Chapter 27

The blazing Texas sun bared down on a flustered Gwen as she waddled off the plane with a bottle of water in one thand and a makeshift fan in the other. She waited for the stretch limousine Harrison Fox had promised will be waiting for her upon her arrival.

She had shed her business attire and was now wearing one of the causual dresses and pair of sandals she had brought for the trip. She had her hair swept up in a f rench roll to help her stay cool.

"This heat is unnatural!" She cried out loud. She mopped her face with a damp tissue. "I'm going to have a h heatstroke!"

"Miss Hotchkiss!" She heard a familar voice yelled. "Gwen!" She turned around and saw Colyer, looking sexier than hell. standing next to a pickup truck, waving his hand frantically in the air.

She rolled her eyes upward and groaned. "I should have known."

Colyer smile quickly disappered as Gwen approached the truck.

"Do you know how hot it is?" She questioned. "A person can die in this weather, I could have sworn I saw a couple of buzzards circling me."

Colyer took off his stetson and handed it to Gwen. "So I guess that you had a pleasant flight." Colyer said sarcastically. He threw her bags in the back of his truck.

Gwen gaped at him.

"What happened to the limo?"

"Look Gwen..."

"Okay, okay forget it!" She yelled. "I don't have time to listen to your lame excuses! I'm hot, hungry and have twenty pounds pressing against my bladder so I am not in the mood."

Colyer bit his tounge to prevent himself from saying something he might regret later and helped her in the truck. He turned on the AC full blast and put on a nice mellow jazz CD to ease the tension between them.

"If you're hungry, we can stop at a place I know call El Toro's." He suggested. "They have excellent food." The baby kicked as if to say 'Okay.'

Gwen patted her stomach and grinned. "It seems the baby approve of your choice." She said.

"Huh?"

"She kicked when you mentioned El Toro's." She explained.

Colyer glanced at her swollen belly and smiled.

"She is pretty smart." He complimented.

"She takes after her mother's side of the family." Colyer thought about Ethan and chuckled.

"I believe that." He said. "And I'm sure she takes after her mother's side of the family in looks too."

"Compliments will not get you any where." She said to herself. She narrow her eyes and said outloud: "How's Victoria?"

Colyer's face turned crimson as he tighten his hands around the steering wheel.

"I'd wondered how long..." He stopped in midsentence. "I don't want to argue with you." He said calmly. "But I will clear the air about my so-call engagement when I'm ready."

Gwen wanted to ask him to explained but decided she was better off leaving him alone - for now.

****

Colyer pulled into the nearly vacant parking lot of the small, isolated blue building, in the middle of no where.

"I know it doesn't look like much on the outside." He said. "But do not let that fool you."

The aroma of fijita meat grilling on the barbeque pit in the back of the restuatant caused the baby to kick even more.

This time Colyer saw the baby move. "Wow, how awesome!" He exclaimed.

Gwen giggled as she gently caressed her unborn child. "We better get in there quick." She said. "I'm not sure how much longer the she will wait."

Colyer escorted Gwen into the restuarant "Hello!" He yelled. "Is anyone here?" He lead her to his favorite table and seated her. "I'll be right back." He promised before vanishing in the back.

Gwen leaned back in the comfortable chair and rested her weary body as she enjoyed the colorful decor of the room. She took off her sunglasses and folded her arms on top of her belly and let the air from the ceiling fans worked it's magic on her.

A few minutes later she heard the faint sound of salsa music dancing in the air, she thought of Sheridan and Luis sizzling tango moves and grinned. From the kitchen she heard Colyer speaking fluent spanish followed by a round of laughter.

Her eye lids began to droop...

"Gwen wake up!" Colyer whispered. "Gwen..." She began to stir...

"She's much prettier than that other one." She heard a female voice whispered. "No wonder you can't get her out of your system."

"Hush Mama, she might hear you." He whispered hoarsely.

Gwen opened her eyes - staring back at her was the friendly eyes of an elegant, elderly Hispanic woman.

"Oh sorry." She mummbled embarrassingly. "I didn't mean to fall asleep."

"Ah pooh." The woman said "You're with child, you need your rest."

She shouted several orders in Spanish, a little girl no older than nine came from the back carrying several large pillows. She handed them to her grandmother.

This is my granddaughter Nina." She said proudly. "Nina say hello to our guest." Nina giggled and ran back to the kitchen. "My name is Rosa by the way, but everyone calls me Mama. Welcome to my restuarant." She placed the pillows on a chair and ordered Gwen to put her feet up.

Gwen opened her mouth to protest when Colyer walked up to the table with a tall glass of mint-lemon iced tea.

"I won't argue with Mama if I were you." He replied as he placed the glass in front of her. "You would lose everytime." He winked at Mama. "Well at least I do." He grinned.

Mama hit him playfully and laughed. "That's because I have lived longer and therefore are wiser than you."

Gwen placed her feet on the comfortable pillows.

"Feeling much better?"

"Yes mam, thanks." She repled.

"Carlos, my dear sweet husband, spoiled me rotten with each pregnancy." She smiled. "He would sing to me while he massaged my tired and swollen feet." She sighed dreamily. "When God made him, He broke the mold."

"Do I hear someone calling my name?" A kindly gentleman came up and kissed Rosa on the cheeks. He smiled at Gwen "And who do we have here?" He asked.

"This is a friend of Colyer, her name is Gwen." She emphasized.

"Oh Gwen." He said knowingly.

Colyer cheeks turned pink. "Uh...Gwen and I are business partners." He explained quickly, hoping Carlos would take the hint.

It worked.

"Nice to meet you Gwen." Carlos said.

"It's nice to meet you too sir." She said. She eyed Colyer suspiciously and wondered what he had been saying about her.

"I'll go and check on our dinner." He said.

"Colyer is a good man." Mama said once he was out of earshot. "He have a kind heart...sometimes he's too kind for his own good..."

"Mama, I'm sure Gwen doesn't want to hear about Colyer." Carlos said, "Right Gwen?"

Gwen took a sip of her tea and smiled.

Her curiosity has been peaked.