Centaur Redemption (Touched Series) Read Online Free
Author: Nancy Straight
donkey and cart, around a corner too tight for a Lotus, and on a dirt road with ruts large enough to hide small sports cars.
Drake's cell phone rang, then Gage's, then Brent's. Gretchen's voice echoed in my head, " What's going on? This isn't the way to the airport. "
I heard Drake, Gage and Brent answering similar questions to whomever had called them. " Bianca decided to take a detour for lunch. It won't take long. "
We were driving deep into the jungle. If it had been anyone other than Bianca, I would have been worried – but so far, each of her “ideas” had been amazing.
When our SUV came to a stop, we were in a market of sorts. I use that term loosely. All four vehicles wedged themselves into a secluded parking lot. There were men dressed in some sort of ceremonial bird costumes asking if we wanted to take our picture with them. A small train waited for a child who wanted to pay the few pesos for a ride that looked like Barnum and Bailey may have retired it half a century ago. Shops lined each side of us offering souvenir t-shirts at five dollars each, ugly statues of characters I couldn’t identify, and thousands of coffee mugs, glasses, key chains and every other trinket one might find in a tourist trap.
I tugged on Bianca’s shirt, “ This is your favorite place?”
Her perfect smile shone back at me. “What? Not into the local culture?”
“Where are we? How is this your favorite place?”
“There are some Mayan ruins a couple miles down the road – Tulum. Gage and I found this place when we were here for our honeymoon. When cruise ships pull into port, this place is swamped with people, but today, we won’t have to fight the tourists for a decent burrito. Follow me.”
Bianca walked past all the vendors without so much as a second glance at them. She smiled and shook her head as she passed the bird men. She took us to a restaurant – sort of a restaurant. There was a huge grill, a counter, plastic tables and chairs sprinkled around a room. I could hear Will on his phone trailing behind us, “. . . Delay an hour. Make sure we’re fueled and ready to go.”
Will, Gretchen, Bruce, Hannah, Beau, Lacey, Ben, Bart, Brent, and Katherine hung back a little taking in the place. Bianca, Drake, Gage, and I were looking at the menu written in English on a chalk board on the back wall. The man greeting us was quick to offer suggestions. My stomach rumbled with delight at the smells emanating from the grill.
Having grown up in San Diego, I’d eaten at Erlbertos most of my life. My order there was always the same – Carne Asada Burrito and an ice cold Coke. The smell of this place made me homesick for the cuisine of San Diego. None of the Erlbertos were five star restaurants, but the memory of how much I loved their food came rushing into me as the aroma of this place assaulted me.
We ordered and what was delivered to our tables was nothing short of burrito heaven. I was on my second bite when Bianca slid her hand over my lunch. “Wait, you’ve got to try the hot sauce.”
Gage shook his head, “No, she doesn’t. Just because you’re trying to burn a hole in your stomach doesn’t mean you should try to inflict agony on your friends!”
Bianca shot back, “Oh stop. This sauce is pure flavor.”
Gage turned to me and warned, “Don’t listen to her. I put some of it on my burrito and burned my taste buds off. I couldn’t taste anything for a week!”
Bianca rolled her eyes and gave her best southern belle accent, “You, my love, are exaggerating.” She turned to me, “Cami, live a little.”
I didn’t even like spicy salsa. After Gage’s warning, there was no way I was trying any of her hot sauce. “Hmmm, I think I’ll pass this time.”
She grabbed a thin short bottle labeled, “Atomic Sauce.” She didn’t use it sparingly, and even the man behind the counter warned, “Es muy caliente,
Drake's cell phone rang, then Gage's, then Brent's. Gretchen's voice echoed in my head, " What's going on? This isn't the way to the airport. "
I heard Drake, Gage and Brent answering similar questions to whomever had called them. " Bianca decided to take a detour for lunch. It won't take long. "
We were driving deep into the jungle. If it had been anyone other than Bianca, I would have been worried – but so far, each of her “ideas” had been amazing.
When our SUV came to a stop, we were in a market of sorts. I use that term loosely. All four vehicles wedged themselves into a secluded parking lot. There were men dressed in some sort of ceremonial bird costumes asking if we wanted to take our picture with them. A small train waited for a child who wanted to pay the few pesos for a ride that looked like Barnum and Bailey may have retired it half a century ago. Shops lined each side of us offering souvenir t-shirts at five dollars each, ugly statues of characters I couldn’t identify, and thousands of coffee mugs, glasses, key chains and every other trinket one might find in a tourist trap.
I tugged on Bianca’s shirt, “ This is your favorite place?”
Her perfect smile shone back at me. “What? Not into the local culture?”
“Where are we? How is this your favorite place?”
“There are some Mayan ruins a couple miles down the road – Tulum. Gage and I found this place when we were here for our honeymoon. When cruise ships pull into port, this place is swamped with people, but today, we won’t have to fight the tourists for a decent burrito. Follow me.”
Bianca walked past all the vendors without so much as a second glance at them. She smiled and shook her head as she passed the bird men. She took us to a restaurant – sort of a restaurant. There was a huge grill, a counter, plastic tables and chairs sprinkled around a room. I could hear Will on his phone trailing behind us, “. . . Delay an hour. Make sure we’re fueled and ready to go.”
Will, Gretchen, Bruce, Hannah, Beau, Lacey, Ben, Bart, Brent, and Katherine hung back a little taking in the place. Bianca, Drake, Gage, and I were looking at the menu written in English on a chalk board on the back wall. The man greeting us was quick to offer suggestions. My stomach rumbled with delight at the smells emanating from the grill.
Having grown up in San Diego, I’d eaten at Erlbertos most of my life. My order there was always the same – Carne Asada Burrito and an ice cold Coke. The smell of this place made me homesick for the cuisine of San Diego. None of the Erlbertos were five star restaurants, but the memory of how much I loved their food came rushing into me as the aroma of this place assaulted me.
We ordered and what was delivered to our tables was nothing short of burrito heaven. I was on my second bite when Bianca slid her hand over my lunch. “Wait, you’ve got to try the hot sauce.”
Gage shook his head, “No, she doesn’t. Just because you’re trying to burn a hole in your stomach doesn’t mean you should try to inflict agony on your friends!”
Bianca shot back, “Oh stop. This sauce is pure flavor.”
Gage turned to me and warned, “Don’t listen to her. I put some of it on my burrito and burned my taste buds off. I couldn’t taste anything for a week!”
Bianca rolled her eyes and gave her best southern belle accent, “You, my love, are exaggerating.” She turned to me, “Cami, live a little.”
I didn’t even like spicy salsa. After Gage’s warning, there was no way I was trying any of her hot sauce. “Hmmm, I think I’ll pass this time.”
She grabbed a thin short bottle labeled, “Atomic Sauce.” She didn’t use it sparingly, and even the man behind the counter warned, “Es muy caliente,