Her Little Spanish Secret

by Laura Iding

  Although they would have plenty of time to get to know each other. Wouldn’t they? On the long flight to the U.S. he’d finally realized that where he and Katerina lived wasn’t important. Being together was all that mattered.

  He kept waiting for the reality of his decision to sink in, but he didn’t have the itchy feeling of wanting to leave. Was it possible that joining Doctors Without Borders really wasn’t his dream?

  Had it just been a way to escape?

  He frowned and stretched in an effort to shake off his deep thoughts. Lifting his head, the distinct scent of fried chicken made him realize how hungry he was. He followed his nose into the kitchen.

  There were bags of food lying haphazardly on the table, as if they’d been set down in a hurry. Before he could reach for one, Katerina returned.

  “Tommy will be down soon, he wouldn’t go back to sleep.” Her slightly accusing gaze made him wonder if she believed that was his fault. Maybe it was. “We’ll have lunch and then you’ll need to leave, Miguel. I can’t deal with you right now. I have Tommy and Juliet to care for.”

  He wanted to argue, but the lines of fatigue on her face tugged at his heart. She looked so exhausted he wanted to sweep her up and take her to bed. But, of course, he couldn’t.

  Somehow he’d thought she’d be happy to see him. But so far she’d seemed more annoyed. Had he misunderstood her feelings towards him? His heart squeezed in his chest.

  He told himself to have patience, even though it wasn’t easy. Tomas came running into the room and he helped Katerina pull out the fried chicken, mashed potatoes and coleslaw. He noticed that she made sure Tomas had some food on his plate and that she made a plate for her sister, before worrying about eating anything herself.

  “I’ll be right back,” she murmured, taking the food down the hall towards a small bedroom. He felt guilty all over again, knowing that Katerina had managed to get Juliet inside without his assistance.

  He watched Tomas eat, determined to wait for Katerina. She returned quickly enough, dropping into a chair across from him.

  “How is she?” he asked.

  “Sleeping. Dr. Sandlow said she’s fine, though. She needs to start physical therapy three times a week. I’ll help her with her lunch later.” She took a healthy bite of her chicken, and then seemed to notice he hadn’t eaten. “Don’t you like fried chicken?” she asked.

  “Of course. Who doesn’t?” He flashed a reassuring smile before turning his attention to his own plate. He wanted to help her, but sensed he was treading on thin ice. For some reason, she’d been angry with him for falling asleep. Either because she thought he’d put Tomas in danger, or because he’d slept when she couldn’t. Or maybe because he’d made himself at home. Regardless, he knew he could help ease her burden by staying, if she’d let him.

  “Lean over your plate, Tommy,” she said gently when pieces of fried chicken dropped from his mouth and hit the floor. “Don’t make a mess.”

  “No mess,” Tomas said with his mouth full.

  “Is the shopping mall still located a few miles from the hospital?” he asked. “I need to purchase clothes and toiletries.”

  She frowned. “Did the airline lose your luggage?”

  “No. I didn’t bring anything except my passport. I was racing to catch up with you and Tomas. As you’d already boarded the plane, they wouldn’t let me talk to you. I ended up going through London to get here.”

  She looked shocked to hear he’d followed her. After several long moments she finished her meal and sat back in her chair. “Yes,” she murmured. “The shopping mall is still there.”

  “Katerina, we need to talk.” He glanced at Tomas, who was starting to wiggle around in his booster chair. He was tempted to smile at how their son had smeared mashed potatoes and gravy all over himself.

  “Not now. As I said, I have other things to worry about at the moment. Tommy needs a bath and then I need to care for my sister. I’m sorry, but I’m afraid you’ll have to wait until I get things caught up around here.” She stood and picked up Tommy. “Goodbye, Miguel.”

  She turned and left, no doubt intending to give Tomas a bath. He wanted nothing more than to help, but she’d made her wishes very clear.

  With a sigh he pushed away from the table and began clearing the dirty dishes, storing the leftovers in the fridge. Maybe she wanted him gone, but he wasn’t about to leave this mess for her. Not when she looked like she was dead on her feet.

  He wanted to believe that Katerina was just tired and jet-lagged, that she didn’t mean what she’d said.

  But since he’d arrived, she hadn’t given any indication of wanting to pick up their relationship where they’d left off. If not for his brother going missing, they would have had time to talk. To plan. Surely there was a way to make this work? Surely Katerina felt something for him?

  So why was he feeling as if she wished he hadn’t come to the U.S.?

  As he washed and dried the dishes, he racked his brain for a way to bridge the gap that had somehow widened between them.

  Because if she thought he was giving up that easily, she was dead wrong.

  * * *

  Kat ran warm water and bubble bath into the tub for Tommy, knowing she’d been unfair to Miguel. He’d come all this way, had actually followed her to the airport in Seville, flying all night, only to have her demand that he leave. She hadn’t even asked about Luis.

  She set Tommy into the tub, kneeling alongside to keep a close eye on him. Tommy played in the water, splashing bubbles everywhere. She was so exhausted, so emotionally drained that she didn’t even notice bubbles had landed on her hair.

  She’d been badly shaken by the sight of Miguel holding Tommy, both of them looking adorable as they’d slept. She was a terrible mother to be jealous, even for an instant, of her son’s love for his father. And the sad truth was that Tommy didn’t even know that Miguel was his father yet.

  But he would, soon.

  For a moment she rested her forehead on the smooth, cool porcelain of the tub. She should be glad Miguel wanted to be a part of Tommy’s life. She should be glad that he’d come here to Cambridge, rather than asking her to consider moving to Seville.

  Yet, she couldn’t help wishing that they would have time alone, to explore the passion that simmered between them. She knew Miguel wanted her, but she didn’t know if there was any way he’d ever come to love her. She felt confused and exhausted.

  She had her sister to care for, and Tommy too. And soon she’d have to go back to work. There wouldn’t be time for her and Miguel to renew their relationship. But there would be plenty of time for him to establish a relationship with his son.

  She lifted her head, instantly ashamed of herself for being selfish. Her son was what mattered, not her own ridiculous feelings. Giving her head a shake to clear the troublesome thoughts, she quickly washed Tommy’s hair and then pulled him out of the water, engulfing his slippery body in a thick, fluffy towel.

  After getting Tommy dressed in clean clothes, and straightening out her own disheveled appearance, she went back out to the kitchen, half-afraid Miguel would still be there. He wasn’t, but she was pleasantly surprised to find her kitchen was spotless, every bit of mess cleaned up, including the floor around Tommy’s booster chair.

  His kind thoughtfulness only made her feel more miserable for her earlier abruptness. Was it too late to catch up to him? She almost headed for the door when she heard thumping noises coming from Juliet’s room. Juliet was up, trying to navigate with her crutches, leaving her no choice but to hurry down to help her sister.

  Forcing her to push thoughts of Miguel firmly out of her mind.

  * * *

  An entire twenty-four hours went by without any word or visit from Miguel. Kat should have been relieved to have one less thing to deal with, but instead she was on edge. Had something happened to him? Had he decided she was too much of a witch to deal with? Had he decided to return to Spain after all?

  She still didn’t
know his phone number, or if his cellphone from Spain would even work here in the U.S. She felt much better after getting a good night’s sleep and was pleased to note that Juliet was also doing better every day.

  Getting her sister to therapy wasn’t too bad, especially as Juliet insisted on doing things for herself. There was a truce between them, a closeness that hadn’t been there before Juliet had left to study abroad. Kat hoped that this terrible accident would bring them closer together.

  “Where’s that Spanish doctor?” Juliet asked, when they’d returned from therapy.

  Kat shrugged. “I’m not sure. Why?”

  “Come on, sis, you’re not fooling me. He’s obviously Tommy’s father. And you love him, don’t you?”

  She wanted to protest, but really what was the point? “My feelings don’t matter as he doesn’t feel the same way.”

  Juliet stared at her for a long moment. “You never asked me what happened. I mean, how I ended up getting hit by a car.”

  Kat pulled up a chair to sit beside her sister’s bed. “Jules, you were in the I.C.U. on a ventilator when I came to visit. And by the time you’d recovered, you were confused and told me you couldn’t remember. Has that changed? Do you remember what happened?”

  Juliet took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I fell in love with a guy named Enrique. He was much older and so mature. I never told him how I felt, but I thought we had this great connection. Until I found him with another woman.”

  Kat sucked in a harsh breath. After having both of their fathers leave their mother, she knew that would be the worst betrayal of all. “Oh, Jules…”

  “I was so upset I started crying and ran into the road.” Juliet shrugged. “Thankfully, I don’t remember much after that.”

  “I’m so sorry.” Kat reached out and took her sister’s hand. “I’m sure that was really difficult for you to see him with someone else.”

  “Yes, it was. After the way my dad left, I spend half my time waiting for the guy I’m dating to show his true colors. But now I wonder if I just liked Enrique because he was safe. I think I’ve been avoiding relationships, Kat. Because of our fathers.”

  Kat tried to follow her sister’s logic. “But you just said you fell for Enrique. Wasn’t that a relationship?”

  “Not really. He was older and friendly with me. But it wasn’t like we even kissed or anything. There was another guy who liked me, who was closer to my age, but I avoided him. I told myself it was because I liked Enrique, but the truth of the matter was that I was avoiding being hurt.” Juliet tightened her grip around Kat’s fingers. “Don’t do that, Kat. Don’t avoid Miguel because you don’t want to get hurt.”

  Juliet’s words struck a chord deep inside. For someone so much younger, Juliet had great insight. “It’s more complicated than that, Jules. He’s Tommy’s father. We have to get along, for his sake.”

  “Tell him how you feel,” Juliet insisted. “Don’t let your pride or fear get in the way.”

  Was her sister right? Had she avoided talking on a personal level with Miguel because she was afraid of being hurt? They’d never really talked about their joint custody arrangement because she’d avoided the topic. The realization made her wince.

  Maybe her sister was right. “Get some rest Jules, okay?” she said, changing the subject. “We’ll eat around six o’clock. I have a pot roast in the slow cooker for dinner.”

  “Okay,” Juliet murmured, closing her eyes.

  Kat left her sister’s room to head for the kitchen. She was surprised to hear the sound of voices.

  “Meegl,” Tommy shouted and it took her a minute to figure out that it was a mangled version of Miguel.

  “Tomas!” Miguel responded, and she entered the kitchen in time to see her son launch himself at his father. Miguel laughed and clasped Tommy close, looking dangerously attractive wearing casual clothes, jeans and a long-sleeved denim shirt. “I’ve missed you,” he said, nuzzling Tommy’s neck.

  “Me too,” her son said, hugging him.

  For a moment, seeing the two of them together, father and son, made her want to cry. But then Miguel lifted his head and caught her gaze, with such intensity she could barely breathe. “Hi, Miguel,” she said inanely.

  “Katerina,” he murmured, and for a moment she thought she saw frank desire in his gaze, before he bent over to set Tommy back on his feet. “Would you allow me to take you out for dinner this evening?”

  “I’m sorry, I would but I don’t have a babysitter,” she said, tearing her gaze from his. She figured that he wanted to finalize their co-custody agreement and was determined not to continue avoiding the topic. Thankfully, she felt better prepared now after a good night’s sleep. She forced a smile. “I have a pot roast in the slow cooker if you want to stay.”

  “Diana said she’d come over to babysit. And she’s more than capable of watching over Juliet as well.” He took a step toward her, holding out his hand. “Please?”

  He’d called Diana? She could hardly hide her surprise. And now that he’d taken that excuse away, she couldn’t think of a reason to refuse. “All right,” she agreed. “But I need some time to change.”

  “I’ll wait,” he said.

  The next few hours flew by as she showered, changed and then greeted Diana, who seemed glad to be back on American soil. As Miguel held the door of his rental car open for her, she felt a bit like a girl going out on her first date.

  “Are you sure you know how to drive?” she asked, as he slid behind the wheel. “Maybe you should have brought Fernando here with you.”

  His teeth flashed in a broad smile. “Fernando is taking over the Vasquez olive farm. Believe it or not, my brother Luis has decided he wants to build things, instead of being a farmer.”

  “So he’s okay, then?” she asked. “You found him all right?”

  “He’s fine. He was afraid to tell me how much he hated the farm.” For a moment a dark shadow crossed his face, but then it was gone. “I’m convinced he’s going to be fine now that he’s following his dream.”

  Dread knotted her stomach, and she had the most insane feeling he was about to tell her he was going to follow his own dream. His dream of joining Doctors Without Borders. “I’m glad,” she said in a choked tone.

  He slanted a glance in her direction as he pulled into the driveway of a well-known hotel located mere blocks from her house. “I hope you don’t mind if we have a quiet dinner here?”

  “Of course not.”

  He led the way inside to the fancy restaurant located just off the hotel lobby. There weren’t too many people dining, but it didn’t matter as they were led to a small quiet table in the back.

  Miguel treated her courteously, holding her chair for her and then asking what she’d like to drink. They started with a light appetizer and a bottle of Shiraz.

  “Katerina,” he said, reaching over to take her hand. “I have something very important to ask you.”

  She felt surprisingly calm, despite knowing they were about to settle their future joint custody arrangement once and for all. Her sister’s advice echoed in her mind.

  “Yes, Miguel?” She took a sip of her wine and carefully set it down.

  In a flash he was out of his seat and kneeling in front of her chair. She stared at him in shock when he flipped open a small black velvet ring box, revealing a large diamond ring. “Katerina, will you marry me?”

  For a moment her heart soared and she wanted to shout yes at the top of her lungs.

  Except he hadn’t said anything about love.

  “Miguel, we don’t have to get married,” she said, tearing her gaze away and wishing she’d ordered something stronger than wine. “We’ll work something out so that we’ll both be actively involved in Tommy’s life. I’ll even consider moving to Seville, after Juliet is better, if that’s what you want. You don’t have to do this.”

  He never moved, still kneeling before her, his gaze steadily holding hers. “Katerina, I love you. I was foolish to leave yo
u four and a half years ago. I let my mother’s bitterness affect my outlook on life. It’s true that I want to be a part of my son’s life, but that’s not why I’m asking you to marry me. I’m asking because I can’t imagine my life without you.”

  She felt her jaw drop open in shocked surprise. She wanted so badly to believe him. Trusting men wasn’t easy for her, but wasn’t this what she’d secretly wanted? She couldn’t allow her mother’s tragic life to affect her ability to find happiness.

  “Miguel, are you sure? Because there’s no rush. Besides, I thought you always wanted to work with Doctors Without Borders? I don’t want you resent us at some future point because you didn’t get to follow your dream.”

  “My dream isn’t to join Doctors Without Borders any more,” he said. “It pains me to say this, but I realize now I’ve been partly using that dream to avoid getting close to anyone. Until I met you. I’ve fallen in love with you, Katerina. And I don’t care where we live, here or Seville, it doesn’t matter. Nothing matters except you and our son. And any other children we decide to have.”

  He loved her? She wanted so badly to believe him. Her small sliver of doubt faded when she saw the pure emotion shining from his dark eyes. And somehow she managed to find the courage to open her heart to him. “Yes, Miguel,” she murmured huskily. “I will marry you. Because I love you, too. And I can’t imagine my life without you either.” She felt wonderful saying the words, knowing deep in her heart that they were true.

  “Te amo, Katerina,” he murmured, taking out the ring and slowly sliding the band over the fourth finger of her left hand. She barely had time to enjoy the sparkle when he stood and then drew her to her feet before pulling her gently into his arms. He kissed her, gently at first and then with such passion she almost forgot they weren’t alone.

  He gently pulled back, simply staring down at her for a long moment. “I love you, so much, Katerina,” he whispered. “I promise to show you just how much I love you every day for the rest of our lives.”