She shrugged, glancing at Isaiah with a smile. Kelli wasn’t sure if he meant right now or when she was off the phone. “Also tell him to make sure he seasons early and seasons often. The chili should be cooked low and slow.”
The male voice in the background got louder and clearer as if he’d gotten closer to Manny’s voice. “Is that my brother?”
Kelli’s heart skipped. She couldn’t tell if it was AJ or Nathan. Manny told him he still had more chili cooking tips to give. Then the phone muffled and the other voice was talking.
“Hey, ass, how come you didn’t tell me about this? I don’t have to report back to the station for another three days. I could’ve flown out there, and we could’ve been the much-better-looking Romero brothers’ chili tag team.”
If it weren’t because Isaiah’s hands were literally full—he actually looked as if he could use another hand—Kelli would’ve shoved the phone at him. “This is um . . . Raquel.” She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, unbelievably grateful she’d gotten into the habit of introducing herself as Raquel before adding, “But if you wanna wait a second—”
She stopped when she saw how adamantly Isaiah shook his head and mouthed the words “Hell no!”
“Actually, he’s gonna be busy for a while.”
“Raquel?” Nathan’s voice turned playful. “So are you his assistant today? You better-looking than me? We look a lot alike in case you’re wondering. Only I got a lot more muscle.”
Laughing nervously, she gave Isaiah a pleading expression, but it only made him laugh. “You answered it. You’re talking to him.”
“Yeah, he’s, uh, doing most of the cooking. So I guess that makes me his assistant.”
She was not about to address his second question. Incredibly, she heard Manny say something about Nathan needing to stop bothering them while they were trying to concentrate on the chili. One of the female voices in the background asked something about Isaiah.
“Any news on when my brother can come home?”
“A few weeks at the longest,” she offered, trying to think of something—anything—she could say to cut the call. “I have to—”
“You coming with him?” Nathan purred. “I’m actually way better looking than he is. Just thought you should know.” That nearly stopped her heart; then he laughed. “I’m just playing with you, sweetheart. Tell Sai his sisters are gonna kill him the moment they see him. We all could’ve easily made it out there for the weekend.”
“Okay, I’ll let him know. He needs me to help him now.”
Nathan wished her and Sai good luck before finally ending the nerve-wracking call. She turned to see Isaiah rifling through all the containers on the table. “Shit, don’t tell me I left the peppers at the house.”
Kelli’s eyes opened wide as she put Isaiah’s phone down, and she began scouring their area, searching for them. “I could’ve sworn we brought them.”
The peppers were like the number one ingredient Manny had harped on so much. It had to be these specific types of peppers and no others. Luckily, they’d found them at the farmers’ market and now they’d forgotten them? Then it hit her and she grabbed the keys. “They’re in the backseat on the floor. I didn’t want them to get smashed, so I separated them from everything else.”
With that, she was off sprinting toward the car. Once back with their key ingredient, it was on. The rest of the time they spent cooking felt almost like one of those cooking shows they’d been watching together lately, the competitive ones where it always seemed to come down to the wire. As unnerving as it was to be constantly checking how they were doing on time and getting it all to come together, Kelli had a blast. They spent more time laughing and sneaking in kisses than they did worrying about getting it perfect. Isaiah even laughed about how annoyed Manny would be if he could see them.
When they were finally done and their judging bowl was collected, they were able to relax and just enjoy passing out the samples to festival attendants. They got so many compliments on the chili they felt pretty confident they’d at least place—something that excited Kelli to no end and had Isaiah laughing and kissing her every time she smiled, giddy from the compliments.
“Manny doesn’t relax at all during these things until it’s completely over and he’s won.” Isaiah laughed during one of their breaks from the herds of people coming by for a sample. “What’d he want by the way?” he asked, already rolling his eyes.
Things had gotten so hectic right after she’d hung up, Kelli had completely forgotten to even mention it. It made her nervous to even say Nathan’s name, but keeping to herself that she’d talked to him would probably be worse. “Basically,” she said as they both sipped a beer, “to season early and often and cook low and slow.”
Isaiah laughed, shaking his head, then pulled her to him. “That guy is too much.”
“I also talked to Nathan.”
Instantly, the smile was gone, but he seemed more worried than angry. “You did?”
Kelli nodded, trying to read him. “He took the phone from your uncle to scold you about not telling him about today. He said he was off for the next three days and could’ve easily made it out.”
To her relief, Isaiah smirked. “Yeah, that would’ve been fun. What else did he say?”
With a lift and drop of a shoulder, Kelli sipped her beer again before glancing away. “As soon as I told him I was Raquel and that you had your hands full, he asked if I was your assistant and then if I knew when you’d be home. I told him a few weeks.”
That was all she was giving him. Kelli was not about to tell him how playful Nathan had gotten with her. It wasn’t as if Nathan knew who she really was. It served no purpose, and she didn’t want Isaiah thinking even for a second that she’d enjoyed it. Thankfully, that seemed to satisfy him because he squeezed her tighter then kissed her softly. The kiss deepened, making her tingle everywhere as his passionate kisses usually did, until they heard someone clear his throat.
Isaiah pulled away immediately, almost annoyed, but his expression softened when he saw who it was. “So it’s like that now?” Matt said as he and Lori stood there, holding hands and smiling silly.
They’d already been by a few times earlier, but they hadn’t had a chance to chat, and Isaiah hadn’t been all over her as he had been moments earlier.
Kelli ignored the question, licking her still-wet lips. “Are you two back for more chili?”
Matt put his hand over his belly. “God, no! We’ve had so much chili I won’t be eating any for a few months now.” He glanced around then leaned in, lowering his voice a bit. “Some of the chili sucked ass! We had to spit out a few.”
Isaiah and Kelli laughed. “Did it really?” Kelli asked then turned to Isaiah. “Why would anyone go through all the trouble of entering with suck-ass chili?”
“They probably don’t think it sucks.” Isaiah laughed.
“I hope no one said that about ours,” Kelli said with a sudden drop in confidence.
“Oh, no,” Lori said immediately. “Yours was probably one of the best we had. And I’m not just saying that. It really was.”
They chatted for a bit more until another herd came by. Matt let Kelli know where’d they’d be watching a band play and drinking beer so they could meet them there later.
Once they were out of chili and they knew it’d still be a while before the winners were announced, they strolled around the festival. For as small a town as this was, the crowds were huge, and they had a ton of vendors that didn’t even have anything to do with the chili cook-off. They ended up by the band for a while with Matt and Lori then headed to where they’d be announcing the winners of the cook-off.
With so many entrants, Kelli would’ve been happy to be named as one of the ten honorable mentions after the first five initial winners. So both she and Isaiah were floored when they announced the results.
On their way home, they called Manny to give him the news. He’d called several times during the announcing ceremonies, which
seemed to go on forever. But Isaiah had sent all his calls to voicemail, and while Kelli felt bad, she refused to answer and risk having to talk to Nathan again.
“Third place out of almost a hundred,” Isaiah informed Manny as soon as he answered.
Manny laughed then announced it to the family members, who instantly chanted in the background. “I’ll take it. Me and Max didn’t even place until our fifth or sixth competition and this was your first time. Just goes to show how good that recipe has gotten.”
“Let me talk to him,” a guy in the background said, and this time Kelli knew for sure it was Nathan.
Trying not to stiffen too much in her seat, she braced herself. Manny argued with Nathan for a few seconds about not being done talking to Isaiah yet, but in the end, Nathan convinced him he just wanted to ask him something real quick, and it was his voice coming in over the speakers.
“Hey, Sai, your assistant said you’d be home in a few weeks. You got a date yet?”
“No, nothing specific, but it shouldn’t be long now.”
“Alright, well, let me know as soon as you have one. The guys down at the station are trying to get a golf tournament together in the next month or so. Me and Kendricks want you on our team.”
“I don’t know if I want you two on my team,” Isaiah said with a smirk. “You two suck.”
“Stupid, I beat your ass last time we played.”
Isaiah laughed, and Kelli knew for sure she’d never get enough of seeing that smile on his face. Just looking at him had her inhaling deeply and smiling all goofily.
“Hey,” Nathan said. “How ’bout that assistant? The girl you’re watching? She hot? She sounded cute.”
Isaiah’s big smile flattened slowly. “You’re on my car speakers. She can hear everything you’re saying.”
Nathan was quiet for a moment then laughed. “Oh, yeah? That’s okay. She was the one flirting outrageously with me today when I spoke with her. It’s the only reason I’m asking.” Kelli’s widened eyes met with Isaiah’s as she adamantly shook her head. “I mean you should’ve seen me blushing over here.”
“You’re full of shit,” Isaiah finally said and Nathan laughed.
“Damn it. I blew it with the blushing thing, huh?” He chuckled some more. “Or I would’ve had you.”
“Oh yeah”—Isaiah rolled his eyes with a smirk—“you would’ve had me.”
Manny was saying something again in the background. “Alright, alright, relax,” he said to Manny. “Sai, I gotta go before this guy bursts a ’roid. Just be sure to let me know as soon as you gotta date so I can set this thing up, k?”
“I will.”
“Bye, Raquel,” he added in that same murmuring way he had earlier.
“Bye, Nathan,” she said, feeling her face warm but not because she was blushing.
Well, maybe she was, but not for the normal reasons a girl does when a good-looking guy flirts with her. This was by far way more awkward than she’d imagined it would be. And that was saying a lot because she’d imagined it would be very uncomfortable when it finally came time to be around Nathan and the rest of his family as Isaiah’s girl. She was dreading it so much. Already this felt beyond awkward, and Nathan didn’t even know who she really was. How in the world was she going to deal with this when they got back?
Chapter 22: A Helluva Friend
Isaiah
The packing boxes on the kitchen counter were his first clue. Kelli on the phone was another, but before he could ask, she lifted a finger for him to give her a second. “Yes, I’d like to order a moving pod.”
Isaiah listened curiously. This was the first he was hearing of this. The only thing Kelli had mentioned about her things here was that she didn’t have a whole lot to pack. She had a second car at home that she could use until she had this one delivered, but Isaiah had figured they could rent a moving truck and drive back. And he certainly didn’t expect her to be doing any of this now. Her dad still hadn’t given them the go-ahead for her to move back.
“I’m not sure. I have a car and maybe eight to ten medium boxes of stuff. No furniture.”
Glancing around, Isaiah took in everything in the small house. He knew the furniture had come with the house, and she’d mentioned before it was staying. But there were quite a few things she’d bought since she moved in. Eight to ten boxes?
Since it appeared she might be on the phone for a while, Isaiah started back to the bedroom where he’d left his phone. He was curious now if maybe he’d missed something while he’d been out in the garage. He’d gone out after breakfast to put everything they’d used for the cookout away. The window screen leaning against the wall next to the bed made him frown. But he supposed, if her dad had called to say it was safe to move back, Kelli would think it okay to take it off again as she’d been doing before the last cat scare. Isaiah grabbed his phone, surprised he had no missed calls from Moe.
By the time he got back in the kitchen, Kelli was off the phone. “You ordered a moving pod?”
Kelli glanced up from the box she was packing. “Yeah, I got to thinking. The last time I spoke with my dad he said we were close. There was just one holdout being stubborn and still making threats—the most notorious of the bunch. But as soon as they can agree to something with him, I’ll be good to go.”
Isaiah walked up from behind her, bringing his arms around her waist, and kissed her nape. “So he hasn’t actually given the green light?”
“No, but it sounds close, and I figured I’ve been gone long enough. The day he does I wanna be ready to go, not still have to take care of all this.”
“It wouldn’t take long to pack what you have into a truck and take off with it almost the same day he says you can go.”
If Isaiah hadn’t been pressing his body up against hers the way he had, he might’ve missed how she seemed to stiffen. “My things are staying here.”
She turned around to face him as he stared at her, confused. “Why?”
“I don’t have anywhere to store them in La Jolla. At least not until I find a place.”
It had crossed Isaiah’s mind what their living arrangements would be once they got back. He just thought they still had time before they’d have to discuss it. “You said you don’t have a lot of stuff. You could keep it at my place.”
Kelli shook her head almost too fast. “This is easier. I already have a pod back home with all my stuff from La Jolla from when I first had to move so abruptly. It’s convenient this way. As soon as I find a new apartment, I’ll just have them drop both pods off there, and I’ll unload them at once.”
A noise in the bedroom distracted them momentarily, and Isaiah was reminded of something. “Babe, that screen in the bedroom . . . I told you not to take it off anymore. That cat—”
“I haven’t taken it off since the last time.”
That revelation and a second thump in the bedroom had Isaiah reaching for his gun. His heart hammered in his chest, remembering how he’d almost left it on the nightstand that morning. No way had that cat knocked that screen in, not with the way it was leaning against the wall.
“Stay here,” he said, rushing to the hallway but slowing before turning the corner. The second he turned he saw the man ready to jump out the window. “Freeze right there!” Isaiah shouted, pointing his gun at the guy, and the guy froze right on the window ledge, holding his hands up. “Don’t you fucking move!”
“Throw it!” he heard the guy say.
Just as Isaiah reached the bedroom door, something flew into the window and exploded, making Isaiah jump back. The room was instantly in flames and engulfed in smoke. Isaiah ran back into the front room. “Fire extinguisher!” He pointed to the kitchen where he remembered seeing one.
Kelli ran to it and grabbed it. The moment she handed it to Isaiah he told her to call 911 and rushed back to the bedroom. Isaiah pulled his shirt over his nose, mindful that it’d only take a few deep breaths of the toxic smoke to knock him out in that room. He worked fast to spray the bas
e of the fire. Making progress, he threw a blanket over another one of the flare-ups off to the side when it suddenly hit him.
“Kelli!” he called out, looking behind him.
He gave her a couple of seconds to respond. When she didn’t, he started to the front room.
“Fuck!”
How could he be so stupid? His heart pummeled in his chest at the thought of this fire being a diversion for him, a way to get his eyes off her just long enough to—“Kelli!”
She was nowhere in the house, but he heard something out front. Completely panic-stricken now, he dropped the extinguisher and charged to the front door. Just as he got there, he nearly collided with an equally panicked-looking Kelli.
“Oh, thank God!” he said, wrapping his arms around her.
Their embrace was short-lived because right behind her were the firefighters. Isaiah let them know it could likely be put out with just an extinguisher. Within minutes, they had the fire out, but Isaiah knew firsthand they’d still have to do a sweep of the attic to check for any lingering hotspots.
The bed took most of the damage from the small bottle bomb thrown in the room It was small enough that Isaiah could only assume they didn’t mean for it to cause any real harm, just give them enough time to get away—which was exactly what happened.
Without Kelli giving up her real identity, the police took the report down while the fire department helped clean out some of the charred remnants in the bedroom. The mess made it appear worse than it was. As soon as Isaiah was able to figure out the source of the main fire—the bottle bomb—he’d concentrated on putting that out then the blankets that had caught fire. It was mostly out by the time the fire department had arrived. Still, they wouldn’t be sleeping there tonight.
They spent the rest of the day cleaning up the mess. Kelli was on and off the phone with her dad while Isaiah did the same with Moe. That evening, and not a moment too soon, they got the call they’d been anticipating for weeks. In Kelli’s case, months.
“You’re good to go.” Moe chirped as soon as Isaiah answered.