A Bride for Jericho Bravo Read online

  And then she pulled back. He had the strangest urge to keep holding on. But he tamped that urge down. He let her go and she stepped away.

  She hung her head. “I didn’t even have the guts to go fast.”

  “And that’s a good thing.” He spoke sternly. “It would have been a seriously bad idea to do that.”

  “Yeah. I guess.” She pulled something from her back pocket and held it out. It was the bike’s ignition cap.

  He took it from her, suddenly remembering that her father was a mechanic. He’d met Patrick Jones at Ash’s wedding. “Your dad runs a garage, right?”

  “Uh-huh. He taught me a thing or two about engines. Enough to make me dangerous, I guess.” She was still looking down, subdued now.

  He just didn’t get it. “I gotta ask. What’s this about? Why would you steal my bike? What’s the point?”

  She shook her head. “It’s a long story.”

  “Try me.”

  “My boyfriend dumped me.”

  “I heard. I’m sorry. But…why take it out on me?”

  She sent him a narrowed glance, and then looked at the pavement some more. “Because…I’m insane and possibly a drug addict?”

  “What?”

  She looked up again, a flash of anger in her eyes and then, as before, back down. “I heard what you said to Ash.”

  He winced. But still, she shouldn’t have been listening in. “You were eavesdropping.”

  “No, I wasn’t. It just…happened. I left my purse on the front hall table. Don’t ask me why, I don’t why. But when I realized I’d left it there, I went back to get it. I heard you guys in the study, talking. I knew I had to go past the open door to get to the table. I knew you would see me, and I would feel foolish to have wandered off without my purse—the family idiot on the loose without a keeper. It would be just one more proof that I’m a can short of a six-pack, you know? So I hesitated. That was when I heard what you said.”

  Regret tugged at him. “Look, I really am sorry. I can see now I had it all wrong about you.”

  “Yeah, well. It seriously ticked me off at the time. But now that I’ve cooled off a little, I guess I have to admit that I completely get why you would think I’m out of my mind.”

  “So this, taking my bike, was payback?”

  Still staring at the pavement, she shrugged. “In a totally wussy, pitifully ineffective sort of way, yeah.”

  He touched her strong little chin with his finger, guiding it up so that she was looking at him again. “We can call it even from here. Start fresh. How ’bout that?”

  She made a disbelieving sound. “You sure you don’t want to have me arrested?”

  He held her gaze. “It’s tempting, but I’ll pass.”

  “Maybe a little time in jail would do me good,” she said half-jokingly, mocking herself.

  And suddenly, he wanted to shake her. She didn’t have a clue about what happened behind bars.

  His exasperation must have shown on his face. Her eyes widened. “Yikes. What did I say this time?”

  Gruffly, he advised, “You don’t want to go to jail. Take my word on that.”

  “Uh. Okay.”

  He gentled his tone. “So, you think you can drive Ash’s Mercedes back to the house without running into anything?”

  She hung her head again. “I could. If I could only find my way there.”

  He understood. “You’re lost.”

  “Oh, yeah. In more ways than one.”

  He felt a surge of something that could only be called protectiveness. It surprised him. He wasn’t the protective type. “Here.” He took her small, soft hand, turned it over and put Ash’s keys in it. “You’re gonna be fine.”

  “Oh, I hope so.”

  “Just follow me.”

  Marnie felt a little better about everything as she followed Jericho through the dark, quiet streets of Tessa’s neighborhood. Her very, very bad day was looking up a little.

  Yeah, she’d let her whacked-out emotional state get the better of her and screwed up royally, stealing Jericho’s bike like that. But somehow, it had worked out all right. She even had a strange feeling she might end up calling Jericho a friend.

  Who would have guessed that might happen?

  Life was no rose garden. But it could surprise you in a good way now and then.

  Even in the dark, she recognized Tessa’s street when they reached it. And she wasn’t far behind when Jericho turned his bike into the driveway beside Tessa’s house.

  Tessa and Ash were waiting on the front step. Ash had his arm around her and she huddled close to him. The headlights of the Mercedes swept over them and Marnie saw that her sister’s face was pale and drawn with worry.

  Way to go, Jones.

  Guilt tightened her stomach and made her feel crappy all over again. She really needed to get her act together. Making Tessa suffer for her erratic behavior was not the way to treat her loyal, generous, loving big sister. Tessa would do anything for her and she knew it. She needed to start showing a little consideration and respect.

  Things got worse in the house. Ash and Tessa were there in the kitchen when Marnie and Jericho came in through the glass doors.

  “Marnie!” Tessa’s relief was painfully evident. “I’m so glad you’re all right…” She started to come to her.

  Ash held her back with a hand on her shoulder. His blue eyes were dark with fury. Marnie realized she’d never seen him angry before. But he was now—angry at her. “What is the matter with you? You had your sister scared to death.”

  “Ash, don’t…” Tessa gave him a pleading look. “It’s okay. She’s okay.”

  Ash was not pacified. He pinned Marnie with an unforgiving glare. “You’re family. That means you’re welcome in this house. But you damn well better not pull any more stunts like this one tonight, or there is going to be big trouble between you and me.”

  Marnie felt his harsh words like blows. They were true words. And that made them hurt all the more. She opened her mouth to say she was so sorry and she would never do anything like that again.

  But Tessa spoke first, her gentle voice soothing. “Ash. Come on.” She turned to Marnie, her eyes moist with tears. “He worries about me. Please don’t take offense.”

  Marnie let out a cry. “I don’t. Of course, I don’t. He’s absolutely right.”

  Ash nodded. “You better believe I am.”

  Jericho stepped in then. “Come on, Ash. Dial it back. She knows she did wrong.”

  Ash shifted his furious gaze to his brother. “What? Now you’re defending her? What’s up with that?”

  Marnie cleared her throat. “We, um, we came to an understanding, Jericho and me. He still thinks I’m weird—but not crazy or on drugs.”

  Jericho explained, “She overheard us talking in the study.”

  “Talking about what?” Tessa demanded.

  Ash answered reluctantly, “Jericho was saying that maybe she needed professional help.”

  Jericho snorted. “I wasn’t nearly that diplomatic about it.”

  “Oh, no…” Tessa stared at her pityingly.

  Marnie shrugged and looked down at the floor. Since Jericho had caught up with her on his bike, she’d done a lot of looking down. “I did overhear what Jericho said. And I was a little crazy. But I’m pulling it together, as of now.” She raised her head, straightened her spine, and made herself meet her brother-in-law’s still-angry gaze. “I’m past the nervous breakdown phase. I swear I am.”

  Ash gave her a long once-over. Finally, he nodded. “Well, all right, then. Sorry for jumping down your throat.” He pulled Tessa closer and pressed a kiss to her temple.

  She nudged him in the side. “You went a little overboard, you know?”

  “Yeah,” Ash admitted. “Maybe. But I don’t like to see you freaked out, especially now, with the baby coming.”

  Marnie wondered if she’d heard right. “Uh. The baby?”

  Jericho let out a low chuckle.

  Tessa
sighed.

  Ash’s brows drew together. “You didn’t tell her.”

  Tessa sent him a weary glance. “I was waiting till she at least had a good night’s sleep. But so much for that.”

  Marnie groaned. “That’s right. You didn’t have even one margarita, just to be sociable. And no wine. Only sparkling water. Am I oblivious or what?”

  Tessa eased out of Ash’s protective embrace. “You have a lot on your mind.”

  Jericho said, “Hey, Ash. Walk me out.”

  Marnie sent him a grateful look. “Thanks, Jericho. For everything.”

  “Later.” One corner of his mouth twitched in what could almost be called a smile as he turned again for the French doors.

  When the men were gone and the sisters were alone, Marnie grabbed Tessa in a long, tight hug. “I can hardly believe it. A baby. My sister’s having a baby….” She took Tessa by the shoulders and held her away enough to look up into her sweet face. “When are you due?”

  “Late October.”

  “You’re going to be an amazing mother, you know that?”

  Tessa’s cheeks flushed. It was good to see some color back in them. “I’m going to give it my best shot.”

  “I’m so sorry I scared you. Never, ever again.”

  Tessa’s eyes gleamed. “Well, at least if you could try and wait until after the baby’s born…”

  “It’s a promise.” She caught both of Tessa’s hands. “You were always on my side—well, except when we were little. Then you tried to run my life.”

  Tessa looked suddenly prim. It was a look she used to wear a lot when she was a kid, back when Marnie would constantly razz her, calling her Saint Teresa. “You were a wild child,” Tessa said. “You used to swear like a sailor on shore leave, remember? And you were always running away, freaking everybody out….”

  Marnie felt her shoulders slump. “Looks like I’m up to my old tricks, huh? Only minus the wild part. Somewhere I lost track of that—of my wild side. Lately, I’m about as wild as a stale slice of white bread.”

  Tessa pulled her close again, whispered, “You’re still wild at heart. You know you are.”

  “Oh, yeah, right.”

  “You are.”

  Marnie couldn’t help asking, hopefully, “You think?”

  “I know.” Outside, Jericho’s chopper roared to life. The sisters were quiet as the rumbling moved along the driveway and then faded away down the street. Then Tessa spoke again. “I’m so glad you and Jericho seem to have worked out your differences.”

  “I hated him at first.”

  “No kidding.”

  “But you know, I can see now that he’s an okay guy after all. A really good guy, actually.”

  “He’s got a lot of heart. And in the past few years, he’s turned his life around.”

  Marnie wondered what exactly that meant.

  But before she could ask Tessa about it, Ash came in. Marnie apologized again for everything.

  Ash said he wanted to let bygones be bygones. “I’m glad you came to us. And I meant it when I said you’re welcome to stay as long as you want to.”

  Marnie told them good night and went back to the guesthouse, where she drew a bath and sank gratefully into it, sighing in pleasure as she let the hot water ease all her tensions away.

  Things could be worse, she was thinking. And then she laughed at her own sudden optimism. Her life, after all, was still a great big mess. But somehow, she felt better about it.

  It wasn’t even forty-eight hours since the breakup, but she was already beginning to see that her relationship with Mark really hadn’t been that good for her. In the years they were together, she had slowly relinquished her life to him, until she lived in his shadow.

  His friends became her friends. His world, hers. He had a big trust fund set up for him by his dad. And he also made a lot more money than she ever would. It had seemed like a good idea at the time, to just stop working, to let him support her. After all, her jobs never brought in much anyway.

  Without Mark to pay the bills, she had almost nothing to call her own.

  But there was a bright side. All of a sudden, she was nobody’s shadow. She’d stepped into the light. She could see her life clearly now. Too bad what she saw wasn’t all that great.

  Mark had offered her money “to hold her over,” when he told her they were through. She had proudly refused him, which had seemed really noble at the time—but was actually kind of stupid, when you got right down to it. Bottom line, she was on her own with five hundred dollars in her checking account. She had two years of junior college and a hodgepodge of subsistence-level work experience to recommend her to a prospective employer.

  But she could get crazy all over again if she started dwelling on her chances of finding a decent job with her minimal skills in a not-so-great economy. She closed her eyes and let her body float in the cooling bathwater and tried to turn her wayward mind to soothing things.

  For some reason, her thoughts drifted to Jericho. She could see him now, behind the dark screen of her shuttered eyelids, in the hard glare of the Mercedes’ headlights, when he caught up with her on his bike.

  He’d held out his arms to her.

  It was the last thing she’d expected him to do.

  But he had done it.

  And somehow, that moment—when his big, tattooed arms closed around her—that was the turning point. That was when she knew: in time, she was going to be all right.

  The world had simple kindness in it after all. How strange that a big, scary biker guy like Jericho Bravo had ended up being the one to make her see that.

  Chapter Three

  “Are you sure you don’t mind if I stay a few weeks?” Marnie asked the next day.

  It was after nine and Ash had gone to work. Marnie and Tessa were sitting at the table in the kitchen, the morning sun pouring in through the glass panes of the French doors, Tessa with a cup of herbal tea and Marnie with her third mug of coffee. Mona Lou, the bulldog, was curled up in her doggy bed nearby.

  Tessa said, “The guesthouse is yours for as long as you want it. And Ash and I discussed it some more, last night after you left and we—”

  “Don’t tell me. He said he wished I would go away and never come back, but since he’d told me I could stay, he felt honor-bound to stick by his word.”

  “Oh, stop. He said no such thing. Now, will you let me finish?”

  “Sorry. Go ahead.”

  “Well, we were talking about your situation and we got to discussing the money thing.”

  Marnie shrugged. “You want me to pay rent? That’s reasonable.”

  Tessa set her cup in the saucer with a sharp clink. “Of course not.”

  “Tessa, it’s fair. I don’t mind at all.”

  “You are not paying us rent.”

  “Tessa…”

  “I don’t want to hear any more about that.”

  “Okay, okay.” Marnie put up both hands. “Since you insist, I’ll be more than happy to stay in your guesthouse for free. And if you weren’t talking about my paying rent, then…?”

  “Look. Do you need money? If you do, just say so. We would be only too happy to—”

  “No. Thanks. But no, thanks.”

  “Don’t be so proud.”

  “I’m not.” She rethought that. “Well, okay. I am. Pride’s about all I have left at this point.”

  “It’s not a big deal,” Tessa insisted. “Don’t make it one. If you’re planning on staying for a while, you’re bound to need a little cash to tide you over.”

  “I have a little cash.” Very little cash, as a matter of fact. “Also, I’m planning to earn my way while I’m here.”

  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 bur
gers?”

  “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.