Texas Mum

“Out.” He shooed at her with his right hand. “You don’t have a ticket, and even if I wanted to buy you one at the airport, even if there are spots available on both legs of my flight, Papa would skin us alive when we return.”

She pulled some papers from her shoulder bag and waved them under his nose. “I have tickets, Dayo. Papa paid, but he had Lorenzo book online for me.”

“Why? Why would Papa do that?”

“Drive, and I’ll tell you.”

Ribbons of sunlight had begun to lighten the sky overhead. Dario threw the Range Rover in gear. Only after they were through the gate did he ask, “So, did all of these big changes come about after I left the table last night?”

“Yes. Vicente would have no part of it. I could have done the booking myself. Papa is so provincial.” She shot Dario a grin that he didn’t return. “I think he caved because he’s afraid you’ll do something stupid, like marry Delaney Blair. And Lorenzo said, while I’m gone, Papa’s going hunting for some suitable man to take me off his hands. He’s near apoplectic at the thought of me wanting an equal share in the estancia.” She rolled her eyes. “Can you believe he still thinks arranged marriages are acceptable?”

Dario grunted and tightened his grip on the steering wheel.

“My mother would have never gone along with that idea.”

“I don’t know.” Dario shrugged. “My mother would have fought him tooth and nail. She was a firebrand. Your mother was a lady in every sense of the word. She loved Papa and catered to his every whim.”

“That’s so lame. Well, I’m not going to be coerced into marriage. And you’re a fine one to talk. You walk off instead of standing up to Papa and Vicente. I guess I can understand you taking heat from Papa. But what right does Vicente have to yell and get so angry at you for wanting to go see Delaney Blair?”

Dario shot her a veiled look. “Vicente loved someone when he wasn’t much older than you are now. They were engaged, and planning a big wedding. Soledad begged to go with them when he and Papa delivered bulls to a rancher in Wyoming, and then she ran off with a rodeo bull rider. Vicente says he’s over it, but he isn’t. It’s why he doesn’t work with the bulls, never makes deliveries and instead only handles the financial end.”

“How come I didn’t know any of that?”

“You were a toddler. And Vicente remains bitter. He holds his loss against all Americans. That’s why I didn’t fight with him about Delaney. He’s not going to change his mind.”

“That’s so unfair. Instead of holding a grudge, he should have found someone else to love.”

“Mmm-hmm,” Dario mumbled. They drove in silence as they entered the city and traffic picked up.

“I want to market our bulls,” Maria Sofia said, veering to a side topic.

“You what? Now, wait a minute.” Afraid of sounding too much like his father, he elected to bite back a remark hovering on the tip of his tongue, mainly that selling bulls was no job for a young woman.

“Would you stand up for me? Papa might listen to you.”

“Maria Sofia, I don’t think your years at a finicky girls’ school lays the groundwork to sell cantankerous bulls.”

“I don’t, either, which is why I took online courses in marketing from a reputable university, too.” She shot him a smile.

All he could do was laugh as he pulled the Range Rover into airport parking. “And that is something my mother would have done to outsmart my father. We’ll talk about some of your ideas later. I’m sure we’ll have downtime in San Antonio. Even if you convince me, you still have to get approval from Papa, Vicente and Lorenzo. We’re all equal partners, remember.”

“The fact you’ve said you’ll listen gives me hope, Dayo. I got all A’s in my marketing courses. The final paper I presented was based on our family operation. The professor said I showed ways to cut costs and increase sales by up to forty percent. I think money softens the hard heads of men like Vicente and Papa, don’t you?”

“As someone who’s still smarting from going three rounds with them and not winning, I’m in no position to offer help.” He parked and pocketed his key. “Let’s scramble. If the international check-in lines aren’t too long, we may have time for coffee. Here, let me get your bags. Do you have your passport?”

She nudged him away from the passenger door and crossed her eyes deliberately. “Stop being such a Sanchez. I’m capable of carrying my own bags.”

Dario drew back. “You don’t always have to flex your muscle to gain respect.”

“It seemed to me your respect for Delaney ticked up after she called you an ass and told all of us she was going back to Texas to find other donors.”

Lengthening his stride, Dario didn’t argue.

* * *

DELANEY FELT LOST in the larger city of San Antonio and in the bigger hospital. She was staying in a budget motel within walking distance of the hospital. It was noisy, but she thought it was safe.

Nick had become more fretful, too. Until he completed a full range of admitting examinations, he was in a private room. And the nurses, while competent, weren’t like the friends he’d left behind in Lubbock.

There hadn’t been any additional word from Dario, and that worried her.

Today was Saturday. Jill Bannerman was bringing Delaney’s car to San Antonio. Their friend Amanda Evers had had to go to Utah to see her father, who had fallen and broken his hip. Jill had had to wait until her husband, Mack, freed himself up from duties at their ranch to follow his wife to San Antonio in their vehicle.

Delaney had promised to meet them in the lobby of the sprawling hospital. She jumped up when she saw them.

Jill hugged her. Mack, his teenage daughter, Zoey, and Zoey’s best friend, Brandy, hung back.

“Can we see Nickolas?” Zoey asked. “Then Daddy’s going to take Brandy and me for a boat ride on the River Walk while you and Jill make plans for another campaign to round up donors. Is Nickolas worse?” the girl added worriedly.

Delaney hugged everyone before she answered. “He’s not worse, Zoey, but he’s no better. Doctors here have developed a new mix of meds we hope will keep the cancer from ravaging his strength. He’s been cranky since the move. Hopefully seeing you guys will add some sense of normalcy. Everything here is new and confusing to him. By the way, until they complete his initial tests, his visitors have to wear masks. You’ll see a box of disposable ones clipped to his door. There’s a trash bin outside to toss the used ones in when you leave.”

Brandy pointed to the rows of seats in the lobby. “Mr. B said I should wait here while he and Zoey visit Nickolas. He doesn’t know me as well as he knows Zoey. My mom said having so many visitors might be too much for him.”

Delaney took a second look at the two teens, who suddenly seemed less like kids and more grown up. “There’s a smaller waiting room on the fourth floor near Nick’s room. It’s quieter than here and has newer magazines. You can go up with Mack and Zoey and wait there. But, Brandy, he knows you well enough. I’m sure he’d love to see all of you. And you said you can’t stay long.”

“Is there a gift shop?” Zoey asked. “Dad said I could buy something for Nick here since, with homework and all, I didn’t have time to get anything in La Mesa.”

“Nick’s favorite toy is the stuffed cow you gave him, Zoey. Save your money for the shops along the River Walk.”

Mack Bannerman groaned. “Don’t tell them about the shops. I only promised the boat ride and lunch at one of the cafés that overlook the river.”

Jill, Mack’s first love and now new wife, patted his arm. “You big phony, we talked about how much the girls could spend on clothes in those cool shops.”

Chuckling, the handsome rancher bent and silenced his wife with a kiss. Delaney was glad that Mack had found such happiness, but she envied the loving relationship he and Jill had.

Jill playfully pushed her husband away. “You guys go see Nickolas. Do get him something from the gift shop. I need some time with Delaney. Touch base after you finish shopping with the girls on the River Walk. Then you can swing back and get me.” She picked up a large leather bag at her feet. “We’re going for coffee, and to discuss a plan for another donor drive.”

Mack and the girls waved and headed off, and Delaney ushered Jill to the steps that led down half a floor to the hospital coffee shop.

Jill patted her ever-present camera bag. “If we put a photo on the recruitment flyer of you and Nickolas, strangers will imagine themselves in your shoes.”

“I’ll do whatever it takes to raise awareness in the Latino population here, but I also have to consider the cost. Printing a color flyer is considerably more expensive than a black-and-white text-only one like I used in La Mesa. I spent a small fortune on the trip to see Nick’s father.”

“But it resulted in him coming to be tested. That’s good, right? In fact, maybe you should wait until you see if he’s a match.”

“I gave that a lot of thought.” Delaney paused to fill two Styrofoam cups with coffee. She handed one to Jill and indicated where she could add cream and sugar.

Jill helped herself to a generous amount of both. Delaney, who drank her coffee black, led the way to a table for two tucked into a quiet corner.