More than a Maid (31 page)

Marcy threw her hands up in the air. "Oh my God! You're never gonna let that go! Are you crazy?"

"You should've told me you spoke to your ex-boyfriend about me. You know I have a hard time trusting people."

"I know. Especially women." She huffed. "Look, I'm sorry about what your mom did to you. I know you're going through a lot and I'm trying to be supportive but you don't make it easy. I'm
not
your mom.

"Never said you were."

"You didn't have to. I can tell that's why you're so quick to turn on me. Mommy issues."

Ramon snorted. "What? I don't have
mommy
issues. I have
trust
issues."

"Well, whatever it is, it's a big problem. You have no right to answer my phone. You understand?" She put her hand on her hip. "No. Right. And I have the right to talk to whomever I want, whenever I want."

Ramon scowled at her, then mumbled under his breath, "Mommy issues. You're so full of shit."

She shrugged. "It's obvious. That's why you take care of Mrs. Perry, isn't it? She makes you feel like you have a mom?"

Ramon's stomach tightened. "Do
not
talk about Mrs. Perry. And stop changing the subject!"

"I'm not the one changing the subject. You're trying to make me forget about all those women you slept with!"

Ramon looked up at the ceiling, red-faced, and considering throwing a chair through a window. "For the millionth time, it was before I met you!"

"Well, Andrew was before I met
you
!"

He pointed at the phone in her hand. "But you still talk to him? About
me
, no less?" He picked up his hat and rushed out of the room, desperate not to let her see how angry he truly was. "I don't need this right now. Worst week of my life. Don't fuckin' need it."

"Fine!" She yelled as she followed him out the back door. "If you move out to that trailer again, we're through. I can't wait around for a guy with mommy issues who's looking for any reason not to trust me!"

Ramon stopped in his tracks and spun around, his voice booming. That "mommy issues" comment was the last straw. "You know what? I don't need you here anymore. Elsa's back and Victor's gonna start helping me. You want that douchebag in New Jersey? Pack your shit and leave!" He regretted the words as soon as he said them but he was too enraged to do anything about it. He simply turned toward the ranch and stormed off.

* * *

Do not cry over him
, Marcy told herself.

She was in her bedroom, fighting tears as she called Patty.

"
Marcy! How are you? How's—
"

"Don't ask. I think it's over."

"
What's over?
"

Marcy's voice trembled. "Me and Ramon."

"
No! What happened? I'll give him a call
."

"Don't. Please." She caught herself before tears fell down her face, and took a deep breath. "We had a big fight. He went to the trailer. I told him if he stays there till morning I'm done. I can't go through that again."

"
Oh, you're both so stubborn!
" Patty sighed.

Marcy chuckled sarcastically. "Yeah, but according to you it means we're a perfect match, right?"

Patty was silent.

"So," Marcy continued. "You still have that apartment above the garage for me? Till I get back on my feet?"

Quietly, Patty replied, "
Yes. If that's what you really want. But he needs you right now. I hope you realize that
."

"I do but he doesn't." Marcy gulped. "I'd hate to leave him right now but what am I supposed to do? Let him jerk me around and give me the silent treatment? Again?"

"
Well, maybe he'll come around
."

"Or maybe he won't."

Marcy didn't see Ramon for the rest of the day. The next morning, she woke up alone at four o'clock in the morning to the faint roar of Ramon's truck pulling out of the driveway.

Five minutes later, she booked her ticket home.

A week went by, and Ramon felt like he'd stepped back in time. He lived with Elsa and Henry again. His days were a blur of work and sleep and more work.

And he waited impatiently for the day when he'd stop missing Marcy.

Aside from her occasional text message to tell him to call if he needed her, there was no communication. He read those messages repeatedly until his eyes got tired but he didn't respond.

"I can tell you miss that girl." Henry slapped Ramon on the back in the kitchen before dinner. "Son, life's too short for that kinda bullshit. Just give her a call."

Ramon no longer flinched when Henry called him "son." He was still a bit numb over the realization that Henry was probably his father. But the transition was easy. Nothing much changed between them. Ramon chalked it up to the fact that he'd already suspected it for months, so he had time to get used to the idea. He and his brothers were planning to have paternity tests soon, at their attorneys' insistence, in case it came up at Henry's trial.

Ramon smirked at Henry. "It doesn't concern you."

Henry sighed heavily and strolled off to the dining room.

Tonight they were having guests for dinner: Victor and Cara had just returned from their honeymoon, after stopping in New Jersey to pick up Isaac on their way back. So, at least that was a bright spot in Ramon's otherwise shitty day. He'd already spent ten minutes on the phone talking to Isaac, hearing all about his plane ride and his stay with Grandma and Grandpa. The whole time, Ramon held his breath, waiting for the boy's innocent mention of Marcy, but there was none.

When Victor and Cara arrived, they said nothing about Marcy. Cara gave him a sympathetic grin and a hug, which Ramon found rather uncharacteristic for her.

With Isaac, Victor, and Cara around, life seemed back to normal. Ramon half- expected to hear Patty banging around in the kitchen, making her Yankee food for dinner interspersed with new Mexican recipes.

But instead, there was sweet, mild-mannered Elsa, scared of all the new appliances.

Ramon and Isaac went outside after dinner to inspect the ranch, as usual. The boy was still bubbling over with stories of everything that had happened in his life since the last time they saw each other. After the inspection, they took a seat on some lawn chairs.

Isaac stared off wistfully at the garage. "Bictow said I could have my wace caw back if I'm good."

Ramon laughed, nudging Isaac's boot with his. "Well, be good then."

Isaac tucked his head down, his eyes dancing wildly. Then he suddenly asked, "Aw you gonna wedding Mah-cy?"

"Huh?" Ramon's chest went weak at the mention of her name. "What are you talking about?"

Isaac shrugged. "I dunno. Evwyone's getting wedding. Gwammah and Mommy and A-mando." His eyebrows furrowed. "Too much wedding."

Ramon chuckled for a bit, then took a deep breath. "You mean, they're getting 'married' not getting 'wedding.' You get married
at
a wedding. And I agree with you. There's too much of it."

Isaac flashed him a quizzical look. "But you wike Mah-cy, wight?"

Ramon glanced around to make sure no one else was listening, then quietly answered, "Yeah." He looked in Isaac's eyes. "I know, it's confusing. It'll make sense when you're older."
Or maybe not
, he thought, but dared not say that to the boy.

Isaac's face bunched up. "You said you don't wike guhls. Wemembow?"

Ramon sighed. This kid had way too good a memory. "I think I remember that conversation. And I don't think I said I didn't like 'em. I just said they were trouble and you're better off without 'em."

"I don't wanna get wedding. I wanna stay with you and Mommy and Bictow and…"

Ramon listened as Isaac continued on, telling him his plan for his life. He wanted two baby brothers so they could all live on the ranch together someday with Ramon and have lots of animals—including zebras and lions—and none of them would get "wedding." They would just work the ranch all day and drive race cars on the weekends.

At the end of Isaac's speech, Ramon swallowed and was surprised to feel a hard lump in his throat. He didn't know until then just how much his nephew looked up to him. To a child, that kind of life might seem like a dream come true.

But Ramon knew better, and the reality of it slapped him in the face. If he truly had to live on that ranch the way he'd chosen to live his life before Marcy came along… what was the point? There was nothing to look forward to. Nothing to live for. Without the right woman, his life was bland. No flavor. No color. Just a blur of work and sleep and maybe an occasional one night stand to sate his physical desires.

I'd be better off dead than to choose that fate
, he thought.

He steadied his voice and said to Isaac, "Well,
hombrecito
, you probably can't have zebras and lions on a ranch."

"Why?"

Ramon half-smiled and said, definitively, "Ya just can't."

Isaac scowled.

Ramon's eyebrows lifted. "Don't be angry. I'll explain it later when we have more time." He rose to his feet and extended a hand to Isaac. "Come on. I gotta go make a phone call."

* * *

Marcy sat alone in her apartment, eating a salad. Determined to lose the ten pounds she gained in Texas. But damn if she wasn't hungry. She had containers of Patty's leftover meatballs and garlic bread in the fridge, and she was contemplating the ramifications of giving in when her phone rang.

She answered immediately when she saw it was Ramon.

"Hello?" she said.

Silence.

Marcy cleared her throat and repeated herself. "Hello?" She chuckled. "Howdy?"

Ramon laughed, then softly said, "
Hey. How's it goin'?
"

"All right, I guess." She stood and straightened her clothes as if he could somehow see her, then plopped down on the couch. "How are you? Are you getting my text messages?"

In a sheepish tone, he said, "
Yeah. I get 'em
."

"Would it kill you to respond once in a while? Only takes a second. Just tell me you're all right. I worry, you know?"

In a quiet voice, he said, "
I worry about you, too. Sorry about all that shit I said before you left
."

Marcy gulped. This was obviously his official apology. And now it was her turn. Hearing his voice for the first time in a week made it hard to remember why she'd been so angry with him. "It's okay. I'm sorry too."

"
You get a job yet?
"

"No." She sighed. "It's okay though. The landlord insists I don't have to pay rent."

He chuckled. "
It's nice of Tom and Patty to let you live there. But if you want a job, I know where there's a live-in maid position. Might have to do some part-time bookkeeping. Maybe learn how to ride horses.
"

Marcy's heart surged with joy, but she was hesitant. "Ramon… I don't know if I can go through that again…"

He cleared his throat and his voice became serious. "
Listen, I know we moved too fast and I jerked you around, but…
" He paused for a deep breath. "
Are you at least gonna come down here to visit Cara sometime?
"

"Yeah."

"
When? This weekend?
"

Marcy chuckled. "No, probably not this soon."

"
Well… uh…
" He sounded frustrated. "
You can't tell me you really wanna live up there. It's too cold in the winter. There's no cows… It's not Texas… I'm not there…
"

Marcy laughed again, and tears quietly fell from her eyes. She missed him desperately but she couldn't get herself to leave her home and move again for a man who always seemed ready to push her away. "I wish it were that simple."

"
Are you sure I didn't get you pregnant?
"

Marcy's jaw dropped.
He must really want me back
, she thought. And she was sure she wasn't pregnant. "Uh… no? Don't you remember I got my period and—"

"
Yeah, yeah
." He let out a long sigh. "
Can't you just move down here and live with Victor and Cara for a while? That way, you'd be closer and it wouldn't be such a fucked up situation with you living in my house. You'd have some distance. I'm sure they need a housekeeper. Or maybe Cara'll need help with the baby
."

Marcy gulped, thinking it over for a moment, listening to Ramon breathe quietly as he awaited her response. "How about this. We stay in touch. And if we still miss each other in a few months," she paused, continuing on hesitantly, "then maybe we'll talk about it. I need to know we have something genuine. Not just a fling that was convenient for a little while because I lived on the other side of your wall."

His voice brightened. "
So, you miss me?
"

She sighed. "Yes. I miss you."

"
I miss you, too
." He groaned. "
And I really need a haircut. Come on, I'll fly you down here this weekend
."

"That would be the most expensive haircut, ever."

"
I don't care
."

Her stomach did an ecstatic somersault at the thought of seeing him again. Knowing him, he was dead serious about that haircut, and just crazy enough to fly her down there. But she had to be strong. She thought about the sleepless nights and the heartache he'd caused her. The other women. Wondering if she was really any different from them, in his eyes. Certainly if she saw him again she'd end up in his bed. Then in his house. And then he would find another reason to push her away.

It was the hardest "no" she'd ever had to deliver. "No, Ramon. How about instead of me flying down there, you just call me this weekend?"

He groaned. "
Okay. Saturday night. I'll call you. It'll be a phone date. Seven your time, six my time
."

She smiled. "All right. It's a date."

* * *

Saturday night came, and Marcy waited impatiently. It was ten minutes after seven, and Ramon still hadn't called.

She was angry with herself for trusting him. She had even done her hair and makeup in case he wanted to do a video chat. And, unfortunately, she looked forward to this much more than she probably should have.

Marcy stared at her phone, watching the seconds tick by until it was almost seven-thirty.

And then there was a knock at the door, followed by a familiar voice. "
Hey! It's Andrew! You there? Your light's on
."

She put her hands on her knees and reluctantly lifted from the sofa. "Yeah. Hold on," she grumbled as she shuffled to the door.

When she opened it, Andrew held up a bag. "Chinese takeout. You hungry?"

Smirking, she leaned against the doorjamb. This was an old tradition of theirs before they broke up. Takeout and a movie on Saturday night, unless he was taking her to dinner somewhere.

Marcy eyed him suspiciously. "I'm on a diet."

He huffed. "Screw your diet." He shook the bag at her. "Your favorite. Szechuan Chicken."

She sighed. "This isn't a date."

Andrew grimaced at her. "I get that. We're just two friends eating and watching TV on a Saturday night. You can sit on the couch and I'll take the chair."

Marcy was skeptical. Andrew had been transparent about his intentions lately. But tonight, dejected by Ramon, it might make her feel a little better to have some company. "All right," she said. "You care if I text Felicia? Maybe Sammy?" She figured it would be a great time to reconnect with friends she had been too depressed to talk to, and keep herself from being alone with Andrew… thereby hopefully not leading him on.

Andrew shrugged and walked past her into the living room. "Sure."

"Great." Marcy closed the door. "Help yourself to anything in the kitchen. I'll be back in a few minutes." She hurried to the bedroom to change into something more comfortable—not the tight blouse she wore for Ramon.

* * *

Ramon was stuck in traffic in a rental car, late for his date with Marcy. Armando hooked him up with a private jet to so he could see her in person instead of calling. He knew he'd probably catch hell for surprising her like this, but he didn't care. He was desperate to see her.

And now, he knew he'd catch hell for being late. His plan was to show up at her door at exactly seven o'clock. But seven came and went, and he was in such a hurry that by the time he looked at the clock, it was ten minutes past the hour, and certainly she was pissed. But he'd rather hear about it in person than over the phone.

As cars crept along in front of him, he picked up his phone and almost dialed her number. But shit. Hearing her voice tortured him. He longed to see her and touch her again. Hopefully when she saw him it would startle her enough to make her jump into his arms and move back to the ranch with him. And if not? At least maybe she'd invite him in and he could spend some time alone with her.