by Reeni Austin
Cara read the next line. "Tyler and Susanna Campbell? More strangers?"
"I told you all about them," Patty said. "It's Tom's cousin Ernie's stepson and his new wife. You remember, that wedding Tom and I attended in Montana a few months ago? They're such nice people." Then Patty waggled her eyebrows and lowered her voice, leaning forward as though she was telling Cara a secret. "She was a little bit pregnant at her wedding, too. Had the cutest little baby bump, and—"
"Mom!" Cara's eyes showed her fury. "I'm tired of all this baby talk." She handed Patty's notebook back to her. "And we are not inviting these people. Tom's cousin's stepson's," Cara paused for a cynical groan, "daughter's half brother's… whoever? No. I'm sorry, but no."
Patty huffed. "Fine. I'm just the mother of the bride. My only child is finally getting married and I don't have the right to…"
Marcy tapped her pen against the table as she tuned out the bickering. At least it was a distraction from her own worry—wondering if Cara already knew about her sleeping with Ramon. So far, she hadn't said anything, but that could just mean she was too upset to talk about it. Cara had been moody the past few days, which Marcy chalked up to pregnancy hormones. She warned herself not to get angry, no matter how emotional Cara might be.
But maybe Cara wouldn't be upset? Marcy nodded to herself. Sure, it was possible. But even if she was, it didn't mean she was going to change anything.
Marcy was deep in thought, when she felt a tap on her arm.
It was Patty, asking, "You can come with us this afternoon, right?"
"Huh?" Marcy asked. "Go where?"
Cara looked at her phone, double-checking a text message. "To see the wedding planner. She can get us a cake tasting appointment this afternoon."
"Yes," Patty said. "I've decided to let someone else make the cake so I can focus my attention on being the mother of the bride." She gave Marcy a silly smile. "You can make it to the tasting today, can't you? That is, unless," she attempted to roll her R, "Señor Rrraamon has a special project for you. Maybe he's coming home early today, hmm?"
Marcy inhaled sharply, blinking as her eyes went frantically between Patty and Cara. "Uh… no? Why would he…?"
Patty beamed. "It's okay, I think it's cute."
Cara's brows knitted together. "Think what's cute?"
Before Marcy could protest, Patty said to Cara, "Ramon and Marcy. Last night." She smirked. "You know?"
"What?" Cara's jaw dropped as she glared at Marcy.
"Oh geez, Patty." Marcy whined, annoyed that she would have to endure Cara's moody, pregnant judgment today. "Did you really have to do that?"
Patty shrugged. "I thought she knew."
"Obviously not!" Cara said. "Is it as bad as I think? Did you sleep with him?"
Marcy set her lips in a defiant pout, remembering Ramon's advice about Cara from that morning. "So what if I did? Are you calling me a slut?" She slowed her words as she repeated them. "Are you calling me," she pulled her hand to her chest, "a slut?"
Cara's eyes showed a hint of familiarity, her tone icy. "That was," she gave her mother a quick, shy glance, "different. And you know it."
Shaking her head, Marcy replied, "It wasn't that different."
Patty raised a brow at Cara. "She's right, you know. How long did you know Victor?"
Cara gasped. "Mom!"
Snorting, Patty said, "Oh, come on. Like I didn't know what was going on with you and Victor all along. A mother always knows. Besides, this is better. Victor was a stranger to all of us, but at least we can vouch for Ramon by now."
"Vouch for Ramon?" Cara asked. "Really?"
"Yes," Patty said, firmly. "He's a nice boy. Sure, he can be a little rough around the edges, but—"
Cara groaned. "Rough around the edges? How many times have I heard that lately? Don't make excuses for him, Mom. He's an ass."
"Cara!" Patty said.
Nodding, Cara said, "It's true. If I knew just how 'rough around the edges' he was I never would've agreed to stay down here for so long."
"Well, why did you then?" Marcy asked. "I remember months ago, the day after you met Ramon. You told me all about Victor's hot, single brother and even said something about fixing us up."
"Well, I was obviously wearing rose-colored glasses that night," Cara said. "A side effect of starting a brand new relationship with my boss. You know what I remember now? Ramon being a jerk. He asked me about Isaac's father within minutes of meeting me. He tried to put Victor on the spot by asking if we were dating. And he went on and on, telling me every embarrassing story he could from their childhood."
Patty shared a look with Marcy, then said to Cara, "That's all normal. That's what little brothers do to their big brothers, no matter how old they get. And as far as Isaac's father, well, you probably get that question from a lot of people, don't you?"
Cara rolled her eyes. "It's not what he says. It's how he says it. He has no filter."
Patty nodded. "He has a filter. He just doesn't always use it."
Cara squinted at Patty. "Did you get that from Armando? He told me the same thing recently." Cara sighed. "And Ramon was so rude to Katie until just last week before the wedding."
Marcy said, "If he's that bad, why do you let Isaac hang around him?"
"Because Isaac threw a fit when I tried to put my foot down," Cara said. "Victor had a talk with Ramon and told him to mind his manners around him. And I try to eavesdrop on 'em when I can." She looked away. "For whatever reason, Ramon seems different around Isaac. Nicer or something."
"Look, I agree, he can be a jerk," Marcy said. "I've seen it first hand. But it's not like I'm gonna marry the guy. It's just… fun. Casual fun between two consenting adults. Nothing more."
Patty held her coffee mug with both hands as she took a slurp, then looked over the mug at Marcy and softly asked, "So, what was it like?"
Cara gasped. "Mom!"
Patty shrugged and placed her mug on the table. "What? I'm curious."
"It's creepy to hear you ask about it," Cara said.
Patty rolled her eyes. "Oh please." She looked at Marcy. "I'll bet he was good, wasn't he?"
"Great," Cara said, "My mom asking about my soon-to-be brother-in-law's sexual prowess…"
Patty ignored her, widening her eyes at Marcy. "Hmm?"
Under her breath, Marcy muttered, "Oh boy," and looked down at the table. In a weak voice, she said, "He was amazing."
"Ha!" Patty clapped her hands. "I knew it! I just knew it." She let out a wistful sigh. "A guy like him. Such a brute. They're usually quite vigorous."
Cara kept her groan of annoyance to herself, knowing her opposition to this conversation would have no impact.
Marcy smirked. "Yeah, well. Maybe It's because I haven't been with anyone in so long I forgot what it felt like." Then she winced, thinking about her ex-boyfriend, Andrew. "No. Ramon was that good."
Patty giggled. "Maybe soon we can have a girls' night, drink a little wine. You can share some details." She shot Cara a sideways glance. "Of course, someone won't be joining us because she doesn't think I've noticed she suddenly stopped drinking wine—"
"I can't take this anymore." Cara gritted her teeth and stared up at the ceiling, uttering a sound of frustration. Then she grimaced at Patty. "Fine. I'm pregnant. You happy now?"
Patty brought her hands to her mouth in a loud gasp and slowly rose from her seat. Then she threw her hands up in the air and lunged forward, hugging her daughter. "I can't believe it! I'm gonna be a grandmother again!"
As she returned Patty's hug, Cara said, "What? But you'd already figured it out."
Patty let go of Cara and sank down into her chair. "No, it was all speculation." She turned to Marcy. "You already knew, didn't you?"
Cara answered on Marcy's behalf. "We told her a couple days ago." She grabbed her mother's arm. "Please don't tell Isaac. If all goes well, I'll be ten weeks pregnant when we get married. He already asks so many questions and we don't want—"
Patty too
k Cara's hand. "I know, hon. He'll get confused. I promise, I won't say a word." She chuckled. "Now, someday after he's old enough to do the math I'm sure he'll figure it out for himself. And if he comes to me with questions, I'll send him right back to you."
Cara nodded. "That's fine. But for now, please be careful."
With an assuring nod, Patty said, "Trust me. I won't say a word."
Cara focused on Marcy. "And don't tell Ramon, either. He could tell Isaac."
"Gotcha." Marcy nodded, sensing it was a good time to end this conversation. "Now, about that wedding planner. This afternoon, you said?"
* * *
Marcy, Marcy, Marcy…
Every single one of Ramon's thoughts led to Marcy.
He didn't know it was possible to think about her more than he thought about her yesterday, but he was dead wrong. Since last night there were a thousand mental images of that sexy woman running through his brain. Some of them real, some of them fantasy. But they all swirled together in a continual loop that threatened to drive him crazy with lust. Or, at the very least, keep him from getting any work done today.
As Ramon barreled down the road, he snickered to himself. He knew the cure for this disease.
Give in and get it out of his system. Fighting would only make it worse. Surely he would have his fill of her long before her four weeks ended.
But until then… Maybe she was his payback for working so hard. A scrumptious little woman, right there on the other side of his wall, with no strings attached.
Mmm… four delicious weeks of Marcy. It sounded like Heaven.
The only problem was, if she truly was as good at bookkeeping as she claimed to be, he was tempted to let her help him.
But how could he do anything around her except give in to his ever-present urge to rip her clothes off?
Shh… it'll pass… it'll pass…
Ramon took one hand from the steering wheel, rubbing his chin as he had an idea.
Think of everything you don't like about her. And then, keep on thinkin' about it…
Her voice? No. He could still hear her moaning his name last night.
Her smell? No. She smelled like flowers and coconuts.
Her attitude? No. He appreciated her snappy comebacks. In fact, he hoped to have a fight with her just to see what she was really made of.
Shit, there had to be something else.
Ramon growled with displeasure.
He'd only known her a couple of days. Give it till the end of the week. Surely he'd hate her by then.
That thought made him breathe a little easier.
He glanced at the clock. Another twenty minutes to go. So, he turned on the stereo to pass the time with music.
Then a song came on that reminded him of his brothers. Secretly, he loved having a full house.
But at the same time, he desperately missed his privacy.
Ever since the day Victor arrived, Ramon felt like he was under a microscope. He knew damn well someone had rifled through the files in his office. Good thing he kept all the important documents locked up in a few safe deposit boxes at a bank they'd never find—a trick he'd learned from Henry. The only thing he hid inside the house were the pictures, and he knew they'd never find those.
Not that Ramon had much to hide. The truth would all come out soon enough. He was sure they'd all thank him later for letting them enjoy the important stuff, like their weddings. Wait till the honeymoons are all over before they find out what a liar Mama was.
Ramon drew in a deep breath, wincing. Thinking about it always made his chest hurt a little.
Or maybe today it hurt because he worked out so much last night…
With Marcy.
His lips spread to a wide smile. There she was again. Steamrolling into his thoughts.
CHAPTER 9
At promptly two o'clock that afternoon, with Marcy and her mother in tow, Cara walked into the San Antonio bakery where she was set to meet her wedding planner, Jocelyn, in person for the first time. She was referred to Cara by Katie, who had met her a few times when she still had her job at Cortez Inn.
But what Cara didn't expect was the sudden tidal wave of nausea caused by the smell of rich baked goods inside that little building.
A young, pretty Hispanic woman wearing a baby blue suit walked toward them, smiling and extending her hand. Cara immediately recognized her from the website, but instead of shaking her hand she yelled, "I'm sorry!" And with her hand over her mouth, Cara dashed to a door on the left that she hoped was a restroom… and prayed she would make it in time.
After she finished emptying the contents of her stomach, the door opened and Marcy entered.
"You all right?" Marcy asked, wincing.
"Yeah." Cara went to the sink to wash up. "Sorry. Didn't expect that." For the past few days, Cara had felt a little queasy, but this was the first time she had to bolt to the nearest toilet. She was now thankful she'd decided to tell her mother the news that morning, lest her trip to the bathroom add fuel to Patty's speculation.
"It's okay. You feel like tasting cake today?" Marcy gave her a sympathetic look in the mirror.
"I think so." Cara groaned, unsure.
When they left the bathroom, Cara immediately found Jocelyn sitting at a table with Patty. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to—"
Jocelyn shook her head and stood. "It's fine. Your mother filled me in. Congratulations!"
"Thanks."
"Is this a bad time?" Jocelyn said. "I can always wrap up the samples and send them home with you instead?"
"No, no, it's fine." Cara took a deep breath in, making sure the sugary smells weren't going to make her wretch a second time. With a new confidence, she sat down. "I think I'll be fine."
Jocelyn nodded and turned around to signal to someone behind the counter as Marcy took a seat.
Patty held up her hand, waving her phone. "I was just about to show her those pictures from Armando and Katie's wedding. You know, the flower arrangement you liked so much?"
Cara shook her head, her stomach hit with a twinge of queasiness that suddenly made her feel exhausted. "It's okay, Mom. I don't really care. The flowers are the least of my concerns right now."
"No, let me take a look." Jocelyn took the phone from Patty. "Just because we have limited time it doesn't mean we can't make your dream wedding come true. Besides, I wanna see Katie's pictures." As she scrolled through the pictures, she stopped at one, staring at it thoughtfully. "Hmm. Very nice."
Cara smiled and nodded as Jocelyn stopped to interject comments and suggestions based on the pictures. But truthfully, Cara didn't care so much about her own wedding. She was simply ready to be Mrs. Victor Barboza.
* * *
After Victor dropped Isaac off at daycare, he met up with Tom to follow up on some research they'd started a few weeks earlier. By this point in their investigation, they had hit so many brick walls, they had given up finding info on Henry Platt's dealings with Dwayne McCormack.
Every brick wall led them to the same conclusion: find Henry.
The problem was, Henry knew how to stay off the grid. He used disposable, prepaid cell phones, paid cash for everything, and the last vehicle registered in his name was found abandoned almost four hundred miles away, near Lubbock. They had no idea what he was now driving or where he was. Ramon mentioned once that Henry had purchased a used camper, but they couldn't find a record of it.
And also, according to Ramon, Henry hadn't called in weeks.
Victor's phone rang when he and Tom were at the library, examining some old newspaper articles. When he saw Armando's name, he rushed out of the room to take the call.
"Hello?"
"Hola mi hermano. ¿Cómo estás?"
Victor laughed. Armando hadn't greeted him in Spanish in years. Reverting to their first language was a sign of endearment between the brothers. A nod to their humble beginnings, and the bond that would always exist between them. That bond felt stronger than ever lately, after everything they had
been through. Victor responded, "Muy bien y tú?"
"La vida me esta tratando bien."
"Why are you calling from your honeymoon?"
Armando let out a long sigh. "Ramon didn't tell you I called yesterday, did he?"
Victor rolled his eyes, huffing. "Hell no. He's definitely hiding something. But you already knew that."
"Yeah. Well anyway, I called to tell him Katie and I would be in town at the end of next week."
"Why so soon?"
"Katie has some family drama goin' on with her parents' divorce. Plus, I told Isaac I'd be there for his birthday party."
Victor chuckled. "You don't have to do that."
"I know, I know. But I wanna come back early anyway. This thing with Henry is driving me nuts. Katie and I have plenty of time to honeymoon later."
"Yeah, I know what you mean. Feels like I can't rest till I know what happened. Speaking of which, Tom's helping me track down Elsa's family. We're hoping one of them can get us in touch with her. Maybe we can find Henry that way."
"You haven't told Ramon, have you?"
"No."
"How's he doing, by the way? He sounded a little different yesterday."
"Different how?"
"I don't know. Not as grouchy."
Laughing, Victor said, "I might know why. Remember me telling you about the woman we invited down here from Newark?"
"Uh-huh. Cara's friend, right?"
"Yeah. Marcy." Victor paused to take a breath. "Well, guess whose bed she slept in last night?"
"Huh?" Armando paused. "You mean, she and Ramon…?"
"Yep."
Armando laughed. "Okay. Well, whatever. At least he's not celibate. I was kinda worried about him. Sounds like he's taking after Henry though. Not sure what to think about that."
"Yeah, I know."
"Wonder if he's just lonely or something. Wish he'd stop working so hard. You ever think maybe we need to just buy him outta those ranches and give him an early retirement?"
"If I thought that would work, I would've done it a long time ago. He works so hard because he wants to. He'd probably just take our money and buy another ranch."