“Why?” Libby pushed a finger into Rob’s chest. “You’re not going to imply that you’re going to take Luisa if her mother doesn’t cooperate, are you?”
His dark eyebrows collided over his nose. “Never even occurred to me. It’s great that you can’t trust the only person you can trust.”
“You are in law enforcement, Rob, and sometimes—” she shrugged “—you show that hard edge. I know you want to do your job, and I know you want to help me.”
“Yes and yes, but not at the expense of a mother and her child. Ask her.” He tilted his head toward Teresa on the couch. “She’s beginning to think we’re plotting against her.”
Libby handed off Luisa, who’d begun fussing, to Rob, and she moved closer to Teresa. “That’s helpful that you told me I was originally headed to Paradiso. Can you tell me anything else? Do you know why I was coming to Paradiso?”
“I don’t know that—sorry.” Teresa twisted the wet paper towel in her fingers. “I-is he going to help me?”
“Yes, we’re going to help you.” Libby put her hand over Teresa’s. “You need money to get on a bus to Texas?”
“Yes, El Paso.”
“Did you get that?” Libby twisted her head around to Rob, who was bouncing a giggling Luisa in his arms.
“She wants to go to El Paso.”
“Muy bueno.” Libby winked at Teresa. “Can we do that?”
“She’s gotta get a ride up to Tucson.” Rob pinched the baby’s chin. “Don’t look at me like that, Libby.”
She widened her eyes and fluttered her eyelashes. “Like what?”
“Like I’m the last hope for mankind.”
“You are, or at least for displaced women. Can you take Teresa to Tucson tomorrow morning? Or—” she grimaced “—I guess that would be this morning.”
“We can take her. I’m not leaving you here on your own, and this little one—” he held Luisa up in the air and jiggled her “—needs a car seat.”
“Where are we going to get a car seat at this time of the morning?”
“I can borrow one from my buddy. He and his fiancée are adopting a baby, and even though the adoption isn’t final yet, they do have a car seat for visits.”
Libby turned and translated their conversation, or most of it, to Teresa, the crease finally disappearing between the other woman’s eyes.
Rob handed the baby back to Teresa. “You two get ready to go. I’ll get the car seat. Do not open that door. If you need it, there’s a loaded pistol in my nightstand drawer.”
While Rob went to his friend’s place and made up some excuse about why he needed a car seat at five in the morning, Libby kept watch at the window with her hand curled around the handle of Rob’s gun and watched Teresa feed and change the baby.
Nothing stirred outside until Rob pulled his truck into the driveway.
He used his key to get into the house, as he told her not to open the door for anyone—even him. He burst through the front door, rubbing his hands together. “All quiet here?”
“Everything’s fine, and Teresa and Luisa are ready to go.” Libby set the heavy weapon down on the table by the front door. “Did you have to do much explaining to get the car seat?”
“Luckily, my friend was home alone. His wife, who would be the one asking all the questions, had already left for the academy.”
“Oh, she’s the one who’s going to be a cop.” Libby wrinkled her nose.
“Yeah. My buddy’s a lot more laid-back than she is, so when I told him I had a friend staying with me who needed to borrow a car seat for the morning, he handed it over with no more questions asked.” Rob waved his hand behind him. “He’s the one who owns all the pecan groves in town and has half ownership of the processing plant. The dude has no worries.”
“Must be nice.” Libby grabbed her purse and turned to Teresa. “Estás lista?”
Teresa nodded and answered in English, “Ready.”
As they walked out to the truck, Rob led the way and called over his shoulder. “My friend Nash told me if the baby is under one year old, the car seat faces the back. He helped me put it in. I never realized Nash knew so much about babies.”
Libby said, “You’re not so bad yourself in that department. I saw how you entertained Luisa. You did good.”
“I have plenty of nieces and nephews—some with no fathers around. I learned by doing.” He held the back door open for Teresa, who ducked in the truck to secure her daughter in the car seat.
Libby patted Teresa’s shoulder. “You can sit in the back with Luisa. You’ll be fine now. Does your husband know you have family in El Paso?”
Teresa shook her head.
Rob eyed his rearview mirror. “I’d stop for coffee, but I think it’s best we get on the road.”
Libby lowered her voice and touched Rob’s thigh. “Do you think Pablo might be following us?”
“Don’t know, but he’s not going to follow us to Tucson, not if I can help it.”
Both Teresa and Luisa fell asleep in the back seat, but Libby’s nerves wouldn’t allow her to doze off. She flicked her gaze to the side mirror almost as many times as Rob glanced at the rearview, her only conversation an occasional “See anything?”
As far as she knew, which wasn’t much, she’d never heard of Paradiso before, had never been here, didn’t know anyone here. Why would she be on her way to Paradiso?
If she had family here, wouldn’t they have seen and recognized her by now? Maybe not. Paradiso was small, but as Rob had pointed out, it had grown with the pecan processing plant. She doubted she’d seen every person who lived in Paradiso.
The only person she wanted to see in Paradiso now was sitting right beside her. If Rob weren’t so honorable, they could’ve made love last night. Maybe she just wanted him because she needed someone to feel close
