Diego was about to thank his father, and get on with the rest of his day, when he realized exactly what his father had just said. “Wait a minute, Dad,” he said as he sat forward again. “You just said to tell her how I feel about her. How do you know how I feel about her?” he asked.
Carlos smiled and shook his head. “When I introduced myself to her at the last council meeting, I recognized her name,” he said.
“Why would you recognize her name? I’ve never talked about her before,” Diego responded in confusion.
“I know. I knew her name from that diary of hers that you were always reading back in high school.”
“You knew about that?” Diego exclaimed.
“Do not raise your voice to me,” Carlos said quietly.
“I apologize. How did you know about that journal?” he asked in a more reasonable tone.
“Son, tu madre thought you were on drugs the summer before your senior year. I had to snoop through all your things to figure out why you were acting so differently. She thought that little book you always had with you was some kind of log about meeting your dealer,” Carlos said with a hearty laugh. “I didn’t think you were on drugs, but I checked just so your mother would feel better and stop nagging me about it.”
“Oh,” Diego muttered as he looked into his father’s eyes. “I guess it’s nice to know that you two cared so much.”
“We still do. I think it’s pretty interesting, actually. Do you remember what you wanted to do with your life before you started thinking about that girl all the time?”
“I think I wanted to play baseball in the majors, like Ricky,” Diego said.
“Yes. That was all you ever talked about, and while I didn’t discourage you, I didn’t think it was a good idea to have ‘major league baseball star’ as your only goal in life. I thought you needed a backup plan. You didn’t even seem interested in other options until you started thinking about that girl all the time. Right before your senior year, it was like you suddenly started thinking like a man. I used to tell you all the time not to let all the pretty girls distract you from your studies. Do you remember that?”
“Yes.”
“Let me amend that advice right now. Pretty girls can be a distraction from your goals, but the right pretty girl can help you achieve goals you didn’t even know you had—goals like being a good mayor. I think Delilah may just be the right pretty girl for you, mijo.”
Diego left his father’s study with greater purpose in his step. He didn’t know another way to reach Lilah, other than her cell phone. He knew that she wouldn’t be able to answer it on her flight, so he made the decision to book a ticket to California without contacting her first. He would figure out the plan as he went along.
By the time his plane landed in California, Diego was exhausted. His single text to Lilah’s phone had gone unanswered, and he had no other means of contacting her or tracking her down for the night. He knew that she was supposed to be at a large bookstore tomorrow afternoon to sign copies of her new book. If he wanted to see her before she flew to her next destination, he would have to do it during the book signing.
After a night of tossing and turning, Diego dressed carefully and arranged his thoughts over a cup of coffee down in the hotel lobby. When the book was first published, Cheryl had told him Lilah’s penname was Alexa Blackstone. Diego wondered why she even bothered with a pseudonym. If he had written a book, he would have wanted everyone who knew him in real life to know that he was a published author.
By the time Diego arrived at the mall, the line outside the bookstore was at least several hundred people long. It snaked through the store and down one side of the main corridor of the mall. Multiple young girls were standing in line with copies of Delilah’s book already in hand.
“Macy and her mom lined up at six this morning, and she just texted me that she’s next in line!” a teenager in front of him said with a little squeal.
Diego listened quietly as almost everyone in line around him gushed about Delilah’s book. At first, the line seemed to move at a crawl, but it eventually picked up speed. After several hours, Diego finally made it to the bookstore entrance. From there, he caught a glimpse of Delilah’s head. If he hadn’t seen her just days ago, he never would have guessed that the woman in the bookstore was the same girl who had rarely talked back in high school.
Her hair and makeup looked flawless, as if she had been given her own glam-squad for the day. She wore a pair of large, black glasses that he knew for a fact she didn’t need, and her hair was pinned in an eye catching style that reminded him of something a runway model would wear for maximum effect. She looked like the epitome of a hip, cool, intellectual author. She definitely didn’t look like the kind of woman who would want to spend her time in a small town like Bay City.
He watched her smile and pose for photos with every young person who stepped forward. People loved her, and he could see exactly why. He wondered what this crowd would think of the quieter version of Delilah, the version he had gotten to know and love during their month together. He’d bet his job that they would love her just as much, if not more than the charming and gregarious woman she was at the moment.
After he made it into the store, Diego stepped out of line. He didn’t want to see how she would react if she looked up and saw him standing there. Maybe his worst nightmare would come true and she would demand that one of the security people ask him to leave. He meandered towards a large display with a dwindling stack of copies of her book. He picked up one, and flipped it over to read the synopsis on the back. He had meant to ask her what inspired her to write a story about a teenaged girl who time traveled back to ancient Egypt, but he had never gotten around to it. She had been so busy helping him connect with the program directors in the community, she hadn’t once talked about her book or her book tour.
He found a secluded little spot where he could watch her interact. Her voice reminded him of the day she had stood up and addressed Reverend White and his group at the Caring Corps meeting. She clearly had command of the room, and everyone was riveted to her words. Even Diego couldn’t stop himself from feeling a bit star struck as he watched her.
The longer he watched, the less confident he felt about approaching her. It was like high school all over again. She even wore a slim fitting black dress that reminded him of one of the outfits she had worn to school on the days she had speech and debate team events. He had always thought she looked beyond hot when she wore those outfits.
His father’s words about swallowing his pride reverberated in his head, but he couldn’t manage to make himself get back in the line to see Alexa Blackstone. There was no way she would want to spend her life in a town like Bay City when she had people in cities lining up for just one moment of her time. Diego was sure that his father didn’t imagine an audience for his possible rejection when he told him to swallow his pride and apologize first. Maybe this just wasn’t the right time to do it. Diego took his book to the register, paid for it, and quietly slipped out of the bookstore before she caught sight of him.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Two months into her tour, Lilah found herself slumped over the toilet in her hotel suite, unable to muster the energy to drag herself back to bed. She had been vomiting all morning, and she doubted she would make it to her scheduled appearance at one of the largest independently owned bookstores in Seattle.
She reached for her cell phone, and dialed Josephine Coleman’s personal number.
“Delilah! Or should I call you Alexa now that your book has jumped onto the New York Times bestseller list!?” Josephine shouted into the phone.
Lilah pulled back with a wince. Ordinarily that news would have thrilled her to pieces, but right now all she could think of was ending the nausea that had been plaguing her every day for almost two weeks. Today had been the worst day by far, and she just wanted the sickness to end.
“I can’t make my talk today. I’m sick,” she mumbled into the phone.
�
�What do you mean you’re sick? Are you dying?” Josephine demanded.
“It feels like I am. I’ve been vomiting every day for two weeks now,” Lilah answered.
“All day, every day, for two weeks? Have you been to the hospital?”
“No. It usually wears off by midmorning, but today, it just keeps getting worse.”
“Oh God, no! You’re pregnant aren’t you?” Josephine asked in a horrified whisper.
“I don’t know. I’ll have to check as soon as I can get up off the floor,” Lilah said.
She lay there for a few minutes more, considering the possibility that she now had a tiny thing that was half her and half Diego growing inside her. The thought of a baby interrupting her career when it was just getting started should horrify her, but for some reason it didn’t. It actually brought her the first genuine smile she’d had in a long time.
She managed to make it to her scheduled event that afternoon, but she didn’t stay late to spend extra time with fans. Instead, she made a beeline for the nearest drugstore and purchased a pregnancy test. As expected, the result was positive.
Lilah used all three of the test sticks over the course of the next twenty four hours. Each time, the result was the same—positive. She thought about calling Diego to tell him, but then she remembered the last words he had said to her a month ago. He had called her a judgmental bitch, and she hadn’t heard from him since. Clearly he wasn’t interested in any long term commitments to her, so a child would be unwelcome news. Lilah didn’t want to deal with the emotional ramifications of him rejecting the child after he had already rejected her.
Next, she thought about calling her mother. That plan was quickly dismissed due to the consistent distance that had plagued their relationship since Lilah left for college. Once Lilah was no longer her responsibility, she had resumed the life she led before getting pregnant. There was also the nagging complication of the fact that Lilah now knew the truth about who her father was. She still hadn’t been able to call her mother and have a chat about her affair with Cyrus Brown. Actually, she wasn’t sure if she ever would bring it up.
She knew that calling Cheryl was out of the question, because Cheryl would talk to Hugo, and Hugo would then tell Diego. Lilah wasn’t ready for him to know just yet, and when he did find out, she wanted to be the one to tell him.
With a sigh, she finally settled on someone to talk to. She reached for her phone and dialed Heather’s cell number.
Less than a day later, Heather arrived at Lilah’s hotel room in Seattle. As soon as she opened the door, Lilah fell into Heather’s open arms and cried. After an entire month of feeling heartbroken and alone, she had someone to listen and possibly give her some guidance on how to go forward in her life.
“Am I the only one who knows you’re pregnant?” Heather asked as they sat down.
“No,” Lilah sniffed. “I had to tell my publisher too. She’s pretty upset with me right now. I can’t cancel any of the events left on my tour, but she was able to help me reschedule all of them to the afternoon, since that seems to be the only time I feel okay enough to go out.”
“How are you feeling right now?” Heather asked gently.
“Just tired. I don’t have anything scheduled for today or tomorrow, but the day after tomorrow I have to catch a flight to Portland. Thank you for coming out here to see me. I guess I just needed some company before I have to go back out in public again. This tour was already demanding, but now it feels impossible,” Lilah said.
“Okay. You just rest for now, and I will take care of anything that needs to be done before we fly to Portland,” Heather said.
“What do you mean, we?” Lilah asked carefully.
“When we talked on the phone, you said you have about a month left before this tour is finished. Cyrus can do without me for a month. I wouldn’t leave Cheryl if she were in your shoes. You need someone around to make sure you’re okay,” Heather said as she kicked off her six inch heels and flopped down on the chair next to the bed. “Give me your itinerary so I can make sure the rest of your rooms have two beds,” she said as she whipped out her cell phone.
Lilah rummaged through her purse, and pulled out the list of hotels and bookstores. She handed it to Heather and said, “I really appreciate you helping me, Heather.”
Heather grasped her hand for a moment and smiled at her. “That’s what family is for,” she said.
Lilah lay back on the bed in relief as Heather took command of all the travel details. The single thought circulating in her mind was that she was going to be a mother in less than a year. Motherhood was something she had looked forward to during her engagement to James years ago. Since then, she had put dreams of a loving family aside to focus on her writing. Her time with Diego had awoken those feelings like a sleeping dragon, and she was still trying to figure out how to stuff her feelings for Diego down into the bottom of her soul while still feeling happy that she was going to have his baby. It seemed an impossible task at the moment. She fell asleep as she imagined having a baby boy with velvety brown eyes, just like Diego’s.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Diego pushed the stack of papers away and stood up to stretch. He felt like he had been working continuously for the past few weeks, but he couldn’t make himself relax. No matter how hard he tried to clear his mind, he couldn’t manage to get a certain exasperating woman out of his thoughts. The sting in his forearm made him realize his fist was clenched again. He made a conscious effort to relax and get back to work.
“Mayor Gonzales?” Mrs. Horta’s voice said over the speakerphone.
“Yes?” he answered with a sigh.
“You have an unscheduled visitor.”
Diego’s heart skipped a beat as he demanded, “Who is it?”
“I don’t know how to explain. Maybe you should just come talk to her yourself,” Mrs. Horta answered.
Diego shot out of his seat and yanked the door open. He fully expected to see Delilah looking back at him, but an older woman with irritation written all over her face awaited him instead.
“Good afternoon, Ms.…?” Diego said as he smiled at the woman.
“Josephine Coleman, of Coleman and Coupland Publishing,” she said as she stuck out her hand.
“Nice to meet you, Ms. Coleman,” Diego said. He shook her hand and waited for her to elaborate on why she was in his office. When she didn’t, he invited her to take a seat at the conference table.
As soon as the door closed behind them, she spoke again. “Mayor Gonzales, there can be no mistaking the reason for my visit. I’m here to talk you out of whatever foolish personal arrangement you have made with one of my authors. Despite phenomenal sales on her first book, she called me yesterday morning with news that she might not be interested in the second book deal I’m prepared to offer. The potential advance—”
“Ma’am, I have no idea who or what you are talking about,” Diego interrupted as he stood and adjusted his tie.
“Delilah Johnson!” Josephine said in a nasty tone, causing him to sit back down.
“What do I have to do with her not wanting to sign another book deal?” he demanded.
“Are you serious with these bullshit responses? She told me yesterday that she is planning to take a break from writing and move back to this godforsaken little town once the last portion of her tour is over! When she was here for her vacation a few months ago, she asked for two extra weeks because she was seeing someone. I asked her for details, but she was pretty tightlipped at first. Once she let it slip that she was seeing the mayor, I realized the importance of getting her on her way pronto, so I denied her request and changed her itinerary to get her out of here a day sooner. Apparently that wasn’t enough, because now she wants to live here.”
“What? She…what?” Diego stammered.
“As if you have no idea what’s going on,” Josephine muttered. “If you don’t stop encouraging her to give up her career for you, she’s going to be one of the biggest flops in history. Her firs
t book just hit the New York Times bestseller list, and fans aren’t going to want to wait forever for a sequel. I guess it doesn’t really matter where she lives, but she can’t just give up on her writing, especially not now. It would ruin her career! I hope you can live with that on your conscience.” With those words, Josephine stood up and breezed out of his office with a dramatic sweep of the dark scarf she wore. Her exit left Diego wondering if all literary types were that histrionic.
Mrs. Horta looked up at him with wide eyes as he approached the reception desk. “Qué pasa?” she asked in a whisper.
Diego sat down next to her and demanded, “Do you know anything about Lilah moving back to Bay City?”
“No!” Mrs. Horta insisted with a vigorous shake of her head. Her curls bounced back and forth in an almost comical manner.
“That woman said she was Delilah’s publisher. She said Delilah was going to turn down a book deal to move back here, but that doesn’t make any sense. Have you talked to her?” Diego asked.
“No!” Mrs. Horta insisted with yet another bout of vigorous head shaking. Her entire demeanor smacked of insincerity, but Diego let it go. Obviously she was sworn to secrecy, so he left her alone and went back to his office to ruminate for the rest of the afternoon. Why in the world would she ignore him for months and then give up a book deal to return to a place she hated? It made absolutely no sense, but for some reason, an unwelcome little seed of hope blossomed in his chest anyway.
***
As Delilah stepped out of the airport, she released a little sigh. Whether it was a sigh of relief, sadness, or some mixture of both, she could hardly tell. The past three months had changed her life forever, and there was no looking back now. Cheryl, Heather, and Cyrus had decided to welcome her back to Bay City with open arms.
Cyrus’s Mercedes pulled up to the curb at the airport, and Lilah tossed her bags in the trunk. She opened the rear passenger side door and took a seat. Heather took a seat beside her after leaning in to give Cyrus his long awaited kiss.
Redemption (Reunion Book 1) Page 17