Page 27 of Redeemed

Jesse backed up a couple of steps when Sofia stood. JT managed to suck in a couple of breaths of oxygen into his lungs, but then the man moved in again, hugging Sofia tight to him, before kissing her on the head and letting her go. Before his head could explode, Jesse was reaching out a hand to him. "Thanks again, man. Amy was in a state. You're really saving the day."

JT reluctantly took the proffered hand. The men stared at each other, both their faces perfectly polite, but their hands trying to crush the other.

The bride's voice broke the stare down. "My name is Amarylis!" his sister corrected him as her fiancé pulled out her chair for her.

"You'll always be Amy to me, cuz, so get used to it!" Jesse teased her good naturedly, dropping JT's hand.

JT wanted to shake the thing out and rub some feeling back into it but wouldn't dare while the man was still standing there. He settled for taking two steps and draping an arm over Sofia's shoulders. She wrapped an arm around his waist and squeezed. He found another breath. And another, settling himself with the contact. They started toward the door when Jesse spoke again. "I may have another event for you," he said. The trio from Common Grounds turned to face him. "Give me a call when you get a minute next week, Sof, and I'll run it by you. You've got my number."

Sofia gave him a brief smile. "Sure, Jesse, sounds good."

It was all JT could do not to throw her over his shoulder and hightail it out of the building before the man could speak again. When they finally made it back to his truck, he let out a long breath.

"You okay?" Sofia asked.

"Fine. Everything's fine," JT answered tightly, beeping open the locks and opening the passenger doors for his sister and Sofia.

He reached deep for calm as he started the engine and drove out of the parking lot. He had lots of questions for Sofia but knew it wouldn't do to get into anything with his sister in the backseat. He searched for something neutral to say to hide his discomfort.

Chapter twenty-five

Doubts and Decisions

JTturnedtoSofiaas they all settled back in the car. "So, menudo."

She looked at him in confusion. She knew he couldn't be happy that Jesse showed up, but he hadn't said anything yet. She was trying to wrap her head around his non sequitur. "Yeesss?" she drew out the word, her eyebrows raised.

"I've heard of it, but that's the sole extent of my knowledge." He huffed out a breath and rubbed the back of his neck. Food was neutral, right? And he did need to figure out this part of the menu. "Think your mom has a recipe for that as well as the tamales?" JT asked. Amarylis was adamant it be available, so he was going to have to figure the dish out. She swore it was a hangover cure for everyone that would be partying and drinking long into the night and would be expected. She'd told him she'd never live it down if they didn't have menudo.

Sofia broke out in a wide smile. "Of course, she does. Menudo is a staple at any party," she informed him. "But it takes a long time to cook."

"Do you think your mom would school me in tamalesandmenudo?"

Sofia bit her lip in thought. Her mother still wasn't thrilled she was dating JT, but she was also a very generous person. Surely if he asked politely, her mother would agree to share her knowledge with him. "I'm pretty sure she would," she replied. "We'll call her tonight and ask, okay?"

JT tried to flash her his regular 1,000-watt grin, but it probably only made it to 500. He would have to do better. Sofia deserved better than him going all caveman on her over the man mountain. She was with him now, and it was real. Right? "Sounds great. Thanks."

"You're welcome." she said leaning over the console to kiss him quickly. She then pried one of his hands from the steering wheel where his knuckles were turning white and gave it a squeeze. He squeezed back grateful for the contact while they continued to gaze at each other. He wasn't sure what he was looking for. Something to quell his doubts? Something that told him she was all in with him and Jesse meant nothing to her? That her smile for him was different? Meant more than the one she had flashed at Jesse a few minutes ago?

"Oh, for heaven's sake. Quit staring at each other like a couple of lovesick cows," Maggie complained from the backseat. "I need to get home and get my cankles up!"

JT rolled his eyes at his sister, breaking his and Sofia's searching gaze. He reluctantly took back his hand and started the truck. "Don't even go there, sister mine," he shot back. He could razz his sister on autopilot and it was as good a distraction as any. A distraction was exactly what he needed right now. "How many hours of cow eyes did I have to live through with you and Zane over the last year? And that's not even counting all the half-naked breakfasts I walked in on!"

"Joshua Trent! That is such a lie! There were never any half-naked breakfasts in our house!" Maggie replied indignantly.

"Might as well have been," JT teased. "I got scared to cook anything in there before I bleached down all the surfaces and my eyeballs!"

Maggie smacked him in the back of the head. "That is so not true! Don't listen to him, Sofia!"

Sofia giggled. Thank God for Maggie. She didn't know exactly what that look JT had been giving her was. Honestly, she wasn't sure she wanted to know. It was almost sad. She tried to put away her concerns as she listened to the siblings good natured ribbing on the way back to Gladewater. She told herself to soak up the love and relish being with two of her favorite people. She was determined to let herself forget all about Jesse and their past and focus on JT and her future.

That evening, JT paced while Sofia got her mother on the phone. Now, more than ever, he wanted to impress Mrs. Benevides. And he really needed her to help him. After what felt like an hour of rapid-fire Spanish, Sofia finally held the phone out to him.

JT swallowed. "Hi, Mrs. Benevides," he said.

"Hello, JT. Sofia said you want to ask me something," the woman addressed him sharply.So much for pleasantries.

"Yes, ma'am," he started. "Sofia says you make the best tamales and menudo around and, well, I really need to learn to make both of those things. " JT rubbed the back of his neck. "I was hoping you'd agree to teach me. I believe in learning from the best."