by Leah Atwood
“Of course. Let me take it for you.” He moved aside. “There are tons of hamburgers on the grill. Grandpa and I already ate, but I’ll make plates for the knitting club later.”
Mmm, hamburgers. She inhaled deeply. “Oh, so that was the delicious aroma coming from backyard. Thank you.” How thoughtful of him. And so unlike the image of celebrities she’d had after dating Michael.
As she entered, he took the tray and carried it into the kitchen.
She looked at the grandfather clock and cringed. The meeting of the knitting club wouldn’t start for at least twenty minutes. Why had she been in such a hurry to get here? Her gaze moved to Arturo, dressed in a white T-shirt that hugged his muscular torso nicely and jeans. Her pulse increased. Here might be the reason. She’d never considered herself a woman who’d be constantly attracted to elusive, unattainable, famous people. But here she was, doing it again.
It didn’t help that they seemed to be alone in the house. “Where is…”
“My grandfather? He went to take a nap. He said the previous time he stayed, and the
ladies made him hold the yarn.”
She shook her head. “Nobody can make him do anything. We asked. Politely. Aren’t you
afraid that could happen to you, too, if you stay?”
“It takes a lot for me to be afraid. And no problem about holding the yarn. If the ladies ask. Politely. Especially if you ask.” Arturo grinned.
She practically swooned.
Finally, you look a little presentable. It does take a village to make you pretty enough to appear at my side. Now, just remember to keep your mouth shut and smile.
She hushed her ex’s voice in her head. While Michael had turned out to be selfish and manipulative, Arturo seemed to be… nice and not conceited at all, in spite of all his fame. But she’d been deceived before.
“I’ll get my knitting supplies from the car,” she said.
“Let me help you.” He touched her forearm.
A slight jolt shot up her arm. It took her a moment to recover. “Um, okay.”
She followed him to her car, clicked it open, and waited until he retrieved the bag. Hmmm. Michael had never bothered with carrying her bags.
She shouldn’t care. After all, Arturo was her patient’s relative, and that was all he could be to her. She’d be wise to remember that.
To her surprise, Grandfather De La Vega met them inside. “Good evening, Miss Lana.”
“Good evening.” She was glad to see him in a cheerful mood again, so much unlike his horrible moods when she’d first visited him.
Arturo placed her bag on the table to join knitting magazines and a basket with yarn and needles. “You said you were going to take a nap, Grandpa.”
“And miss the visit from my favorite nurse?” Grandfather De La Vega wobbled on his walker, obviously careful not to step on his wound.
Arturo moved the chair closer to his grandfather, and he dropped into it.
“Have I told you how I met my beautiful Eleanor?” the older man asked.
Only about a hundred times. Lana kept that comment to herself. He seemed to enjoy telling the story, and she loved hearing it.
Arturo pulled out a chair for her and gestured for her to take a seat. She did that, warming up to being treated like a lady.
“She took my breath away.” Grandfather made a dramatic pause before continuing, “I was selling encyclopedias door to door. One of the doors was open, but nobody answered my knock. I knew I should go away. But a strong feeling, I guess intuition, made me enter. I was studying a great collection of swords when I heard footsteps. I was about to turn around when I got the lights knocked out of me. Apparently, she thought I was a thief who’d come to steal the sword collection.”
In spite of hearing the story many times, Lana chuckled. “She took your breath away.”
“Also because she was very beautiful. The most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”
Lana sighed. Would she ever meet a man who loved her with the same tenderness, same fierceness, same admiration? Her gaze moved to Arturo. He could be capable of the same kind of love as his grandfather.
Don’t even go there.
Even if Arturo had inherited any of his grandfather’s traits, life in the limelight most likely had changed him. She’d seen such things before.
Arturo slapped his forehead. “Where are my manners? Would you like some tea? And dessert? Sugar-free dessert, of course.”
Maybe a drink would cool her down. “Tea, please.”
Grandfather De La Vega winked at her. “Excuse my grandson. Sometimes he still gets tongue-tied around a beautiful woman.”
“Grandpa!” Arturo didn’t sound too happy with his grandfather as he carried the drink from the kitchen.
Heat crept up her neck, and she grabbed the cold glass with amber-hued liquid. She seemed to be in even bigger need of cooling down now.
She could make herself look more attractive. If she donned one of the long, slinky dresses she’d once had, did elaborate makeup, put on the diamonds… She shook her head as she sipped her tea. She’d left all that behind. Literally. It wasn’t who she really was.
Dear Lord, please help me stay on the path. On the path that I hope You have chosen for me.
“Well, it’s getting closer to the club’s meeting time. I gotta scoot.” Grandfather De La Vega headed out of the room, his walker making a clicking sound against the floor.
“I’ll walk with him,” Arturo said as he left.
Lana sipped her cold tea, dealing with a sting of envy at the bond between grandfather and grandson. She’d never had such a family bond. Well, she’d felt a special connection to one foster family, the Smiths. She’d stayed with them the longest, from age eight to eleven. Clara Smith had been a great foster mother who’d emanated warmth and kindness. She’d tucked Lana into bed, told her fairy tales, and taught her how to bake and knit. Little by little, Lana had started hoping that one day she’d be able to call Mrs. Smith “Mom.” After all, even their last names had been the same. Until…
Arturo returned and took a seat near her. “You look sad.”
“Why couldn’t I have at least one relative in my life?” she blurted out. “Just one? Somewhere, my grandparents are probably about to have dinner. Or watch TV. Or just talk, looking at the fire in the fireplace. And they have no clue about me. Who are they? Who are my parents? Why did they discard me? Do I have any siblings? I’ll never know.” A longing she’d done her best to hide came to the surface.
Arturo leaned toward her, his woodsy scent affecting her more than she wanted. “I’m sorry, Lana. Have you ever thought of hiring a private investigator? I know a good one.”
“I thought about it… There are not enough leads. And if there were, I don’t want to disrupt their lives. They’d probably resent me for that. Bottom line, I’m afraid to be rejected and not needed.” She breathed in sharply. Why was she so honest with a man she’d met just yesterday?
“It’s their loss. I’m sure lots of people need you. Your friends. Your patients, especially my grandpa. And…” He seemed to stop himself before he said anything else.
She hoped he’d include himself in that category, but he seemed to catch himself. She swallowed the lump of disappointment. It didn’t matter if he needed her or not. He’d leave soon for Houston. But maybe he’d come back for Christmas?
“Are you going to be here for a long time?” she asked him.
“I can’t. It’s football season. But I’ll come back. Would you like me to?” A teasing twinkle appeared in his eyes.
“It’s not about me. Christmas is a family holiday. I’m sure your grandfather wants to spend it with you. He seems so happy you’re here.” She paused. She should hold her tongue. But instead, she plunged forward. “He misses you. But I understand, you have an extremely successful and important career…”
“I love my grandpa. I want him to move with me to Houston. But he refuses to.” Regret flashed in his eyes. “I don’t k
now what to do.”
He usually seemed so confident that it must’ve been difficult for him to admit this. He was obviously anxious to return to play, but he still stuck around to help his grandfather. Admiration touched her heart.
She’d have to find a way to help him, even if that meant he’d leave sooner. A tug on her heart told her she didn’t want him to leave at all.
“Why move to Rios Azules?” He seemed to be eager to change the topic. “I mean, why this small town in southern Texas?”
“My best friend, Mari Del Lobo, lives here. I met her when I was fourteen. She said it was a quiet town with friendly people, and there were many vacancies for nurses. And I could stay with her at first. I grew up in a small town in eastern Texas, and I like the feeling of community. Rios Azules is close to the ocean, which I love. I needed a change in my life, so I decided to give it a try.” It was also far from Hollywood.
“Your friend was right. Do you see her often now that you’re here?”
“As often as I can. She’s one of few true friends I have.” Lana looked away. Another person she’d considered her friend had turned out anything but, seeing Michael behind Lana’s back. “I imagine you have tons of friends.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Because I’m famous?”
“Because you have an outgoing personality.” Unlike her. She’d struggled with her shyness, which often had been taken for arrogance, since childhood. Changing schools while being shoved from one foster family to another hadn’t helped. Later, the fact that many people had tried to get to Michael by befriending her hadn’t helped, either.
They sat down on the couch.
“I did have many friends until I realized that some of them tried to use me,” he said. “Now I stick with only the ones I know I can trust. Brandon Carmichael, for example.” He chuckled without mirth. “After I became famous, I started getting calls from about everybody I’d met in my life. And from relatives I never knew existed. They all wanted something. Now when I meet people, it’s difficult to say if they’re interested in me because of me or because of what I can do for them.”
“I don’t care that you’re famous. No, wrong, I do care. I’d much rather you were a coach. Or a carpenter. Or a mechanic. I so wish you weren’t famous.” She searched his face. Had she revealed too much?
“I believe you. I already had that impression, as much as it surprised me. I wouldn’t make a good mechanic, though.”
“Have you ever thought what you’d do if you had to retire for some reason?”
He winced as if she touched a painful spot.
“If you don’t mind me asking,” she hurried to add. “I mean, it’s always good to have a second option since we don’t know what might happen tomorrow. Of course, you don’t have answer my question.”
“I push that thought away. I… really don’t have an identity outside of football. It’s all I know. It’s all I ever wanted to know. But it’s true that we never know what might happen tomorrow. I need to think about it.”
“I hope I didn’t sound too pushy,” she said carefully.
“No.” He leaned to her, his breath warm on her cheek. “You look beautiful tonight.”
His lips were so close to hers, and her pulse went into overdrive. She froze, afraid to move, speak, do anything that might ruin the moment.
A beep of his phone made her jerk back. After several consecutive beeps, Lana gestured toward his phone. “It might be important.”
He glanced at the screen, and a shadow passed over his face. “My friend, Brandon, wants me to be back as soon as possible. The rest of the team, too. Lana, I wish I didn’t have to go.”
She whispered, “Likewise.” Then she leaned toward him slowly…
A knock on the door made her pull away.
“That must be the members of your knitting club.” Disappointment sounded in his voice.
Lana struggled to think rationally. She couldn’t afford getting attached to Arturo. She’d learned the hard way how much it hurt when people walked away.
Chapter Six
“You like her, don’t you?” Grandpa’s voice almost made Arturo drop the pan Wednesday morning.
Arturo had been racking his brain, trying to find a solution to his dilemma. If he wasn’t back in Houston on Thursday, he might not be able to play on Sunday. He couldn’t say for sure he’d have another season ahead then. But he could say for sure he’d never have another Grandpa. Arturo needed to fulfill his obligations to his coach and his team while still making sure Grandpa was safe, but how?
“I like who?” Arturo asked over the counter as he scrubbed the pan vigorously, as if trying to punish it for his problem. Soon it would have holes in it.
Mouthwatering scents of bacon and eggs from breakfast lingered in the air. Apparently, so did the tension.
“You know who. Miss Lana.” In the living room, Grandpa seemed to be consumed by the newspaper, obviously preferring reading to watching TV. The big-screen TV Arturo had given his grandfather stood mostly unused, except for when Arturo’s games were on.
Grandpa always was very perceptive. So did Arturo… like her? He was entering new territory there. It was easier to memorize every play in the playbook or change gears while running at the highest speed possible than talk about feelings.
“Lana? She’s sweet, smart, caring, and… pretty.” He smiled as his mind drew her picture in the white sweater and red long skirt that swooshed around her ankles when she walked. Her curly hair had covered her shoulders, and Arturo had fought a strong urge to run his fingers through that lustrous hair.
“Yes, she’s all that. And hurt,” Grandpa said.
“Hurt?” Arturo rinsed the battered pan and dried his hands. Then he claimed the chair near his grandfather. “I know she had a rough upbringing.”
Grandpa put the newspaper aside. “Not only that. Someone broke her heart.”
Indignation rose inside Arturo. “Probably that guy, Michael. He must be a fool.”
“You might do the same. She’s not like other women you told me you’ve dated. They knew enough about you not to expect a commitment.” His grandfather pinned him with a stare.
Arturo didn’t like where this conversation was going. “What are you trying to say?”
Grandpa’s white brows furrowed. “You know how much I love you. But there’s a reason the media dubbed you a heartbreaker. If you break Miss Lana’s heart, I’ll have trouble forgiving you. I think it’s best if you stay away from her while you’re here.”
Not see her anymore… The thought made air leave his lungs. “I only met her two days ago.”
“I’ve seen the way she looks at you. I’ve seen the way you look at her. I’m old, and I have to move with a walker, but my eyes are still sharp.”
“What way does she look at me? And why are you worried about me breaking her heart and not the other way around?”
“Because you have a track record of many short-term relationships. Or are you going to tell me this time will be different?” Grandpa had a point.
“What if I decide to change my life? A serious relationship or even a family of my own could be part of that.” Arturo had never given marriage and children much thought before, figuring he’d do it when the right woman came along.
What if she’d just walked into his life?
No, it couldn’t be. The right woman would’ve walked into his life in Houston, not in Rios Azules.
Grandpa sighed. “I’d love that. You have no idea how much I’d love that. But I have a feeling she’s not going to follow you to Houston. Don’t play with Miss Lana. She deserves better than several great dates and expensive gifts.”
Arturo recalled Michael. “I don’t think she’d accept expensive gifts. But it’s nice of you to worry about your nurse.”
“She’s not just a nurse. She’s more like a granddaughter to me. For the three weeks I’ve been her patient, she’s brought me food in her spare time, taken me to church, bought groceries. She cares about me.”
>
“I hired people to cook, clean, and bring you groceries. You weren’t happy with any of them,” Arturo said.
“You don’t get it, do you? It’s not about getting my groceries or cleaning the floor. Miss Lana talks to me and listens to me. She makes me feel important to her. I’m not just thinking of her. I’m thinking of myself, too.”
“What do you mean?”
“Some of my friends are among her patients. They all adore her. She hasn’t been in Rios Azules long, but people already like her. She’s part of this town. You know about the knitting club. Together with some other ladies in town, she’s reviving the Christmas gift drive for the veterans.”
The one that his grandfather had started and used to run before he’d gotten sick. He’d done that drive in memory of his brother, who’d died in the Vietnam war.
The realization sank in. Once upon a time, while growing up here, Arturo had felt like part of this town. But he’d lost touch over the years, with the place, with the people. Granted, many people greeted him on the street here. But he felt a bit of a barrier, a distance now. Like people admired him from afar but didn’t dare to get too close anymore, except to ask for an autograph. He didn’t feel at home in his penthouse in Houston, either. It was time for him to put down roots. But where?
Grandpa continued, “If you break her heart and she packs up and leaves, you’re going to hear about it for the rest of my life, however long that might be.”
“Did you talk to Lana about this? About…” Arturo hesitated, not sure how to put it in words. “About me and her?”
“No. No matter what age you are, I can still tell you what to do. I can’t do that with her.” Grandpa’s face darkened. “Michael seemed to play with her feelings for years. She didn’t tell me much, but I think he manipulated her. Until something went very wrong and they broke up.”
“Are you saying she’s on the rebound?”
“I’m saying she’s vulnerable.” Grandpa’s face took on a familiar stubborn expression. “I was wrong a moment ago. Let’s be honest, I can’t tell you what to do. Not any longer.”