Nate should have. But after Sofía had severed ties, he dove into researching boutique properties, almost frantic to see the only other thing he’d wanted come to fruition.
Thankfully, Melanie had seen the light. Or rather, the bright lights of Vegas where she’d run off for a quickie wedding with the artist she’d secretly fallen in love with several years ago. Much to her parents’ disappointment.
And he...he was here, back in Paradise Key, the place that had given him his first real taste of home. Of familia as Sofía said. For him, hearing the word family in Spanish made it come to life. Made the possibility real. He wanted that.
“It’s okay. I’m leaving right behind you. Go on.” Sofía’s voice drew Nate’s attention.
He glanced up to find her standing in the entry. She hugged Jenna, Lauren, and Evie good-bye, then headed into the ladies’ room.
Nate saluted Evie with his empty glass when she gave him a half-hearted wave. Earlier, when she’d swung by his stool to say hello, she’d made it clear Hamilton, Inc. had no business bidding on the resort. Little did she know, he was banking on that fact.
His weekend trip to Sarasota had provided some valuable details that could back up his recommendation the company drop its interest in the resort here and focus efforts on the larger property down south. His call this morning had set a few other pieces in motion that should help solidify his plan.
Numbers were key when it came to Nathan Hamilton, II. All he cared about was the bottom-line financial gain. Nate planned to give him that proof.
The door to the ladies’ room opened, emitting the faint trill of salsa music. Sofía’s ringtone on her cell.
She stepped out, pausing near the hostess stand to pull her phone out of her back jeans pocket. Nate read the hello on her smiling lips as she answered. Seconds later, shock registered on her face and she sank onto one of the wooden chairs lined up against the wall.
Her tanned skin turned a pasty cream color as she covered her mouth with a hand Nate could have sworn trembled. In a flash, he was off his stool and at her side.
“A heart attack? Is he-is he conscious?” Her voice shook on the stuttered question.
Nate couldn’t hear what was said on the other end, but based on Sofía’s pain-filled gasp, it couldn’t have been good news.
“Oh, Vivi, that must have been so scary for you,” Sofía murmured.
Nate’s stomach clenched when he heard who she was speaking with. Vivi had to be calling about Sal. For the older woman’s sake, and especially for Sofía’s, since she just buried one of her best friends, he hoped the older man was fighting to survive.
“Have you talked to your boys? Are they coming?”
Nate could hear Vivi’s voice through the phone, but he wasn’t able to make out her response.
“I see. Ay Dios, I’m so sorry I’m not there with you. Give me...” Sofía broke off. Her gaze flitted around the open bar area as if searching for something. “I don’t know how long it’ll take me, but I’m coming down.”
She clenched her fist on her lap, practically vibrating with the intensity of her emotions. Nate covered her hand with his own.
The worry for her building in his chest eased the slightest bit when she twisted her wrist and uncurled her fingers to link them with his. She shot him a look filled with so much pain and fear it took his breath away.
“I’ll be there tomorrow, Vivi,” Sofía promised. “As early as I can. You be strong, okay?”
She worried her lower lip, shaking her head as she listened to Vivi’s response.
“I can work on the bid from Key West as well as I can from here. You don’t need to be there alone.”
Nate sat quietly while Sofía finished her conversation. It mostly consisted of her reassuring Vivi that she could count on Sofía to be at her side tomorrow come hell or high water. And that she’d ask her mom and Tía Mili to add Sal to their prayer chains.
Eventually, Sofía hung up. As soon as she did, her torso curled in on itself as if someone had punched her in the stomach. She collapsed with her elbows on her thighs, burying her face in her palms.
Nate gently stroked her back, desperate to offer some reassurance. She heaved several shuddering breaths, but didn’t say anything.
The main door to the bar opened, and a rowdy group of college coeds entered. Voices loud, they joked about some prank one or the other had pulled.
“I’ve gotta get out of here.” Sofía pushed herself to a stand, slinging the strap of the same dark brown tote she’d carried at the beach over her shoulder.
“Let’s go.”
One hand on the small of her back, the other motioning for the coeds to make room for them to pass by, Nate ushered her toward the door.
Out on the boardwalk, the quiet of early evening greeted them. The sun had set, leaving the sky a dark navy blue speckled with twinkling stars. Out on the water, the occasional buoy light flickered a hello to those on land.
Sofía strode down the planked walkway in the direction of her home. The soft breeze blew her hair, and she tossed her head to get the tresses out of her face.
“What’s your plan?” he asked.
Her brows furrowed, creating a little V between them. In another place and time, he would have pulled her gently to his side to kiss the worry spot. Now all he could do was wait to see what she had in mind, so he could figure out how best to help her.
“I’m sure by the time I made it down to Tampa tonight, I’d miss the last flight to Key West. If I haven’t already.” She huffed out a frustrated breath. “If I wait until morning to fly down, by the time I get there it could be too late...ay Dios, por favor, no...”
Her voice trailed off and she pulled to a stop, stumbling several paces until she leaned against the wooden railing overlooking the darkened ocean. The nearby streetlamp cast its hue over them, leaving her face a mix of shadow and light. She wove her fingers through her hair, grabbing the strands in a tight grip. Her “I’m beyond frustrated” tell.
“Let’s drive,” he suggested.
“I don’t have a car. Evie and I landed around the same time, so I rode up with her.”
“No, I mean, let me drive you,” he clarified. “I’ve got a rental.”
She craned her neck to shoot him her typical “estás loco” glare.
Yes, he was crazy. Crazy about her. Crazy serious about doing whatever he could to show her how much he cared. Because even if she no longer returned his feelings, he’d do anything for her.
He joined her at the railing, resting his elbows on the wooden plank. His shoulder brushed hers, but he purposefully stayed glued to her side. A sign he wasn’t going anywhere.
“It’s late. You’re upset. Who the hell wouldn’t be in your position? I have a car and time to spare.” Determined to convince her, yet knowing better than to push, he stared out at the gently lapping water, calmly cataloguing the reasons why his idea was a solid one. “Plus, it’s an eight-hour drive down the Keys, and we both know it can get monotonous. That’s not the best thing to undertake on your own this late at night. You’ve told me that before, right?”
When she didn’t respond, Nate glanced at Sofía to find her gaping at him. Her puzzled frown told him she was struggling to come up with a way to refute his points. He knew she couldn’t, but he didn’t want to give her time to think of something anyway.
“Sof, please.” He straightened, angling his body to face her. When she did the same, he grasped her upper arms, his hold light but certain. “Let me do this for you. Let me help you.”
“Why?” she asked, her voice a raspy whisper.
“Because...” He faltered.
He couldn’t admit he wanted her back. Not yet. If he said the words too soon, she’d put up those walls between them she was so freaking expert at erecting. He had to take this slow. Show her he was serious.
“Because it’s what friends do for each other. Because I know you’d do it for me, if the situation was reversed.”
She eyed
him silently for several heart-pounding seconds, her expression serious. Then she reached out to hook a finger in between two of the buttons on his Oxford, surprising him by leaning forward to rest her forehead on the front of his right shoulder.
Her spicy floral scent filled his lungs on his next breath. He held it, her essence coursing through his blood like a potent stimulant.
When she eventually tilted her head to peer up at him, tears shone in her beautiful eyes. She stepped closer, her sandaled feet nearly touching his Sperrys.
“You don’t make this easy, sabes?”
“No, I don’t know,” he answered truthfully. “I think it’s a pretty easy decision. I mean, why would you turn down a chauffeured trip, huh?”
She offered him a watery smile. Then, as if in slow motion, she rose onto her toes to brush her lips over his. Her hands gripped his shirt at his waist, and it was only natural for him to wrap her in his arms.
Home. She felt like home. And he like a traveler too long on the road.
The soft touch of her lips had his body urging him to deepen the kiss, to remind her of the amazing passion they’d always shared.
His head, even his wounded heart, warned him to take it slow.
Sofía lowered from her tiptoes, but stayed in the circle of his embrace. She licked her lips as if savoring his taste.
Nate nearly groaned out loud. He pressed his forehead to hers, willing his body to cool and his pulse to slow.
“Okay,” Sofía murmured. “I accept your offer.”
Yes!
The word shot through his brain like one of the fireworks they used to watch launching over the water during the town’s July 4th celebration.
Rather than pump his fist in triumph like he wanted, Nate cupped her cheeks, then dropped a soft kiss onto her nose.
Her lips curved in the hint of a smile that thankfully reached her tear-filled eyes.
“Gracias,” she whispered.
“Anytime.”
Her eyes drifted close, and, because he couldn’t not do it, Nate covered her lips with his, softly nipping at her sweetness. Sofía leaned into his kiss, and his pulse sparked. He craved more, but while her response gave him confidence, he knew now wasn’t the right time. She needed to get to her familia. He could give her that. And he’d gladly do so.
Easing back, away from her temptation, he reached for her hands.
“Come on,” he told her, linking their fingers together. “Let’s get you to Sal and Vivi.”
Chapter Seven
Sofía came awake with a start. For a second, she didn’t remember where she was and she panicked, sitting bolt upright. Her seat belt engaged, jerking her to an abrupt stop.
“Hey, sleepy head,” Nate teased from the driver’s seat beside her.
In an instant, the events from last night—Vivi’s terrible call, Nate’s offer to drive her down, the awkwardness of asking him to wait outside of Tía Mili’s house when he arrived to pick her up, but not admitting it was because she wanted to avoid the twenty questions her tía would certainly ask...everything rushed back on her like a tidal wave.
Fear for Sal slewed through her. It swirled into an unpleasant mix along with her discomfort over relying on Nate and her determination to keep her guard up around him.
“Hi,” she said, massaging the crick in her neck.
Nate took his gaze off the road briefly to shoot her a lazy grin that belied the lines of fatigue fanning out from the corners of his eyes. The rising sun painted the horizon behind him in a mix of deep orange and rich peach hues. Tired shadows darkened the skin under his eyes, matching the shadowed clouds in the sky with the early morning rays peeking out from behind them.
“Are we already at the Seven Mile Bridge?” She scrubbed her hands over her face, thinking she must still be groggy. No way had she been asleep that long.
“Yep,” Nate answered.
Sure enough, a quick glance at the open ocean spread out to the right and left of the car and the long stretch of road ahead of them confirmed they’d already reached the well-known bridge just south of Marathon Key.
“Dios mío, when did I nod off?”
“Right after we passed Port St. Lucie.” Nate tipped a paper coffee cup with a gas station logo to his lips.
Surprised, Sofía realized he must have stopped for the pick-me-up caffeine without her even waking up.
“I can’t believe I slept over four hours. So much for helping you drive. We’re only about forty-five minutes out.” She tucked a loose strand of hair back into her ponytail, then twisted around to face Nate.
“You needed the rest.” His left elbow propped on his windowsill, Nate took another sip of coffee. “Worrying the whole trip down wouldn’t have helped you. Or Vivi and Sal. But your phone has been blowing up for the past thirty minutes or so. Mili and your mom are definitely early risers. You might wanna give them a call.”
He glanced down at her cell, resting in the console between the two front seats.
“Or I can pull over and stretch my legs so you can talk to them in private if you’d prefer,” he added.
It was the first time he had acknowledged her strange behavior last night. On his way to pick her up, he’d mentioned it would be good to see Tía Mili again. Sofía had quickly shut him down, telling him there was no need for him to come inside. Something her tía had been adamant he do when Sofía and Nate had hung out together as teens.
“Un novio debe tocar la puerta y decirle hola a tu familia antes de sacarte para pasear.”
True, a boyfriend should knock on the door and greet a girl’s family before they went out on a date. But Nate hadn’t been her boyfriend for a long time now, and this was most definitely not a date. He was a friend, kind of, helping her in a jam.
Instead, she had raced down the outside stairs to the parking area where he waited. Nate had taken her overnight bag to stow in the trunk of his rental car without saying a word. Then, after ensuring she was ready to go, he’d turned his convertible off Mill Drive onto 2nd Street, heading toward Highway 24, which would take them off the island.
For the first three and a half hours of their drive, before she’d gone Rip Van Winkle on him, conversation was minimal. She’d been struggling to remain calm while inside she was stressing over Sal’s health and worrying about Vivi being on her own since both their sons lived up North and were out of the country on business. It helped that the Bernardino B&Bs were in the capable hands of Paul, Sofía’s assistant manager. While prone to exaggeration and sharing his sometimes-inappropriate opinions, the middle-aged man had years of bed and breakfast experience and a good feel for how she preferred the show to run.
Between calls with Paul, her texts to Lauren, Jenna, and Evie letting them know she’d had to leave Paradise Key suddenly and why, along with messages to her mami and Vivi alerting them that she was on the road—which had set of a firestorm of responses from all the women—Sofía had been glued to her cell those first couple of hours of the drive.
Nate had taken her cue and stayed mum. Eventually, with his phone synched to the car’s stereo, he had adjusted the volume so Ed Sheeran’s melodious voice serenaded them softly. A subtle reminder, for her at least, of the time she’d been in Manhattan for a conference and Nate had surprised her with Ed Sheeran concert tickets.
It was probably why she’d fallen asleep once her phone had quieted. Avoiding the memories, unwilling to relive them with him, she’d rested her head against her side window. And promptly dozed off.
Now Sofía picked up her cell to scroll through the messages and missed call alerts. Dios mío, Nate was right. Two calls from her mom. One from her tía. Multiple texts from each.
“Want me to pull over when we get to Bahia Honda?” Nate asked.
The state park entrance area would be a good place for him to walk around, but she was anxious to get to the Lower Keys Medical Center. “That’s okay. I’ll call when we get to the hospital and have an update.”
“Do your mom and Mili know y
ou’re with me?”
It was a simple question, but with multiple responses. The deeper answer was loaded down by the years of her and Nate’s shared history and double the maternal concern. Sofía opted for the lighter, equally as true answer instead. “You think Tía Mili would let me get in a car without her knowing who was behind the wheel? Even at my age?”
Nate huffed out a laugh. “Point made.”
His expression sobered. The muscle in his jaw tightened as if he struggled with something. When he finally spoke again, his voice was gruff with unease. “Whatever else has happened between us, Sof, or whatever you’ve shared with your mom and Mili, I guess, I hope they both know they can count on me to keep you safe.”
“They do.” She did too, physically.
Emotionally? There was no need for him to know Mami and Tía Mili held fast to the opinion that Sofía had never maintained a long-term relationship with another man because of Nate. Tía Mili had spent more time with him when they were younger, so she had a soft spot for Nate. Mami and Papi had met him twice when Nate had visited Miami after college. None of them knew about the weekend visits and occasional dalliances over the years. And yet, her mom and tía maintained their stance.
Frankly, their theory on why she had yet to marry and pop out a grandbaby they could spoil was not something she chose to think about. Much less share with him.
“That’s good to know.” Nate said the words on a tired sigh as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes with the back of his left hand.
“Want me to take over for the last little bit?” she asked.
“Naw, I’m good. I’ll sleep after I drop you off at the hospital and figure out where I’m going to stay.”
Guilt pinched her belly. He’d dropped everything to make this trip with her. She hadn’t even asked about his work schedule or if his father expected him to be somewhere else. Nate was going out of his way for her. The least she could do was put him up for the night, before he left tomorrow.
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