Fierce Pride (15 page)

“That’s a shame.”

Santos shrugged. “Not really. They’re mad about the will and aren’t speaking to me.”

“Doesn’t that bother you?”

“No, not at all. Is there anything more I can do today? I have the champagne chilling, and Mrs. Lopez made certain the crystal flutes sparkle as beautifully as the rest of our crystal.”

She’d forgotten all about the champagne. “Thank you. I think everything’s done. Tomas was already decorating the cake when I went out to run. The flowers should be here at three. We have our clothes. What are you wearing?”

He laughed and touched her arm. “Don’t worry. I own suits that aren’t covered with sequins.”

“I’m sure you do. Maybe you should keep an eye on the twins.”

“They’ve lived here, Libby. They can entertain themselves, and Patricia is amusing Fox.”

“Let’s hope she doesn’t amuse him too much. What’s the age of consent in Spain?”

He grimaced slightly. “Thirteen.”

Her eyes widened. “You’ve got to be kidding.”

“No, it’s thirteen, but you don’t need to tell Patricia, and I doubt Fox knows.”

She gave him a slow, appraising glance. “I’ll bet you were really something at thirteen.”

“That depends on how you define ‘something’. I was tall but too skinny for girls to notice if I turned sideways. By the summer I was seventeen, I’d grown up enough to have pretty girlfriends, but I’d had a long wait. Fox is seventeen, and I’m as close to a parent as he has, but he’s so jaded he wouldn’t listen if I gave him a lecture on safe sex.”

“Do it anyway,” she said, then whispered, “I’m glad today has finally arrived. I’m okay with Maggie marrying Rafael. Are you?”

His eyes narrowed. “No, but I can’t stop it.”

“Sounds like the blues. Maybe you should work it into your song.” She squeezed his arm and rejoined her mother just as her father came downstairs. “What are you going to do today, Dad?”

“Absolutely nothing. I’m going for a walk. I’ll find a quiet café and read for a couple of hours. If I get ambitious, I’ll take a nap before the wedding.”

Libby wished she could do the same. Santos made a point of introducing the twins and Fox to everyone. The others all looked so relaxed, but their plans for the day kept running through her mind in a frantic loop. They were going to rehearse about ten minutes before the wedding, but for an informal ceremony on the beach, that ought to be enough.

She went upstairs to shower and dress in clean shorts and a top. She was doing her toenails in a bright pink polish when Patricia rushed into their room.

“Fox is so hot I can’t believe Santos didn’t tell me about him. He’s only seventeen, but that’s old enough for me today. He’s from England and goes to some posh prep school near London. We’re going out on the beach with the twins. When do I have to come in?”

Libby watched her sister toss through her clothes, searching for her bikini. “You left it hanging in the shower. Better be back here by two.”

“Two it is. If I see Victoria on the beach, may I invite her to the wedding?”

Libby gave her little toenail a last swipe of color. “Won’t you want Fox all to yourself?”

“She wouldn’t be interested in him. She likes men.”

“The answer is no. This is a family wedding.”

“All right, but anyone can watch a wedding on the beach, can’t they?”

“I suppose, but you mustn’t mention it to Victoria or anyone else, or we’ll have helicopters circling overhead.”

Patricia left the bathroom, wearing her bikini and carrying a white cover-up and hat. “Does any of this seem real to you?”

“No, not since Santos picked me up at the airport in the Hispano-Suiza. That car tells the whole story.”

“Fantasyland,” Patricia called on her way out the door.

That’s exactly what it was, and she’d signed a contract to extend her stay.

After Linda had dressed that afternoon, she looked in Maggie’s room. “Do you have a minute?”

“Of course, come in,” her daughter responded, and her mother stepped over the threshold.

Linda handed her a velvet box. “These were a gift from Miguel when we married, and I saved them for you.”

Surprised, Maggie opened the oblong box and found a beautiful string of pearls with a diamond clasp. “These are gorgeous!” She hugged her mother and turned so Linda could fasten the clasp.

“They’re perfect for you,” Linda exclaimed. “They could be the something old. There’s blue in your bolero. Do you still need something borrowed?”

“I do.”

Linda handed her a lace handkerchief. “Tuck this into your neckline, and if you need a hankie, you’ll have one.”

“Thank you, but I’m too excited to cry.”

“I was too, both times. You’re sure about this? If you’re not, we can all fly home together.”

“I’m positive. Please don’t worry about us. We’ll be fine.”

Linda managed a shaky smile. “I’m your mother. I’ll always worry about you.”

Maggie let her go and turned to study her reflection in the mirror above the dresser. There was no way she could have refused such a loving gift, but she doubted she’d ever wear the pearls after today. Maybe today was all that mattered, and a gift her father had given her mother to celebrate their love truly did belong with her.

Chapter Seven

An hour before sunset, the sky glowed a glorious golden peach and the nearly deserted beach retained the day’s luscious warmth. The members of the wedding party were dressed beautifully, including the twins in short pink puffs of brocade. Maggie’s tiered lace gown had a matching pale blue-and-silver-beaded bolero, and she’d added a dozen silver bangles on each wrist. Patricia and Libby had styled their hair in crowns of curls and were as pretty as the roses they carried. Their mother had left her apricot suit hanging in the closet and chosen the long floral skirt and pale sweater she’d purchased in El Sol y La Luna boutique down the beach.

Rafael and his best man, Dr. Claudio Mendez, were in gray. Peter and Santos were in a darker gray, while Fox wore his blazer and slacks. The string quartet and flute were seated on the patio, and their lilting classical tunes carried on the sea breeze. The Unitarian Universalist minister, Hannah Torres, wore a light blue linen suit with a white silk stole. She frequently officiated at tourists’ weddings on the beach and conducted the brief indoor rehearsal with reassuring charm.

Libby thought they’d made everything as beautiful as it could possibly be. Their mother had spun their preliminary plans into a perfect evening. They couldn’t have done it without her and Santos, who was also a master with detail. Every day she discovered something new about him, and for a man who’d fascinated her from first sight in the airport, that just wasn’t fair.

Once Cirilda and her ex-husband arrived, Alfonso helped Santos across the sand, and they were ready to begin. Perry whispered to Maggie, “I wish Father could have been here.”

Maggie wound her arm around Peter’s. “My father is here. Shall we go?”

Peter hung back. “I’m not ready for this, and I’ll have to do it two more times. How can any father stand to give away his daughter?”

Maggie hugged him. “You don’t give away the love, Dad, nor mine for you. Nothing will ever change how we feel about each other.”

“Damn.” Peter pulled out his handkerchief and blew his nose. “I hope Rafael will be the joy to you your mother has always been for me.”

“He will be,” Maggie assured him. They were waiting at the door behind the main staircase, and Libby leaned out to signal the musicians to begin the wedding march. The twins went first, an impromptu addition, and created a rose-petal path. Patricia attempted a stately walk, and Libby followed, her lime-green skirt brushing the sand. Their mother had already taken her place near Santos, Alfonso, Cirilda and Nadia, the best man’s wife.

The group formed a welcoming half circle, and from where Libby stood as maid-of-honor, she had a clear view of everyone. She’d never seen Rafael wear such a wide grin, but Maggie’s smile was equally joyous as she walked toward him on their father’s arm. Their father still looked emotional, but once he’d reached their mother and taken her hand, he took a deep breath to steady himself. Santos gazed down at his shoes as though he couldn’t bear to watch. Maybe, like Perry, he was remembering Miguel and missing him terribly.

The romantic setting and the minister’s intimate tone drew them all into the wedding’s enchantment with a beautiful ceremony, with touching poetry and graceful blessings. With Maggie completely unable to write her side of the vows, Reverend Torres led them in the traditional promises. Maggie had expected the simple wedding band they had picked out together, but Rafael slipped a wide gold band with bezel-set rubies on her finger. Fashioned after rings once worn by Spanish royalty, it looked perfect on her hand.

He smiled. “I was born loving you, and I’ll love you beyond forever.”

Tears flooded Libby’s eyes, and her mother needed the lace handkerchief she’d been wise to hold. Peter sniffed loudly, but Maggie was clear-eyed. She slid the gold band that should have matched her ring on Rafael’s finger.

“I love you with all my heart and soul, and I always will.”

“May the joy you share today bless your union all your days,” the minister said. “You are now husband and wife. You may kiss your bride.”

Maggie threw her arms around Rafael’s neck, and he lifted her off her feet for a kiss he hurried to end before the tide came in. Everyone moved close to congratulate the pair. Peter had taken photos of the girls earlier and now photographed Maggie with Rafael. “Hurry before we lose the light.”

As soon as her father was satisfied, Libby moved toward Santos. “Let me help you inside.” She lowered her voice. “Couldn’t you bear to watch?”

“I felt a horrible sense of déjà vu. My father married four times, and I had a part in three of the ceremonies. He always sounded convincing, but he never honored his vows.”

“Do you expect the same from Rafael?” she whispered.

“I don’t know what to expect from him. He could be wild, or perfectly devoted. We’ll have to wait and see.”

“I’m hoping for the best.” They’d reached the door, and she held it open for him.

“You should go upstairs and put on your brace.”

“I’ll be all right.”

“You’re paying for my advice. Don’t you intend to take it?”

“The contract begins tomorrow, but fine, let’s go up in the elevator.”

“Will it hold two?” She followed him down the back hall.

He opened the door and pulled back the sliding gate. “The maids use it for laundry, the vacuum cleaner or whatever they need. It will easily hold us.”

He let her enter first, pulled the door closed and slid the gate shut. The control panel had three buttons. He pressed the top one, and the elevator began a slow assent with a low, throbbing hum. He hit the stop, and caught her between his outstretched arms.

“Santos!” She giggled. “Is this what you really wanted?” She leaned close to give him a slow deep kiss. His scent drew her in, made her long for more, but not now, not yet. His lashes were so long and thick they shaded his eyes but didn’t hide their teasing gleam. “I want to help Maggie and Rafael celebrate. Let’s just get your brace and join the party.”

He leaned in to kiss the tender spot behind her ear. “They won’t miss us for a while.”

His breath tickled her skin. His every touch was magic, but she called his bluff. “What are you imagining, that I’ll hike up my dress and hook my knee over your hip while you unzip your pants? Do you have a condom?”

Clearly embarrassed, he drew back. “No.”

“That’s very poor planning, but it doesn’t matter. They’d miss us long before I’d be through with you. Don’t rush me. You’re worth the whole night.” She leaned around him to hit the Up button.

He braced himself against the wall. “That’s the sexiest thing a woman’s ever said to me. I may pass out right here.”

When the elevator halted with a slight bump, she opened the gate and door and laughed. “I doubt it.” She loved teasing him, and he always reacted as if no other woman had ever said no. Maybe she ought to consider it part of her work as his trainer. As they started down the hall, her mother reached the top of the stairs and came walking toward them. “Santos needs his brace.”

Linda waved her handkerchief. “Sure he does. I want to fix my makeup. You two better beat me back downstairs.”

Santos paused at his door. “I’m not racing anyone tonight, Mrs. Gunderson, but I don’t want to miss a minute of the party either.”

Her mother disappeared so quickly Libby knew something had to be wrong. “I’ll see you downstairs.” She hurried to her mother’s room and knocked lightly before looking in. “Are you all right, Mom?”

Linda turned to face her. “In the hall light, he looked so much like Miguel. He has the same wonderful accent, so you don’t really care what he says. There’s this wrenching disconnect in my mind. I know he isn’t Miguel, but it’s almost impossible to remember.” She went into the bathroom to touch up her mascara. “I couldn’t think of any advice to give Maggie I haven’t already given all you girls. I’m afraid no one knows anything about love.”