We were almost to the main house when I saw Tee-Tee coming out the front door. I hadn’t had a chance to talk to her yet, but I was certain she could use Rebel’s help, so I pulled up, cut the engine, and waved at her.
“Hey, Tee-Tee. There’s someone I want to introduce you to.” By the time I walked around the truck, Rebel had already climbed out and was shooting a glare at me. When I turned around, Tee-Tee had a similar scowl on her face.
“We’ve already met,” muttered Rebel, who stood where she was, next to the truck.
Maybe I’d regret it, but I decided to forge ahead regardless of whatever was going on between the two women.
“Rebel is quite the chef, Tee-Tee. She’ll be staying on the ranch for some time, and I thought she might be able to help in the kitchen.”
Rebel put her hand on my arm and shook her head when I looked at her. Tee-Tee stood with her arms folded and head cocked.
“We don’t have to talk about this right now.” I was about to open the truck door when I heard Tee-Tee call out to us.
“Wait,” she said, walking closer. When she was within a couple of feet, she looked directly at Rebel. “How are you, Lucy?”
“Fine, Tía. How are you?”
“I heard otherwise.”
I was about to step in, but stopped when Rebel rested her hand on my arm a second time.
“I didn’t kill anyone. I swear on my granddaddy’s grave I didn’t.”
Tee-Tee nodded and took another step closer. “You’d have to be in the kitchen by four for breakfast. You can take a break before and after lunch since not many hands come in, in the middle of the day, but you’ll have to be back by three to start dinner.”
“It’s your decision,” I told Rebel when she looked at me.
“I’d like the opportunity.”
“Meet me in the dining hall in an hour,” Tee-Tee snapped before turning and walking away.
I opened the door and held my hand out to Rebel. She didn’t need my help getting in, but I liked that she took it anyway.
As I climbed into the driver’s side, my first thought was to ask Decker what he knew about Tee-Tee’s relationship with Rebel but decided against it. I’d already asked him to see what he could find out about her mother’s death. If I wanted to get to know the beguiling woman sitting beside me, I couldn’t continue asking questions behind her back. I needed to learn about Rebel’s life directly from her.
“You probably want an explanation,” Rebel said as I pulled the truck into the garage.
“An explanation? No.”
“Tee-Tee isn’t my aunt.”
I turned to face her and nodded.
“When I was a teenager, I’d go to her house sometimes. I was friends with her daughter.”
“You didn’t know she worked here at the ranch?”
Rebel shook her head. “Tee-Tee’s daughter, Blanca, and I lost touch.”
She didn’t make a move to get out of the truck, so I didn’t either.
“Blanca…she was pretty messed up.”
“Is that why you lost touch?”
“Yeah.”
I reached over and took her hand. “I told you before that you don’t owe me an explanation. If this is something you don’t want to talk about, you don’t have to.”