Missy's Gentle Giant Read Free

McAllen.” 
Melissa smiled brightly when they stopped for a light.  “You can just let
me off anywhere around here.”
    Ben glanced up at her.  “No,
I’m taking you home.”
    “I wouldn’t advise it.”  Her
bright smile faded.
    “Where do you live?”  He
glared.
    “Turn left at the next
light.”  She stiffened and sat back.
    “Okay, I’ve turned, now
where?”  Ben tried to catch her eyes, but she looked away and said
nothing.  He reached out and touched her shoulder until she looked up,
shaking again.  “Melissa, dammit, where next?”
    “Look, I’m just trying to save your
hide.”
    Ben pulled into the right lane, saw
a wide place and pulled off the road.  He reached up and grabbed Melissa’s
shoulders.  “Now what the hell are you talking about?”
    “I have a father and nine
brothers.  I’m the only girl.”  Her eyes glistened. 
    “So?”
    “I shouldn’t have taken a ride with
you.”
    “What the hell are you talking
about?”
    “Don’t you know anything about
Mexican customs?”
    “Should I?  What’s wrong with
me taking you home?”
    “I don’t know what they’ll do if
they see you—if the neighbors see you.”  She glanced at her hands and then
up again.
    “What in the world would they do?”
    “My father and brothers have this
wild need to make sure I stay home until I’m eighty.”  Her cheeks colored,
and Ben felt a smile coming up from within his insides.  “If they see you
and think something happ—”  Totally embarrassed now, she turned her head
away again.
    He reached out, grabbed her chin and
forced her to look at him.  “What will they do?”
    “Well, they’ll probably beat you
up.”  Shaking again she looked down at her hands. 
    He pulled her chin up until their
eyes met and smiled.  “I’ve got a lot of fight in me.  Are they
bigger than me?”  His eyes gleamed.
    “I don’t think anyone could be
bigger than you.”  She swallowed hard, and her cheeks colored again. 
“But if the neighbors see us—”
    “What if the neighbors see us?”
    “If they start gossiping—” 
She tried to pull away and her shaking increased.
    “If they gossip?”
    “After my family beats you up,
they—”
    “Tell me.”
    “They might make you marry me, and
you’d be sorry!  There, I said it, now just let me have my suitcase and
I’ll walk from here.”  Instantly Ben released her with a surprised
expression.  Still shaking she looked down and reached for the door
handle.
    Suddenly furious, Ben stopped
her.  Both his hands shot up and grabbed her shoulders to pull her around
to face him.  “Either you give me the damn directions to your house or
I’ll take you to a damn motel, call Sanchez Trucking Service and tell them they
can get you there.”
    “You wouldn’t!”  She went pale
and tears jumped into her eyes spilling onto her cheeks.  Her teeth
chattered.
    “Wanna’ make a bet?”  What did
he just say?  “Now give me the damned directions!”
    “G—g—go down four blocks, t—turn
right and g—go two more blocks, t—turn left and it’s the th—third house on the
right.”
    “Thank you!”  He let her chin
go and turned back to the wheel.  What the hell was wrong with him? 
Hell nine brothers and a father could beat him dead!  And force him to
marry the little mite sitting as close to the right door as she could
get?  Never!  What the hell was wrong with him anyhow?  He’d
scared the hell out of her.  She shook all over, and alligator tears
rolled down her cheeks.  What the hell had come over him?  On an
impulse when he reached the last turn, he reached for the horn and let it
blast.  Melissa jumped.  Ben pulled up in front of the white frame
house.  Was he daft?
    Damn what a poor
neighborhood.  How in the hell could Gonzalo’s family live in such a
little house?  Hell, his parents had ten rooms each to themselves plus all
the quarters for the hired help.  If Gonzalo was dealing in coke, he must
be