“Have you heard anything about the woman who died next to you?”
“I know from the news that she was a schoolteacher with four kids.” Lisa’s eyes spilled over. “Afterward, on the ride home, I prayed that she didn’t have kids.” She looked upward, taking a moment to steady her voice. “Cheryl was gunned down after she’d given almost thirty years of her life to children. It’s impossible to make sense of it.”
“The man used an automatic rifle. What’re your feelings about that?”
“I’m not a political person. I don’t necessarily think because I’m in the public eye I should automatically give my opinion on controversial subjects. But this—this I have to talk about. There’s no reason in the world anyone outside of the military or police force needs a weapon like that. There was nowhere for us to go. The bullets just kept coming and coming. A woman with four children is gone. A teacher who will never be able to change another life is dead because of a sick man and his access to automatic rifles.” She paused for a second before continuing. “We have to do better.”
“Are you worried about the repercussions of making your opinion public?”
“I’m from a conservative town in Iowa. I know there are a lot of people there who hold their Second Amendment rights dear. My family and friends back home hunt. They also feel strongly about protecting their families by owning a gun. But I would certainly hope, as a nation, we could agree that banning automatic rifles has nothing to do with whether people need a gun for recreational use or to protect themselves. There were five thousand people at that festival. He took out thirty-four and injured over three hundred in less than eight minutes. Real people. Not statistics. People who left children, wives, sisters, fiancés. And yes, the NRA will probably come after me. Let’s be honest, I’m new to Hollywood. I could be demonized by the press. I was today, in fact. But there is some point in everyone’s life when we must do what is right, even if it’s not easy.”
“What does that mean to you?” Raquel asked. “How does this experience change your perspective about what’s right?”
“It means that I have to speak my mind about gun laws and use my public persona to bring change.”
“The country’s divided on this and many other things.”
“Yes. I don’t see that changing anytime soon unless we start listening to each other and coming together to make compromises.”
“What do you say to people who argue that a person killed, not the gun?”
“I agree with that. But I go back to the automatic rifle that can fire off ninety shots in ten seconds.”
A producer cut them off at that point, saying they had more than enough for a segment.
When the cameras were turned off, the studio broke into applause. Lisa looked around, unsure why they were clapping.
“For someone who says they don’t do well during interviews, you just nailed it,” Raquel said.
“I don’t even remember what I said.”
“You spoke your mind. Don’t be surprised if there’s backlash,” Raquel said. “That said, don’t apologize or back down just because bullies might come after you. Whatever you do, stay off social media. The haters love to hide behind a screen and rip people apart. You’re an actress. That’s your job. The rest of this is necessary evil.”
“Thank you for doing this,” Lisa said.
Raquel embraced her. “Call anytime if you need anything at all.”
One of her assistants appeared and shuffled Raquel away.
Lisa looked for Rafael. A second later, he was there with his arms wrapped around her.
“You were phenomenal.” He tapped just below her collarbone. “What you have inside here is pure grit. You may not see it, but I do.”
“I don’t know what came over me, other than I decided to treat it like an acting exercise. Impassioned actress gives her real opinion.”
“I didn’t think it was possible to be even more proud of you, but I am.”
When they arrived back at the room, Lisa went to the window and pulled down the blinds to shield the room from the bright afternoon sun. She turned around to look at Rafael in the dim light. He stood there with his hands in his pockets, staring at the floor.
She slipped her sandals off to let the plush carpet soothe her aching feet. “Will you unzip me?”
“Sure.” He moved behind her and unzipped the back of her dress. His warm, rough hands lingered for a split second in the spot above her tailbone. She went still at his touch. Shivers of desire coursed through her when he kissed her neck.
She stepped out of the dress and tossed it on the chair.
He smiled as he crossed over to the chair and lifted the dress. “Not there. I’ll hang it for you.”
“Suit yourself.”
“You don’t want it to wrinkle.” He brought it to his face and sniffed. “The dress smells like you. Maybe I’ll wear it around my neck so you’re always close to me.”
“You don’t need the dress for that. I don’t want to be anywhere but close to you.”
He frowned as he looked up at the ceiling and shoved his hands in the back pockets of his jeans.
“What did I say?” she asked.
“Nothing.”
She found a hanger in the closet and handed it to him.
He hung the dress while she padded over to her suitcase to find a T-shirt and shorts to change into.
She turned to find him standing near the window with one hand pressed against the wall and his head hung low as if he were studying something on the floor. “What is it?”
He didn’t move from his position. “I don’t want anything to happen to you because of this stand you took. I can’t help but feel it’s my fault.”
She joined him at the window. “None of this is your fault.”
“I’m supposed to protect you. That’s my job. Your job is crazy. People who feel like they know you pass judgments from their couches.”
“Have you been on social media?” she asked.
“Maybe a little.”
“You heard what Raquel said.”
“I can’t stand it when any of those trolls say stuff about you,” he said.
She stood on her toes to kiss him, then took his hand and led him over to the bed. He reclined into the pillows, and she rested with her head on his chest. “When I was in college, we took an improv class. In one of the exercises, we were given a phrase that represented whatever character we were to play in the improv. No one else knew the others’ phrases, but every action we took had to arise from whatever we’d been assigned. Since then, with people I know well, I can see their phrase. Do you know what yours is?”
“No idea.”
“I’ll protect what I love at all costs.”
“True.”
“Your country, your mother, your friends,” she said.
“And you. Especially you,” he said.
“Why is that?”
He kissed the top of her head. “Because I love you so much it hurts.”
17
Rafael
* * *
On the airplane out to Iowa, Rafael watched his sweetheart fret. The minute they’d gotten on the plane, she’d become agitated. He assumed it was the plane itself, but after they were in the air and had their first-class drinks, she turned to him with a worried look in her eyes.
“I have an idea,” she said.
“Shoot.”
“I’ve been thinking about the apartment. My apartment.”
He brushed a curl out of her eyes. “What about it?”
“Maybe I could talk David into moving out to Cliffside Bay. He could have my apartment. There’s two bedrooms, so it would be perfect for him. Or at least, perfect for now.”
He had a split second of panic. Was this her way of saying she wasn’t coming home with him? “Where would you live?” he asked tightly. He could hear the blood pumping between his ears. Please don’t say it.
She gave him a shy smile. “With you?”
Tha
t wasn’t what he’d expected to hear. “With me? In my place?”
“I know it’s kind of fast, but we’ve been living together for the last few weeks. And the thought of not having you by my side is too awful to even think about.”
He grinned and pressed her hand to his chest. “I would love nothing more than for you to live with me. However, there’s something you need to understand. Mama’s old-fashioned. She’s not going to like us living in sin.”
“She won’t?” She deflated and looked up at him with sad eyes.
“But if we were to, say, get engaged, she’d give us a pass until the wedding.”
She squealed. “Really? You want to get married?”
“Stardust, I can’t marry you fast enough.”
“Let’s elope.”
“What? No. You have to have a wedding.”
“What if I don’t want one? I have to get dressed up all the time for my job. It’s not as much fun for me as women who only get a few times in their lives to be a princess.”
He scratched behind one ear. “It would save money. But there are two big problems with that plan. One’s named Maggie and the other Pepper. Can you really deprive them of a wedding?”
She laughed. “Pepper will have one big enough for both of us.”
He kissed her hands one after the other. “I’ll ask you the proper way. Sometime soon, okay?”
“Not if I ask you first.”
“You are not asking me. It’s bad enough they call me Mr. Perry at all the hotels.”
She sobered. “Do you mind that?”
“Nah. I’m teasing you. No man could ever be prouder of his girl than I am. If they want to call me Mr. Perry, I’ll say, ‘Hell yeah, I’m married to the most incredible woman in the world.’ They’ll all look at me and think, ‘How did that schmuck get her?’”
“All the girls will be jealous of me,” she said. “Not everyone gets to marry a hero.”
“If your brother moves into the apartment, where will Pepper go?” he asked.
“Maggie will let her stay at her house. Pepper knows my brother. She’ll be willing to sacrifice. Once he finds a house, she can move into the apartment if she wants.”
“I can’t wait for you to meet my mama.”
“I’m excited,” she said.
“Mama can be a handful.”
“You haven’t met my mother yet.”
After their meal and a drink, Lisa drifted off next to him with her cheek on his shoulder. While she slept, he thought about his latest problem. How would he come up with the money for a ring? There was the sticky subject of the prenup, too. He would insist, so that she could be sure he was not interested in her money.
Next, his mind wandered to the problem of the wedding. He was pretty sure his mama would have a fit if they eloped. She’d been clear over the years about two things. One, he needed a wife. And two, she wanted grandchildren. This time, she would say, while pointing a sharp object in his direction, a proper wedding. She’d add that the first time, he’d eloped, and look how that turned out.
He couldn’t let anyone bully Lisa into doing what they wanted. She should decide the kind of wedding she wanted. As long as she married him, he was happy.
They arrived at the hotel in Rapid Falls a little after midnight. The room was small but clean. They were so tired neither cared. For the first time since they’d gotten involved, they fell asleep without having sex. As Lisa nestled against him, she murmured sleepily, “Does this mean the honeymoon’s over?”
“Never.”
He woke earlier than Lisa the next morning and showered, then slipped out to find breakfast. A coffee shop around the corner from the hotel had decent-looking breakfast sandwiches. He ordered two and two large coffees. By the time he got back, Lisa was in the shower.
He set about putting their breakfast on the small table adjacent to the bed. The shower turned off, and he heard Lisa moving about the bathroom. He knew her routine. First makeup and then hair, all while wearing a robe or towel. This room did not have the fancy robes he’d grown accustomed to. He was getting soft.
A knock on the door caused him to jump. Assuming it was housekeeping, he opened the door. To his surprise, a woman he guessed to be in her sixties stood there. She clutched a large blue purse to her chest, like she was afraid to be robbed. Her eyes widened, obviously frightened by the sight of him, and stumbled several steps backward.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I must have the wrong room.”
“No problem, ma’am.” He moved to close the door.
A hand darted out, stopping the door. “I’m looking for my daughter. This was the room number Lisa texted.”
“Daughter?” Okay, then. This was Lisa’s mother. Upon closer inspection, he saw the resemblance. They shared the same shade of blue eyes and fair skin, although Mrs. Perry was shorter and thinner.
She glared at him like he was fungus between her toes before she opened her purse and rummaged around until she came out with a small spray bottle that he assumed was mace. “Who are you and what are you doing in my daughter’s room? Have you kidnapped her?”
“No ma’am. I’m Rafael.”
“The bodyguard?”
“Yes ma’am.”
“Why are you in Rapid Falls? There’s nothing scary here.”
Weren’t they here because something very scary had happened to her daughter-in-law?
“It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Perry.” He held out his hand. When she continued to stare at him without moving, he dropped his hand to his side. They’d agreed to tell her parents about their relationship, but it didn’t feel right without Lisa. He stepped back and gestured for her to enter. “Come in. Lisa’s just getting out of the shower.”
Still clutching her bag to her chest, Mrs. Perry stepped inside like a spoiled house cat worried the neighborhood tomcat waited. He watched as her eyes darted around the room. One bed. One bathroom.
“Are you staying next door?” she asked.
“No, ma’am. I’m staying here.”
“Here? In this small room? With my daughter?”
She tossed her purse on the chair and crossed her arms over her chest. “You’ve traveled together for three weeks. Is that correct?”
“That’s correct.”
“And you’re…sharing a bed.”
“That is also correct.” The tips of his ears burned. This was not the way he’d wanted to meet his future mother-in-law.
Her gaze started at the top of him and ended at his shoes before returning to his face. She gave him a tight smile. “Trimmed nails. Short hair. You take good care of yourself, given your muscular physique. You’re dressed nicely and you have no nasty beard like some of the young men. Are you one of her little gay friends? She had a lot of those in New York.” She said it with such a hopeful tone that he almost felt bad to burst her bubble.
“Definitely a negative. Nope. Not gay.” Your daughter can attest to that.
“I see.” She stared at him with the same eyes of her daughter, but they were not warm or sensitive or curious. These were the eyes of a woman who declared herself judge and jury of the world. “What’s your last name?”
“Soto.”
“Mexican?”
“American, but yes. I’m of Mexican descent.”
She sniffed. “And your family? Have they been here a long time or are they new immigrants?”
“A couple generations. It’s just my mama and me now. We don’t have any other family.”
“No father?” she asked.
“No ma’am.”
“Mom? What’re you doing here? It’s so early.”
He whipped around to see Lisa standing there dressed in one of her pretty sundresses. She’d fixed her hair in a ponytail. Her mouth shone from the pink lip gloss that tasted like strawberries. His heart ached at how cute she was. He took a quick glance over at Lois Perry. She had her arms crossed over her chest again.
“I came to take you to David. And I found a man here.” Sh
e spoke like he was no longer in the room. “The bodyguard that magically turned into a boyfriend after only three weeks.”
“Mom, I told you we’d be over to the house by midmorning. We got in really late last night.”
“I assumed you’d have trouble getting yourself together—you’re not exactly a morning person—so I took it upon myself to get you up and going. However, it seems as though you have Rafael Soto for that job.”
Was it his imagination, or had she tried to say his last name with a Spanish accent like the newscasters did?
“We have a car. We’ll be over in an hour or so. Rafael got us breakfast.” Lisa went to the table and picked up one of the coffees. “We need to have our coffee.” Two pink blotches stained her cheeks.
“I’ve no intention of leaving here until you tell me what’s what.” She pointed at Rafael. “With him.”
“Rafael and I are involved,” Lisa said, answering his question. “We were friends before he agreed to accompany me, and our relationship changed.”
“Staying in the same room does that,” Lois said. “It becomes very easy to lose track of boundaries.”
“We’re in love,” Lisa said with a faint smile his direction.
“But doesn’t he work security for the Mullens?” Mrs. Perry asked.
“He does. He’s also a hero who served three tours in Iraq and Afghanistan as a Navy SEAL.”
“A hero?” Lois’s gaze raked over him again, clearly unconvinced that he had hero potential.
“He used to be a cop,” Lisa said.
“I see.” Mrs. Perry grabbed her bag from the chair and clutched it to her chest. “A cop?”
“Yes ma’am,” he said.
“I saw that clip of the horrible interview where you looked like you were on drugs,” Mrs. Perry said. “Like you didn’t even know where you were.”
“I was nervous,” Lisa said. “You know how hard it is for me to speak to strangers.”
“Which is why I don’t understand what in God’s name you’re doing out there,” Lois said. “This is all too much. You’ll have another breakdown.”
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