by Jewel Allen
“I’ve heard of celebrities that have a hard time when one or the other gets too successful,” I pointed out.
“Well, I know I won’t be able to beat you at running soccer camps. Besides, as much as I like to think I’ll be young forever, I won’t. I’ve actually started thinking I might retire in five years.”
I arched an eyebrow. “Really?”
“You know, go out on top. It’s also getting harder and harder to take those dives. Some days, they’re no fun.”
“Poor thing, you.” I pulled a sad face.
“My shoulder hurt from one such crazy drive.”
I kissed his shoulder closest to me.
“It’s the other one,” he said, smiling, “but that feels good.” He paused, mischief lurking in his eyes. “My neck kinked once.”
I smiled then leaned over and pressed a kiss on his pulse.
His voice was husky. “I landed on my mouth once. It split my lip.”
I traced his lips with my fingers and then raised my eyes to his. A hungry gleam burned in his gaze.
When our lips touched, joy coursed through my veins. As he deepened the kiss, I knew what he said was true.
We would make it work. We weren’t perfect, but we were the perfect match. Everything about Diego felt right, just as the kiss completed me. Side by side, we could be an amazing team. He would be a great partner for my camp dream.
I pushed back, breathless. “What are we doing? We have a camp to plan!”
He grinned. “Okay, boss. Just tell me what to do.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Diego
Watching Gemma start a soccer camp was fascinating. I mostly tried to stay out of the way, except when she asked for my help. We had gone through our camp dorm like dervishes, and within the hour, we were packed and headed for Sunnyridge.
I made a quick call to Mondragón. Jay answered at the first ring. “You do know what time it is, brother?”
“Fifteen hours ahead, right. Sorry. I haven’t had time to call since I left camp—”
“You what?”
“Don’t worry. I’m still helping with a camp, just not the original one. I was calling to update you.”
“Mmm,” Jay mused. “I sense a story behind this.”
“Yes, there is one. As long as I’m still helping with a camp, you don’t mind, do you? I wanted to make sure you were good with it before I emailed La Liga.”
He sighed loudly. “As long as you’re doing what you need to do.”
“Oh, I am. Thanks, Jay.” After I hung up, I shot an email to La Liga, composing it as politely as I could.
As we left the camp, Gemma expelled a shaky laugh. “I have a barebones staff—”
“Aren’t Cherise and I all you need?”
“As wonderful as you are, I’ll need more than the two of you. Plus, I have no fields. No dorms. No equipment.” She paused. “But…I am the happiest I’ve been. Tell me I’m crazy.”
I squeezed her knee. “You’re crazy, but I love it.”
She voice-dialed Cherise’s number and told her what was going on. “We won’t be up and running for a few days, but hopefully there won’t be a prolonged interruption for the kids who want to do this—”
“Are you kidding me?” came Cherise’s boisterous voice through the phone even though she wasn’t on speaker. “You can count on me, girl.”
She continued. “I’m glad, glad! Jason was always jerking you around. Some days my tongue was so sore because I had to bite it. It’s about time he gets what he deserves.”
Gemma called Ali next, who decided to stay with Jason.
“It’ll be good for her,” Gemma said. “She can take on a supervisory role and get a better job in a few months when Jason turns unbearable.”
“I don’t know if that would be worth it,” I muttered.
Mike was sitting on the fence for a while, thinking about it overnight.
“Are you sure you want him around?” I asked Gemma ever so casually. I would have been perfectly happy if I never saw him again.
“I can make three staffers work, but it’ll be tight. But you’re right.” She sighed. “There are definite cons to keeping him.”
As we drove down a dirt road, I admired the expanse of farmland, with neighbors far from each other.
“This is pretty,” I said as we passed a horse mailbox. “It reminds me of home.”
She glanced at me and back at the road. “Really?”
I nodded. “Open fields. Farms. We do a lot of farm stays, like Italy does.”
“That’s wonderful. You know, I’ve never been to Italy.”
“You would love it there,” I said.
“You think?”
“It’s a feast for the senses. So romantic.”
“Mmm, that sounds good. But, frankly, I’m more curious about Mondragón.”
“That would be our first stop.”
Our glances crossed, full of promise.
We’d driven down a bumpy dirt road and turned into what looked like a farm with a two-story beige house, a barn, and various sundry animals in pens. “Welcome to my family’s home,” she said.
As I followed her out, she practically beamed. I loved that about her, that love for home. I could relate. Being away from Mondragón made me restless.
The front door opened. Her Papi came out dressed in a polo shirt, jeans, a huge belt buckle, and pointy cowboy boots.
“M’hija!” he greeted Gemma. His eyes gleamed as he turned to me. “And your friend is back.”
“Papi, this is my…” Her words trailed, and she stared at me in a panic. “Um…”
“Her boyfriend,” I supplied helpfully.
Gemma twined her fingers in mine and squeezed my hand.
“Ah, tu novio this week.” Papi half bowed. “Hello. Nice to see you again.” We shook hands.
“Es un placer.”
He stared at me in surprise. “You speak Spanish?”
“Sí.”
“You do?” Gemma beamed.
“I learned French, Spanish, and German in boarding school,” I explained. “The Mondragón language is very similar to Spanish, just has its own flair.”
“Too bad,” Papi said. “Then we can’t speak in Spanish about you.”
We laughed as Gemma’s twin sisters came out. They were introduced properly to me as Mari and Dina. At sixteen, they were even taller than Gemma. After a bit of chit-chat, they told me they played on their school basketball team. Rosa—their older sister who was getting married—another sister, and a brother, would arrive the following day.
“The tall gene passed me over,” Gemma joked. “That’s why I decided to go into soccer.”
“Short and cute.” I winked. “I like you just the way you are.”
She giggled with the twins.
“I have brothers who are twins too,” I said.
“Are they married?” Mari asked.
“Yes. Also much older than you.”
“Oh.” Mari looked crestfallen. “That’s okay. I like someone else anyway.”
“You do?” Dina gushed.
The girls left—to gossip, Gemma said—and let us grown-ups talk. For the rest of the time, we spoke Spanish. I enjoyed that. Next to my native language, Spanish was my second love.
After a nice catch-up conversation, Gemma told her papi that she’d quit her job and intended to start up a soccer camp. She shot a glance my way. “Diego insisted on helping. He says it’s been his dream to start a camp too. So we’ll help each other.”
“Wonderful.” Papi grinned and then turned serious. “I wish your mom could see you now.”
Sadness flitted across Gemma’s face. “I know. That’s my only regret, that she wasn’t able to see me do this.”
“Well, I’m sure she’s watching from heaven.”
Gemma moved so she could be beside her father and hugged him. I watched them with a lump in my throat, thinking of my own father whom our family had lost to cancer five years before.
>
“Diego and I should get going, Papi.” She kissed his wrinkled cheek. “We have a lot to do before bedtime.”
Papi gestured to an inner room. “Would you like to have some ropa vieja for dinner? I can ask your sisters to heat it up.” He turned to me. “It’s Cuba’s national dish. It means old clothes.”
“It tastes a lot better than the name,” Gemma assured me. “You okay with that?”
“Definitely.”
Gemma jumped to her feet and pulled me up by the hand. “Thanks, Papi. You don’t have to ask twice.”
Dinner was fantastic. The beef roast in the ropa vieja was fall-apart tender, and I could see why it was the Cuban national dish. Then it was time to hunker down to arrange all the details. While Gemma did some work on the computer, I called my mother.
“How is life in the American countryside, son?” she greeted.
“Wonderful.”
“You sound surprisingly happy.”
“Why should that surprise you?”
“Because by all accounts, you should be miserable. Exiled from your sport, your country, and family.”
“Mother, that’s kind of melodramatic, don’t you think?”
“Well, go on. How are you?”
“Very happy, actually.”
“Oh? Is it because of a certain…dark-eyed Cuban girl?”
My heart skipped a beat. “How did you know? Did Jay tell you?”
“Jay? No. He never tells me anything.”
I froze. “Of course. Brigid?”
“Yes. I pay her handsomely for her loyalty.” She paused. “I also met Gemma Garcia when I was there. I didn’t realize I was meeting one of your potential love interests. But I suppose these American girls love to marry into royalty.”
“Thanks, Mother,” I said in a sarcastic tone.
“Sorry. I’m sure she fell in love with your scintillating personality too.”
“She’s wonderful, Mother. You’ll find out when you get to know her.”
“Perhaps. That’s a nice diversion. Too bad you’ll have to part ways in three weeks.”
My stomach churned. “She’s not a diversion, Mother.” My words came out a bit sharply. Gemma glanced at me, looking uneasy.
Mother sniffled a time or two. “Did I say something to deserve your disrespect, son?”
“Sorry. I just…Gemma’s not a passing fancy. I love her. We’re in love.”
Gemma’s eyes shone. She stood and sat on my lap. I moved my cell phone to the other ear and tried to focus on the phone conversation, but Gemma certainly made it near impossible. Especially when she nuzzled my neck.
I cleared my throat and tried to stifle my groan of pleasure.
“What was that?” Mother asked.
“Nothing.” I stole a kiss and pushed her off playfully. Gemma went back to her chair, giggling.
“She’s there, is she?” Mother asked.
“Yes. So, anyway, I want to introduce her to the family. Not this coming weekend. It’s her sister’s wedding. But the following one?”
“Here, in Mondragón?”
“Yes. Unless you’d like to visit Sunnyridge.”
“I’ve googled the place.” Mother drew a sigh. “Nothing much to recommend it, I’m afraid.”
“You might want to leave your biases at the door, Mother.”
“Diego Assante!” In the background, her little dog, Chi-Chi, erupted in barking. “Settle down, Chi-Chi. I’m not shouting at you.”
I rubbed my nose bridge. “So…would it work for us to come in two weeks?”
“Do I really have a choice?”
“Of course. I wanted to make sure you weren’t going out of town.”
“I’ll be here. As you know, I don’t go out much in retirement. Ta-ta.”
I hung up, troubled. Mother was always a force to reckon with, but I’d brought home only one other girl before for her to meet, and that had been early in college. I knew how Mother always felt threatened by her sons’ romances. Hopefully, the fact that my brothers’ marriages had turned out well would make her more open to this.
Marriage.
I could picture myself being married to Gemma. Being domestic in our Mondragón chalet.
As for her family, I liked her Papi and sisters. They all made me feel welcome. Now if only we could get Mother’s cooperation.
“All’s well?” Gemma asked, her expression guarded.
I opened my arms in reply and nodded. “Now, where were we?”
She wrapped her arms around my neck, her brow furrowed. “She doesn’t sound thrilled to have me visit.”
“Don’t worry; she’ll fall in love with you.”
“And I thought maybe you’d mention about the trust.” She bit her lip. “I’d hate for her to feel broadsided.”
“I thought I’d give her a piece of news a little at a time.”
Gemma still looked dubious but nodded. “Okay.”
At close to ten, when Gemma was texting some of the parents whose numbers she had, Mike called her.
I mostly tried to look supportive, sitting next to Gemma, even though the guy made my blood boil.
“Sure,” Gemma said. “Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Okay.”
When she hung up, she flashed me a tired smile. “He doesn’t want to burn bridges with Jason. He thinks that if he stays, he’ll get a better shot at being a partner at an established camp. Frankly, I’m relieved he said no.”
“Me too,” I growled.
Gemma patted my cheek, and I caught her palm and kissed it. Her eyes danced with laughter. “Are you Mondragón men always so…demonstrative?”
“It’s our Mediterranean roots. Italian and Spanish blood, fiery like the dragon on our royal crest.”
“I love it.”
“Good, because there’s more where that comes from.”
She stood, and I pulled her off-balance so she landed with a cute little squeal into my lap. “I won’t be able to work this way,” she protested.
“Don’t you think you’re better off just going to bed?”
“But I’m not tired.” She yawned, and we laughed.
I carried her, and she didn’t resist, burrowing into my arms like a kitten.
I kissed her thoroughly and pulled the covers over her. “See you tomorrow,” she said drowsily, her face shining with happiness.
“I’ll be here,” I promised.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Gemma
Only a dozen children transferred over. Most didn’t want to lose the money they’d already paid for Jason’s camp.
“Once I get funding from the trust, we can build a dorm,” Diego suggested.
“That would be nice.” I started thinking of possibilities. “Or we could get property for cheap.”
After wandering around in town and calling on some farmers, we struck a deal to use open fields with a rickety shed nearby.
Diego held my hand as I surveyed “camp,” disappointed tears blurring my vision.
“The grass isn’t too bad,” he said. “If we mow, I bet it will look better.”
“We’ll have to do that today and then get everything ready before the wedding next weekend. Ahh, it’s crazy timing.”
“You’ll do great, love.”
Love. The word thrilled me. I wanted to believe him, but I kept thinking of what could have been. I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “Maybe I shouldn’t have quit when I did. I’m not prepared at all. If I had more time—”
He pulled me in his arms and kissed my forehead. “But you didn’t. I guess the question you have to ask yourself is, can you wait? If you can, then it probably would be easier.”
“With school starting soon, that could be another year from now. I don’t think so. We’ll make the best of it. Luckily, I have a great goalie instructor on staff.”
His lips brushed against mine, squeezing my heart with happiness.
If it weren’t for the fact that I needed to do more things to get ready for camp, I would have stayed in his arm
s all day.
“By the way,” Diego said, draping his arm over my shoulder as we headed to my car so I could keep working on registration, “my mother said she would love to host you two weekends from now.”
I gazed at him suspiciously. “Did she really say she would ‘love’ to host me?”
He pulled me close so our hips bumped sideways and released me with a rueful smile. “I think her wording wasn’t as enthusiastic, but the point is, she said yes.”
“I’ve been in nerve-racking plays on the field before, but I think this one terrifies me the most,” I admitted. “I’m worried she’ll think I’m just after your money.”
“My mother has a strong personality, but deep down she does things out of love. Just be yourself, and you should be fine. You’re a wonderful girl, you love me, and I’m sure she’ll see that.”
“I do love you,” I said, the words still sounding a little foreign to my ears.
As I pulled onto our family property, a huge truck followed us in and parked alongside.
I tugged at Diego’s hand. “My sister and her fiancé are here!”
When we reached the pair, I hugged my older sister Rosa first, both of us tearing up. We hadn’t seen each other much since she moved away from Sunnyridge to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, to teach high school there. With mom gone, we were both feeling the void of her presence.
I hugged Adam too, as a thank you. The handsome firefighter captain had been so good to Rose. I could easily see that. She glowed with happiness.
I introduced Diego to the couple. While the men talked, Rosa grabbed my hand and squeezed it.
“He’s gorgeous,” she whispered.
I glanced at Diego and nodded.
Anxiety crept into her eyes. “But does he make you happy?”
“Very much so. It’s almost scary. There are no guarantees, you know?”
“Just go with the flow, Gem. You guys look like you’re perfect for each other.”
Just like Rosa and Adam were perfect for each other?
I was so grateful to see Rosa and linked arms with her. Aloud, I said, “We have so much to catch up on before Adam takes you away again.”
Adam grinned as he walked to Rose’s side. “Better make the most of this time because once I get this girl hitched, I won’t want to share her with the world.”