by Jane Henry
“Hey, Tess,” Nora said brightly into the phone.
Tess paused before speaking. “You okay, honey?”
“Yeah, of course I’m okay,” Nora said. “Don’t be ridiculous. Why?”
Diego gave her a sidelong glance before flicking on the directional and taking a left. Nora huffed out a breath. Was no one in her life sane? God!
“You sound… perky,” Tessa said. “And usually, perky Nora is dangerous. It means you’re either about to break up with someone, ready to read someone the riot act, or go on a deep cleaning binge to deal with whatever’s eating you. So… I’m just checking. Perky Nora worries me.”
The concern in her sister’s voice annoyed Nora, and she scowled out the window. “Since when is saying ‘hi’ in a friendly manner a matter of concern?” she snapped. Diego squeezed her knee in warning but she shoved his hand off. He slapped her thigh with a sharp smack.
“Ow!”
“Behave yourself,” he warned.
“You okay?” Tessa asked. Nora rubbed the sting out of her thigh, instantly subdued and reluctantly turned on, albeit pissed.
“Yeah,” she said. “Sorry, Tess.”
Diego’s warm hand reached for her leg and gently massaged. “Good girl,” he whispered. She closed her eyes, fighting against tears that clogged her throat and made her nose tingle.
Why did he have to call her that?
But fine. She would focus on the task at hand and stop being a bitch to the people she loved most.
She took a deep breath before speaking into the phone. “I’m just checking to make sure everything’s ready for today with the food,” she said. “Sorry I snapped. There are so many things that I’m trying to pull together to make sure this all happens, you know? But I’m fine. Diego’s taking me in.” Though she’d mentioned Diego to Tess before, enough for Tess to know she and Diego were together and things were serious, she hadn’t gotten into details. Tessa didn’t know she was spending her nights with him, but she didn’t really need to know, either. And Tess seemed to have shut off her big-sister need to pry.
“Yeah, babe, I know,” Tessa said. “Hey, we’re proud of you. You’ve done an awesome job. Should’ve heard Tony bragging to the staff last night as they were boxing up the pastries for this morning. Everyone’s proud. Allie told me you were a natural. Oh, hey, you heard about Allie, right?”
“Oh yeah, I heard at Centered yesterday that Allie went into early labor but they stopped it. She wasn’t alone, right?”
“No, Tony and I were around and stayed with the kids, and Slay went to the hospital with her. But she’s fine and home now, just on bed rest so she can’t make it today.”
“Ah. Well I’m glad they stopped labor, though. That’s the important thing. Let that little baby Slay cook a little longer.”
Tessa laughed. “Yep. Okay so the guys are loading the food into the van now, and Tony and I are delivering it to the field. We threw in some extra salad and dressing, and it’ll be well chilled until time to serve. I know that the drinks are already there, and we’ve got the paper goods and serving utensils packed. All you need to bring is your appetite.”
Nora smiled to herself. “Okay, Tess. Thanks so much. Can’t wait to see you guys.”
She ended the call, then pulled up her email on her phone as Diego spoke. “What’s up with Slay?” he asked.
“Allie went into early labor and they had to go to the hospital,” she said.
“Yeah, I heard that,” he said. Nora frowned. Clearly, the fact they hadn’t even discussed it yet underscored just how little they’d seen each other yesterday
“They were able to stop labor and everything’s fine now, but I guess Slay stayed with Allie at the hospital all Thursday night, though.”
Diego grunted. “She picked a hell of a time to do it.” He slowed down as they cruised to a stop at a yellow light. The light turned red, and he turned to her, and his brow furrowed. She smiled, despite her irritation with him.
“Do what? Go into early labor? It happens sometimes,” she said. “Not exactly voluntary. Elena explained it to me. Said that sometimes women go into early labor but there are drugs that can sometimes make it stop. And this time, it worked.”
Her phone rang and she glanced at the screen.
Diana.
She glanced at Diego sideways as he tapped on the radio. Her phone buzzed a second time, then a third. How would he react?
His lips turned down as he frowned at her. “You gonna answer that, or what?”
“Yes,” she said. “I just didn’t want to be rude, and—”
“Answer the damn phone.”
She scowled at him but tapped the answer button. “Hello? Oh, hi, Diana.” She deliberately turned her back on Diego so she wouldn’t have to see his stern disapproval. Jerk.
“Hello, Nora. I’m just checking to see if everything is all set? Are you there yet?”
“Yes, I’m on my way now with my…” she paused. What the hell was he? The guy she was in love with? Her friend? Her lover. “My boyfriend is driving me. I spoke with Tessa a few minutes ago, and they have the food all set. And it sounds fantastic. Everything is falling into place. We’ll make this happen.”
“Excellent. Thank you, Nora. I will be there shortly myself, though I have a few things to tend to before I arrive. Are you sure you ordered enough food? And that everything is well taken care of?”
“I-I think so,” she said, ignoring the heat of Diego’s gaze on her and the way his hand reached for her leg, firmly grasping her thigh. “I did my best, and I’m pretty sure everything will fall into place with us all being there.”
“Okay, then. I’ll see you soon. And thank you again for all your hard work, Nora. It has been a delight seeing you grow into this role and flourish as you have.”
Nora felt a faint flush creep along her cheeks and neck, and she closed her eyes, trying to overcome her emotions at the praise. How could this woman be who Diego said she was? “Thank you. See you soon.” She hung up the phone and shoved it in her bag.
“Diana checking in?” Diego asked.
“Yeah. But I don’t want to talk about how evil she is or how she’s like the underground crime lord of all of the east coast or anything, okay?” The bite of her tone surprised even her, and she half expected him to react, but when she looked at him, he was staring out the window, and not at her. They’d arrived at the rented field where the fund raiser would be held, and he was navigating his car to the furthest corner of the parking area, under a shady patch of weeping willows.
“Really, Diego? Gotta hide over here?”
His lips thinned as he put the car in park and cut the ignition before he turned to face her. Her gaze wandered from his muscled shoulders to the bulge of his biceps, to the way his t-shirt clung to his abs, and his worn jeans straddled his hips. After scoping him out properly, she met his eyes once more, not at all surprised to find them heated. His beard was scruffy and dark, and in the shadow beneath the trees, he looked… dangerous. She shivered, suddenly wishing they were alone and not fighting. Without a word, he opened his door.
Her heartbeat stuttered and her mouth grew dry. She’d been nothing but bitchy to him, and he’d warned her. Would he punish her, right here, in the shade of the trees? He wouldn’t.
Would he?
He came to her side of the car and opened her door, extending a hand to hers. She allowed him to help her out before he slammed the door shut and pressed the lock button. Still holding her hand, he leaned against the hood and drew her between his legs, shoved his keys in his pocket, then placed his hands on either side of her face.
“Nora,” he said. “I want you to listen to me.” His brows rose questioningly.
She inhaled, then exhaled. “Yes.”
His tone was stern but gentle when he spoke. “I know I said some things the other night that you didn’t want to hear. I’m not apologizing for that, and I’m not convinced you’re safe yet. But there’s no need to have this tension between
us. We’re on the same team here, babe. You get me?”
Her heart pattered and her belly melted. She nodded. “Yes, Daddy.” She could not call him daddy when she was angry or hurt, but it felt nice to say it now.
“I’ll sort you out tonight,” he said, a promise that made her belly twist and her panties dampen.
“Sort me out?”
“Yeah,” he said. “But for now, I want you to know I’m proud of you and that I know you’re gonna kill it today.”
She smiled. “Thank you.”
He pulled her face to his and kissed her forehead. But when he pulled back again, his eyes were darker. “You be careful, honey. I’m going to be in the background, keeping an eye on things. I’m not officially here, yeah? You watch your back. No going off alone with anyone you don’t know. No leaving the premises.”
She blinked. “Really?”
His grip tightened and his nostrils flared. “Really.”
She pulled away from him and shook her head, but he held tight and chucked a finger under her chin. “Behave yourself.”
“I will,” she said, finally pulling back and walking away. “Enjoy the shadows.” He stood behind her, and she felt his gaze following her all the way to the main tent.
Tonight, I’ll sort you out.
They’d see about that.
Right now, she had shit to do.
A large tent stood in the center of a huge, grassy area, a few paces away from a small brick building. Inside was a bathroom, and a table where supplies stood in stacks and boxes, and a small office as well as a pavilion, and a tented area where volunteers had paperwork and information where supporters could gather, and food would be served. There were displays set up with artwork done by the children, all at varying age-levels and complexities, from finger paintings to some incredibly lifelike sketches Camila had done. There was a small set of risers, where the children from Centered would perform a few simple songs they'd been studying, set up next to a podium where the Mayor of Boston was going to give a speech about the importance of organizations like Centered that brought diversity and acceptance to the community. And mingling throughout the space was a band of volunteers Nora had spent hours training, to the point where they could run the entire afternoon blindfolded.
Nora put her bag just inside the door, shoved her phone in her pocket, and went out to the pavilion where the other volunteers and staffers from Centered were assembled.
“Nora, this looks amazing,” Elena said. She held her toddler in her arms, and next to her stood her husband Blake, holding the hand of their son.
“Aw, thanks, Elena,” Nora said, gathering her hair up in a ponytail so she could get down to business. “You guys have all put in so much effort, and it’s looking great here.”
“All I wanna know is when Tony gets here with the food,” Blake said, patting his stomach. “Someone was too busy to feed her man this morning, and I could eat one of those trays of John’s pastries all on my own.”
Nora grinned. “You could do that any day, though, Blake,” she teased. “I just talked to Tessa, and they’re on their way now.”
“Nora!” Grace waved her hand from across the way, where she had a table set up with face paints. Nora bid good-bye to Blake and Elena and walked toward the others who were waiting for her. Grace had paper towels, wet wipes, water, and face paints set up next to her, with some hand-drawn pictures of designs the kids could choose from.
“Hey, Camila wants to help with the face paint,” Grace said. “Any idea where she is?” Camila had taken to helping Grace with all the art classes at Centered over the past week, as she was a natural, and she’d begun to privately speak to Grace and the other women, as well as a therapist. Though she was still shy and hadn’t been forthcoming about how she’d arrived in Boston, Nora felt comfortable that she was receiving the best possible care, and that they’d be able to reunite her with her family, or find her a permanent foster care placement, soon.
Nora frowned, guilt pricking at her conscience. She’d been so busy dealing with Diego that she hadn’t been able to see Camila as much as she would have liked over the past few days. “I don’t know,” she said. “I’m sorry I’ve been out of the loop.”
Grace wiped her hand on a wet wipe and picked up her pencil, beginning another sketch. “No worries, honey. Gosh, I bet pulling together all these details the past few days has been totally consuming, huh?”
Nora nodded. Pulling together all these details and dealing with a bossy daddy, yeah. “I’ll ask around and see if anyone knows where she is, okay?”
A familiar white van pulled up and Nora waved goodbye to Grace. The delivery from Cara had arrived. When the passenger door opened and Tessa stepped out, Nora felt her throat tighten at the sight. Tessa had been with her through everything. All of it. From leaving her mother’s and moving in with her and Tony, to graduating from college, to finding full-time work and finding her place in the workforce. Tessa had wiped her tears, paid her bills, and listened to her in the wee hours of the morning when the world slept and her mind churned. How she wanted to pour her heart out to her big sister.
Tessa’s auburn hair was high up in a clip, and she was running a lip gloss brush over her lips. “Hey, babe!” she said, waving, and when Nora drew closer, Tessa’s perceptive gaze narrowed. “Are you okay?” she asked. The lump in Nora’s throat grew and her nose stung. She swallowed and cleared her throat.
“Hey,” she said.
Tessa reached for her, snaking an arm around her waist and pulling her close. She gave her a tight, motherly hug and one lone tear splashed on Nora’s cheek. She swiped it impatiently away.
“I’m fine,” she lied, but Tessa knew her too well.
“The hell you are,” she whispered in her ear. “And something tells me this has nothing to do with work or the people here, and everything to do with that sweet, maddening bossman of yours, huh?”
Nora nodded, and she thought for a minute maybe it would be okay to tell Tessa everything. But how could she? The information she’d gotten from Diego about Diana was confidential. Though it would feel so good to divulge it all, and get it all off her chest, she could not put anyone at risk. For a moment, she wondered how hard it had to have been for Diego to hold it all on his own for so long. Yeah, he had guys like Slay who knew, but were there things he held onto that he didn’t tell anyone? Things that he had to keep to himself, for the safety of others?
If he could be brave, so could she. She swallowed her tears and took a deep, cleansing breath. “Hey,” she said to Tessa. “Some days are just hard, you know? But it’s all good. Really.”
Tessa released Nora from her embrace but held her at arm’s length, peering into her eyes like only a big sister could. “They are,” she said. “And you don’t need to tell me everything. Two people, both learning who the other is… you get the good with the bad. But if it’s meant to be, and you learn to give without losing who you are, it makes you stronger.” She paused, and drew in a deep breath. “But I know who you are, Nora Damon. I’ve seen you overcome shit that would’ve made other girls crumple. But not you, honey. Whatever it is that’s eating you up? You’ll handle it. Because that’s what Nora Damon does.” Tessa leaned over to swipe one more tear from Nora’s cheek, and Nora wondered if Diego had seen their interaction. What was he thinking? What was going on in his mind?
And in that moment, she forgave him. Tessa was right. This was the give and take, and if she and Diego were meant to be, then hell, they’d make their way through this shit and they’d be stronger. She wished she could find him then, to bury her head on his chest and let him hold her, so she could call him daddy and find strength in him… in them.
As Nora turned around, she saw the young girl walking side-by-side with Grace. Camila smiled and waved at Nora.
“Oh, you found her!” Nora shouted, as Tony opened the back of the white van and lifted out two large white pastry boxes.
“Where are these going, Nora the Explorer?” Tony asked. N
ora smirked at the pet name Tony had given her when he’d adopted her as his little sister, and pointed to where the empty tables lay under the big tents.
“Over there, on those tables. Thanks, Tony.” She turned back to Grace and Camila, and as she did, a gleaming black car pulled in right up at the entrance to the fairgrounds. The guest speakers, including the mayor, weren’t due for another hour. And as she waited for the driver to go around to open the door, she saw a shadow lurking beneath the weeping willows at the far side of the lot where Diego had parked. Diego leaned against the door, his arms across his chest. She couldn’t quite tell with the distance and his face cast in shadow, but it looked like he winked at her. A small thrill of pleasure rippled through her, just as the door to the car opened, and out stepped Diana.
“Oh, hi! Good to see you,” Nora greeted Diana, fervently hoping that everything was all set for the fundraiser now, so that it looked perfect. “You’re early!”
Diana smiled warmly. “Hello, Nora. So pleased to see you,” she said, extending her hand, and as Nora shook it in reply, she wondered if Diego could see them. Was he plotting a way to sweep in and save her in case his instincts were right?
“The caterers just arrived and are setting up. I can guarantee the food will be delicious. My brother-in-law Tony is one of the best chefs in Boston,” she bragged, just as Grace and Camila strolled towards them.
“Oh I can attest to that,” Grace said with a laugh. “I’ve sampled just about everything on the menu at Cara.” She turned to Nora. “Hey, Camila and I are going to get started on the face painting, since kids are starting to arrive with their parents. Sound good?”
“Awesome,” Nora said. “Diana, I’ll show you to where the office is so you can put your stuff away.” As Grace and Camila left, Nora turned toward Diana and was surprised to see her gaze was fixed on Camila, a smile frozen on her face.
“What did you say the girl’s name was?” she asked, her voice unusually high. Nora’s heartbeat raced.