Marry Me, Mendoza!

by Judy Duarte

  Or would he?

  As irresponsible and reckless as it might be, he’d sure like a chance to even the score.

  “Okay, Nicole. Let’s say I did go along with your little marriage plan. What’s in it for me?”

  “I’d pay you. And very well.” She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, revealing a whopping pair of diamond studs and a swanlike neck made for a trail of kisses.

  The money wasn’t nearly as tempting as she was, assuming that she planned for them to be phony spouses with benefits. Talk about tempting...

  “Do you still want to open that nightclub?” she asked.

  Miguel drew up in his seat. That had been a dream of his ever since his family had made their first trip to his uncle’s resort on the Yucatan Peninsula. And it helped to know that Nicole hadn’t forgotten some of the things he’d told her.

  “Don’t look so surprised,” she said. “I remember every conversation we ever had, Miguel—especially the last one.”

  The night she’d broken up with him? The moonlit summer night his teenage world had come crashing down on him because she’d refused to stand up to her parents?

  “Do you remember the last thing you said to me?” she asked. “You told me you’d be there for me if I ever needed you.”

  He’d said that, all right. And he’d meant it.

  “Well, I need you now, Miguel.”

  As their eyes met, as their gazes locked, the years rolled back, and they were seventeen again.

  When she looked at him like that...

  Damn her. And damn him for even considering the stupid offer for even a moment.

  “Please say yes, Miguel.”

  He couldn’t. There was no way he could go back to Red Rock with her—and not just because of his job.

  “I’m sorry, Nicole. It won’t work.”

  “Maybe not, but hear me out. Please give it some thought.”

  She was asking too much of him. Yet for some inexplicable reason, he wasn’t quite ready to send her on her way just yet....

  Okay, so he just wanted a chance to talk to her again, to see the changes ten years had made. And he had a meeting to attend.

  “I’ll tell you what,” he said, “I’ll think about it.”

  Relief washed over her pretty face, brightening her eyes, lightening her load.

  Before he could backpedal or respond, his intercom buzzed.

  Margo was probably going to remind him of that meeting with marketing at two o’clock, and he couldn’t blame her for that. He still had a lot of work to do on that report and just a little while longer to do it.

  Margo had also seen how pretty Nicole was, and it was no secret that Miguel sometimes had a weakness for the ladies.

  What she didn’t know—and Miguel had managed to keep hidden for the past ten years—was that he’d really only had a weakness for this particular woman.

  “I hate to keep you from your work,” Nicole said. “We can talk more later. Maybe over dinner. That is, if you don’t already have plans.”

  He didn’t have any big plans, other than having an after-meeting drink with his coworkers.

  But Nicole’s game plan—even though he’d already decided not to get involved—would require further discussion. At least, she’d see it that way.

  So he said, “Sure. Where are you staying?”

  “The Ritz Carlton on Central Park South.”

  Why didn’t that surprise him?

  “Okay, I’ll meet you in the lobby at eight.”

  She stood, flashed him an appreciative smile, then left his office, her hips swaying as a natural movement to her gait. He watched until the door closed behind her, wondering what he was getting himself into.

  And hoping he wouldn’t live to regret it.

  * * *

  New York City offered every type of food under the sun, so Miguel could have taken Nicole anywhere for dinner. As it was, he chose a place owned by the brother of one of his coworkers, a small Venetian restaurant located near Central Park.

  He’d only eaten there a couple times, but the food was great. And the decor, with its tile floors, pale yellow plastered walls and dark beams, had an old-world charm.

  The evening had started out quiet and awkward. But with time, the conversation lightened, and the smiles came easily.

  Now as they sat across a linen-draped table for two, finishing their meals, Miguel reached for the bottle of Chianti and refilled their wineglasses.

  “Thank you,” she said.

  “My pleasure.”

  Who would have thought that he’d be dining with his old high school flame tonight? That they’d actually find things to talk about that didn’t have anything to do with their painful breakup?

  Of course, he’d made a point of keeping the topic of their conversation on the friends and teachers they’d known way back when.

  “Remember when Bill Wiggins ran for Associated Student Body President?” she asked.

  Miguel smiled. The tall, lanky kid had campaigned as Cowboy Bill and had plastered posters all over the high school campus showing himself wearing a white Stetson and a badge. “Are you talking about the time he staged that mock robbery of the cafeteria during lunch?”

  “Yes. When Bill rode up to the senior lawn on his horse, all decked out like a Western sheriff, and saved the day, I thought he had the election in the bag.”

  “It was a clever campaign,” Miguel said. “I’m not sure how he lost.”

  “If I remember correctly, he came very close to winning.” Nicole rested her arm on the table, as if she’d somehow shaken off the awkwardness they’d both felt from the time he’d met her in the hotel lobby and they’d walked a block to the restaurant.

  It might have been the wine, he supposed, but he found himself relaxing in his seat and enjoying their time together.

  If she’d been anyone else, he might have suggested that she come home with him, but they had too much history for that. And even though their chemistry was still strong after all these years, he knew how things would play out.

  Besides, she’d only approached him with a business proposition—one he couldn’t possibly agree to, no matter how tempting it might be.

  “Do you remember the time Coach Marquez caught us behind the dugout after the game with the Ridgeville Rockets?” she asked.

  He smiled at the reminder. She’d watched his baseball practice one day, and when it was over, they’d snuck behind the dugout for a kiss that turned so hot it had damn near set the bleachers on fire.

  Would kissing her again spark that same flame?

  At the thought that it might, he tensed. It had taken a long time to get over her. And he’d never been one to repeat past mistakes.

  “I was afraid he’d turn us in and that we’d get suspended from school,” she added.

  “It was just a kiss,” Miguel said, downplaying the fact that all their kisses had set their adolescent hormones pumping.

  “Was it?”

  No. He’d had a lot of kisses over the past few years, and none had ever compared. But he wasn’t about to admit it.

  Curiosity still plagued him, though. And he couldn’t help wondering if she’d be up to sharing another one tonight—just for old times’ sake.

  Talk about playing with fire....

  The waiter, who’d approached their table while they’d been deep in conversation and wallowing in old memories, cleared his throat. When they looked up at him, he grinned. “I hate to interrupt, but I wondered if you’d like to see the dessert menu.”

  “That’s not necessary,” Miguel said. “Just bring us that chocolate decadent cake—if you still offer it.”

  “Absolutely,” the waiter said, “it’s probably the best thing on the menu.”

  Migu
el glanced across the table at Nicole, the tension waning again. “I assume you still love chocolate.”

  She brightened. “I do, but let’s only get one serving. We can share it.”

  Some things never changed, he supposed. When they were teenagers, she’d always passed on things like French fries or dessert, then would ask to share his. He’d come to expect it then. And it had never bothered him. He’d actually liked the intimacy.

  “Is this a special evening?” the waiter asked. “An anniversary maybe?”

  “No,” Nicole said, “we’re just old friends.”

  A grin tugged at the waiter’s lips. “You must have been good friends.”

  Was it that obvious?

  Maybe so, but they hadn’t ended up as good friends, and that fact brought Miguel back to reality, back to their painful breakup.

  As the waiter removed their dinner plates, he said, “I’ll be back with your dessert.”

  After he left, Nicole leaned forward. “We were good friends, Miguel—the best ever. And I know that I’m asking a lot of you, but you’re really the only one who can help me.”

  “It’s not that easy. It’s been ten years, and we’ve both moved on.”

  “I realize that. But I’ll make it worth your time if you’ll agree to help me.”

  Before taking the subway uptown to meet her, he’d actually considered it again, even though the whole idea was out of the question.

  “Tell me something,” he said. “Let’s just say that you and I had run into each other accidentally today. And I’d asked you out to dinner—just for old times’ sake. What would the chances be of us rekindling an old relationship?”

  “It could happen.”

  “Really?”

  His doubt was all too obvious and she grew silent, her brow furrowed as she studied the white linen tablecloth where her plate had once been. Then she looked back at him. “I know how badly you were hurt by our breakup. But don’t forget, I was hurt, too.”

  He bristled. “Maybe so, but you were the one who rolled over and caved to your parents’ demands.”

  “I was seventeen, Miguel. I had no other choice than to abide by their wishes.”

  So what? She’d ended it all as if none of what they’d shared, what they’d promised, what they’d planned, had meant anything. And after she’d walked away, she’d never even looked back.

  “Besides,” she added, “it was hard to rebel against them back then. They’d waited so long to have a child that their lives revolved around me, and I hadn’t wanted to hurt them. But at the time,” she added, “I hadn’t realized just how controlling my parents really were. Or that they’d never stop trying to run my life after I grew up. And I can’t let them get away with it anymore.”

  Even if he wanted to help her out, even if he could take a leave of absence and return to Red Rock, he wasn’t so sure if he ever wanted to lay eyes on Andy and Elizabeth Castleton again.

  When they’d found out that their princess was dating a boy they thought was beneath her, they’d insisted that she quit seeing him. And she hadn’t been strong enough to defy them or to even suggest that they take a break from each other until she was of age and could make her own decisions about who to date, who to love.

  Yet maybe it was just as well that it had ended when it did. Because he’d always known their relationship had been too good to last. Still, their breakup had hurt. And it had changed him—and his outlook on life—in a lot of ways.

  For a while, he’d held out hope that they would get back together, but as the weeks wore on, it was clear that they were through. And each day they spent apart, his heart had shrunk a little more until he felt there was nothing left of him at all.

  Fortunately, that summer he’d gone to a family reunion at Suenos del Sol, the beach resort in the Yucatan Peninsula his tio Pepe owned and operated. His mother’s brother had always been one of Miguel’s favorite relatives, so the timing had been perfect. There, on the white sandy beach, with the balmy tropical breeze tousling his hair and the sun on his face, he’d finally realized he would get over her eventually—as long as he didn’t have to return to Red Rock and see her again. So he’d convinced his parents to let him finish out the school year in Mexico.

  But as the summer passed, his heartache had turned to anger—at her for being weak, at her parents for being unfair and at fate for bringing them together only to tear them apart.

  Yet here she was again.

  I need you, she’d said.

  There was a time when those words meant something very different. But she and her parents were playing games with each other, and he didn’t want to be a part of it.

  “I’m prepared to pay you a hundred thousand dollars.”

  She’d said she’d pay him well, but he’d had no idea she’d meant that much. And while tempted, the money somehow made it all the worse.

  Miguel sat back in his seat. “I’m sorry, Nicole. I can’t take you up on your offer—no matter how appealing it might be.”

  Her shoulders slumped slightly, and she nodded. “All right, I understand.”

  At that point, the waiter returned with the chocolate cake and set it in front of her, along with the two forks. But once they were alone again, she pushed the plate toward Miguel. “If you don’t mind, I’m going to pass on dessert.”

  That was a first.

  She scooted her chair back and stood. “Thank you for meeting with me—and for dinner. It was delicious. If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to walk back to the hotel. It’s been a long day, and I’m exhausted.”

  So she was ending their evening together just like that? Accepting his decision without an argument, just as she’d done with her parents when they’d ordered her to stop seeing him?

  Amazing, he thought. Yet wasn’t that what he’d wanted her to do? Accept it and go back to Red Rock, leaving him here to continue living the life he’d created for himself?

  He was happy in New York. Content.

  His brothers always teased him about it, saying his life was one big kaleidoscope of wine, women and song. And while that was a stretch, part of it was true.

  Miguel hadn’t had a meaningful relationship since he and Nicole had broken up in high school. Of course, his travel schedule as a sales executive for the record company made it difficult to consider anything long-term with the women he dated. But he didn’t have any complaints about that. Moving from city to city made his dating life interesting, too.

  And it made the goodbyes easier for both parties.

  But this parting was different, and he hoped he didn’t live to regret it.

  If there was one thing he learned this evening, somewhere deep inside, a tiny flame continued to burn for his high school sweetheart.

  And what had once burned down to an ember now sparked as he watched her walk away.

  * * *

  Nicole spent the night in a luxurious suite at the Ritz, but she couldn’t sleep a wink. It was bad enough that Miguel’s refusal to help had left her in a real bind, but his rejection had opened old wounds she’d thought had healed long before.

  Originally, she’d planned to extend her time in Manhattan long enough for her parents to think that she and Miguel had actually rekindled their romance. Instead, when she woke the next morning, she called the airline and paid to change her tickets, then took the next flight home—deflated.

  Yet it was more than losing the company that had her unbalanced and dragging. It was seeing Miguel again, hoping he’d help her...

  Then having him turn her down.

  She could understand why he did, she supposed. After all, he couldn’t very well leave a good job and come back to Red Rock at the drop of a hat.

  Still, it was more than the old pain that her trip had stirred up, it was the old attraction, too. It had struck her w
hen she’d first entered his office and found him standing beside his desk, with that dark hair a woman could run her fingers through and dark eyes that could make her whimper with a single glance.

  The years had been good to him—and he was even more handsome than he’d been at seventeen, more appealing, more...tempting.

  Last night, while seated across the candlelit table from him at dinner, he’d smiled at her, and the intensity in his gaze had sent her senses reeling. The teenage Miguel had been a real charmer, and as a grown man, he’d clearly honed that skill to an art. It was hard to believe he wasn’t married—or otherwise taken—and she wondered why that was.

  In a lot of ways he’d changed, though. He might still have a playful side, but he seemed to be more serious now, more intense. He’d also abandoned his worn, frayed jeans and T-shirts for a trendy, fashionable style that suited his high-profile entertainment job.

  She supposed that spending the past ten years in New York working in the music industry had made him different from the boy she once knew. Of course, it had also made him different from the other men she knew in Texas.

  What had provoked her to think a guy like Miguel would come back to Red Rock, let alone go to the effort of pretending as though he still fit right in?

  You’ve got to be kidding, Marnie had said when she’d heard of Nicole’s plan to ask Miguel to marry her.

  Too bad she hadn’t been. It would have saved her the embarrassment of asking, then having him decline.

  Now here she was, back in Red Rock and no closer to a solution than she’d been before.

  After entering the five-story building that housed the offices of Castleton Boots, she took the elevator to the top floor, feeling defeated—yet not quite resigned.

  What was she going to do now?

  She had no idea, but she’d think of something—she had to.

  “Good afternoon, Nicole.” Diana Solares, the receptionist, offered her a smile as she entered the lobby. “I didn’t expect you back so soon.”

  “The meeting was a quick one,” she said.

  “I hope it went well.”

  “As well as could be expected.” And wasn’t that the truth? Going to see Miguel, hoping that he still felt some sense of friendship or loyalty had been a pipe dream.