Angel shrugged. “What? It’s not like I’ll ever see him again.”
Tomás laughed at Miranda’s arched eyebrow. “You never know, Angel. He could be your destiny.”
Angel bit her lip but made no comment when both women turned and waved to Miguel one last time. Then the helicopter flew inland, and the three of them went to their cabins.
Later that night, Angel stood under the warm spray of the shower in the spacious bathroom of her friend’s home. Evelyn called this place her little Mexican cottage, but it was really more like a palace. With seven bedrooms, nine full baths, and a grand ballroom on no less than three floors, it was definitely grander than anyplace she had ever been before, and it made her feel out of her league. She liked simple. This place was way too fancy.
Angel turned off the shower, pushed open the ornate glass door, and stood, naked and dripping onto the rug beneath her feet. She quickly dried off with a towel from the nearby warming rack. Wrapping it securely around her body, she walked over to stand in front of the large, elegant mirror across the room. Grabbing another dry towel, she wiped the steam away from the mirror.
The reflection staring back at her mirrored a loneliness she wouldn’t allow herself to feel most of the time. After Michael’s death, the local press had published several accurate but low-key articles concerning his demise. At first, the press hadn’t wanted to cause the family more distress than they had to, but once they’d gotten wind of the insurance money that Angel had received, the press, local and nationwide, had had a field day with her life. Then, she suddenly had many offers from men brave enough to venture into her domain, wanting to spend time with her.
Angel had ignored the offers at first, but later, she’d tentatively tried dating a few of the seemingly sincere prospects. That didn’t last very long. She couldn’t seem to find anyone with whom she or her girls felt comfortable. And if she dared to question their motives, they either got very angry or quit calling. Disgusted with her reflection, she stuck her tongue out at the sad-looking woman, grabbed the hairbrush, and went to work.
Forty minutes later, Angel stood in front of the closet door, scrutinizing her image thoroughly in the full-length mirror. She pulled at the sleeves of her red eyelet peasant blouse, showing off her creamy-white shoulders. She reached down to fasten the denim loop at the hip of her three-tiered matching denim and red eyelet skirt, exposing an expanse of her right leg.
She smiled at her reflection. Not bad for a thirty-seven-year-old mother of three. Antonio’s had a dance floor, and she planned to be on it tonight. This outfit was perfect for dancing. She grabbed her pocketbook from the nearby chair and turned in front of the mirror one last time before heading downstairs.
Miranda and Grace waited at the bottom of the stairs, standing in front of the window that overlooked the lagoon. Miranda gently brushed Grace’s fine blonde hair while Grace chatted away. Miranda and Tomás were so good to her girls. So far, they had accompanied Angel on every one of her mission trips, and while she worked, they took the girls with them to spend time with their families. Miranda’s family lived right here in Cabo San Lucas and Tomás’s family five hours to the east in a tiny villa that was surrounded by mountains.
Finding Miranda and Tomás had definitely been a godsend. They were one of the best things that could have ever happened to Angel and her girls. And the timing of it had been nothing short of a miracle.
Two months after her husband’s funeral, Angel had received a legal-looking letter in her mailbox. Inside the crisp white envelope had been a letter from the main office of the Newark Insurance Company, asking her to come to New York to finalize the claim for death benefits, due to the large sum of the settlement.
When the police had looked into the circumstances surrounding Michael’s untimely death, they discovered that he had secretly purchased life-insurance policies on the entire family, including himself. Angel thought the state of affairs surrounding Michael’s death might have terminated the policy, but apparently it hadn’t. When Michael had bought the policy on himself, he hadn’t intended that he would die of natural causes. He had only intended for Angel and their three girls to have a prearranged accident. She’d almost fainted when she’d read the amount at the bottom of the page. Fourteen million dollars!
The next day Angel went about her normal routine, having already made plans to fly to New York later in the week. At noon, she left work for a quick bite at the café down the block. After Michael’s death, she had been afraid that she might have to go to work full-time, but now she didn’t have to worry about that. However, she didn’t want to quit her job just because she had money. She loved her career.
She didn’t tell anyone about the money—not her family, her friends, or her coworkers. Only her girls knew that Angel was receiving a check from the insurance company, and they didn’t know how much. She hated secrets, but she didn’t want anyone treating her or her children differently because of money. No, it was best if that was kept quiet.
She hurried down the street to the same quaint little café just like she always did; only today, it was just her. Everyone else had an errand of some sort to do, and she was on her own for a change. She sat in her usual corner booth and waited for the waitress.
“Can I get you something to drink?”
The waitress was a tall, attractive Latina woman in her mid-twenties whom Angel had never seen before. For some reason that she couldn’t explain, Angel felt drawn to this tall, composed woman. She smiled.
“Can I get water with lemon, please?”
“Yes ma’am.” Seconds later the waitress came back with her drink. “Are you ready to order?”
“Yes, could I have the rib-eye sandwich and a small salad with vinaigrette dressing, please?”
“Yes, ma’am. I’ll have it right out.”
The young waitress placed her order in next to the others and turned to serve other patrons in the diner. Angel couldn’t help noticing the young woman’s natural charm. Whenever she spoke with the other diners at her station, her face was open and friendly and her manner warm and inviting. Angel’s order arrived a few minutes later.
She stuck out her hand. “Hi, I’m Angelina Meeker,” she said. “You’re new here, aren’t you?”
“Yes, ma’am. My husband and I moved here from Mexico a couple of months ago.” The waitress smiled broadly, wiped her fingers with her towel, and shook Angel’s hand. “I’m Miranda, Miranda Martinez.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Miranda.”
“Same here, Angelina.”
“Oh please, call me Angel. What brought you to Tupelo?”
“My husband hoped he would be able to get a job here as a schoolteacher.”
“And did he?”
Miranda gave an exasperated sigh. “Unfortunately, no. All the vacancies had been filled when we arrived.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. And how about you?” Angel squeezed her lemon into her water. “Was this the job of your dreams?”
Miranda laughed. “No. Not even close.”
“So what kind of career were you looking for?”
“Well, I have degrees in computer programming and accounting as well as financial planning, but I haven’t been able to find work in either field here.”
The wheels began to spin in Angel’s mind. Here was a woman who had accounting and financial-planning skills while Angel had a newly acquired abundance of money with which she had no idea how to cope—not to mention that the woman’s husband was a teacher.
Angel’s girls had not done well in school, both in the weeks before and after Michael’s death. Even though they had been seeing a counselor several times a week, they were still depressed. They were getting into fights at school, and their grades had dropped drastically. Angel knew in her heart that this was meant to be.
“Could I possibly take you and your husband to dinner tonight? I think I can help you both find better jobs.”
Miranda looked suspiciously at Angel. “Why would you wa
nt to do that?”
Angel looked her in the eye. “Because you need the help, and in all honesty, so do I. Wouldn’t you want to help someone if you could?”
She grinned sheepishly. “I’ll call my husband and see if he’s free.” A few minutes later, Miranda came back. “I spoke with Tomás.”
“And?”
Miranda looked around the room briefly, avoiding Angel’s gaze. “He thinks you’re crazy to offer jobs to strangers.”
Angel laughed. “And what do you think?”
Miranda looked her in the eye. “I think he’s right.” Then she gave Angel a grin. “Where should we meet you?”
Angel had smiled then and smiled to herself, still lost in the memories of her past.
“Mommy?”
She turned to look at her baby girl, Grace. “Yes, honey?”
“You were smiling.”
Angel’s smile broadened, and she walked over to pick her daughter up for a hug. “I was just thinking about how blessed I am to have you for my daughter.”
The little girl giggled. “I love you, Mommy,” Grace mumbled in her mother’s ear, winding her arms tightly around her mother’s neck.
Angel closed her eyes and inhaled her sweetness. “I love you too, munchkin.” She kissed her daughter’s cheek and set Grace back on her feet. “Now, would you please do me a favor? Go upstairs to see if your sisters are ready yet.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Grace ran upstairs to find her older sisters.
Watching her daughter, Angel once again felt the pain of her husband’s betrayal, and unsurpassed relief that she had adopted Grace when she did.
“You’re a million miles away. Are you okay?” Miranda broke the silence.
Angel shook off the feeling and gave Miranda a sly smile, “Shouldn’t I be asking you that question?”
Miranda walked over to study the many pictures sitting on the nearby mantel. “Who? Me? I’m fine.”
“You can’t fool me, sweetie. You’re nauseous every morning; you can’t keep your eyes open after lunch; your boobs are swollen, and you’re glowing from head to toe. Should I go on?”
Miranda put her hand over her stomach. “Am I showing yet?”
Angel shook her head. “No, but you will be soon enough. Don’t you think it’s time you told Tomás? He’s starting to worry about you.”
Miranda’s face lit up the room. “I plan to tell him tonight before the party.”
“Good. You know I hate secrets. Is it okay if I go on ahead? I want to talk to Antonio before our guests arrive.”
“Sure. Tomás and I will bring the girls with us.”
Angel breathed a sigh of relief. “Great. Thanks, Miranda. I don’t know what I’d do without you guys.”
Miranda smiled knowingly when she spoke. “Thanks, but I know you. You’d do just fine.”
Angel shook her head. “I wouldn’t count on it.” She stood on her toes and kissed Miranda’s cheek. “I’m taking the Ferrari. I’ll leave the Lexus for the rest of you,” she called over her shoulder as she left the room.
Angel headed down the hall to the kitchen to get the keys to the red Ferrari from the housekeeper, Rosita. She found the older Latina woman unloading the dishwasher. “Hola, Rosita. Can I get the keys for one of the cars, por favor?”
Rosita smiled. “Hola, señora. Si, I know the one you want. I left the keys on the counter for you.”
Angel picked up the keys before she came over to hug her friend. “Gracias, Rosita. I’ve missed you.”
Rosita smiled warmly, returning the hug. “De nada, señora. I’ve missed you too.”
Angel stepped back to look at her. “Would you and Jose like to join us for dinner tonight? I’d love to have you.”
“Gracias, señora, but no. Jose and I have to be up very early in the morning, and we are not as young as we used to be. You understand.”
“Okay, maybe next time.”
“Si, I promise. Oh, the good-looking man in the guesthouse wanted to take the car out earlier today, but I told him no.”
“What man?” Angel asked. She held her breath waiting for Rosita, another matchmaker in her life, to answer.
“Señor Johnston’s friend. He’s very handsome, this man. You should meet him. He usually comes alone or with some close friends, but this time he brought a strange woman with him. Muy loco, this woman.”
Oh good. He brought his own date. No matchmaking. “Okay, thanks for the warning.”
“De nada. Adiós.”
“Adiós.”
The classic 1969 candy-apple-red Ferrari was Angel’s favorite vehicle in Arthur’s vast collection of automobiles, and it moved like something out of a dream. She loved the freedom she felt when she cruised around with the top down, the wind in her hair, the cool Pacific breeze on her face. She reached her destination and swept through the lot to park in the back.
Moments later she walked in the front door of Antonio’s restaurant. The interior was beautiful, softly lit, and lovingly decorated with local artwork and authentic Mexican artifacts, some of which were very rare. Angel and her family made it a point to come every time they visited Cabo San Lucas. Antonio’s had the best authentic Mexican cuisine Angel had ever eaten.
Antonio’s wife, Elisa, came to greet her. “Hola, Señora Meeker. Como esta?”
Angel hugged Elisa warmly. “Bien, bien. Y usted?”
“Bien, gracias.”
“Is Antonio here? I wanted to make sure our room is ready and discuss our dinner plans.”
“No, señora. He is not here yet, but he will be very soon.” Elisa patted Angel’s shoulder. “Don’t worry. We will take good care of you and your special familia.”
She smiled at Elisa. “I never had a doubt. I’ll wait at the bar. It’s so good to see you again.” Angel hugged Elisa again.
“Si, it’s good to see you too.”
Angel sat in one of the tall wooden chairs at the bar and dropped her purse onto the counter next to her. Glancing around the room, she noticed a few locals that she’d seen there before as well as a stranger a few chairs down buried behind a menu. She said hello to some of the patrons before picking up the wine list in front of her.
It had been a long day, and she quietly debated with herself whether to have a beer or a glass of wine. Seconds later, the bartender came over. “Hola, Angelina. What can I get for you?”
“Hola, Roberto. Agua, por favor.” Maybe she would have beer or wine with her dinner. A moment later, the bartender brought Angel her bottle of water—a brand that Antonio kept just for her. Angel sat back to relax a moment before her guests began to arrive.
“Hello, Angelina.”
Angel lit up automatically, turning to say hello as the man to her right put his menu on the bar and smiled back at her. Her grin quickly disappeared, her face a bright shade of red. She hastily covered her open mouth with her hand. In disbelief she stared at the good-looking man from Miguel’s helicopter that morning.
She took her hand away from her face and pointed to him. “You were with Miguel this morning.”
“Yes, I was,” the man answered, his tone definitely teasing her. “And you were…ah, quite friendly this morning.”
Angel shook her head. “This is embarrassing. I am so sorry.”
“For what?” he asked, folding his arms over his chest. “What exactly are you sorry for?”
“How about for making a fool of myself for one thing?” She blushed again.
The stranger grinned. “I didn’t think you made a fool of yourself. I thought you were…intriguing.”
Angel looked down at her lap in embarrassment. “You’re very sweet to say that, but I don’t usually flirt with strange men. I think I probably did make a fool of myself.”
“Well, at least not any more than I did. I was flirting right back.”
She smiled timidly at him. “Touché.” Again, she had that feeling of recognition. “You look familiar. Where have I seen you before…before today, that is?”
The man
’s face fell. Before he could answer her question, Antonio swept into the room. “Hola, Señora Meekeri! I trust you and your family are well?”
“Si, Antonio. And you?”
“Si, si, señora. The banquet room is almost ready for you and your guests. I see you have met Miguel’s amigo, Señor Kevin Martini.”
“Yes, I have.”
“Good, good,” said Antonio. “Now, if you will excuse me for a brief moment, please, I must check on some of my other guests.”
“Of course.”
After Antonio had left them, Angel asked him curiously, “So, you’re a friend of Miguel?”
“Guilty as charged.”
“Well, how about that. So am I,” said Angel, still a little embarrassed at her behavior that morning.
Kevin stood and took a step closer. His casual khaki pants and long-sleeved blue dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up against the tropical heat seemed to fit his personality as well as they fit his body—casual and comfortable. She stood and shook his hand. “It’s nice to meet you Mr.…Martini, is it?”
The man’s smile broadened. “Please, call me Kevin.”
“Kevin it is. And please, call me Angel. Is Miguel here?”
“Yeah, He’s showing Brandi the view from the patio.”
“Brandi?”
“Angelina, my love!” shouted Miguel from the doorway.
Angel screamed with delight when Miguel picked her up and spun her around the room. She laughed and gave him a quick kiss on the mouth. “Miguel, you are an enormous flirt,” she said as Miguel put her back on her feet.
Miguel laughed. “Si, but with you around, my pretty one, I just can’t seem to help myself.”
Angel gave him a skeptical look and patted his cheek. “I’m not sure I believe that, but I love you anyway.”
Miguel blushed slightly and waved over to Kevin. “I see you two have met.”
“Yes, we have,” said Kevin dryly.
Someone came up behind Miguel, and he moved to the side to reveal a pretty blonde behind him. “Angel, I’d like you to meet someone.”
The young woman looked unsure of herself as Miguel took her by the hand and drew her forward. “This…is Brandi Lacy.”
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