Caballeros

Sharing Tragedies

*****This Chapter may contain Triggers for some********

Joaquin

I look out of the corner of my eye and watch her; she is giving me side eyes too. I can't help but laugh. She gets a scowl on her face and huffs and puffs; oh my stubborn beauty. She folds her arms over her chest; she is full on pout mode. I belly laugh which makes my arm hurt and I wince out in pain.

"That's what you get," she says trying not to laugh.

"See that is why I'm not telling you." I tease with a sly smile.

"Baaaaabe!" She whines.

"Okay fine. What do you want to know?" I finally give into her cuteness.

"Did you buy the land near the lake?"

"I found out last month that it was up for sale from my cousin. I couldn't fathom someone else buying our special spot. So I bought it."

"Wait last month? Before I even moved here?"

"I had a gut feeling telling me to buy it and I am so glad that I listened for once in my life. Best choice I ever made besides marrying you Darlin."

"My daddy said it went on sale last week though."

"It was listed as sold last week. So it looked like it was put up and purchased right away. I wanted to keep it quite incase the sale didn't go through. It was finalized last week."

"Wait, no offence you had the money to buy it?"

"None taken, I had a large inheritance from when my mama and daddy died. A lot of the money was from my Mama's family; they were in the oil business. They didn't speak to my Mama for a long time because she married my daddy."

"Why?"

"Because they thought she was throwing her life away marrying a bull rider and a Mexican on top of that. I didn't know my mama was white until she died."

"Wait you didn't know she was white?"

"No she only spoke Spanish in the house and made Mexican food. Her nanny was a Mexican woman that spoke no English. She was who I thought was my grandmother until Mama died. She wanted to take me to live with her but you know my Abuela she wasn't having any of it."

"Did you ever meet your mother's parents?"

"Yes, I met them at the funeral; I met them and they wanted to have a relationship with me but Abuela fought them tooth and nail. When I moved with my uncle is when I got to know my grandparents."

"How did they treat you?"

"Like I was the golden child; I am their only grandson. I was left a lot when they died and I wanted to be responsible with what they left me."

"Is that where you go those beautiful blue eyes from?"

"It is, my grandfather and I have the same eyes."

"Can I ask you how they died; I heard a lot of things as a kid."

"Like what?"

"That someone killed them; someone cut your dad's breaks stuff like that."

"They did die in a car accident. A drunk driver hit them head on when they were coming back from a rodeo. Mama died on impact and daddy died a week later."

"Where were you?"

"I had the flu and had to stay home with my Grandmother," I say. "Can I ask how your mama died? I have heard somethings too but I wanted you to tell me but I was scared to ask. What I said at the bar that day about you being crazy I didn't mean you know that right?"