Armando Returns (Barboza Brothers) (17 page)

“
Can I talk to you alone?” Katie asked.

“
Ah. A sister thing.” Eric winked at Katie, then excused himself, giving Chelsea a kiss on the cheek before heading upstairs.

Chelsea and Katie sat down on the couch in the living room.

Katie waited until she heard Eric’s footsteps on the second floor before speaking. And she decided to bring up the subject of the website before she forgot. “Okay. You’ve got to do something about that website.
Now
. Right now.”

“
Oh, come on. It’s funny. Is that what this is about? Nodody’s even seen it yet. Eric’ll get it all fixed before you mail your invitations—”

“
Someone’s already found it! I was so embarrassed. I swear, I could choke you right now.”

“
Katie, it’s not that bad. Anyone who knows you—”

“
Just change the damn thing!” Katie lifted her hands for emphasis. “Please!”

“
Okay, what the heck happened? You’re way too panicky about this. Most people know how to take a joke.”

“
You just don’t get it. I have to tell you something and you can’t tell Mom or Dad.”

“
Sure. Fine.”

“
You can’t tell Eric either. I’m serious. I can’t take any chances and I’m only telling you because I’ll go crazy if I don’t talk to someone about it and I really really
really
need you to fix that damn website.”

“
Fine. I won’t tell Eric or Mom or Dad or anyone. Please, calm down. You’re scaring me.”

“
It was Armando. He found the website. Read everything, too. He’s here in town. I just spoke to him.”

“
Armando?” Chelsea shrugged. “In
this
part of Texas? I know like, six Armandos. You’ll have to be more specific.”

“
Barboza!” Katie glanced around the room, paranoid, then lowered her voice. “Armando
Barboza
. Remember him?”

Chelsea gasped.
“You mean Ramon’s brother?
That
Armando?”

“
Yes.
That
Armando.”

“
Oh…” Chelsea got quiet for a second, straightening her back against the couch. She stared straight ahead, dumbfounded. “Do Mom and Dad know?”

Katie gritted her teeth and let out a growl.
“No! Why do you think I just told you not to tell them?”

“
Oh, Katie…” Chelsea clucked her tongue against the roof of her mouth, thinking back to that summer. “I haven’t thought about that in a
long
time…”

Katie took her sister
’s hand, pleading. “You’ve gotta listen to me. I’m going crazy. There’s no one else I can talk to. I can’t even tell my friends. You’re the only one who knows about it and understands what a huge deal it is.”

Chelsea nodded, numbly.
“Uh-huh.”

“
First things first, you need to take down the website. Or change it or something.”

Chelsea raised a brow.
“Didn’t you say he already saw it? What’s it matter if we change it now?”

Katie hit her forehead with her palm.
“Just change it. Please. It’ll make me feel better. It was so embarrassing to know he found it.”

Chelsea shifted around to look directly at Katie, then took both of her hands.
“Sweetie, you’ve gotta calm down. This probably isn’t the huge deal you’re making it out to be. So what if he’s back in town? You’re both adults now. He’s probably just here visiting his brother. I doubt Mom and Dad would even care.”

The corners of Katie
’s mouth turned straight down. “I kissed him.”

“
What?”

“
Yeah. I kissed him.” She stared into her sister’s wide eyes. “It was actually a bit more than kissing.  I don’t know what would’ve happened if we hadn’t been interrupted.”

Chelsea
’s jaw dropped. “No!” She glanced down at Katie’s engagement ring. “Does Mitch know?”

Katie shook her head, tears filling her eyes.
“No. It just happened a little while ago. I’m a terrible person.” She collapsed against her sister’s shoulder, crying.

Trying to soothe her
sister, Chelsea held her close and said, “You’re not a terrible person. You’re human. People make mistakes.”

Katie instantly sat up straight.
“I’m not so sure it
was
a mistake. I don’t know how something can feel that good and be wrong.”

Chelsea smirked.
“I’m pretty sure cheating feels pretty darn good to the people who do it. It’s still wrong.”

Sniffling, Katie said,
“See? I’m a terrible person.” Tears ran down her face. “I told you.”

“
Oh no.” Chelsea sighed. She had never seen Katie quite like this before. “Why don’t you just start at the beginning? Has this been going on for a while?”

“
No.” Katie reached into her purse for a tissue, then wiped her nose. “Just today. I met his older brother, Victor. He came to the restaurant earlier this week to rent the upstairs patio to propose to his girlfriend.”

“
Victor? I don’t think I knew they had a brother named Victor.”

“
Yeah. He’s the oldest. He was away in college before I dated Armando and he just sorta stayed away. I remembered him from high school but he didn’t remember me. Didn’t even recognize my name.” Katie dabbed her eyes. “He’s lived in New York for years and barely ever comes here, from what I understand.” She gave Chelsea a pleading look. “Oh...but he looks and sounds
so
much like Armando.”

Chelsea nodded, listening.
“Okay. So, what happened?”

Katie took a deep breath.
“Well, after that, I couldn’t stop thinking about Armando. There was only one degree of separation between us, you know? Kinda freaked me out. I wondered if I should relay a message through Victor—”

“
Hold up. You could’ve contacted him through Ramon anytime you wanted.”

Katie scowled.
“Really? You think
he
would’ve helped me?”

Chelsea sighed.
“No, you’re right. He’s an asshole.”

“
He wouldn’t even talk to me tonight when I went to the ranch. He stood there and glared at me, just like he does when I see him around.”

“
Okay, back up a second. So, you went to the ranch tonight?”

“
Yeah. Armando asked me to come out there. He approached me after work last night. In the parking lot.”

“
Huh?”

“
Yeah. Totally surprised me. It was the first time I’d seen him since...you know...that summer…” Katie paused. “I was shocked. He said he came here to find me when Victor told him I was getting married.”

“
What?” Chelsea drew her hand to her chest. “Is he actively trying to break up you and Mitch?”

Katie shrugged as her eyes darted anxiously around the room.
“I guess so, yeah.”

“
All right. Let me think.” Chelsea studied her sister’s distraught face, desperate to find a solution. “What is it
you
want, exactly? Do you wanna break up with Mitch for a guy you haven’t seen since high school? That sounds like a bad idea to me.”

“
I know. Especially when you put it like that.” Katie frowned and took a moment to collect her thoughts. “I think I just wish I wasn’t engaged right now. I’d love to give it a shot with Armando and see what happens.”

“
It’s probably better you’re engaged. It’s protection. It’s the only thing keeping you from rushing in.”

“
I wouldn’t rush in. I just wish I had the freedom to
think
about rushing in.” Katie suddenly balled up her fists. “Damn it! Why couldn’t this have happened sooner? Like, even a month ago?”

“
A month ago?” Chelsea asked. “You mean, right before Mitch proposed? Are you saying you would’ve broken up with him
that
easily, for Armando? It sounds to me like you just don’t wanna marry Mitch.” Chelsea groaned and shook her head. “It doesn’t help that he’s working so much. Always going out of town, leaving you alone at night. On the weekends. Would you have gone to visit Armando tonight if Mitch had been in town?”

“
Probably not. But that doesn’t prove—”

“
Shh.” Chelsea put her hand on Katie’s arm. “You need to calm down before you make a crazy, impulsive decision. You’ve been with Mitch for over a year now. I remember when you were
really
excited about him, too. I think you just need to spend some quality time together. Remind yourself why you said yes.”

Katie produced a long sigh.
“Maybe you’re right.”

“
When’s he coming back from Dallas?”

“
Monday morning.”

“
Okay.” Chelsea nodded. “Have a date night on Monday evening.”

“
I think he has to work.”

Chelsea gasped.
“Again? Seems like every time I talk to you lately, Mitch has to work.”

Katie shrugged.
“I know. It’s because he just made partner at the law firm. They expect a lot more out of him. He has to prove himself.”

Chelsea
’s eyes rolled. “Whatever. It’s not a great way to start an engagement. Have you thought about traveling with him? Why can’t you just get up early and drive to Dallas in the morning?”

“
We talked about it. Four hours there, and four hours back. Doesn’t give us much time together, and I’d just get in the way of his work.”

“
Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you need to see him soon. You have to tell him what happened with Armando.”

Katie
’s posture crumpled. “Yeah. You’re right.” Then her eyes perked up a little. “Do you think he’ll break up with me over it?”

“
Oh my God!” Chelsea’s mouth dropped open and she smacked her sister’s arm. “It sounds like you
want
him to break up with you.”

“
You don’t know what I’m going through, Chelsea.” Katie’s sank back against the couch, her hand over her eyes. “I’d be with Armando right now if we hadn’t been torn apart. Everything would be different. I feel like I need to see what would’ve happened.”

“
There’s no way to know what would’ve happened. Your marriage might have already ended by now. You could’ve both been miserable.”

Katie brought her hand down to her lap and faced her sister.
“Or maybe not.”

After Katie left, Armando took a cold shower. As much as he wanted her physically, he knew damn well it was more than that. It had always been more than that. She was the only woman who sparked that kind of desire in him. Made it difficult for him to restrain the sexual impulses that accompanied his love for her.

All these years, he convinced himself the reason no woman could live up to Katie was
because she was his first. He smiled, thinking about that night. Their senior year of high school, just before Christmas. It was the one time Mr. and Mrs. McCormack let Katie date Armando. Obviously, they thought the relationship was nothing serious and Katie would quickly move on. What they didn’t know was that Katie and Armando showed up at the dance just long enough to have some pictures taken, then they sneaked off to Katie’s aunt’s empty house fifteen minutes away.

And there, in a spare bedroom, Armando learned how it felt to make love to a woman.

He chuckled, remembering how bad his technique was, but they were both virgins with nothing to compare it to. Making love to her for the first time was still the greatest moment of his life. And now, after all the women he’d been with over the years, that night still played through his mind in exquisite detail.

And it was because he still loved Katie.

A few hours later, after Isaac was sound asleep and Cara was reading in bed, Armando told his brothers they needed to have a talk. They went to Ramon’s office and shut the door.

Armando and Victor sat in chairs in front of the desk, while Ramon sat behind the desk, leaning on his forearms and smirking at Armando.

Armando glared at Ramon. “What?”

Ramon shrugged.
“Nothing. Just waiting for you to start, that’s all.”

Sighing, Armando said,
“You know, you’d think since we haven’t seen each other in a while, you’d at least be civil toward me?”

Ramon scoffed.
“I
am
being civil. I told you, I’m waiting for you to start.”