A Bride for Jericho Bravo

Her sister gave her a disapproving look and then asked, with her mouth pinched up, “A job?”

“That’s right. I’m sort of a Jane-of-all-trades, after all. I’m sure I can find something. Did you know that I was even a short-order cook once?”

Tessa was still frowning. “You want to flip burgers?”

“I want a paycheck for the time I’m here.”

“But … there’s no need to rush into anything. Maybe you should, you know, take it easy for a week or so at least. Relax. Take some time off.”

“Tessa.” Marnie gave her a patient look. “You so don’t get it. I’ve had time off. The past five years since I’ve been with Mark, I’ve hardly worked at all.”

“But if you—”

“Tessa.”

“Hmm?”

“Don’t go all Saint Teresa on me. Please.”

Tessa put on her most innocent expression. “I would never try to tell you what to do.” As if she hadn’t just done exactly that.

But Marnie didn’t take offense. She knew that Tessa was only being bossy out of love. “Well.” Marnie sent her sister a fond smile. “Then we understand each other.”

Tessa got her pinch-mouthed look again. But at least she didn’t say anything more.

Ash had left the morning paper on the table. Marnie picked it up and flipped it to the want ads. What she saw there sent a little shiver down her spine.

It also made her smile. “Speaking of jobs. What do you think of that?” Marnie set down the paper and pointed.

The ad read:

Temporary Office Manager Sought

Busy motorcycle shop: repair and custom

Familiarity with Word, Excel and general office experience required. Past experience in car or motorcycle repair a plus.

Contact Gus, San Antonio Choppers (212) 555–2873

Tessa’s nod was beyond reluctant. “Yeah. So?”

“Why only temporary?”

“The woman who runs the office is going on maternity leave—and you’re not thinking of going to work for Jericho, are you?”

“Why not?” Marnie laughed. “You don’t think he’ll hold it against me that I stole his bike, do you?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“But you know you were thinking it.”

“You’re serious. You want to work in a motorcycle shop?” Tessa couldn’t believe it. But then, she’d never hung around the North Magdalene Garage in the old days, helping their dad, like Marnie used to do. To Tessa, a car was for transportation, period. And a motorcycle … well, she might admire the art and technical skill that went into Jericho’s choppers, but she clearly didn’t find them all that intriguing.

Marnie did. “Yeah. I think it might be interesting. And it just so happens that I have experience in car repair.”

“Working for Dad, you mean.”

“I also know Word and Excel. More or less. And I worked in an office. Once. Accounts payable and receivable. It was really boring.”

Tessa sipped her tea and wore her best I-am-staying-out-of-it look.

Marnie reached across and patted her arm. “Come on. Be fair. Think about it. Jericho is my brother-in-law. And we’re on good terms—as of now, anyway. And the job sounds kind of interesting. Plus, it’s temporary and I’m looking for something temporary. It could be just what I need.”

Tessa set down her cup and beamed her most beatific smile. “Did I utter a word of objection?”

“You didn’t have to. I can see it all over your face.”

“But did I say anything?”

“All right, fine. No. You didn’t. You’re a model of total non-bossiness.”

“Thank you.”

“Gus is Jericho’s partner in the shop, right?”

“That’s right,” Tessa said. “Gus owned the shop originally. And he and Jericho go way back. He let Jericho keep his first bike there, at the shop, while he was in prison.”

Marnie almost choked on her coffee. “Wait. What? Somebody went to prison?”

“I thought I told you that. Jericho used to steal cars. He would sell them to some guys who parted them out to repair shops. He got caught and did five years for grand theft auto.”

“Whoa. Wow. When?”

Tessa shook her head. “I could have sworn I told you all about this.”

“Tessa. When?”

“He was young. Twenty, I think. That was ten years ago. He did those five years and he’s been out for about five more. But right after his release, he got arrested down in Mexico for drug dealing. Gabe got him out of that one.”

Marnie remembered Gabe from the wedding—tall, well-dressed, slick. Really good-looking. “Gabe’s the family lawyer, right?”

“That’s right. And as it turned out, the thing in Mexico was a bad rap, a complete setup.”

“Jericho wasn’t really dealing?”

“No. It was just some trumped-up charge because he talked back to a policeman down there. Gabe got it thrown out.”

“So that was what you meant last night, when you said that Jericho has turned his life around …” Marnie thought of the spark of fury in his eyes when she’d joked about his sending her to jail for stealing his bike. His reaction made a lot more sense now.