Mulberry Park by Judy Duarte

Author:Judy Duarte
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Kensington Publishing Corp.
Published: 2008-03-05T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter 12

Claire stopped by the market on the way home and picked up everything she needed to make tacos for dinner. Sam hadn’t asked her to, but it didn’t make sense for them to eat separately when it was no trouble at all to prepare a meal they could share.

Now she stood in the middle of Sam’s kitchen, making herself at home amidst the forest-green walls, mahogany cabinets, and black granite countertops. Once upon a time, she’d enjoyed cooking, so she had to admit, working in a modern and functional room that had to have been designed by someone who loved to cook was a real treat.

While Claire grated cheese, Analisa sat at the table in the nook, coloring a picture. Her back was to a big bay window that looked out into a spacious backyard.

The meal was coming together nicely as Spanish rice, beans, and meat simmered in three different pots on the stove. As a result, the blended aromas of tomato sauce, onions, chili, and cilantro wafted through Sam’s house.

Claire hoped he liked Mexican food.

Just minutes ago, she’d taken a seat at the built-in desk in the kitchen and called the number Trevor had given her. The boy had answered on the second ring, and when Claire had asked to speak to Katie, she’d learned the woman hadn’t gotten home yet.

“I’ll call back another time,” she’d told Trevor. But she couldn’t help feeling uneasy about his lack of supervision.

Outside, a car engine sounded, alerting her to someone’s arrival. As doors began to open and close, she realized Sam was home. Once he entered the kitchen, his gaze lit on Claire and a smile broke across his face. “You’re going to spoil me.”

“Didn’t Hilda ever cook for you?”

“Sometimes. When she knew I’d be late. But I hated to ask more of her than was expected.” Sam made his way to the stove and lifted the lid off the pot of meat. Then he glanced at the package of corn tortillas resting on the countertop. “Mmm. I love tacos.”

“Do you ever fix them yourself?”

“No, I’m not much of a cook.”

“With a kitchen like this? That’s surprising.”

He chuckled. “Not really. I bought this house from a guy who used to be a prep chef at Antoine’s before getting a better position at a restaurant in Sonoma.”

Before Claire could respond, the telephone rang. Sam strode to the desk and answered.

“You’re kidding.” His brow furrowed, and his expression sobered. “All I can say is ‘Wow.’ But I’m not surprised. Thanks for letting me know.”

After hanging up, he turned and slowly shook his head. “I’m sorry about that. You know, even when I do my best to leave my work at the office, it seems to follow me home.”

“Good news?” she asked.

“Yes and no. That was one of my law clerks. The judge assigned to one of my cases had a heart attack and is in the hospital.” Sam walked to the kitchen table, pulled out a chair, and sat next to Analisa.

“That’s too bad,” Claire said.

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