Espejos

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

It was the first time in a while that Carlos had used an actual taxi. Normally he would send for a Lyft or one of those other ride-share services, however those were scarce by the Harlingen airport. He thought that perhaps the major parts of the Rio Grande Valley would have plenty of them, yet no such luck. Even if they did, it wouldn’t guarantee that they would be able to take him to his family’s ranch in the town of Tres Reynas. It was pretty far out there, and even some of the taxis didn’t want to make the trip. So, it came as a relief when one agreed, though he knew it would probably cost him.

Beto, surprisingly, had offered to pick Carlos up from the airport. As convenient as that would have been, he didn’t want to start his trip with more guilt than he’d already come with. Guilt was Beto’s specialty, a weapon he had managed to perfect during the few conversations he’d had with Carlos over the years. Though it hadn’t always been that way.

Beto was two years older than Carlos, but for a while, when they were younger, many people thought they were twins. They both had light brown hair, big brown eyes, and broad builds. As they grew, the differences began to show.

Beto became the more outgoing of the two, a good athlete with tons of friends and an active social life. Carlos, on the other hand, was the shy one. While Beto was out partying with his friends, Carlos would often stay home and write poetry or read the latest thriller that had hit the shelves. He wouldn’t blossom out of his shell until he moved far away.

The one thing Beto always managed to do was protect Carlos. No matter who made fun of him, who tried to beat him up, Beto was there to stop it from happening. Then suddenly, it all changed. Carlos was never exactly sure why his brother became so distant. The only thing he could think of was that he also did not approve of Carlos’s sexuality.

“Almost there,” the cab driver said, breaking Carlos’s train of thought. Carlos looked at the meter. It was high, but thankfully not as high as he’d thought it would be. With his funds now limited, he was counting every penny until he found his next job.

The gate to the ranch was open, and the same sign still hung at the entrance: Arroyo Angeles. The long road to the front of house felt farther than Carlos remembered, however he just chalked that up to his anxiety. The old two-story house was also the same, though you could tell some improvements had been made here and there. There was a fresh coat of white paint on it, and the roof seemed newer.

Carlos smiled. He was glad that his mother was able to keep it up, even after his father’s passing. Though he always knew she would. The woman was warm when she needed to be, although that didn’t mean she ran her house that way. She was made of steel and was strict about how she wanted things. Outside of their longtime housekeeper Virginia, it was hard for the family to keep any of the inside help because of how tough their mom could be. She was the true essence of sugar and spice.

“Need help with your bags?” The cab driver asked.

“No, thank you. I don’t have much.”

Carlos paid him, and as much as it hurt, gave him a nice tip. The man did drive him all this way, so Carlos felt he had to thank him somehow.

Carlos climbed the steps to the main house, unsure of what he was about to face. He realized Beto wouldn’t be the friendliest of greeters, but what about the rest? Who would be behind those doors, waiting to sneer at him the moment he showed his face? The fear was overwhelming, and Carlos almost felt like running after the cab to return home.

As he was contemplating, a nice, cool breeze started brushing across his skin. It was a welcome relief from the blistering Texas heat that was common for the summer. Yet the odd thing was that up until that point, the air had been very dry and still. Not a cloud in the sky, or anything else that would signal such a breeze would occur. Carlos soaked it in as long as he could. He didn’t know when he would have another chance to feel this cool and calm. The small moment allowed him to relax, and he was able to gather the courage he needed to make his way up the steps and to the door.

Carlos picked up his bag and walked up, then lifted his hand to knock on the door. The doorbell was an option, but Carlos wasn’t quite ready to make his presence known just yet. He had no control over how loud the bell would be, but he could knock as softly as he wanted. Before his hand could reach the large door with typical ranch décor, it opened.

Carlos expected to find Beto’s scowling face at the other end of it, but it wasn’t. Instead, standing in front of him was one of the most handsome, rugged men he had ever seen. Dressed in tight jeans and a plaid shirt that was unbuttoned enough to leave some of his seemingly perfect chest exposed, this man was every inch the kind of cowboy many fantasized about.

He was tall, probably around six feet two inches, broad shouldered, and with tan skin that signaled long hours in the sun. His chiseled jawline carried a smile, which was something Carlos had not expected to receive from anyone in the house.

“Hi there, you must be Carlos. I’m Eugenio. I’m one of the new ranch hands your mom hired.” Eugenio extended a large hand to Carlos, who took a second to realize it was there. He just didn’t expect to find someone so handsome and sexy opening the door for him. Carlos couldn’t recall anyone that desirable working for his parents before.

“Um, sorry, I’m a little dazed with the heat. Yes, I’m Carlos. And you are?”

“Eugenio, like I said before.”

Carlos winced internally. He couldn’t believe he was acting so weird, and in front of Eugenio no less. The last thing he needed was for some homophobic cowboy to think Carlos found him attractive. To be fair, if Eugenio did know about Carlos, his demeanor wasn’t expressing anything but kindness.

“That’s right, you did. I’m sorry, it’s the heat.”

“You mentioned that. I guess living up in Austin made you soft to the South Texas heat. No problem, your body will adapt again. Let’s get you out of the sun before you pass out or something worse.”

Eugenio reached for Carlos’s bag and motioned for him to walk ahead of him. Such a gentleman, Carlos thought. I could get used to this. Though it probably won’t happen again.

“Your brother is in the office. Do you remember where that is?”

“Yeah, I think so. How is he doing?”

Eugenio’s smile faded. “I’m really sorry about your loss. Your mom was a good woman. Tough but good. She always treated me with respect. Beto is taking this pretty hard. There are some things going on that he doesn’t want to share. I think it would be best if he explained it to you. I’ll take your bag up to your room. That way you can unpack and rest a bit before we eat.”

Carlos couldn’t help but smile at how nice Eugenio was being. “Thank you so much. It’s okay though; you don’t have to.”

“Carlitos, is that you?” A voice shouted from another room. It was Virginia, the housekeeper. Footsteps could be heard running from upstairs to where they were.

“No worries, that’s what I’m here for. And it’s my pleasure too.” He stuck his hand out again, and Carlos immediately reached out to shake it. There was something about this handshake that felt different than the first one. It lingered a bit more, as if neither of them wanted to let go. Carlos could feel a certain spark emit from Eugenio’s hand and straight to his. He figured it couldn’t be what he thought. Though now the seeds of curiosity were firmly placed.

Eugenio took the bag upstairs and turned once more to smile at Carlos, then moved to avoid a frantic Virginia. If that wasn’t a signal, he didn’t know what else it could be.

“Ay, Carlitos, I’m so glad you are here. I thought we would never see you again. I just wish it was for a better reason,” she said while giving him a big hug. Virginia was a short, full-figured woman with striking silver hair that was always up in a bun. Nothing about her seemed to have changed in the time that Carlos was gone, especially her spitfire personality. That was probably why she and Carlos’s mom he gotten along so well.

“How are you, mijito? Oh, sorry. Stupid question. Of course, I know how you are.” She hugged him again, making sure to squeeze extra tight. “I’m so sorry that this happened. And for it to be that way. I’m going to miss her so much.”

“Me too. Do you know when the funeral is?”

“Beto wanted to talk to you about that. He’s in the office. I can take you to him.”

“No, it’s okay. I remember the way.”

“Yes, that’s right, you do.” She hugged him again. “It’s so good to have you back.”

Carlos enjoyed the hugs. He was afraid that everyone would be upset with him. So far, that wasn’t the case. Of course, he had yet to see Beto.