Redemption (Reunion Book 1)

by Adrienne Ruvalcaba

  A wide smile took over his face as she looked up at him. He saw in her expression that she was unsure about this meeting, but her lips tugged up in a smile anyway.

  “It’s good to see you again, Mr. Mayor,” she demurred as she tried to look away from him.

  Lilah escaped as soon as the meeting with Diego ended. She didn’t want to be in his presence for one moment longer than necessary. Every time she looked at him, her entire body burned in the flames of mortification. He already had a date lined up for the day she left town, and his mother had seen them in the most compromising of positions. It was too much to think about when she was by herself, let alone when she was stuck in a room with him and the city attorney.

  After the meeting, she returned to Cheryl’s house, and tried not to feel too much like the odd man out as Cheryl and her mother prepared dinner. Lilah offered to set the table, but Cousin Heather told her that it would take too long to explain her special method for making the place settings. As she nodded, Lilah wondered how many possible ways there were to set a table. Obviously, Heather just didn’t want her help. Lilah tried not to analyze it too much as she took a seat in the TV room with Cheryl’s father.

  Cyrus Brown was an incredibly quiet man, unlike his wife and daughter. In his younger years, he had been a chemical engineer at one of the many industrial plants along the Gulf Coast of Texas, but he had been in medical retirement since the year Cheryl was born. An accident and subsequent explosion had almost killed him, but he had managed to pull through after receiving the news that his wife was pregnant.

  Lilah had never been in the same room as Cyrus before, so she was surprised to find that he had a peaceful energy around him. In mannerisms, he was the complete opposite of his wife. Where Heather gave her hard looks and made it obvious that her presence was a temporary nuisance to be tolerated, Cyrus smiled at her and helped her feel more welcome. Every time Cyrus said something to her, Lilah fought the urge to avoid looking at his scarred face. She had never worked with burn victims before, but she did know the importance of actually looking at Cyrus rather than treating him like he was a disembodied voice and staring at the floor.

  Family photos dominated many spaces in the palatial home that had been paid for with part of Cyrus’s settlement money. Cheryl and her mother starred in most of the photos. There were very few of Cyrus, and none at all of him before the accident.

  “I see you looking at the pictures again,” Cyrus said with a gentle smile.

  “I can’t help myself. There are just so many beautiful pictures of Cheryl and Heather. I guess if I looked like a famous Hollywood actress, I would have taken as many pictures as Cheryl,” Lilah responded with a laugh.

  “What Hollywood actress is my daughter supposed to look like?” Cyrus asked with a deep chuckle.

  “Gabrielle Union. She was really big when we were in high school, so people compared Cheryl to her all the time. They were so sure she was going to be famous,” Lilah answered.

  “Gabrielle Union, huh?” he said with a twinkle in his eye. “When I was younger, I never thought I’d marry a woman like Heather, and I certainly never thought we’d have a daughter like Cheryl.”

  There was a touch of nostalgia in his voice, so she asked, “How do you feel about Cheryl getting married?”

  “I feel fine about it. Hugo is a good young man. The other day, he said he was thinking about practicing in the Lack Jackson area. That way, he and Cheryl would only be one hour away instead of two. He is a very good and considerate young man; not at all like those frat boy party types who think they can run around and treat women any kind of way,” Cyrus answered.

  The tonality of his voice gave the only indication of his feelings as he spoke, because his facial expressions were hindered by all of his burn scars. Lilah wondered what he had looked like before the accident that had maimed him. “Why aren’t there any pictures of you from when you were younger?” Lilah asked.

  “Do you mean, why aren’t there any pictures of me without all these ugly old scars on my face?” he returned with a smile.

  Lilah instantly felt bad for asking. “I apologize; I should have known better than to ask such a question.”

  “It’s okay, Lilah. When I first got out of the hospital, the therapist recommended that I don’t dwell too much on what I used to look like. I’ll never have those looks back, so technically those pictures don’t represent me anymore. Heather went through the house and got rid of all the mirrors and put away the pictures and redecorated so things would be easier for me. I thank God every day for her, because I definitely would have wasted away without her.”

  “When’s the last time you looked at one of your old pictures?”

  “I pull out the wedding album every once in a while, but other than that, I don’t go poking through the past. It doesn’t matter what I used to look like. My old mug is ugly now, but I did help make the prettiest girl in town,” he replied.

  Just then, Heather stepped into the room and gave Lilah a strange look as she said, “We’re serving dinner now.”

  Cyrus slowly stood and stretched. Heather moved toward him to offer assistance, but he shook his head at her. “I’m fine, Baby,” he assured her.

  The doorbell sounded just as Heather shut off the television. “Who could that be right at dinnertime?” she groused under her breath.

  “Oh…” Cyrus said with a rueful little chuckle. “I was so busy talking to Lilah; I forgot to mention Hugo called a little bit ago. He’s joining us for dinner tonight.”

  “I’ll get the door,” Lilah offered when she saw irritation cross Heather’s delicate features.

  “Do you mind making small talk in the sitting room while I reset the table?” she asked.

  “Not at all,” Lilah said on her way to the front door.

  She opened it and was floored to see Diego grinning down at her. “Hugo?” was all she could get out in her shock.

  “I’m right here,” Hugo said as he waved from Diego’s side.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t see you standing there,” Lilah said as her face heated in embarrassment.

  Diego said, “Aren’t you going to invite us in? Mr. Brown said it was okay for us to come for dinner tonight.”

  “Of course,” Lilah said as she stepped aside and held the door open for them. “I’m supposed to show you to the sitting room and keep you occupied until Heather resets the table. Cyrus forgot to mention that you were coming.”

  “Oh, no!” Hugo exclaimed. “Heather is very particular about dinner,” he said as he turned to Diego.

  “I’m sure she doesn’t mind at all. You’re marrying her only daughter, so that makes you family,” Lilah replied.

  She couldn’t bring herself to look at Hugo as she let him in the door. Did he know about what happened Saturday morning? He probably did! Diego’s mother had probably told the whole family. Lilah cringed at the thought.

  “What’s wrong?” Diego asked as he closed the distance between them.

  “Nothing,” Lilah insisted as she tried to swallow the bile that had risen up her throat. How was she going to get through dinner with them?

  “You don’t look like nothing is wrong,” Diego observed. He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and gave her a little squeeze.

  “Do you two need me to step out of the room?” Hugo offered.

  Lilah could hear in his voice that he was genuinely trying to be helpful, but his offer mortified her even more. He must know about Saturday morning. As she looked away from Diego, she felt tears sting her eyes. “You told your brother?” she whispered.

  “Told me what?” Hugo asked just as Diego released a vehement, “Of course not!”

  Lilah broke away from him and said, “I’ll come get you when Heather is finished setting the table.” She then left the room and pulled the door shut behind her. She stood right there, listening for Heather’s footsteps so she could pretend like she had stayed in the sitting room the entire time. Diego and Hugo engaged in a hushed conversatio
n on the other side of the door. They spoke Spanish, so she had no idea what they were saying about her.

  When she heard Heather’s heels echoing in the adjoining hall, she quickly reentered the room. A moment later, Heather arrived to announce dinner with a great deal of flair. Lilah watched her and wondered why pomp and circumstance was so important to her. She wore an expensive looking cream suit, and her hair was arranged in tousled, gold streaked waves that tumbled down to her waist. Lilah couldn’t stop herself from admiring Heather’s hair. She had always been jealous of Cheryl and Heather’s long, perfect tresses, so she had to fight the constant urge to tame her own curly frizz when she was around them.

  They followed her into the formal dining room, and Lilah tried not to notice the exaggerated sway of her hips as she walked. Heather and Cheryl both exuded confidence and sex appeal. Lilah wasn’t sure what she exuded, if anything.

  Diego’s fingers brushed her arm, sending an array of sensations through her as they walked into the dining room. Heather and Cyrus both took their positions at the ends of the table, and Hugo went straight to Cheryl to give her a hug.

  “I’ve missed you,” he said as they beamed at each other.

  Lilah looked away, and her eyes involuntarily sought out Diego. A little ache started in her throat as she imagined him looking down at her the way his brother was looking at Cheryl right now. Sure, Diego liked her body, but what did he think of the rest of her? Had he really meant those things he said on Saturday morning?

  “Alright, that’s enough. I’m hungry,” Cyrus said when Cheryl and Hugo’s embrace keep going and going.

  “Yeah, save some of that for the wedding night,” Heather added.

  “Mom!” Cheryl exclaimed as they let go of each other.

  Diego chuckled as he pulled Lilah’s chair out for her. She glanced over her shoulder to thank him, and her lips started to tingle when she saw that his face was mere inches from hers. Their last kiss flashed in her mind, and she had to fight to keep her demeanor decent. “Thanks,” she whispered.

  “No problem, Lilah,” he said.

  He took a seat next to her, and she tried not to be so aware of his presence. If only they hadn’t had sex so many times Friday night. Words from that night echoed in her ears as everyone at the table maintained the façade of politeness. She had lost count of the number of times he had whispered endearments and compliments in her ear. He had practically given her a never ending speech on how much he adored her ass.

  Throughout dinner, she glanced at him and wished she could see his thoughts. Outwardly, he was the ideal dinner guest—polite, engaging, and just charming enough to keep all the ladies at the table smiling. His intelligence and warmth were evident in every word he spoke, making it easy to see why he had won the last mayoral election.

  When dinner ended, Diego lingered beside her. For a moment, they were the only two at the table. “We need to talk,” he said as he turned toward her.

  “About what?” she asked.

  “About my mother interrupting us before I finished making you scream my name, querida,” he whispered in her ear.

  His words had an immediate and astonishing effect on her. Her nipples tightened and instant heat flooded her body as she remembered the way they had fit together. That night had been perfection. “I can’t believe you said that!” she hissed at him.

  “Now that I have your attention, Delilah…we need to talk,” he pressed.

  “Okay, okay… just not here in Heather’s house. It’s awkward enough already,” she replied as she sprang out of her chair and trailed everyone else to the sitting room.

  No one seemed to notice their late entrance, because they were too preoccupied with each other. Heather and Cyrus were setting up a very ornate looking chessboard in their little corner of the room, and Cheryl and Diego were in the other corner having a discussion.

  When Delilah entered, Cheryl turned to her and said, “Hugo and I usually go for a walk after dinner while Mom and Dad play chess. Do you and Diego want to tag along?”

  When they reached the corner, Cheryl turned to them and asked, “Meet back here in an hour?”

  “I thought you wanted us to tag along,” Lilah protested.

  Cheryl rolled her eyes, and Hugo laughed and said, “You two obviously have something to discuss. We just invited you along to get you out of the house. If you’d rather go back and watch Heather and Cyrus play chess, be my guest.”

  “I happen to like chess,” Lilah responded as she watched them walk away.

  She stood there, unsure what to say, until Diego spoke. “Delilah, I know you’re embarrassed about what happened. Believe me when I say that I am too. Actually, I’m probably more embarrassed than you are. You trusted me enough to spend the night, and your reward was an audience in the morning. I’m sorry about that. My mother has a tendency to be way too pushy and involved in my personal life sometimes, but I won’t let that happen again. She doesn’t have a key to my house anymore,” he said quietly at her back.

  “What about that woman who was with your mother?” Lilah asked.

  “I already told you that I’m not interested in dating her…Not now, not when you leave, not ever. I’m still trying to figure a way to keep seeing you,” he replied.

  Lilah spun around to face him, and caught a glimpse of his vulnerability. She reached out for his hand, and the two of them started down the sidewalk. “You are?” she asked.

  “Of course. You have to leave after the wedding, and I have to stay here for at least three more years. I really don’t like those odds, but that’s what we’re dealing with.”

  “What’s your plan to beat those odds?” she asked.

  He did a quick double take and chuckled, “Way to put me on the spot, Delilah. My plan is for us to continue seeing each other. How do you feel about long distance relationships?”

  “I don’t know. I’ve never been in one,” she said.

  “I think we should give it a try.”

  “What about your mother wanting you to get married and impregnate your wife as soon as possible?” Lilah asked with a smile.

  He grimaced and said, “Just let me worry about my mother. She’ll have plenty to say about it, but this is my life, not hers.”

  “Would it be easier if we just keep this a secret?” Lilah asked. “I don’t want to cause trouble with your family or affect your chances for reelection,” she added.

  Diego stopped walking and faced her. The heat in his gaze seared her as he threaded his fingers through her curly hair and kissed her. “Actually, people around here seem to love you so much, it might improve my chances for reelection if they thought I could get you to stay,” he said between kisses.

  Lilah laughed at his comment, because it seemed so far-fetched, but she couldn’t stop the warm glow that suffused her body at his words.

  When he pulled back, he looked into her eyes and said, “So…you got to meet my mom this weekend. It was a little awkward, which is totally normal according to ask.com. Can we just count it as a positive milestone in our relationship and move forward?”

  “Yes.”

  CHAPTER NINE

  As Lilah wrapped up her final interview, she made a notation on her little organizational chart. After talking to scores of locals, one name jumped out above all others as someone who was a true community activist and organizer. Jannetta Smalls participated in almost every program on the south side of town. Despite not having any official affiliations with them, many directors had named Jannetta as a valuable referral source for young, dedicated volunteers. Prior to her daughter’s death, Jannetta had worked as a teacher for the school district. Now, she only worked part-time as a sub.

  “Diego, can I talk to you about the community liaison position?” Lilah asked as she snapped her portfolio shut.

  “Sure. What’s up?” he asked as he gave her his full attention.

  “I know you’ve already conducted interviews for the applicants earlier this week, but I have a last minute recom
mendation,” she replied.

  “You sure about that?” he asked with a confused look. “We interviewed every single person who applied for the job.”

  “I know. The person I’m thinking about didn’t submit an application. Actually, she hasn’t expressed any interest at all in the position, but I think she’d be perfect for it.”

  “Okay. Why don’t you find out if this person has an interest? If she does, we can set up a time to interview her tomorrow,” he replied.

  “Thanks,” Lilah smiled.

  “Who is she? You?” he asked as he smiled in return.

  “No,” Lilah answered with a little laugh. “Do you remember Jannetta Smalls, the woman who leads the rallies in the park?”

  “Yes, the one Reverend White thinks is a troublemaker,” Diego said with a nod.

  “Well, the more people I talk to, the more I realize she is already doing the job quite well without getting paid for it. Everybody who runs any sort of program that needs youth volunteers knows who she is. She can already tell me almost everything about more than half the programs on your list, and she actually put me in contact with a few directors who were under your radar. She is at least somewhat familiar with AmeriCorps and grant writing, because she worked as an AmeriCorps VISTA for two years while finishing her teaching degree in San Antonio. She’s also very good with youth mentoring and tutoring programs, and I think she’s the one the community will best respond to. I think it mostly comes down to her willingness to take the job,” Lilah said.

  “Wow. You vouch for her that strongly?” Diego asked.

  Lilah swallowed and said, “Absolutely.”

  “After everything you just told me, the interview might be nothing more than a formality if she actually wants the job. When do I get to meet her?” he asked with a probing look.

  “She’ll be at the meeting tomorrow. Maybe we can have her stay after and conduct her interview then,” Lilah suggested.

  “That sounds good,” he replied.