The Infinity Tattoo by Eliza McCullen

small flower beds in front of the house and her vegetable garden. Fencing, Jack learned, was essential if she wanted to keep her plants from being eaten by the wild animals.
    And there were plenty of those. Being blessed with a property next to Oak Creek, an abundance of animals visited throughout the night, outside of the fenced area.
    She pointed at a deer. “Look.”
    The animal was hovering on the edge of the property in a thicket of bushes. She had enormous ears and huge brown eyes. Jack could see her nose wiggle as it sniffed the air. Then another deer joined her. They stood for a moment longer, then took a leisurely stroll along the border of the thicket and disappeared when they reached the edge of the creek.
    With each passing day, Jack felt more relaxed. He worked hard. The cloudless skies worked on his psyche. The bright sun bronzed his face and chest. And each time he thought about telling her about Alex and Honduras, he never seemed to find the words.
    Until the day they had a visitor at their work site.

CHAPTER SEVEN
    They had just started a new job, a large contract at a high-end residence. Julio and Manny were already at the site, as usual. It was an opulent property on an elevated lot, a luxury home with jaw-dropping views backing to National Forest in one of the elite gated neighborhoods of Sedona.
    The landscaping was equally impressive. The contractors had hired a landscape architect for the overall design and then subcontracted the work out to a couple of local landscapers, including Meg’s company. They were to put the finishing touches to the place, planting the last of the bushes and setting up the drip irrigation system to nurture the plants and encourage a deep rooting system.
    As Jack and Julio were laying new pipe, a car drove up to the worksite and a man got out. Julio looked up and swore under his breath.
    “Who is that?” Jack said, noticing Julio’s discomfort.
    “A no good hijo de puta,” Julio practically spat out.
    Jack watched as the man approached them.
    “Julio, my man, how are you?” the man said with a white-toothed smile beaming from a tawny face. He wore gray slacks and a white Ralph Lauren polo-shirt. A gold cross on a chain peeked out at the neckline.
    “Carlos,” said Julio without returning the smile. “What are you doing here?”
    Carlos’ smile dimmed. “Can’t I come visit my favorite aunt and uncle if I want?”
    Julio snorted. “Since when?”
    Now Carlos’ smile disappeared altogether and his black eyes narrowed. Glancing at Jack, then back at Julio, he switched to Spanish. “Let’s not fight, Julio. I’ve just come for a little visit. My wife, you know. She’s always saying how we never see you. So when she had some time off from work, I agreed to drive her up here. We’ll stay the night, and then be on our way.”
    Grudgingly, Julio nodded and offered Carlos a hand.
    “That’s better,” said Carlos, the broad smile returning to his face. Then he surveyed the worksite. “So, I see you are still hard at it, working the land,” he said, switching back to English, unaware that Jack had understood every word he had just spoken.
    “ Sí . As always. It pays the bills,” Julio said tersely.
    Carlos laughed and slapped Julio on the back. Then his eyes lit on Jack. “Who’s this? A new employee?”
    “This is Jack,” Julio said, offering no further explanation. “Jack, this is Carlos, the husband of my wife’s niece.”
    Jack offered his hand. “Nice to meet you.”
    Carlos took his hand and gazed at Jack’s face. Both his handshake and his gaze lingered for a few seconds too long.
    “Where do you come from, Jack?”
    “I’m originally from Illinois. But I haven’t lived there in a very long time.”
    “I see,” said Carlos, still scrutinizing him.
    “Carlos,” Julio said, drawing Carlos’ attention away from Jack. “Your wife, she’s at the house?”
    “Yes,” Carlos said with a chuckle. “You know how women are when they get