Read Texas Bossa Nova (Texas Montgomery Mavericks Book 5) for Free Online Page B

made myself clear?”
    Reno swallowed the bite of sandwich he’d been chewing. “Clear. And I completely agree. Darren?” He looked over at his brother.
    “Got it. Damn, Magda, you’re one straight-shooting talker.”
    She leaned back in the chair. “Yep, I am. Another thing is that I expect you two not to make my job even more difficult by being total slobs. That means leave your mud, manure and blood-coated boots outside. If I find them in the house, you’ll find them outside in a tree where they’ll land when I toss them out the door. Understood?”
    Both men nodded, and Reno suppressed a smile. Darren had no idea that Magda was serious, nor how their lives were going to change.
    That evening, Magda had dinner ready when they got home. She also had a list of supplies and food stock that she needed to get for the house. As at lunch, Magda joined them at the kitchen table to talk about her list and how they wanted to cover expenses. Reno noticed that while she would sit with them at the table, she’d yet to eat with them.
    “Aren’t you going to eat?” Reno asked around a bite of roast.
    “I’ve eaten,” Magda said. “Thank you. Now about this list…”
    Reno pulled his wallet from his back pocket, pulled out a credit card and pushed it across the table toward her. “Charge them.”
    She eyed the card as though he were handing her a lit stick of dynamite. “Um, don’t you think the merchants might figure out that I’m not Reno Montgomery?”
    Darren chuckled. “Damn straight. He’s ugly as a rock. You, on the other hand, are as beautiful as—”
    He didn’t get to finish his statement. Magda slapped the back of his head.
    “Ouch. What’d you do that for?” Darren rubbed his head.
    “I told you today. No inappropriate comments.”
    Reno jerked his glass of iced tea to his mouth to keep from laughing.
    “That wasn’t inappropriate. I was just going to say—” He ducked his head to the side as Magda lifted her hand. “Never mind. I wasn’t going to say anything.”
    She smiled and placed her hand in her lap. “Now, as I was saying, we need a way for me to pay for necessary supplies while I’m here.”
    Reno swallowed more tea and then said, “I’ll call the bank tonight. They have a twenty-four-hour helpline. I’ll just add you to my card. If there is any problem, we can get together cash until we can get a card for you to use. I’d rather use credit so we can track the expenses, not that I’m saying you would take the cash and run, I mean, I’m not and… Why are you laughing?”
    Magda’s laughter filled the room. To him, the sound was rain falling in a parched field. Refreshing. Revitalizing. But mostly, life affirming. He hadn’t realized how much hearing her laughter would hug his heart.
    “You,” she said, trying to catch her breath. “You backpedaling from saying I might steal all one hundred of your dollars.”
    “You ought to slap him on the head,” Darren suggested.
    “You stay out of this,” Reno growled. “I didn’t say that I think you’d steal cash.”
    She smiled. “We’ll get me a credit card. That’ll take care of the issue.” She stood. “I’ll let you guys finish dinner. I’m going to walk outside and call Zeb to check on him.”
    The screen door snapped shut behind Magda as she left.
    “Well,” Darren said, setting his fork down. “She’s a little intense, isn’t she? Or is it just me?”
    Reno smiled. “Intense lady. Really, she’s quite nice once you can get through the hard outer shell.”
    “Like an M&M?”
    Reno laughed. “Yeah, but don’t let her hear you call her an M&M, not if you value the back of your head.”
    “I don’t get it. How come you know her and I don’t?”
    “I’ve spent more time at Kicking Bull Ranch than you. Remember before we bought this place I came out for a couple of weeks to do some research before you arrived?”
    “Yeah. I remember.”
    “I’d planned to stay with KC, but I spent so much time going