by Leslie North
“What is it?” Nathan finally growled. “What is it about me that makes you hate me so much. You didn’t treat Stephen like this. You don’t even know me.”
Rather than answer him, Maria turned her wheelchair and rolled away. Nathan wasn’t about to let the subject drop. He followed her into the house. “I’m not leaving until you talk to me, and I’m sure as hell not leaving Carolina because you hold an insane grudge against me.”
When Maria finally faced him, her face was red with anger. “You think I don’t know you? Stephen talks about you. He talks about your cliff-diving and your bungee-jumping. You are reckless with your life. A child! That is not something that I want around my daughter, and it’s certainly not something that I want around my grandchildren!”
“That’s what this is about? You don’t like my lifestyle?” Nathan shook his head. “That’s not good enough.”
“You’re like my husband,” Maria yelled. “You don’t care about your life!”
“Momma!” Carolina gasped as she stepped forward. “Don’t yell at him like that!”
Her mother started to cry. “Your father left me to raise you and your siblings alone! This one will do the same.” Sobbing, she wheeled out of the kitchen and into the bedroom, slamming the door shut.
Nathan reached out for Carolina. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset her. I don’t know what I was thinking.”
“You don’t have to apologize,” she said, but she still pulled away from him. “My mother has been harboring a lot of anger for a while now. It’s not you. Why are you here?”
He ran a hand through his hair and pursed his lips. Now was clearly not the time to talk to her about his feelings. “I came to tell you that you were right. I talked to William Wells this morning, and the deal went through. He’s going with my original plan to build around the structure rather than tearing it down.”
“That’s great, Nathan!” she said with a smile.
“I know you had a hand in it. Thank you.”
Carolina nodded her head, but her mind was clearly on other things. He wasn’t going to do any good by sticking around now. “Talk to your mother,” he said softly.
“I will. It’s time.”
Nathan gave her a hug and closed his eyes as he breathed in her scent. More than anything, he wanted to kiss her and tell her that everything was going to be okay. Instead, he walked away.
As he left the house, he knew that nothing he could say would sway her. Carolina was a stubborn woman, and if she wanted to be with him, she would have to come to that conclusion on her own.
He would have to be patient.
Carolina knew that there was more to the story than Nathan was telling, but it didn’t matter. Her mother was finally ready to open up, and she wanted to find out what was wrong.
“Momma,” she said as she knocked on her bedroom door. “I’m coming in.”
Her mother didn’t answer, so Carolina went in anyway. Maria had climbed into bed and rolled over so she was facing the window. Even though Maria’s back was to her, Carolina knew her mother was crying.
Walking around to the side of the bed, Carolina sat down and reached out to stroke her mother’s hair. “Momma, I need you to talk to me. Daddy’s been gone for a long time now, and even if Nathan reminds you of him, that should be a good thing. Daddy was a good man.”
“Six children!” Maria cried. “I had to raise six children on my own and from a wheelchair! We were coming back from one of his stupid hikes. If we had stayed home that night, he would still be alive. He had no regard for his life, and he didn’t care that he left me alone.”
“Momma,” Carolina murmured. “It’s not the hike that’s bothering you. Nathan might remind you of Daddy, but there’s something else going on here. You were upset before Nathan ever came into the picture. Don’t keep brushing it off. I’m not leaving until you tell me what’s really bothering you.”
Her mother sat up and propped herself against the pillows. “It’s all my fault. Angie practically raised you. Joe and Jesus were close to their father, but they took his death well. They had each other. Bonita and Anita were also close, but you were so young. You didn’t have anyone.”
“Momma, I’m not a child anymore. And I have plenty of people around me,’ Carolina reminded her.
Maria shook her head. “You were never okay. Married and pregnant at eighteen. You were searching for a man to take your father’s place, and I let you make mistake after mistake as you tried to fill that gaping hole in your life. I was driving that day, Carolina. I killed your father, and then I let you go.”
“No,” Carolina shook her head. “Momma, a drunk driver killed Daddy. And you raised a fuss with every one of my marriages. I didn’t grow up in a broken home, and I don’t have Daddy issues. Joe and Jesus watched over me, and it practically took a crowbar to get Angie to let go of my hand. And you were never not there. Momma, you lost your husband and you were bound to a wheelchair, but you were still there.”
“Carolina,” her mother whispered.
“No. When I decided that I wanted to be a dancer, you came to my recitals. And when I said that I wanted to be an actress, you enrolled me in drama class and came to my plays. You taught me to cook, and you taught me how to wield a baseball bat. And when I married at the age of eighteen, you screeched at the top of your lungs. Momma, you know that I’m stubborn. When I want to do something, there is no talking me out of it. It had nothing to do with Daddy.”
Maria snorted. “You are stubborn.”
“And each of those mistakes gave me the greatest gifts of my life. No matter how much I dislike my ex-husbands, I would do it all over again because of Tamara, Julio, and Carlita. They’re my babies.”
“They’re angels,” her mother agreed.
“Well, I don’t know about angels,” Carolina said with a frown. “But they are my greatest gifts to this world. I know that you don’t approve of Nathan. You think he’s spoiled and immature, but he’s tried so hard to stay in my life. He loves my children. He’s forged a relationship with Carlo. And he tried to solve our problem with the food truck.”
“Burritos on wheels,” Maria said with a frown. “Some solution.”
Carolina took a deep breath. “Hang on, Momma. There is something that I want to show you.” She scurried to the living room and grabbed her laptop. “I’ve done some research, and I want you to take a look at this.”
She pulled up some articles and turned the computer so Maria could see. “The food truck industry is actually really big. It’s not just hotdogs and hamburgers. These are profiles for gourmet food trucks. They are amazing. The food truck that Nathan bought us opens up into a small bar like this one. And we can always put a few tables out if we like. People come from all over to visit these trucks.”
Maria reached over to the table to grab her glasses and frowned. “These are great, but how am I supposed to do this? I’m in a wheelchair.”
“It’s wheelchair accessible, Momma. Nathan thought of everything. Joe, Jesus, and Bonita can all rotate to help you out, and you can hire one of our old chefs back if you want. I know we will have regulars who will stick with us, and you have so many options. You can pick one spot to stay, or you can drive it around to different places.”
Maria nodded. “All right, but where do you fit into this?”
“Momma, you never needed a manager for Maria’s Restaurant. You could have done it on your own, but I knew that you were tired of me bouncing around from job to job. You gave me that job to give me stability. And you don’t need a manager for the food truck. I can help you with your finances, but that’s all you need.”
“What are you saying?”
Carolina smiled. “I’m saying that you should take the food truck. I’ve got some things that I need to think about.”
Maria sighed, but Carolina knew that she’d won her over. Still, that only settled one problem. This was her chance to really make a change and find herself.
Her mother may have
lived her life afraid of risks, but Carolina was tired of playing it safe. It was time for her to jump.
16
One month passed and Maria’s food truck was parked outside the mall on opening day. Joe and Jesus were setting up the tables out front, and Bonita was inside helping Maria prep the food. Angie and Carolina were setting up the advertising signs and Anita was wrangling all the kids so they could ride the kiddie train that drove around the mall.
“Momma,” Carolina called through the door. “How’s it coming?” There was already a line of people forming around the truck for opening day. Some were regulars, and Carolina saw quite a few new faces.
“Almost ready!” her mother called back.
“Ignore her,” Bonita yelled. “We are ready. Open the window!”
Carolina laughed and pushed the switch that lifted the cover to the window. Once it was up, she reached over and flipped the attached countertop out. The stools folded out from underneath, and everyone in the line started clapping.
Her mother set out the napkins, silverware, and condiments. Settling back in, she surveyed the crowd. “Well? What is everyone waiting for? Come on!”
The line moved forward, and Joe and Jesus jumped into the truck to help. Carolina leaned against a lamppost and started taking pictures. It had taken a few weeks, but Bonita and Maria had finally come up with a modified menu that was suitable for faster service. Carolina had set up their accounting, and Angie printed up flyers and distributed them.
“Opening day seems like a hit.”
Carolina jumped as Nathan surprised her from behind. “I didn’t know that you were here,” she said softly. She hadn’t seen or heard from Nathan since that day at her mother’s house. She decided that if he had more to say to her, he would come back.
“I hitched a ride with Stephen and Gabe. Duncan and Daisy are here as well, although Dad grumbled the whole way. Daisy told him that he wasn’t allowed to eat any of Maria’s food. I can’t believe that you got a spot at the mall.”
She smiled. “I’m very persuasive when I want to be.”
“That I believe.”
“Actually, Mr. Wells approached us and told us that he wanted to help. He’s already reached out to the other businesses to make sure that they found new homes, and he offered to secure us a spot here.”
“He certainly seems like he’s in a better mood. Maybe he has a better hold of his wife.”
Carolina laughed. “She does seem like a handful. How is the project going?”
Maria was already bellowing to Jesus and Joe and teasing the customers. Everyone seemed to be having a great time. Nathan’s fingers brushed against her lightly, and she shivered. Although she hadn’t seen him in a while, that didn’t mean that she wasn’t thinking about him.
Constantly.
“It’s going really well. We’ve brought a historian in to work out some of the details, and he and Wells really hit it off. Carlo is covering the progression, and we’re both getting good attention from it.”
“Oh, Nathan!” On impulse, Carolina reached over and hugged him. “That’s awesome! I’m so proud of you!”
His hands wrapped around her waist, and she had to resist the urge to bury her face in his chest. Pulling away, she smoothed a hand down her dress and cleared her throat. “Sorry. I was really excited.”
He studied her closely. “Carolina, you don’t have anything to apologize for. What have you been doing with yourself these past few weeks?”
“Actually, I’ve been spending some time at Duncan Enterprises. After working with Angie on your project estimate, she realized that I was good with numbers. She offered me a job.”
Nathan’s eyes widened in surprise. “Really? I had no idea. I haven’t seen you around.”
“It’s a big place,” she murmured. The truth was that she’d looked for him at every turn. Every morning she’d dressed up, hoping to catch a glimpse of him. “But it’s perfect for me. There’s a nursery on-site to watch Carlita, and Momma doesn’t really need me on a daily basis. It’s nice not to have to deal with customers all day long.”
“I’ll have to keep an eye out for you. And sneak in to give your adorable toddler some kisses.”
Her heart fluttered. “I’d like that.”
“Tell me, Carolina. How do you feel about dating co-workers?” He wound around the lamppost so that he was standing right in front of her, inches away.
“I don’t know,” she said demurely. “Do you know of someone who is interested in dating me?”
He reached out and touched a few flyaway strands of her hair. “No.”
“No?” Carolina frowned. What kind of game was he playing?
“Stephen!” Angie’s cry cut through the laughter around them, and Nathan and Carolina both turned sharply. Angie was standing in the middle of the sidewalk with a hand over her belly. “My water just broke!”
“What?” Stephen rushed forward with wild eyes. “Really? Now? It’s happening now?”
Angie nodded. “It’s happening now.” The fear in her voice was evident.
Stephen froze. “What do I do? What do I do?”
“You take her to the hospital!” Carolina said with a smile. “Momma! Let the boys take over. Angie is having her baby!”
Her mom shrieked with happiness and left her post. “Hey?” Joe said as he stuck his head out. “Why do we have to stay?”
“Don’t complain,” Carolina teased. “If Angie is anything like us, she’ll still be in labor by the time you close the truck down.”
“I hate you,” Angie grunted. Stephen sprinted across the parking lot to pull the car around.
“Don’t blame me,” Carolina said simply. “I wasn’t the one who knocked you up. Come on.” Reaching out, she grabbed Angie’s hand and helped her across the sidewalk to the waiting car. “You’ve got a go-bag in the trunk?”
Angie took a deep breath and nodded. “I stashed it in there a month ago.” She suddenly squeezed Carolina’s hand and gasped.
“It’s a contraction. You’re fine. Count the seconds in between.” She helped Angie into the car. “We’re going to be right behind you.”
As Stephen sped off, she turned around to get her mother in the car. In the midst of all the chaos, she searched for Nathan.
But he was already gone.
Eight hours later, Stephanie Maria Maxfield was born. Named after both grandmothers, the little girl was a hefty nine pounds, four ounces.
She was heartbreakingly beautiful.
“Look at all that hair,” Carolina whispered. Carlita was in her arms and babbling as they watched the nurses swaddle the newborn. Tamara and Julio were in the waiting area with the rest of the kids. The nurses were only letting two people in at a time to see the baby.
Angie did well. After practically breaking all of Stephen’s fingers, she refused an epidural and gave birth naturally. Even though it was her first, everything went perfectly.
Carolina was reminded of her three births. Tamara took her twelve hours of labor, and Julio took nine. By the time Carlita came around, Carolina was a pro. She popped her out in only four hours.
After one last look at her new niece, Carolina left the viewing area so someone else could go in and have a peak. Maria had joined the others in the waiting room. With their large family, they were practically taking over the maternity ward.
“She needs her rest,” Maria announced. “We can come back tomorrow and bother her.”
The noise in the waiting area died down as, one by one, the family members left. Carolina put Carlita in her stroller and strapped her in. It had been a long day, and she was desperate to go home.
“Mom?”
Carolina looked up to see Tamara standing in front of her. “Yes, baby?”
Tamara stuck out her hand and gave Carolina a post-it note. Before Carolina could read it, Tamara scurried around the corner.
With a frown, she looked down at the note. I promise never to let go.
“Mom?” This time it was J
ulio standing there.
“Julio, what’s going on?”
Her son only giggled and handed her a post-it note. His mission completed, he quickly scurried away.
Carolina stood up and looked around. She and Maria were the only ones left in the waiting room. Confused, she looked down at the new note. I promise never to run away.
Her heart caught in her throat as Tamara ran back with another note. Silently, she took the new note from her daughter. Even if things don’t go my way.
Julio came back with another one. I am here to stay.
Her two oldest stood there and looked at her expectantly. “What is this?”
“Carlita,” Julio whispered. “Now.”
Her toddler brightened and clapped her hands. “Now!” she chuckled. She reached under her shirt and pulled out a note.
“How in the world?” Carolina whispered. With trembling fingers, she read it.
I love you. Then…
“The rush that I get every time I jump from a plane or climb a mountain is nothing compared to the rush that I get every time I look at you,” Nathan said as he walked around the corner. “I was going to do this at the food truck, but things didn’t quite work out that way. And that’s okay. Because there is never a dull moment in our lives.”
“Nathan,” she whispered. “What are you doing?”
He took her hands and pressed them to his lips. “I’m telling you that I love you.”
Her heart felt like it was going to burst. “I love you, too.”
“Good.” He smiled cheekily. “Because now that I have you, I am not going to let you go. You want to take a risk with me, Carolina?”
“What kind of risk?”
Nathan slowly knelt on one knee, and Carolina gasped. As her children looked on eagerly, Nathan pulled out a diamond ring. “I purchased this the moment I left Maria’s house that day. I knew from the moment that I locked eyes with you over a greasy pizza in the middle of a bunch of screaming children that I loved you. Marry me, Carolina. This isn’t an offer for a fourth marriage. This is the real deal. This is forever. If you say yes, there is no going back. I love you with all my heart. Now and forever. Marry me.”