by Ginny Baird
Ana María shared a disapproving look. “They’ve gone there on holiday. Their honeymoon.”
“Honeymoon?”
“What else might one assume? They’ve only been married five days.”
Eve hoped Ana María had it wrong. Surely she meant they’d gone there to get an annulment. But if Ana María didn’t know that, Eve decided she ought not to mention it. The concept of slaying the messenger was common to all lands, and there was a man holding sharp implements nearby.
“Can you point me in the direction of Seville?” Eve smiled brightly and acted like she asked the question every day.
Ana María studied her for a prolonged beat. “Are Jessica and Fernando expecting you?”
“Jess is like a sister to me.” And then, thinking quickly, she added. “I want nothing more than to congratulate the happy couple. I come bearing a wedding gift!”
As proof, she pulled two Iberia boarding passes from her purse and flashed them in Ana María’s direction, much too quickly for her to make out any details.
“After all, why honeymoon in Seville when your very best friend on earth treats you to the romantic vacation of a lifetime in Paris?”
Ana María’s expression softened. “Oh, how lovely. What a very good friend you must be.”
“I only want what’s best for Jess,” Eve said, nodding solemnly. “For Jess and Fernando.”
“Well, then, of course I’ll point you in the direction of Seville. Better than that, I’ll have my driver take you.”
Eve’s chest constricted at the thought of being out on the desolate Iberian plains with the butcher of Seville.
“Oh no, really. I wouldn’t trouble you—or him.”
“It’s no trouble,” a gorgeous hunk said, stepping from around the corner. “Hello,” he said with dark sexy eyes and a knock-your-socks-off smile. “I’m Gustavo, and I’m free for the afternoon.”
Eve swallowed her tongue and stopped herself from asking what he was doing tonight.
“Gustavo is our darling Consuelo’s son, very reliable and an excellent driver.”
“Well, if you insist,” Eve said, feeling as if she were turning the color of a very ripe plum.
“Of course I insist,” Ana María said with a kind smile. “But first, dear, please do come in, refresh yourself a bit, and have a spot of tea.”
****
Chapter Ten
“Wait! Pull over. I think that’s them,” Eve yelped, causing Gustavo to bring the elegant sedan to a halt on the busy boulevard. Other drivers honked and shouted insults.
“Are you sure?” Gustavo asked.
Eve leaned out her window and shouted to the blonde seated on a bench by the river. “Jess!” Her back was to them, but she was with a man, a very handsome man. They were both laughing and eating ice cream. “Jessica Bloom! Is that you?”
Jess swiveled her head in surprise as Fernando turned to stare.
“That’s Fernando, all right,” Gustavo said, steering their car onto the curb.
“Evie?” Jess asked in shock as Eve bolted from the car.
“Thank God you’re okay!” Eve said, rushing to her.
Jess stood uncertainly as Eve pulled her into her arms.
“Evie,” Jess said in disbelief. “What are you doing here?”
Gustavo approached at an even gait.
“Gustavo?” Fernando said sternly. “What’s going on?”
“Your mother asked me to bring her to Seville,” Gustavo said, indicating Eve.
“Fernando,” Jess said in wonderment. “This is Eve Parker, my very best friend.”
“Evie!” Fernando said, stunning Eve by sweeping her into his arms. “I told Jess to invite you to visit!”
“You did?” Eve asked, taken aback.
“But I never imagined you’d act so fast!” He gave her two swift pecks on the cheeks. “Ah yes, you’re just as Jess described. Beautiful and capable.” In spite of herself, Eve felt herself blush. “We’re so pleased you could come. Aren’t we, Jessica?”
But Jess just stared at Eve slack-jawed. Fernando undoubtedly was eye candy with that adorable smile and his rock-hard six-pack. His formfitting polo did nothing to disguise the phenomenal physique beneath it. Maybe he’d hypnotized Jess with his undulating abs.
A siren blared, and the group turned to see a police officer approaching.
“Maybe we should move the car off the curb?” Gustavo suggested.
Jess sat in the backseat, unsure if she was happy to see Evie or whether she was fuming. The truth was, Evie showing up this way had completely caught her off guard. Fernando had seemed to take it in stride, welcoming her good-naturedly to their little gathering. Jess had caught only a glimpse of Gustavo at the house once. She hadn’t observed how good-looking he was until she’d seen him up close. She wondered if Evie had noticed, then decided she didn’t particularly care. She was irritated with Evie right now. Way irritated. She and Fernando had tickets to a rare exhibit at the Archivo General de Indias tonight. There was to be champagne and live music and the unveiling of some “Discovery of the New World” documents not yet revealed to the general public. Jess was living and breathing history here, and it was exhilarating. She felt like an explorer, and Fernando Garcia de la Vega was her sexy conquistador.
“That bring back memories, Fernando?” Gustavo asked as they swung around the Plaza de Toros de la Real Maestranza de Caballería de Sevilla, the oldest and most famous bullring in Spain.
“None that I care to remember.”
“Fernando’s just being modest,” Gustavo told the ladies. “Fernando was a very fine matador in his day. He could have gone on to be one of Spain’s best.”
“Gustavo’s exaggerating.”
“No, he’s not,” Evie butted in. “I ran a search on him. Gustavo’s right.”
Gustavo glanced at Evie while Fernando uncomfortably cleared his throat.
“Where are we going?” Fernando asked.
“I was hoping you’d tell me.” Gustavo shrugged. “I just work here.”
Fernando shot Jess a questioning look.
“Don’t ask me. I didn’t even know she was coming.”
“What?” Fernando asked as Gustavo focused on driving nowhere, minding his own business.
Evie bristled a bit in the front seat. “I thought you’d be happy to see me,” she told Jess.
“Of course I’m happy,” Jess said, fighting the confusion racing through her heart and head. “You just surprised me, that’s all.”
“How about we stop for some fish and chips?” Gustavo offered brightly.
“Great thought, Gustavo! I know the best place for fresh fried calamari,” he told the girls.
Gustavo held up an authoritative finger. “And croquetas. Don’t forget the croquetas.”
“They go great with Spanish beer,” Fernando said, trying to read the worry on Jess’s face.
“But the Archivo?” she asked weakly. This whole Evie thing really had her undone. It wasn’t that she didn’t love her best friend. But it would have been polite for Evie to have at least called ahead.
“Don’t worry, mi amor,” Fernando said, kissing her hand. “We’ll get there another time.”
Jess caught Evie studying them suspiciously in the rearview mirror.
“How did things go at the magistrate?”
Fernando pursed his lips and stared out the window, reassuringly patting Jess’s hand.
“Um…” Jess began. “We’ve been meaning to go. I mean, it’s on the agenda.” Even in the reflective glass she could see Evie’s expression darkening. “But, in all honestly, there hasn’t been time.”
“It’s true,” Fernando leapt in. “Things have been busy.”
“Very busy,” Jess repeated unnecessarily.
“There’s a lot to see in Seville,” Gustavo added, trying to be helpful.
Evie glared at him, obviously resenting the intrusion.
“How long have you been in Seville?” she asked, turning toward Jess
.
“Two, no three…?” She tilted her head at Fernando.
“Three days,” he said with a love-sick smile. “It all blurs together somehow.”
Gustavo raised his brow and kept on driving, while Evie felt sick to her stomach. This was far worse than she imagined. Jess had apparently hypnotized the matador too!
Evie kicked herself for not coming up with a full-scale plan before she got here. She saw now she was wrong to think Jess would be thrilled to see her, would rush into her arms, all tears, and say best friend on earth, pretty please, take me home. She needed to get Jess alone and talk to her; that was what she needed to do. Just the two of them, no sexy Spaniards involved. She glanced at Gustavo, and he gave her a crooked smile, causing her heart to beat faster. The men here were dangerous. It was easy enough to see that. No way could Jess think clearly when she was caught up in all of this. Somehow, some way, Eve was going to get Jess alone tonight and talk some sense into her. Then tomorrow, they’d go to the magistrate. All of them. Together. There’d be no more taking chances with this one. Eve just hoped it wasn’t already too late.
Fernando worried over the sudden appearance of Jess’s best friend. Though she wore a smile, something in his gut told him that Eve Parker wasn’t here to congratulate them. She was here to tell Jessica she’d made a mistake and encourage her to return to America. He hoisted his beer and took another swig as the group eagerly dug into fried fish and Gustavo regaled them with funny stories. Surely the woman he’d fallen in love with wasn’t that malleable. She’d know her own mind, wouldn’t she, and stand up for what she felt in her heart? The problem was, she’d not yet confessed those emotions to Fernando. Though he’d sensed her getting closer to admitting her feelings to him, she still kept them somewhat guarded.
Fernando was sure Jessica was the woman for him and certain he’d eventually be able to convince her. All he needed was the gift of time. The two of them were well suited, meant for each other. Jessica needed a man who was strong enough to stand by his word to honor and protect her, and he needed a woman he could nurture and who could benefit from his strength. He longed to help and take care of her, to support her in developing any sort of career that she wished, while she became the woman he knew she so longed to be. Someone comfortable with herself and completely self-assured. Secure in the knowledge that someone truly loved her…and would never let her go.
Fernando reached beside him to take Jessica’s hand. She let him hold it briefly, then casually withdrew it, wrapping her fingers around the chilled glass holding her beer. “That’s right!” she said to Eve. “I remember!”
They both laughed companionably, sharing memories of some happy event Fernando had missed in his brooding. The distancing had already begun. The woman before him had transformed from his loving new wife into someone he scarcely knew. But if Jessica could be so easily dissuaded from her growing feelings for Fernando, perhaps there existed more of a chasm between them than Fernando had imagined to begin with.
“What are the plans from here?” Gustavo prompted as a waiter cleared the table.
“I suppose I’ll need to talk to Jessica about that,” Fernando answered. He noted she averted her gaze even as he spoke.
“He’s right,” Jessica told the group. “Fernando and I will need to talk.”
“Where are you staying?” Eve asked.
Jessica glanced at Fernando. “In the Barrio de Santa Cruz.”
“Perhaps we should stay there too,” Eve said.
Gustavo was pleasantly intrigued. “I couldn’t possibly leave you here without a driver.”
“In two rooms, I meant,” she said, shooting Gustavo a look.
He clutched his hands to his chest, feigning heartbreak. “You can’t blame a man for hoping.”
In spite of himself, Fernando chuckled. Having been raised in the same house, Gustavo hadn’t only been a boyhood friend. He was the closest thing Fernando had to a brother.
Eve blushed and flagrantly batted her eyes at Gustavo. “That doesn’t mean I won’t go out for sangria later…”
“You have to watch it with that sangria,” Jessica said.
Fernando met her gaze and held it. “Very dangerous, I hear.”
****
Chapter Eleven
“Are you interested in Gustavo?” Jess asked as Eve hung three items in her closet. Evie never traveled with more than three items. Mix and match, with assorted colored T-shirts and accessories. Her weekend wardrobe. She’d read somewhere in a magazine that this was how one got away with packing light. For someone who rarely traveled, she’d really taken the advice to heart.
“A woman would have to be blind not to be interested in Gustavo,” she said. “But that’s not why I’m letting him take me out for drinks.”
Jess narrowed her eyes, reading her best friend. “You want me to talk to Fernando, don’t you? To tell him tomorrow we’re going to the magistrate and that this marriage is off.”
“Isn’t that what you want?” Evie asked her reasonably. “Listen, Jess. I understand Fernando’s beautiful. Maybe even nice, and very, very rich.”
“Wow, you’re making him sound like a cad.”
“Don’t get snippy on me, pretty please. Stop for a minute. I mean it, totally step back and take a good, hard look at what you’re doing. Leaving your whole country behind, your family, your job…? For a man you’ve known less than a —”
“First of all,” Jess cut in bitterly, “I never once said anything about leaving my job.”
“Okay.”
“Secondly, you know as well as I do that the only family I’ve got left is my mother.”
Evie sucked in a breath, her expression pained.
“Besides you, Evie. You know what I meant. Thirdly,” Jess continued. “Fernando and I have known each other more than six months. Maybe not in a way that you think is important, but it certainly meant something to me. The truth is, I’ve known Fernando for a long time, but the side of him I saw was different. That different side wasn’t unattractive either, Evie. He’s a seriously capable business man, incredibly intelligent, and maddeningly quick with the quip. Facts are, if he hadn’t suggested running away to La Esperanza del Corazón, I might have recommended running off to Pamplona myself.”
“Come on.”
“I mean it.”
“You’re becoming incredibly defensive for one reason and one reason only.”
Jess set her hand on her hip. “Oh? Why’s that?”
“Because you know I’m right.”
Jess inhaled a deep breath, then let it out slowly.
“Generally, you’re right, Evie. I’ll definitely give you that. But, this time, you’re dead wrong.”
“Great. Then prove it.”
Jess stared at her and shook her head.
“Jess, you’ve got to believe me. There’s nothing in the world I want more than your happiness. Your true happiness. Because I love you,” she said, her voice lightly cracking.
Jess felt a pang of uneasiness. She completely loved Evie too. Always had, forever would. Nobody else had stuck by her the way Evie had. And, she knew in her soul, would continue to. “I love you too,” she said, meaning it absolutely and hugging her tightly. But she also adored Fernando and needed to stay with him. The fates had placed him in her path for a reason. The two of them just weren’t well suited—they were destined. Weren’t they? “But, Evie, you don’t know what it’s like when I’m with him. When Fernando and I are together, it’s like that’s where I’m meant to be—where I should stay.”
“Exactly why I’m asking you to step away.”
Jess withdrew, breaking Evie’s embrace.
“Look,” Evie said with sincere chestnut-brown eyes. “I’m not one to argue with destiny, but I also know that making the right decision, a careful one, takes time. What’s so wrong with going back to America and thinking things over? Go back to work, check in with your mom, go out for a bagel in Brooklyn…”
“And then?”
Jess’s heart sank because she knew Evie was right. As much as she believed herself to have fallen in love with Fernando, maybe she needed some distance between them so she could assure herself her feelings were real. She’d be taking a risk, and she knew it. If she walked away now, she stood the chance that Fernando might tell her to never come back. But if he loved her as much as he said, wouldn’t he do her that one small courtesy and wait?
“How long, Jessica?” Fernando asked. “How long are you asking me to do this? Two weeks? Three months? A year?” He stood in the room of their lovely hotel, his face wrought with pain.
Jess wrung her hands together, her stomach clenched. “I don’t know,” she answered honestly. If she said two weeks, what if she needed one week more? It didn’t seem right for him to place her under a strict deadline.
“So it could be as much as a year?”
He studied her with disappointment, his disapproval agonizing. “Beautiful, Jessica. Just perfect. You’re willing to make me wait past my thirty-second birthday.”
“I thought you loved me.”
“And I thought the feeling was mutual,” he said, a cold burn in his green gaze. “Forgive me for being a fool.”
Fernando turned away and began shoving clothes in his backpack.
Fear sliced through her at the thought that she was pushing him away. “It doesn’t have to be like this.”
“Like what?” he asked, scorching her with his glare. “Like you’re asking me to risk everything? Lose my inheritance—the ranch—on the off chance you might come around?”
Jess’s cheeks flamed as she spoke past the tightness in her throat. “I never said it was an off chance.”
“No?” he asked combatively. “Then give me some odds, why don’t you? Fifty percent? Seventy-five?”