Navarro or Not

“What’s the point to this?” Nina asked.

“Nemo salis satis sapit,” Crockett said, heading out the door.

“What?” Nina said. “What did he just mumble?”

“Two heads are better than one, loosely translated,” Navarro said, leaning so he could spy from behind the curtain more easily. “Sometimes Crockett likes Latin. As do I.”

“You guys are really weird,” Nina said. “I don’t know if having two heads is a plus for you.”

“But you liked kissing me. Admit it,” he said, staring down as his brother entered the courtyard, whistling innocently.

“Would you stop?” Nina demanded. “That’s exactly what your brother did. Talk about meaningful things while your mind is on something else.”

“We have excellent focus,” Navarro said. “And we’ve been good way too long.”

“Whatever.” Nina watched Marvella greet Crockett. “Think she’ll notice he has on a different shirt?”

“No. No one gets past the pretty face.”

Nina rolled her eyes.

“Besides, he’d just say he changed, and Marvella wouldn’t doubt that because a cowboy always carries a change.”

“I wonder why,” Nina said dryly.

“Hey, we’re trying to help you here, if you hadn’t noticed.”

“What’s Latin for ‘I’m not exactly buying that’?”

He ran a finger slowly up the back of her neck and Nina shivered. “So tell me again about how much you liked kissing me.”

“I grade your ego an A-plus,” Nina murmured. “But clearly it was you who liked kissing me since you can’t stop talking about it.”

Outside, Crockett plucked a rose and handed it to Marvella, which she took with a laugh. To the casual bystander, it would appear to be any other Sunday afternoon, passed pleasantly by people who enjoyed each other’s company.

Only the flash of Valentine’s face as she glanced up at Nina’s window gave away the mirage.

“Something’s not right,” Nina murmured.

“I know. We’re going to help you fix it. You’re new to town. We have to spot you some lag time on learning how to outwit Marvella.”

“But that’s my sister!”

“It’s okay,” Navarro said. “Trust me.” Then he made her shiver again as he put an arm around her. “So back to the kiss we shared—”

“A mistake of epic proportions.”

“Really?” He turned to face her.

“Yes.”

“So you’ll not be kissing anything of mine I ask—”

“No.”

He raised his brows. “Well, that is new.”

“You’re not fooling me, Navarro Jefferson. Any woman with an ounce of sanity would listen to the bull you’re peddling and say, ‘No, thank you.”’

“I like your sense of self-respect.” He turned her head gently so she was looking down into the courtyard again. “Now watch Crockett close the deal.”

Nina watched, amazed, as Crockett led Valentine away from Marvella, apparently with Marvella’s approval. He handed Valentine a hanky out of his pocket, which she gratefully took.

Two minutes later Crockett and Valentine walked into the bedroom.

“Are you all right?” Nina asked, rushing over to her baby sister.

“I’m fine.” Valentine sank into the only chair in the room, while everyone else gathered around her. “And don’t ask me to talk about it, because I can’t.”

“Why not?” Nina demanded.

“I just can’t.” Valentine turned sad eyes on Crockett. “Thanks for coming to my rescue.”

“I like gratitude in a woman,” Crockett said. “Maybe we should try for a foursome.”

To Nina’s surprise, Valentine giggled. “Pass. One Jefferson was all I needed.”

“See?” Crockett said to Nina.

“Okay. Hold on a minute here,” Nina said. “Everybody hear the new rule. No more joking about sexual matters. It’s in very poor taste, considering the…situation.”

Valentine and the two men stared at her.

“Whew, that’s the librarian in her coming out,” Navarro said. “No sense of humor. Where’s your bun?”

Nina swept a hand over her chin-length hair. “Buns are passé for librarians. Why are you all taking this so lightly?”

“So we don’t cry?” Valentine said. “Personally, I prefer their way of talking about it to yours, Nina. No offense or anything. But ever since you got here, you’ve been acting like I should be trundled off to a nunnery, and you’re starting to make me nervous.”

“Nervous?” Nina glanced at Navarro.

“There’s a good chance you’re repressed,” he told her.

“I’m just a woman trying to take care of her family,” Nina said sternly. “I take care of my family differently than you take care of yours. Certain matters deserve respect, and pregnancy is one of them.”

“Yes, but I swear I’ve developed a twitch since you arrived,” Valentine said. “Nina, I’m never going to be able to live up to your standards.”

“Ah,” Navarro said. “Now we’re getting to the deep issues.”