Color of Danger

by Alexa Verde

  He gave her a lopsided grin. “And you showed me I didn’t need to punish the Smiling Killer to be whole again.”

  She studied him, storing everything about him in her memory in case he returned to Dallas and forgot about her. “So why have you fallen in love with me? You don’t even know my real name. Because I don’t know my last name! If it’s not Del Lobo, then what? Who’s my father, really?” She was babbling. She just couldn’t face the moment when he’d say it was time for him to leave.

  “You have a wonderful family here in Rios Azules. And the name doesn’t make you who you are.”

  Mari lifted her chin. She couldn’t avoid it any longer. “So when are you leaving for Dallas?” She held her breath.

  “Who said I’m leaving? I’ve decided to stay in Rios Azules. Don’t you want me to?”

  Her heart sang. Then her mind took over. New Mari had to think rationally. “I do. But you have a career there. A future. A family.”

  He shot to his feet. “I want to have a future and a family here. With you.”

  His words stole her breath. But she had to remember he’d only known her for a few days. What if he moved to Rios Azules and discovered he’d made a mistake? She gathered her courage.

  “I don’t want you to give up your life.” Mari forced the words out of her mouth. How couldn’t he see she was trying to do the right thing? “We had an exciting experience. It made your heart race, and you might have misunderstood it for something else. Give it several months. We can text, talk over the phone. I’ll fly to Dallas from time to time. Or you’ll fly here.”

  “Mari, stop.” He raised his hand.

  She shook her head. She had to continue, or she’d never be able to say these words. “Listen to me. For once in my life, I’m going to be rational. I want it to be a well-thought-out decision on your part. Don’t move here unless you’re one hundred and ten percent sure.”

  “I’m sure. Did your feelings toward me change?”

  She couldn’t lie. “No. I love you. I meant it when I said it. But please, give it several months. If James told you he was going to move to Rios Azules for someone he’d recently met, wouldn’t you try to talk him out of it?”

  What was she doing? Panic slammed into her. Why was she saying all this? Why was she ruining her own happiness?

  But it was too late.

  He leaned over and brushed his lips against hers. When he pulled back, deep sadness settled in his blue eyes. “I’ll do as you wish. I think I understand where this is coming from. Your father and brother treated you so badly you need to get used to the idea of a man treating you right. But it’s perfectly normal for someone to love you.”

  She winced. Was he right?

  Luke laced his fingers through hers. “Granted, it all happened very quickly, but being with you makes me happy. I wanted to heal you and instead, you healed me. I’ll never betray you. I’ll never hurt you. And I’ll never let anyone hurt you again. Remember what you said about colors? I want to color your life beautiful. And I won’t let you go for the second time.”

  Her eyes widened. “Second time?”

  “I think I fell in love with you the first time I saw you singing in the bar. I just didn’t realize it. I let you go then. I can’t do it again. Moving to South Texas is easy. I’m lucky you don’t live in Antarctica. I’d go to the end of the world to be with you.”

  He walked out the door.

  Tears filled her eyes. She didn’t want to ruin his life, make him trade his spectacular one in a big city for a quiet one in Rios Azules. But had she just lost the man she loved with her whole heart? Had she made the biggest mistake of her life?

  She should run after him. A bit light-headed, Mari sat up on her bed.

  The door burst open, and River, Lydia and Aidan poured in. Lydia was holding an apple pie that emanated a delicious aroma, and River carried a large lasagna dish.

  Mari waved at them and swallowed a hard lump in her throat. After all, she did have a great family and she was alive.

  So there was still hope.

  Epilogue

  “Mari, this is not working for me,” Luke said quietly.

  So much for spending Thanksgiving with Luke and meeting his family. So much for inviting him to the grand re-opening of The Café. And she’d thought their relationship was going great. Well, as great as a long-distance relationship could be.

  Inside the kitchen of her small home, Mari inhaled deeply the air filled with the scent of a freshly baked pumpkin pie. She tried to count to ten but only made it to five. “You’ve got to be kidding me. You do realize I just baked a pie — first time in my life! I’ve done things to a bird I’ve never thought possible. I’ve let you into my life! And now you’re trying to walk out of it? You’re lucky I left Nowa in the backyard, or she’d give you a piece of her mind, too.”

  “Mari…” He stepped closer.

  Eyebrows drawn together, she raised her hand to stop him. “Fair warning. I stand very close to heavy cans of corn. And I can hurl them like nobody’s business.”

  Luke grinned. “That’s what I love about you. Your spunk. What I was saying—”

  “Don’t you dare tell me about love. Not when you’re trying to break up with me.”

  There was a knock on the door. Mari ripped off her apron, threw it on the counter, and marched to the entrance. Minutes later, she marched back with Lydia in tow, her friend carrying a green bean casserole.

  Lydia stopped when she saw Luke. “Ay, no, I thought you’d be an hour later.”

  “I couldn’t wait.” Luke took the casserole from her hands and placed it on the counter.

  “You knew about this?” Mari whirled to Lydia. “About him breaking up with me?”

  Luke shook his head. “You didn’t understand.”

  A knock on the door interrupted him again. In a hurry to hear what exactly he was planning to say, Mari rushed to the door and dragged River to the kitchen. River proudly carried a large dish with cornbread stuffing. The aroma of thyme, rosemary, and other spices added to that of the pumpkin pie.

  “Hi.” River handed the dish to Luke. “I thought you’d be here later.”

  Mari groaned. “Seriously?”

  Luke placed the dish close to the casserole and cleared his throat. “Ladies, you’re not making it easy. What I was saying—”

  At this point, Mari wasn’t surprised when she heard a knock on the door again.

  “Must be Aidan. Or Soledad. Or Julia,” River explained.

  “Pecan pie. Mashed potatoes. Vegetable tray,” Mari said. Her childhood holidays had been lonely. She was making up for it in adulthood.

  Luke sighed. “I won’t be able to finish what I was saying, will I?”

  “Not until I’m back. I’m not missing this. I’ll open the door.” River hurried to the entrance and came back to the kitchen with Aidan, Soledad, and Julia. They piled up the dishes on the counter.

  Meanwhile, Mari grabbed a can of yams. “If you’re going to leave, you’d better do it now.”

  Both River and Lydia whipped out their phones. “We’ve got to record this.”

  “This is not how I planned it,” Luke said.

  “Nothing in Rios Azules goes exactly as planned.” River chuckled. “Get used to it.”

  “He won’t have to! He won’t be coming to Rios Azules again.” Mari’s temper got the best of her. “He can’t handle the long-distance relationship. Apparently, it’s not working for him.”

  “It’s not that I can’t handle a long-distance relationship,” Luke said.

  “Even worse. You can’t handle me!” She weighed the yams in her hand. Would she be able to knock Luke out with one can? Her heart was breaking apart, and her friends were filming it. “To be fair, few men could handle me. Sometimes I have trouble handling me, and I’ve been doing it for twenty-eight years.”

  “Let me say, honey, it’s not that I can’t handle a long-distance relationship.” Luke drew her close. “I don’t want to.”

&nbs
p; “Let me go!” Mari jerked to free herself from his embrace.

  He held strong. “Living another month without you? Not an option. Living another minute without you is not an option.”

  “What?” Mari gasped. Could she believe her ears?

  “I love you, Mar. It’s you…. It’ll always be you. Only you. I wanted it to be special, candlelit dinner and all. But I can’t wait. I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you.”

  River and Lydia squealed in excitement.

  “I can’t believe I heard you right.” Her knees went weak. “I think something is clouding my senses.”

  “That would be the smoke from burning turkey. Nope, not yet.” Lydia lowered the temperature on the stove.

  “What about Cynthia?” Mari whispered.

  “I loved her very much, but she’d want me to be happy. I love you with all my heart. I can’t imagine my life without you.”

  “But can you imagine your life with me? And long-distance marriage won’t work. Not for you.” She stumbled. She wanted to believe in happiness with Luke, but what were the odds?

  “That’s why I’m moving to Rios Azules. If Rios Azules will have me.”

  “It will,” Lydia and Aidan said in unison.

  Mari smiled. She wasn’t done yet, though. “But my family history… Your family… We’re going to have lots of awkward Thanksgivings.”

  “You’ve talked to my parents for months, exchanged pictures. Granted, first they thought you were a little scary.”

  “Just a tad.” A woman whom Mari recognized as Luke’s mother stepped into the living room, followed by Luke’s father. “But now we think you’re terrific. And it’s about time we meet our future daughter-in-law in person.”

  “I’m so happy to meet you, too.” She smiled at them. “You might rethink the terrific part, though.”

  “I let them in,” River explained. “But we got distracted. Back to the question.”

  “River, you knew about this?” The realization dawned on Mari.

  “He asked my blessing. Who do you think is going to give you away in church?”

  There might be forgiveness for her after all. Gratitude to God for all His blessings filled her heart.

  “Mari, make me the happiest person alive. Marry me.” Luke dropped on one knee, reached into his pocket, and took out a small box.

  Her heart thudded loudly. It was hard to breathe. Could this be real? But she wanted to make sure Luke wouldn’t regret his decision later. “It’s not the best time to bring it up, Luke, but… I don’t want many children. And you probably want a lot of them.”

  “Five.” Luke nodded, holding a sparkling ring in front of her.

  Mari closed her eyes. “One.”

  “Four.”

  “One.”

  “Three.”

  “One.”

  “Two.”

  “One.”

  “Okay, one.”

  Mari opened her eyes.

  “One for each year.” Luke winked at her.

  She laughed in spite of herself. “You’re stubborn.”

  “I’m in love.” His blue eyes were shining.

  “Just say yes!” her little crowd said in unison. “Yes! Yes! Yes!”

  Deep in her heart, she knew what she was going to say. So what if she was far from perfect? They loved each other deeply, and that was what mattered.

  “Yes!” Joy filled every cell in her body.

  “Yes!” Luke slid the ring on her finger, then lifted her and whirled around the living room.

  “Yay!” Everybody cheered.

  “They are happy for you,” Luke whispered into her ear.

  “Nah, they’re just hungry. Turkey must be almost ready.” She wrapped her arms around his neck.

  “No more chains?” He glanced at her bare hands.

  “They don’t go well with cooking.”

  Of course, Luke was going to be a great dad. And maybe she could become a good mom, as well, unlike her own mother. Luke and she would raise their children as Christians. They could be a family.

  “Thank you, Lord!” she whispered.

  More people were coming in, but she couldn’t let Luke go. Deliriously happy, she leaned closer to him. “Life with me isn’t going to be easy.”

  He pressed a fleeting kiss on her lips. “True. You’re one of a kind.”

  “I know,” Mari said modestly while her heart sang.

  Luke laughed. “And I love you just the way you are.”

  The rest of her life was starting now, and every particle of her was filled with delight. She gazed into his eyes and into his soul. “You’re a bit too nice for my taste, but I’ve learned to accept that. Because I also love you just the way you are.”

  Questions for Discussion

  1. Mari has a hard time trusting people after being deceived by her own brother. Has it been difficult sometimes for you to trust others? What do you do to overcome it?

  2. Mari lost her faith after her brother died. Was there a moment when your faith was tested? What did you do to persevere in your faith?

  3. Mari can’t understand how Tony could be a loving brother and a ruthless murderer. Have you met people who acted in different ways with you and with other people?

  4. Luke has loved his late fiancée so much that he had trouble letting her go. Have you ever loved someone that way?

  5. Luke is eager to punish the Smiling Killer and wants closure so much that he’s blinded to other possibilities. Have you missed opportunities because of something you wanted badly? What did you do to change it?

  6. Mari is afraid of becoming like her father and her brother. Do you believe that our parents and siblings determine our identity? Do you try to correct undesirable traits you might have inherited?

  7. Luke is ready to give up many things for the woman he loves, but she doesn’t want him to give up anything. Would you make the same choice? Why? Or why not?

  8. Mari believes that, because of past mistakes, she might not be worthy of forgiveness. Luke thinks that all she has to do is ask. Do you agree with Mari? Or do you agree with Luke? Why?

  Thank You for Reading

  Thank you for reading Color of Danger. I shamelessly stole the character of Mari Del Lobo — minus the serial killer brother and abusive father — from my dear friend who lives far away from me. I hope you enjoyed reading about Mari’s adventures toward finding faith, her true love, and true self. She learns that to trust other people she needs to trust herself, and first and foremost, she needs to trust God.

  If you write even several words on Amazon and/or Goodreads, I can’t thank you enough. I’m grateful to every person who reads my books, and every review matters to me. Authors depend so much on reviews and recommendations, and it’s a great joy for us when our books find new homes.

  If you liked Luke and Mari’s story, I hope that you might enjoy River of Danger, Taste of Danger, and Scent of Danger. I do love hearing from readers, and if you email me at alexaverde7@gmail.com, or visit me on Goodreads, Facebook, or Twitter, you’ll make my day. For giveaways, news, and recipes, please sign up for my newsletter.

  Thank you very much for spending your time with me and my books, and I hope we’ll meet again.

  Blessings,

  Alexa Verde

  About the Author

  Alexa Verde writes sweet, wholesome books about faith, love, and murder. She penned her first literary masterpiece, a rhymed poem, at the ripe age of eight, and since has had 200 short stories, articles, and poems published in the five languages that she speaks. She has bachelor's degrees in English and Spanish, a master's in Russian, and enjoys writing about characters with diverse cultures. She can claim her 15 seconds of Amazon fame with her books climbing to the #1 spot in Hispanic American and #3 in Christian Mystery & Suspense. She's worn the hats of reporter, teacher, translator, model (even one day counts!), caretaker, and secretary, but thinks that the writer's hat suits her the best. After traveling the world and living in both hemispheres
, she calls a small town in south Texas home. The latter is an inspiration for the fictional setting of her popular series Secrets of Rios Azules. Please visit her online, on Facebook and Twitter. For giveaways, contests, and news, please sign up for her newsletter.

  Please turn the page for the information about other titles by Alexa, as well as a sneak peak of the next book in the Secrets of Rios Azules series, Taste of Danger.

  Other Books by Alexa Verde

  Secrets of Rios Azules Series

  Christian Multicultural Romantic Suspense

  Sweet, wholesome books about faith, love, and murder

  Welcome to Rios Azules, a small south Texas town, where rivers and emotions run deep, and the secrets are deadly.

  River of Danger (Prequel)

  Dallas reporter River Montenegro returns to her small town to aid her father, a recovering alcoholic. After a series of scary events, River knows the infamous Smiling Killer wants to make her his next victim. So she grudgingly accepts help from her childhood friend and first crush, Jacob Forrester. Will Jacob and River solve the mystery of the killer's identity in time to have a second chance at love?

  Taste of Danger (Book 2)

  Small-town librarian Soledad Sokolova has three days to find a hidden Russian treasure — or she and her father will die. Out of options, she turns for help to a hunky stranger, private investigator James O'Hara. But she knows better than to let a ladies’ man break her heart for the second time. Bound by his word to Soledad's father, James is ready to protect her at all costs. However, once betrayed, he's reluctant to fall in love again. Will James and Soledad escape danger and find treasures of faith, love, and hope?