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so bad about spoiling Ginger’s party.” She gestured towards
her car. “The other pan of enchiladas is on the back seat. Do you want to take
it back to her house?‌”
    At the mention of food, sudden hunger gnawed at my belly. I’d probably
missed a great dinner at Angelina’s. “I’m sure the party is over now. Don’t
worry about it. Get packed and get some sleep. What time were you planning to
leave?‌”
    “Around seven. It’s close to a four hour drive.”
    “I’ll be here.” I started towards my car, but stopped and turned when
a thought struck me. “By the way, where will we be staying overnight?‌ Should we
reserve a motel room?‌”
    An indulgent grin creased her lips as she slowly shook her head. “I
can see you have never been to Sasabe. It is a very small place. Sister
Goldenrod let me stay in one of the rooms she keeps ready for her um…unexpected
guests, or maybe you would want to drive back and find a motel in Green
Valley.”
    “That bad, huh?‌”
    “Not fancy at all,” she said with a little shrug.
    “Well, I’ll bring my sleeping bag in case I have to rough it for a
couple of nights.”
    She thanked me again and I headed to the restaurant nursing my own
pangs of guilt. Crap! Just as I feared. There were only a few cars remaining
in the parking lot when I arrived and Tally’s truck was not among them. I
groaned aloud and goosed the car down the road towards Ginger’s place, dread
pooling inside me as I imagined the impending confrontation—one provoked by my
own impulsive actions.
    When I approached her driveway and saw Tally’s truck parked beneath the
streetlight, my heart did a nervous little dance. He was leaning against the
door twirling his hat in his hands. Not a good sign. Gravel crunched under
the wheels as I braked, jumped from the car and started walking towards him.
Might as well get it over with.
    I was filled with regret. It should have been a night for romance.
The soft breeze caressing my face carried the dusky-sweet scent of desert
plants and felt surprisingly cool. Was this the weather change I’d been
waiting for, the one that would herald an end to the sweltering summer heat?‌
    Silvery moonlight, more brilliant than any I had seen before in my
life, beamed down on me like a spotlight, exposing all my weaknesses. I flashed
Tally a sheepish grin designed to diffuse the situation, but his response sent
my spirits plummeting. The mosaic of light and shadow playing across his
rugged features revealed the tight set of his jaw and the agitation smoldering
in his hooded gaze. Why did he have to look so tall, so imposing and so damned
sexy?‌ Before I could utter one word in my defense, he said coolly, “It’s
really comforting to realize that on your list of important things, I rank
somewhere below Ginger’s dirty dishes and Lupe’s personal problems.”
    “You know that’s not true.”
    “Really?‌ You could have fooled me.” He made an exaggerated point of
staring at his watch then lifted his gaze to me. “All I know is that it’s past
ten o’clock and I’ve spent exactly five minutes with you all evening.”
    “I’m sorry. I had every intention of coming to Angelina’s after…”
    Tersely, he interjected, “After cooking up your little scheme with
Ginger. Shame on both of you. We waited at the restaurant until poor old Nona
finally fell asleep in her chair.”
    I sighed heavily, pressing one hand against my forehead. “I’m sorry.
I don’t know what else to say. But, I was right. Lupe does have a serious
problem and I, unfortunately, am going to have to deal with it.”
    He seemed unimpressed by my explanation and his lips flattened into a
hard line. “Sorry is not going to cut it. I know you’re accustomed to using
deception to wheedle information from other people, but I don’t appreciate you
using it on me and I sure as hell don’t like being put on the spot.”
    Although I probably deserved his wrath, I stuck my chin out and