wait forever! Don’t forget where you left me, because I may not be there if you take too long to come back!”
Even though she had said it with a faint smile, he thought about that, and of all the times he’d left her before as he stepped out of the hotel into the street.
The wheel always seemed to swing back around, bringing everything full circle. It wasn’t so long ago that he’d run into Francesca in Dallas, too, but then Toni Lassiter had been there. Vicious, depraved Toni—the beautiful blond bitch who had tried to destroy him.
If not for Francesca’s help then, Toni may very well have succeeded. And then Ginny had been there, come to find out what she could about him. After everything, he had gone to her rescue, taking her from Toni and Matt Cooper before they could hurt her.
Ginny, above everyone else, still had the power to seduce him into forgiving her transgressions, however unwillingly. He hoped that, this time,
