But I didn’t want to fall in love. I didn’t believe in love. I had never experienced anything even close to love. I wanted a job. I needed a job. A job that could put food on the table, give me enough money to flee this town, and save my sisters from this fate.
My hand shook as I picked back up my temolote and finished grinding the ingredients. I dipped my finger into the molcajete and sampled my salsa verde. The delicious green sauce was perfectly spicy, yet tangy. I spread the mixture over the chicken enchiladas, crafted with homemade tortillas and lots of love, just like my late abuela had taught me. All of the lovers that Mama brought home couldn’t get enough of my cooking. Abuelita would always say, “Un hombre se conquista por el estómago.” The way to a man’s heart was through his stomach. Maybe that was why Mama could never keep a man—she couldn’t cook at all.
There would be hundreds of women, and possibly even men, applying for this job. I was amazing with kids and had pretty much raised my sisters myself. Even so, I needed an edge.
When they were in town, these Angels would haunt the local restaurants, devouring the native cuisine. Carne asada burritos, carnitas adobadas, chile verde, tacos el carbon—those rich white boys couldn’t get enough of our food. Maybe my cooking could truly be my ticket to a new life.
I grabbed a copy of my résumé from the bookshelf and placed it in my purse. Mónica walked back into the kitchen, holding Mama’s best dress, a navy-blue sheath with white trim. It was usually reserved for church, which was why it was in good shape. Mama hated to attend for fear she would be judged. A fear in this small town with my mom’s shameless behavior that was definitely warranted.
I slipped it over my head and looked at myself in the bathroom mirror; the reflection of a tired, slim, and desperate girl staring right back at me. Well, at least the dress fit perfectly—not too tight or too baggy.
Mónica grabbed a little bag under the sink. “Let me do your makeup.”
I shook my head. “No, this is a job interview, not a date.”
“Right. And you need to look your best. Give me five minutes.”
I gave up and let her have her way with me. I needed this job so badly it hurt. As Mónica started applying foundation, I exhaled and did something I hadn’t done in years.
I prayed.
Once a devout Catholic, I had stopped going to church when my abuela died after being hit by a drunk driver. My abuela hadn’t even been that old at only fifty-five. Without her guidance, we Pérez girls had fallen apart. Mama only cared about herself, and now it was up to me to be the adult in the household.
After a few more agonizing minutes of Mónica dabbing, blotting, and painting my skin, she finally released me.
“Look at yourself! You’re beautiful. I would definitely hire you to watch my baby.”
I looked in the mirror again, and this time I saw how green my eyes looked enhanced by the purple shadow and how my curled eyelashes made me appear awake even when I was getting by on only hours of sleep.
But more importantly, I saw an expression I hadn’t seen in the mirror since I’d given up my college scholarship because I was afraid of how my sisters would survive without me.
I saw hope.
One click BLUE SKY, available now.
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Acknowledgments
I WOULD LIKE TO THANK
Wander for taking this amazing picture.
Aria for your brilliant cover.
Kelli for your insight to these characters.
Dana for saving this book when I was in a bind.
Chris for fleshing this out.
Craig for your patience with the changing ARC dates.
Nicole for nagging me to finish it and your pretty teasers.
Stasia for your beta. #teamcherry
Lisa for listening to me whine about this book.
Roger for taking care of me when I was too sick to write.
My boys for being the best part of my day.
My fans for reading my books, even though I know you all want Snow 2 (it’s coming! I swear!)
About Alana
ALANA ALBERTSON IS the former President of RWA’s Contemporary Romance, Young Adult, and Chick Lit chapters. She holds a M.Ed. from Harvard and a BA in English from Stanford. She lives in San Diego, California, with her husband, two sons, and six rescue dogs. When she’s not saving dogs from high kill shelters through her rescue Pugs N Roses, she can be found watching episodes of Cobra Kai, Younger, or Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team.
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Blue Moon (Blue Devils Book 2) Page 16