“Your woman’s out there,” Rafael said.
“No way. I’m done. I’ll never let a woman make a fool out of me again.” Trey set his mouth in a grim line.
Rafael guessed Trey believed his own ridiculous declaration. However, someday Trey would look back and see how the threads of destiny weaved together in a complicated pattern until finally the woman he was meant to be with would appear. Together, they would make a beautiful tapestry.
“And Lisa doesn’t care that you’re a broke slumlord?” Stone asked. “Even though she’s a famous actress?”
“No, but I do. Which is why we need to get our business started. I need to put a ring on it.”
They spent the next half hour talking business. Trey’s friend, Nico Bentley, had agreed to join them as the fourth partner. He was on his way up from San Diego, scheduled to arrive any minute. “He’s going to stay on our couch until he can find a place,” Trey said. “But he’s like a Zen surfer dude, so he’s chill.”
Rafael couldn’t quite picture Trey with a “king of granola and hemp clothing” type of friend. “How do you know this guy again?”
“He’s my best friend from college. We bonded because we both have fathers who are rich corporate types in suits and wanted us to follow in their footsteps. Nico’s dad’s a big corporate attorney in San Diego. When I first met Nico, he was committed to going to law school like his brother. I’d declared a business major. One day, we blew off school and went to the beach. We drank beer and watched the surf and admitted to each other how miserable we were. The next semester I dropped my business major and enrolled in the design school. He enrolled in the botany program. After undergrad, he took out a million loans to get a master’s in landscape architecture. Both our families cut us off after we changed directions. Thus, he’s as screwed as the rest of us.”
“Good. We have to be hungry like the wolf.” Stone stuck a cheesy bite of nacho into his mouth.
“Why does he want to come here?” Rafael asked.
“He’s recently suffered a little setback,” Trey said.
“Setback?” Stone asked. “Like with a girl?”
“Yeah. The woman he was engaged to broke it off right before the wedding. She confessed to being in love with her maid of honor.”
“Wait, did I hear that right?” Stone asked. “He got jilted for a chick?”
“That’s right,” Trey said. “He took it hard, too. He might be even more bitter than me.”
“No one’s as bitter as you.” Stone sprinkled a chip with the hot pepper sauce.
“She didn’t take his savings and all his clients,” Trey said. “Therefore, I win.”
The men chuckled and ate in companionable silence for a few minutes.
“How would you guys feel about a fifth partner?” Rafael asked. “I might’ve found an architect.” He told them about Lisa’s brother, including why he needed a fresh start. “Lisa’s giving up her apartment for him and the kids. She’s going to move in with me.”
“She’s moving in with you?” Stone asked. “How the hell is this happening?”
Using a corner of his napkin, Trey wiped a spot of salsa from his chin. “I’m taking it as a sign that we’re not as screwed as we thought we were.”
“She’s going to marry me,” Rafael said. “As soon as I can afford a ring.”
“Marry you? Dude? That’s amazing,” Stone said. “I’m happy for you.” He squeezed Rafael’s shoulder with his large paw of a hand.
“Careful now,” Rafael said. “I don’t need a dislocated shoulder. I’ve got business to do tonight.”
The other two groaned. “You’re killing me, Soto,” Stone said.
Trey gestured toward the door. “There’s Nico now.”
They all stood to shake hands with their new partner. For a fleeting moment, Rafael worried this was moving too fast. Then he remembered how much he needed the money. No risk, no reward.
Rafael took a moment to take in Nico Bentley. He didn’t look like the king of granola. In fact, his brown hair was cut short and his face clean-shaven. Tanned and tall, with wide shoulders, he looked like a man who worked outside.
“It’s great to meet you guys. This opportunity couldn’t come at a better time.”
“Dude, that sucks about your fiancée,” Stone said.
Rafael kicked him under the table.
“What?” Stone asked.
“Never mind,” Rafael muttered under his breath.
Nico simply smiled with a shrug of his shoulders. His clear blue eyes conveyed warmth and a good sense of humor. “What’re you going to do? She liked a whole different thing than I could give to her.”
Sophie arrived with another menu. Her long blond hair flowed around her muscular shoulders, and she wore shorts that showed off her long legs. A tank top accentuated her generous curves. “I see we have a newcomer. Have you been here before?” she asked as she set the menu in front of Nico.
He lifted his gaze and blinked. “Hi. No. I’m new to town.” A goofy grin transformed him from a grown man to a boy of thirteen. “I mean, like I just arrived two minutes ago. I’m staying with the guys here until I find a place.”
“Welcome to town.” Sophie and Nico stared at each other for longer than was socially acceptable before Trey interrupted their drooling contest.
“This is my best friend, Nico Bentley,” Trey said.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Sophie Woods. I own this place with my brother.”
“Awesome. I have a feeling I’ll be here a lot,” Nico said. “I’m a sad single guy who can’t cook.”
Nice. He didn’t waste much time getting that out there.
Sophie flashed her big smile. “You come on in any time you need cheering up. I’m almost always here.” She pointed at the ceiling. “I live upstairs. So even when I’m not here, I’m here.”
Here was little Sophie Woods flirting like she was in the big leagues. Only twenty-two, she was way too young for Nico. Zane Shaw would not love this.
“What do you do for work, sad single guy?” Sophie asked.
“I’m a landscape architect,” Nico said.
“He’s going into business with us,” Stone said.
“No way? This is the fourth partner?” Sophie said.
“Did we tell you about that last night?” Trey asked. “It’s a little fuzzy.”
“You might’ve mentioned it,” Sophie said. “But a good bartender never tells your secrets, so don’t worry.”
“What else did we say?” Stone asked, cringing.
“You might have had a few things to say about Pepper Griffin,” Sophie said. “More than a few.”
Stone stretched his thick arms across the table. “I didn’t.”
“You did. It’s nothing to be ashamed of. Having a crush on someone’s not a crime. You two are affable drunks. And quite the karaoke singers.”
“What? No. Please, no,” Stone said.
Trey clutched the collar of his shirt. “Tell me it wasn’t a duet of ‘I Got You Babe.’”
“It was,” Sophie said solemnly. “Very moving.”
“I’m never drinking again,” Stone said.
Sophie threw back her head and laughed. “I’m just messing with you.”
“Thank God,” Trey said.
“I thought I was going to have to leave town,” Stone said.
“Would you like something other than IPA?” Sophie asked Nico, who continued to stare up at her with puppy-dog eyes. “Or shall I bring you an empty glass for beer?”
“I’m more of a wine guy. I’ll have a glass of your best red blend,” Nico said.
Her face lit up like he’d just announced world peace. “I have the best blend right now from Washington State. You’ll love it.”
“We’ll take another pitcher of beer,” Stone said, looking amused.
“You got it.” She tapped the menu she’d left for Nico. “I’ll just leave this in case the sad single guy wants to order something.” She bounced off, all perky and y
oung. Young. He needed to warn Nico, who at the moment seemed fixated on her long, tanned legs as they walked across the restaurant.
“Um, Nico,” Rafael said.
“Yeah?” Nico turned his attention back to the less attractive who sat around the table and grinned. “Sophie Woods just made me feel a whole lot better about getting dumped for a woman.”
“I hate to burst your bubble,” Rafael said. “But she’s only twenty-two.”
“As in years?” Nico asked.
“Yep. As in just became legal to drink,” Stone said.
“How in the world is that gorgeous specimen only twenty-two?” Nico asked with a mournful glance in her direction.
“We’re thirty-four,” Trey said. “Which means she’s totally off-limits. Right?”
Stone shrugged. “Only if you care about that kind of thing. Age is only a number. A soul loves a soul.”
Rafael stared at him. “Has an alien taken over your thick-headed brain?’
“What? I’m a very spiritual person,” Stone said. “I’m misunderstood. Mostly by women.”
Trey laughed. “I don’t understand women, so we best stay focused on our work.”
“I have it on good authority she’s a virgin,” Rafael said. “Which makes it even worse.”
“How do you know that?” Stone asked, sitting up straighter.
“Lisa told me. Maggie is Sophie’s half sister,” Rafael explained to Nico. The other guys knew this part.
“This just came up in casual conversation?” Stone asked.
“Women tell you a lot of stuff you don’t want to know,” Rafael said.
“She had her brother’s baby and she’s a virgin?” Stone asked. “Now that’s a trip. California, am I right?”
Nico’s mouth dropped open as his gaze bounced from one of them to the other. “Do you guys mind backing up a few sentences?”
Rafael hid a smile behind his hand. Breaking in the new guy was fun.
“It goes like this,” Rafael said. “Sophie’s brother’s wife can’t have babies. Sophie offered to be their surrogate. Now they have a beautiful baby boy.”
Nico nodded. “That’s really cool.”
“That’s what I thought,” Trey said. “She put her life on hold to help her brother.”
“Very cool,” Nico said.
Stone scrunched his face into a good-natured grimace. “Arty types are all the same.”
“Not only is she a nubile virgin,” Trey said, “but she has an overprotective older brother who has made it abundantly clear his little sister is off-limits.”
“Off-limits to whom?” Nico asked.
“Just the male population of California,” Stone said. “We’ve seen him threaten more than a few frat-boy tourists who hit on her.”
Sophie returned with the new pitcher and a glass of wine, which she set in front of Nico, then stood at the end of the table with an expectant look on her face. “If you don’t like it, I’ll open something else for you. We hardly ever have wine drinkers in here.”
Nico sipped and squished it around his mouth like wine people do. He made an appreciative noise. “You’re right. It’s fantastic.”
Sophie straightened the ketchup bottle and salt and pepper shakers into a neat triangle as she spoke. “If you’re ever interested, I’d love to share a few of my personal collection upstairs with someone who would appreciate them.” She glanced over at him. “I just got back from a trip up to Walla Walla and have a few gems ready to drink now.”
“You went to Walla Walla?” Nico asked. “I’ve wanted to do that for ages.”
“That’s in Washington,” Sophie said to the table at large before directing her attention back on Nico. “I have Sundays and Mondays off if you’re ever looking for someone to hang with.”
“Sure. Okay.” Nico stared up at her with eyes of the damned.
“Awesome.” She took a pad from her back pocket and scrawled a number. “I’ll even throw in dinner. I’m a stellar cook. One of my many talents.” After one more killer smile directed at Nico, she was off again.
Nico shook his head. “Did I just say yes to wine at her place?”
“That’s what it sounded like to me,” Stone said.
“And dinner,” Rafael said.
Stone picked up his glass and filled it with beer. “Again, I don’t see what’s wrong with it. It’s not like she’s illegal.”
Nico dropped his forehead into the palm of his hand. “Why do I always like the wrong girls?”
“At least this one likes guys,” Trey said. “You’re on the upswing.”
Rafael left the guys at The Oar to settle the tab and sprinted across the street to the grocery store. A half hour later, with a sack of groceries in his arms, he found Mama and Ria on the porch. They were seated in the wicker chairs with a stack of books piled on the table between them. Lisa must have gotten carried away at the bookstore.
“Son, there you are. We wondered if you ran off to join the circus,” Mama said.
He set the groceries down and perched on the railing. “The guys and I had some catching up to do.”
“Meaning beer to drink,” Ria said.
“I hope I’m not going to regret moving you two here,” Rafael said.
“You’re stuck with us now,” Mama said. “No take-backs.”
Ria clucked her tongue and gestured for him to approach. With her tall stature, she was almost regal. “I have something for you.” She reached into the pocket of her tunic and came out with a small box.
He took it from her. “What is it?”
“It’s a ring. To show my gratitude…for all this.” Ria nodded toward the window of her apartment with her chin.
Rafael opened the box. Inside was an engagement ring with a small diamond. “Ria, I don’t understand. Are you asking me to marry you?”
“As if.” Ria rolled her eyes. “You’re too short for me. I’d never be able to wear heels.”
At over six feet, he wasn’t too short for her, but he’d leave that alone for now.
“Anyway, the ring is for you to give to Lisa,” Ria said. “It was my mother’s. I’d saved it for Paulo to give to his bride.” She splayed both hands over her knees and drew in a deep breath. “But it seems fitting you should have it. I know the diamond’s not big enough for such a fancy lady, but it will do for now. You need to give her a ring, not just some promise of marriage.”
“No, Ria, it’s too much,” he said. “I can’t accept it.”
“Really?” Ria raised one eyebrow and set her jaw as she fixed him with a sullen glare. He shivered. That look used to terrify him as a child.
“Take it. Like she said, it’s for now,” Mama said. “Later you can have the diamond put in a set of her choice. But she’s an old-fashioned girl. She needs a ring to show her friends and that awful mother of hers.”
“Yes ma’am.”
“Good. Now that that’s settled, get on upstairs and help her fix dinner. I won’t have a son of mine loafing around like he’s the prince of Cliffside Bay.”
Rafael stifled a laugh. “What about the curse, Mama? Aren’t you worried about that?”
Mama flicked her fingers dismissively. “I’ve decided that was just for the women of our family. Men are exempt.”
“That’s convenient,” he said.
“Are you sassing me?” Mama asked.
“No, ma’am.”
“Good. Now move along,” Ria said. “We have things to discuss.”
He picked up the bag of groceries. “Thank you, Ria.”
She turned away from him. Her bottom lip trembled. “It was just sitting around getting dusty. It’s not a big thing.”
He knew better than to push. Instead, he kissed them both on the cheek and promised to be back in a few minutes to start the steaks.
As he started up the stairs, he heard Mama say to Ria, “He’s not nearly as stubborn as he used to be. Lisa must be an angel sent from Jesus to rescue my boy.”
“Amen to that,” Ria said.
Thank you, baby Jesus.
20
Lisa
* * *
That night, Lisa stood against the railing of their porch as twilight came to their little town. She smiled to herself as she snapped a mental image of the tableau. Rafael and Nico talked quietly about sports as they cooked steaks over the gas grill. Mama and Ria sat together at one of the side tables teaching Lavonne how to play poker. Trey sat in one of the wicker chairs and sketched in a notebook. Stone stood near the front door with his arms folded against his chest, obviously deep in thought.
I’ll remember this. She would pull the mental image out when she was away from home for work or the next time she was with her mother. It would center her and remind her of how far she’d come. There would be times in the future when the horror of the concert would haunt her. Those images of the violence and terror would temporarily take over her mind. She knew it was inevitable. However, she would have this, too. The evil of that day would not keep her from living. Love won.
Rafael and Mama Soto were her new family. Pepper and Maggie would be home soon. Her twin would arrive next week. They would make more beautiful memories to crowd out the ugly.
Stone bolted upstairs after declaring the need for steak sauce. Lisa heard a car pull into the lot behind the building. She went around to the back of the house to tell whomever it was that they couldn’t park there. To her surprise, Pepper got out of the back of a black sedan. “Surprise.” Pepper wore shorts that barely covered her bottom and tall wedge sandals. They fell into each other’s arms and gave each other one of their python-like hugs.
“Did you get done early?” Lisa asked when they pulled apart. “You didn’t get fired, did you?”
Pepper laughed and adjusted the strap of her tank top. “No. I was a wild success. They liked me so much, the director had the writer add another scene just for me.”
“They did?” Lisa examined her friend for signs of duress but could find no evidence. Her eyes sparkled, and her fair skin flushed in the fading heat of the evening.
“They gave me the most spectacular death scene—worthy of Shakespeare. I was on my best behavior the entire time. No men. No messy entanglements.”
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