Carmen squeezed the older woman’s hands in hers. “Thank you for saying that. I appreciate it.” Considering the way her father had treated Carlos, she’d never been sure about how well she would be welcomed back in the Hortado home. She should have known that Azucena would not hold her father’s actions against her. “I’m definitely going to take you up on that dinner offer.”
“Good.” Azucena patted her hand and gave them both an indulgent smile. “It’s good to see you two back together. Have fun.”
As they left the store and stepped onto the sidewalk, Carlos tangled his fingers in hers. Walking beside him made Carmen feel as if she were walking on clouds.
“Your mother is still your biggest fan.” She gazed up at him.
“I thought you were my biggest fan,” he teased.
“Nothing beats a mother as a cheerleader. And what was she talking about, giving you credit for the fact that she was able to open the store?”
“She likes to give me more credit than I deserve. I encouraged her to open the store, and I guess she appreciates it.”
Carmen suspected there was more to his mother’s comment than what Carlos admitted but knew he wouldn’t elaborate, his humble nature keeping him from providing more details.
“Where are we headed?” she asked, as they strolled along the sidewalk.
“I was thinking a board game spot,” Carlos replied.
Carmen did a little shimmy. “Woo-hoo! I feel like kicking some butt tonight. Let’s do it.”
He laughed at her.
“Are you laughing at me or with me?” she asked.
“At you, because you haven’t changed. You always talk as if you’re the baddest thing to hit board games, but you suck at playing them.”
“Oh really? When was the last time you saw me play a game, huh?” she asked.
He thoughtfully frowned at her. “I guess it’s been about three years.”
“Exactly. I assure you, my abilities have improved.”
“We’ll see about that,” Carlos said ominously.
“Yes, we will.”
Carlos had to give Carmen credit for her braggadocio. After three games of Monopoly where Carlos won one game and their opponents won one game each, a hilarious game of Go Fish, and a particularly sad moment when Carmen failed within three minutes of playing Operation, his suspicions were confirmed. Nothing had change. She still sucked at games.
“I don’t know what happened,” she said glumly as they left the restaurant.
“Uh-huh.”
“I’m serious.” She looked so hurt, arms crossed, lips downturned.
Carlos chuckled. “It’s okay to suck, mi amor.” He opened the car, and she glared at him.
“You make me so sick.” She climbed into the SUV and slammed the door without waiting for him to close it.
Carlos climbed in the driver’s side and closed the door. “How about a kiss,” he whispered, leaning closer.
Carmen jerked back. “Nope.”
“Come on. Why are you punishing me?”
“Because you’re making fun of me and don’t believe that I’ve improved.”
“I do believe you. Now can I have a kiss?”
“You’re lying.”
“Maybe a little bit.” He held his forefinger and thumb close together.
She took his hand. “You’re not supposed to lie to me. Not even a little bit.”
Carlos paused. Her words pricked his conscience, but he hid his reaction. “You’re right,” he said softly.
“Of course I am. I always am, and you’ll do good to remember that,” Carmen said haughtily.
“I’ll try.”
By the time they arrived at her apartment, they were both silent because the reality of him going back to Atlanta the next day loomed before them. They remained silent while they undressed and changed into nightclothes in Carmen’s bedroom. Carlos didn’t want to say goodbye, but he had to. He also needed to have a serious talk with her. He needed to tell her everything about what he’d done and how sorry he was that he’d done it.
He stuffed folded clothes in his bag on the bed in a disorderly fashion, snapped the suitcase shut, and set it on the floor. Carmen looped her arms around his waist from behind and rested her cheek against his back.
“I don’t want you to go,” she moaned.
Carlos’s shoulders slumped. He didn’t want to leave, either, and the burden of keeping the secret from her ate at him even more. He should tell her now, but the timing didn’t feel right, and his heavy heart needed a pick-me-up. He needed her and her love for a little bit longer, because everything would change once he opened up.
He turned and pulled her into his embrace. “I don’t want to go, either.” Weeks, possibly months, would pass before they saw each other again.
Carmen sighed. “I wish…”
“You wish what?”
She shrugged. “Nothing.”
“Tell me,” Carlos said.
She swallowed. “I’m not trying to make you feel guilty or influence you in any way, but…I wish we could live in the same city. Have you ever considered moving back to Toronto?” She asked the question tentatively.
“I’ve thought about it a lot since you and I reconnected.”
“So it’s a possibility? I know you’ve established yourself in Atlanta, but…being away from you is so hard.”
“Being away from you is harder.” He folded her in his arms and sighed. “Let me think about it and see what I can do, okay?”
“Okay.” Carmen shifted her hands underneath his shirt and caressed his sides and back. Nothing felt as good as her soft hands on his skin.
He kissed her deeply and thoroughly as he pushed the panties down her hips and then lifted her onto the bed. Her nipples tightened against his chest as she wrapped her arms around his torso and welcomed him on top of her and then finally inside of her soft, wet body.
Something was wrong.
As Carmen slowly woke up, she realized what was wrong. Carlos was not in bed with her. She flicked on the bedside lamp and squinted as her eyes adjusted to the light. Her ears picked up what sounded like talking. She raised up on her elbows and tilted her head to hear better but couldn’t discern any words—only the low murmur of Carlos’s voice.
She slid off the mattress, slipped on the nightshirt that had been discarded when they made love earlier, and tiptoed to the door. She heard him better now, and he sounded agitated, frustrated.
Easing open the door, she winced, hoping the hinges didn’t make a sound. Luckily, they didn’t. She peered out and saw Carlos at the far end of the living room, his muscular body mostly a shadow against the curtained windows.
“No, I don’t have all of the money right now. I—” He paused. Even in the darkness, she saw the taut way he held his body as he listened to the person on the other end of the line.
A thread of unease filtered into her sleep-addled brain and made her more alert. Who was he talking to?
“Tell me how much interest you want.” Pause. “You’re being unreasonable. Just give me a... Why are you doing this?”
The rest of the words were cut off as he dropped his voice into an even fiercer whisper, shoulders rounded as he hunched over the phone. Steeped in worry, Carmen took a step into the room, ears straining to hear. She thought she’d been quiet but wasn’t as quiet as she should have been because Carlos swung in her direction.
She stared at him in the darkness. She couldn’t see his features, but considering the circumstances, she sensed he was not pleased to see her standing there.
“I have to go,” he said in a clipped voice. He ended the call. “What are you doing up?” He walked slowly toward her.
“I heard talking.”
“What did you hear?” He stood in front of her now, and she clearly saw the remnants of anger from the conversation, but concern, too. The concern had to be because she’d learned something about him that he didn’t want her to know.
“Sounds like you owe someone
money,” Carmen said quietly.
“It’s my problem,” he muttered and swept past her back to the bedroom.
She followed close on his heels. “So you’re keeping things from me?”
“Not exactly. This is something I need to handle on my own.” Carlos set the phone on the nightstand and sat on the edge of the bed. He ran his fingers through his hair.
Carmen walked over and stroked her fingers over his furrowed brow. The creases cleared, but his eyes remained troubled.
“I don’t like this. Who were you talking to? That conversation sounded really intense, and whatever you’re going through, I want to help.”
“I can’t tell you anything except that I’ll handle the problem, and there’s nothing for you to worry about. The conversation may have sounded intense, but I have everything under control. And I don’t need your money. The last thing I want to do is take money from you for problems I created myself.”
“So you admit there’s a problem. Carlos—”
“Carmen, listen to me.” He took both of her hands and tugged her forward until she stood between his legs. “You have to trust me right now, okay? I know I seem very secretive, but it’s for a good reason. You can’t help me, and I can handle this on my own.”
She stared down at the hands grasping hers.
“Hey.” He tugged more gently this time and forced her eyes to focus on his. “Stop worrying.”
“If you need my help, you would tell me, right?”
“Yes. But this is something I need to take care of myself. I can’t explain, and I won’t let you help me.”
“Please don’t let your stupid male pride create problems when I’m right here and able to assist,” she pleaded.
“It’s not male pride. It’s me trying to right a wrong. An error in judgment that I regret.”
“Doesn’t sound like the person you were talking to will allow you to fix it.”
“Not right now, but I’m working on the situation, and I need time, that’s all.” He squeezed her hands. “Trust me. This problem is nothing you need to concern yourself with.”
She straddled his thighs and wound her arms around his neck. “I accept your answer. I don’t like it, but I do, because I trust you. I only have one question, and I need you to answer me honestly. Are you involved in anything illegal?” She hated to ask, but a late-night, furtive conversation that he couldn’t give her details about had her imagination running wild.
He actually graced her with a brief smile. “Nothing quite so exciting.”
Carmen breathed a little easier. “Good. Then I’ll leave it alone, and you can tell me when you’re ready.”
Carlos kissed her softly and tightened his arms around her waist. “Thank you for trusting me.”
“Don’t make me regret it.”
For two seconds, his brow creased again, but then the lines disappeared. “I’ll do my best,” he said solemnly, which was not the answer she’d wanted to hear.
17
Carmen walked through the halls of Fit Body Gyms corporate office with an extra pep in her step. Tomorrow she’d be on a plane to Atlanta. A month had passed since she last saw Carlos in the flesh, and she couldn’t wait to be with him again.
She stopped at her assistant’s desk, Trudy, an older redhead with black-framed glasses whose sunny disposition always brightened her day.
“Almost ready to leave?” Trudy asked with a knowing grin.
Carmen had confided in her about Carlos and explained that they’d reunited, without divulging Alfred’s role in the split. She didn’t want to sully her father’s reputation. After all, he was still the head of the company and came in every day. No need to start gossip that would cause employees to dislike him.
“Almost. Before I do, I need twenty copies each of these and the Mathis contract emailed to me so I can work on the revisions. I’m going to take it home with me tonight.”
“Will you have time to read it, with packing and getting ready to leave tomorrow?” Trudy asked.
“I had Valencia pack for me,” Carmen replied, referring to her housekeeper. She handed over the papers to Trudy. “But even if she hadn’t, I’d stay up all night because I’m determined to complete the revisions and have the final copy ready before I leave.” The last thing she wanted was to let her personal travels affect her work.
“Now that’s dedication, or someone determined not to let work interrupt their trip,” Trudy said.
Carmen laughed, downright giddy she would soon be able to see Carlos. “A little bit of both, but I’ll be working in Atlanta like I always do. This isn’t a vacation. I just need to get that contract completed and in to legal by first thing Monday morning.”
Carmen headed toward her office.
“You’ll be missed around here for the next week,” Trudy called after her. “By the way, your father stopped by while you were in the meeting.”
Carmen turned away from the door. “Did he say what he wanted?”
Trudy adjusted the glasses on her nose. “Only that I should let you know he stopped by and that it was important that he speak to you.”
“Thanks. Could you order me something from the Japanese place? The usual. I’m going to eat lunch at my desk.” She could go through emails while eating, crossing one more item off her list of things to do today.
“Got it,” Trudy said, already picking up the phone.
Carmen closed the door to her office and sank into the leather chair. Frowning, she considered picking up the phone and finding out what her father wanted but doubted it was anything important. They’d barely spoken since Carlos went back to Atlanta because he’d let his reservations about their relationship be known yet again.
To avoid confrontation, she stayed away from her parents’ house and steered clear of her father at work, which wasn’t that hard to do since they were both often quite busy. She could count on one hand how many times they’d spoken since the night at the charity event, and all conversations had been brief.
She’d waited until the last minute to mention her trip to Atlanta, and now he clearly wanted to corner her and give her another talking to. Well, she wasn’t interested. He’d simply have to deal with his own negativity. It wasn’t her problem.
Sitting with her legs crossed at the ankles and propped on top of the coffee table, Carmen munched on popcorn as she reviewed the contract on her lap. Using a blue-ink pen, she made notes in the margin and rewrote sentences that she crossed out.
Two firm knocks on the door dragged her out of deep concentration. Only one person knocked like that, and only one person would dare to come to her home after nine o’clock, unannounced. Sighing, she set aside the document and dusted her hand on her sweats.
She didn’t bother to check the peep hole. She opened the door and wasn’t remotely surprised to see her father standing in the hallway.
“Do you mind if I come in?” Alfred asked.
Carmen walked away without greeting him, at the point now where she no longer cared. If he gave her an ultimatum, she knew what her answer would be.
She stood in the middle of the living room with her arms crossed. “Whatever you have to say, say it and leave.” No point in beating around the bush with pleasantries. They both knew why he was there.
“Is that any way to talk to your father?” He still wore a suit, which meant he had stayed late at the office and come here before going home.
“Daddy I love you, but you’ve made me this way. You never have anything good to say about Carlos, and I know this so-called important conversation is about him, and I don’t want to hear you bad-mouth him anymore. Three years have passed, he’s successful as an artist and is working at becoming more successful. He may never be wealthy like we are, but he makes an honest living. Why isn’t that enough?”
Alfred sighed as if she exhausted him. “When you have children, you’ll understand. I had different expectations for you. I worked my fingers to the bone so you could have everything I didn’t have growing up.
I didn’t do all that so you could throw it away on some artist with a pipe dream, Carmen.”
“Being with Carlos doesn’t mean I’m throwing away my livelihood. This is the same spiel you’ve always given me. Nothing has changed.”
“You’re only twenty-five years old. Why don’t you wait a while before you make any major decisions?”
“You weren’t worried about my age when you tried to set me up with Tyler.”
His jaw hardened. “Fair enough. But in my defense, he’s a much better prospect. The kind of man who has his own money and wouldn’t be using you for a financial windfall.”
“You’re being ridiculous.”
“This boy has turned you against me.”
“No, he hasn’t! Your actions have made me this way.” Her heart ached. “Why are you like this?”
“You know why I’m like this!” Alfred said with vehemence. “You know how that guy used my sister, milking her for money every chance he got. If my father and I hadn’t stepped in, who knows where she would be right now. Thank goodness she finally came to her senses. And what about that fool you met at the mall, huh? Soon as you were allowed to date, you got caught up with some ne’er-do-well with no money. That boy had you buying him shoes!” He sounded appalled.
“It was one pair of shoes.” He’d mentioned the shoes, and she’d surprised him with them.
“And you paid for your dates.”
“Only a few times!”
“Hah. Trust me, it was just the beginning.” Alfred pinched his nose. “I want to take care of you, Carmen. You’re my daughter. That’s what fathers do—we take care of our kids. It’s what my father did. You can’t fault me for loving you.”
She sighed and swallowed. It pained her to be at odds with her father. “No, I don’t,” she said, softening her voice. “But I fault you for treating the man I love like he’s unwelcomed. You’re hurting me by doing that. Carlos and I are in love with each other. My feelings for him haven’t changed in all this time, and his for me haven’t changed. I wish you would accept our relationship and give your blessing. Welcome him instead of making this so hard.” Her voice trembled at the end.
Never Again: a second chance romance (Quicksand Book 3) Page 10