Texas Bossa Nova (Texas Montgomery Mavericks Book 5) by Cynthia D’Alba Read Free Book Online Page B

together, no matter how innocent, she’d have made more of an issue of it than it was. It had been better to not feed fuel to that dragon.
    Magda maintained the separation between employee and employer at her new job until the fourth evening. After sitting a big bowl of chili in front of each brother, she went back for cheese and onions and was surprised when neither man began to eat. Usually, they dug in the minute the food was on the table.
    “Is there a problem?” she asked, wondering if the chili had been a mistake.
    “Yep,” Darren said. “The problem is that you that refuse to eat with us. Reno and I have been talking about it. What gives?”
    Her gaze flicked from one man to the other. “Uh, I work for you.”
    Reno shrugged. “True, but…” He waved his hand around the room. “We aren’t exactly formal here.”
    She didn’t say anything because she wasn’t sure what to say.
    “So,” Darren picked up the conversation, “we think you should put your butt in a chair and eat with us.” He grinned as though daring her to slap his head for saying butt.
    “Have you eaten?” Reno asked.
    “No. I usually eat after you finish.”
    “Good.” Reno popped out of his chair, went to the cabinet, grabbed a bowl and a spoon and put them on the table. “Sit. Eat,” he ordered. “And don’t even think about arguing with us.” He winked. “We’re your bosses.”
    Nodding, she sat, but she wondered if sitting with Reno every night for dinner would feel like she was trying to play house. She pulled her shoulders back. No, it wouldn’t feel like they were playing at being a couple because she wouldn’t let it.
    The next day was New Year’s Eve. Magda had spoken with her dad about noon to see if he had plans for the evening. Of course he did. He and Blanche were having dinner and watching the fireworks in town. When he’d invited Magda to join them, she’d cringed. How ironic was it that her dad had a date for the big evening and she didn’t. She turned him down.
    Darren had mentioned that morning that he and Reno would both be gone for dinner so not to bother cooking. So she didn’t. When they got in from working, she had cheese and crackers and chips and dips for them to snack on if they needed to take the edge off an appetite.
    Darren, who she didn’t think ever missed a chance to eat, grabbed a beer from the refrigerator and pulled up a chair at the table.
    “Thanks, Magda. I’m starving, and I don’t pick up my date for dinner until seven.”
    “I can make you a sandwich, if you want.”
    “Would you? That’d be great.”
    As she pulled turkey, ham and cheese from the refrigerator, she asked, “What about you, Reno? Want a sandwich while I’ve got the stuff out?”
    “If you’ve got time.”
    Frowning, she set the sandwich ingredients on the counter. “What do you mean? It only takes a second.”
    “I mean, you might need to be getting ready for a date or something.”
    She nodded that she understood what he was really asking. “Nope. No date.”
    “You’re not going into town to watch the fireworks?” Darren asked. “Whispering Springs does quite a show.”
    “I know. I went every year, but not this year. I have a quiet evening with a good book planned. You guys have dates, right?” As the question left her mouth, she knew she’d made a horrible mistake. She didn’t care if Reno had a date. It wasn’t any of her business one way or the other.
    “Yep.”
    “Who’s the lucky girl?”
    “Sarah Jane Mackey.”
    “Bro. That is so wrong,” Reno said.
    “Why?” Magda wondered what was wrong with Darren’s date. She didn’t recognize the name, but that didn’t mean anything.
    Reno took the plate with the sandwich Magda offered him. “She’s got a crazy crush on Darren, not that I understand it at all.” He sat at the table and used his plate to gesture at his brother. “You’re giving her false hope. Unless there’s something there I don’t know?”
    “No, I’m