Navarro or Not

“What are you talking about?” Nina said. “We’re sisters. We have no deep issues to overcome.”

“Yes, we do,” Valentine said. “Even though I love you. Can I have a glass of water? I’m not feeling too well.”

“I’ll get it.” Crockett sprang to do her bidding.

Navarro pulled Nina into the circle of his arms. “Don’t worry,” he said. “Everything is going to be fine.”

“Nothing is going to be fine!” she insisted, but she didn’t try to pull away. “My sister is unmarried and pregnant, and our heirloom bed is broken. How is everything going to be fine?”

“Because,” Navarro said, putting his lips against her temple. “I’ve decided you need me.”

Valentine laughed.

Nina bristled. “I have never needed anything less.”

“That’s not what you were saying when we kissed.”

“You kissed him?” Valentine asked. “You know what that means, don’t you?”

“I know, I know. It means that, in the future, I’ll kiss anything he wants me to.”

Valentine frowned. “No, Nina. It means that he’ll love you and leave you.”

Nina’s skin turned cold. “He can’t love me and leave me. We will never have those feelings for each other. In fact, the only reason we’ll ever be on speaking terms is because of the baby.”

But Nina felt another chill hit her—and she realized that she actually did like the big cowboy holding her close to his warm, strong body.

Very unlibrarianlike to fall for a man she’d only just met, especially a man who was used to women kissing him “wherever he liked.” Probably running after him as though he were some kind of prince. In this part of the world, he was likely considered a great catch.

Not by me, Nina thought. I always said I was going to wait for the right man to come along, and Navarro is not the man for my charmed bed!

Chapter Three

“I know what you’re thinking,” Navarro told Nina. “You’re thinking I’m not the right man. But I am. And I’ll show you. Let’s get back to finishing up this bed while the girls hen-talk,” he told his brother.

Nina glanced at Valentine. “Hen-talk, indeed. Could you live with that much chauvinism in your life?”

Valentine smiled. “Yes.”

“How? I’ve worked hard to get an education and to earn respect at my job. No man’s going to refer to me as a hen,” Nina said to Valentine, but she was looking at Navarro.

“Mad as a wet hen,” Crockett pointed out.

“As a counterpoint, I would just like to say that I’ve worked hard to be a good cowboy and to earn respect at my job. Nobody is ever going to henpeck me,” Navarro said to Crockett, but he was looking at Nina.

Valentine sighed. “Crockett says they’re going to take care of me. Is that all right, Nina? I like the sound of it. I think I’m gonna go for it. I’m ready to leave the shelter of your wings.”

“Again?” Nina’s heart burned.

“Yes. You don’t mean to, but you make me feel bad. I know I should be ashamed, but what happened has happened, and I’d rather the Jeffersons take care of me than Marvella. Or you. You need to go back to Delaware, to your life. It’s too cold for me up there, and besides, I like rural life in Texas.” Valentine smiled at the brothers.

“What about the lawsuit?” Nina asked.

“We’re going to have to figure that out,” Valentine replied. “But Crockett says he’s going to help me.”

“Since when did you become Rescue Ranger?” Nina demanded.

“She’s reasonable,” Crockett said. “Reasonable is easy to work with. We’re all going to be one big happy family, anyway. Emphasis on happy.”

“Told you Crockett could make matters work,” Navarro said. “Henny-penny, the sky is not falling.”

“Good one,” Crockett said. “Very hen-dustrious of you to think of a famous hen.”

“Yeah?” Nina looked at Navarro. “So if Crockett’s so skillful, how come he didn’t come to my room to fix the bed, instead of you?”

“Probably because I liked your little voice challenging me,” Navarro said. “And Crockett never has been much for snippy. Too chauvinistic to stand it. I, on the other hand, am not bothered by ruffled feathers and a sharp beaking.” He grinned. “Now, back to the bed.” Glancing over it, he said, “So, Valentine, do you know how this bed ended up in this condition?”

Everyone stopped moving.

“Dude,” Crockett began.

“Er—” Nina said, wondering why Navarro was trying to embarrass her sister.

“Last jumped on it,” Valentine said. “Jumped a lot. Apparently he likes to jump on beds. I sort of thought it was freedom of expression, cowboy style.”

Navarro and Crockett stared at her.

“Our little brother was jumping on your bed, hard enough to break it?” Crockett asked.

“He was having a great time,” Valentine said. “I stood right over there and watched.”

“That doesn’t sound kinky at all,” Navarro said. “I’m almost disappointed.”

“Well, you have to understand the age of this bed,” Valentine said. “It’s an heirloom.”

“Right. The heirloom charmed bed. Guaranteed potency.”

“Exactly,” Valentine said. “Now you just need to put it back together so it can work for Nina. She wants a baby, you know. And she’s no spring chicken.”

“I thought she was pushing the dark side of thirty,” Navarro said. “Though she kisses like a baby.”

“A baby!” Nina was outraged.

“Yeah. All sweet and tender and trusting.”

She stared at him. “You, sir, are no gentleman.”

He snapped his fingers. “I don’t meet those librarian prerequisites. Damn.”