“If you hadn’t been such a nag about nutritious stuff—”
“You would have ended up with three bags of Twinkies,” she retorted, picking up the other two bags and following him to the door.
“Nag, nag, nag,” he said, and bussed her with a quick kiss. He grinned at her stunned expression. “I never knew grocery shopping could be such fun.”
Her eyes softened slightly. “Me neither.”
She could have knocked him over with her little finger. He almost asked her to repeat herself, but Maria came to the door.
“Troy!” Maria’s face lit with pleasure. “What have you done?”
“Senada and I picked up a few things for you at the grocery store. Can we come in?”
Sin saw just a tinge of disappointment come and go in Maria’s eyes when the young mother turned to her. “Senada, how kind. Gracias. Please do come in. The children will be delighted to see you.”
The children barely gave Troy time to put down the groceries before they climbed on him.
Senada helped Maria put the groceries away.
“The kids love him,” Maria said, nodding in Troy’s direction. “They haven’t really had a man around in years. Especially such a good man.”
Senada watched Troy get down on the floor with Rocky and Angel. “Sometimes, I think he’s a boy, just bigger.”
Maria shook her head. “Oh, no. Troy’s all man.”
Senada did a double take. Did Maria have a little crush on Troy, or was it a case of hero worship because he’d given her family a place to live? “Did you know he has six brothers?”
Maria’s eyes rounded. “Six! And do they look like—”
Sin nodded. “All over six feet tall, dark hair, violet eyes and killer bodies.” She laughed at the look of dismay on Maria’s face. “Yeah, I know. If they weren’t such good guys, it would have been enough to make all the daddies in Tennessee lock up their daughters when they saw the Pendleton boys coming.”
“They’re all good?” Maria sounded doubtful.
“For the most part,” Senada conceded. “If you put aside their chauvinistic overprotectiveness and domineering attitude.”
“Ohhhh,” Maria purred. “I think I could. Troy is the kind of man I wished I’d met when I was younger. Before I got involved with Rocky’s father.” She gave a sad forced smile. “How different I was then. Surely I couldn’t have ever been that young, that carefree.”
Concern washed over Senada. “How is your job at the hotel going?”
“It’s okay. I’ve got enough money saved up for two months’ rent. Mrs. Rodriguez takes care of the children and doesn’t charge me. So generous, I don’t know what to say.” She shrugged. “In another month, Rocky will go to school and Angel will start kindergarten. As long as no one gets sick, we might have a shot at staying here.” She smiled again, this time more sincerely. “All thanks to Troy.”
Senada nodded and looked at the man responsible for her state of emotional upheaval and for Maria’s good fortune. He was one of the good guys.
A little later, they left and made sure Senada’s new Fudgsicles made it into the freezer. Sin was thinking about what Maria had said.
Troy fiddled with a lock of her hair. “You’re quiet.”
“Have you noticed that Maria has a crush on you?”
He looked taken aback. “No, she doesn’t.”
“Yes, she does.”
He moved his shoulders as if relieving a muscle cramp. “She told you that?”
Sin laughed. “No, but—”
He shook his head. “There you go. You’re jumping to conclusions.”
“The woman couldn’t keep her eyes off you. She practically drooled on the counter.”
When he sighed, she continued. “You’re a man. That’s why you didn’t notice. Men don’t really notice when a woman is interested unless they’re interested too.”
He sifted his hand past her hair to the nape of her neck. “Then how do you explain us?”
“I wouldn’t even attempt it.”
“Aw, c’mon. Give it a try,” he coaxed, pulling her closer.
She felt the tug toward him inside her as much as she did on the outside. Sighing, she wondered what she would eventually do about it. “I really don’t know. It’s very strange.”
He nibbled at her lips. “Strange?”
“Yeah. Strange.” She closed her eyes and rubbed her mouth from side to side over his. “You’re a good man, Troy. Why don’t you go back to Tennessee and get yourself a good girl?”
Troy chuckled low and deep and pulled her against him. “I don’t want a good girl, Sin. I want you.”