The need to get away from that pressure, from the questions about why he’d chosen not to go to law school and eventually to work at Sherman’s firm and the whispers about how the “Taylor adopted son” was thumbing his nose at the family business, was the main reason he’d taken the job with his company’s New York office after earning his master’s.
After six years away, he’d been ready to come back home. He missed his family and his city. He was at peace with his career choice and determined he could find another way to make the Taylor name proud. Part of ensuring that meant doing what was best for his child.
“You can’t just ignore the situation, you know,” Jeremy said. “Sooner or later, people will figure it out.”
Rosa shot him a you-don’t-say glare he figured he deserved.
Though he was right. Sooner or later, her pregnancy would begin to show, because one thing they had agreed upon back at his condo was that Rosa was having this baby.
Admittedly, at first, listening to her tossing her cookies in his guest bathroom, he’d been worried about what she might decide. Sure, he would have made himself go along with whatever Rosa felt was best, but the idea of her not wanting his child had scared him more than pretty much anything else in his life.
He’d known that her Catholic upbringing might sway her. Knew her family’s devotion to each other and the sanctity of life were important values to her. But he hadn’t been one hundred percent sure what she would do until she’d spelled it out.
Right before refusing his marriage proposal. Again.
Now Rosa’s eyes drifted closed, her dark lashes creating a soft shadow on her pale cheeks. A rush of breath blew from her parted lips. “Yes, I agree we need to talk. Right now, I . . . I just can’t.”
Her hands trembled in her lap, her obvious distress making him feel like a jerk for pressing her to pacify his own concerns. Needing to feel a connection with her again, he placed a hand over hers.
A slow heartbeat later, she twisted her hand so they were palm to palm. Their fingers laced, the small sign of unity giving him a measure of hope.
“I don’t mean to put you off,” she said. “I get that we have to make some decisions together. But I won’t be rushed into something that might not be right. For either of us.”
Her “might not” kept him from arguing his point. It was the first time that she hadn’t totally written off his proposal. He’d take it. For now.
“My first appointment with Dr. Jiménez is tomorrow,” Rosa continued.
“It is?”
A spurt of relief perked him up even more when she nodded.
“Would you—” He broke off, uncertain if she’d feel comfortable with his request, but figuring she should know how committed he was to her. “Would you mind if I went with you?”
She gave him a side-eye glance, doubt stamping her features. “You’d want to do that?”
“Yeah. I’m with you in this, Rosa. One hundred percent.” He squeezed her hand lightly, grateful for the Mona Lisa smile she gave him.
“Everything’s ready!” Lilí called, her quick steps thudding on the carpet as she hurried toward them.
Rosa slipped her hand out from under his, breaking their connection before her sister arrived.
“Why’s the TV so loud? You probably can’t even hear each other talk.” Lilí leaned on her stomach along the back of the couch between them, teetering forward to reach for the remote on the coffee table. “The darn Bears are losing anyway. Who wants to watch that? Te sientes mejor?”
“Yeah,” Rosa murmured, “I’m feeling better.”
She craned her neck, peering over Lilí’s back to snag Jeremy’s gaze. The guarded frustration she’d flashed at him all day was finally gone, replaced by a plea for him to understand her need for time. At least she wasn’t pushing him away anymore. That had to be a good sign.
“Don’t let this big lug bother you.” Lilí mussed his hair, like he’d done to her when he’d greeted her earlier. “He takes his big-brother role with us a little too seriously sometimes.”
Rosa blanched, her gaze still caught on his.
Jeremy swallowed a laugh. The absolute last thing he felt for her was “brotherly.” She had to know that by now.
Before he or Rosa could respond, Lilí pushed off the sofa and headed back to the dining room with a cackling laugh.
Rosa’s mouth opened and closed a few times like she wasn’t sure what to say.
“Hey, what do you always tell me? Ignore her teasing, she doesn’t know what she’s talking about,” Jeremy said, hoping his smile would allay Rosa’s discomfort. The youngest Fernandez daughter had a well-earned reputation for being a jokester. “Quit stressing. It’s not good, for you or—”
Or the baby.
He didn’t say the words, but Rosa seemed to follow his thinking.
“I know,” she answered, reaching for her glass of water. She took a couple small sips before continuing. “I appreciate you understanding about my decision to not . . . to keep . . . well, thanks.”
Had she really doubted that he would? He figured she knew about his background. His worthless dad. His mom raising Jeremy alone. It wasn’t something he shared easily. Or, ever really. But, all anyone had to do was search his and his mom’s names on the Internet and any number of old news articles would tell the sordid tale.
Now he wondered if Rosa hadn’t bothered to look. If not, was that a sign that she didn’t care about his past, or about him in general?
Rosa braced herself on the armrest and pushed herself to a stand, interrupting Jeremy’s mental meanderings. He stood as well, accidentally bumping into her with his shoulder.
“Sorry.” He grabbed hold of her elbow to help steady her, surprised by the spark the simple touch ignited. “Look, I fully support your decision. I just ask you to understand mine, too. I’m not going anywhere, Rosa. We’re in this together.”
“In what together?”
Rosa and Jeremy jumped apart at Yazmine’s question.
“Dominoes!” Rosa cried.
“Dishes!” Jeremy answered.
Yaz frowned, her gaze going back and forth between them.
Rosa ducked her head. He caught the flash of her teeth as she worried her bottom lip, more than likely trying to think of how to cover up their blunder.
“We mean, after I help with the dishes,” he improvised, “we’re pairing up for dominoes. Didn’t you say we were playing a few rounds in honor of your dad?”
Suddenly everyone grew quiet. Even Lilí, who’d been rattling off some story to Tomás at the table, stopped talking. Her normally animated expression sobered.
Jeremy swallowed a curse. Dumb move on his part. In trying to keep one can of worms from bursting open, he’d inadvertently popped the top off another by reminding the girls about their father. Talk about being on a roll today.
“I think playing dominoes is a great idea,” Tomás finally answered.
Jeremy shot him a relieved look of thanks. Tomás dipped his head in a much appreciated I-got-your-back nod.
“Me, too.” Her eyes misty, Yaz smiled at him and Rosa. “Come on, let’s celebrate.”
Rosa linked arms with her sister, letting Yaz lead the way to the table.
Jeremy followed, waiting to take his cue from the girls and Tomás. This was their first major holiday without Reynaldo. It was strange to see Tomás seated at the head of the table, though it was now his rightful place. The sisters and Maria chose seats along the two sides. That left Jeremy as the head at the opposite end, directly across from Tomás.
“Would you like to say grace, Maria?” Yazmine asked.
They all joined hands, Jeremy with Rosa on his right and Lilí on his left. Lilí gave his hand a quick squeeze, tossing him an impish smile. He returned it, encouraged that the feisty troublemaker was trying to lighten his mood. Little did she know what else weighed on his mind besides the loss of the girls’ father.
Jeremy glanced at Rosa. Head bowed, she waited for Maria
to begin. He gently rubbed his thumb across Rosa’s knuckles, wanting to reassure her—hell, both of them—that they’d figure things out.
He didn’t know how, but he knew he’d do everything in his power to make sure they were okay. That their child knew he or she was loved, and wanted. By both of them.
Rosa tilted her head to look at him sideways, a question looming in her eyes. He winked, pleased to see the gentle curve of her lips before she ducked her head back down in preparation for the prayer.
Maria started with gusto, thanking God for everything from her family to her baby doll’s new dress, to the class pet hamster.
“And thank you for my new tías and especially for my new mamá!” Maria’s closing earned an “Awww” from her aunts and a blown kiss from Yazmine. Soon, they were going around the table, each sharing something for which they were thankful.
This was a new tradition for him. His family, while close, wasn’t as open with their private thoughts as Rosa’s. Hell, he hadn’t even told his mom about the pregnancy yet. He hoped she’d be excited for him. And he expected she would understand his rationale in asking Rosa to marry him. At the same time, he did worry about dredging up painful memories his mom had worked hard to move past. Put behind her.
Waiting for his turn, a list of trite responses to the “what are you thankful for” question flitted through Jeremy’s mind. Finally, only he and Rosa were left.
“For new beginnings, even unexpected ones,” Rosa answered, her words slow and measured, as if she weighed each one before she spoke.
“It’s great things are going so well for you at Queen of Peace,” Yaz said, spreading her napkin across her lap.
Rosa nodded as she took a sip of her water, evidently content to let her sisters continue believing her job was the only “new beginning” she faced.
Knowing how close the sisters were, he was surprised that Rosa hadn’t confided in them yet.
All eyes turned to him now. Apprehension skittered across Rosa’s face.
Jeremy caressed the top of her hand with his thumb again, intending the gesture to give her some reassurance. Her secret was safe with him. She had nothing to worry about.
The warmth of their palms pressed together brought a sense of belonging he’d never felt before. One he didn’t want to deny.
He cleared his throat, surprised by the lump of emotion suddenly clogging it. “Let’s see. I’m thankful for the invitation to join in this special day with all of you.”
“Aw, you’re such a sweet-talker,” Lilí joked.
He shot her a playful glare and the rest of the family laughed. Rosa’s shoulders visibly relaxed.
“I’ll also add,” Jeremy continued, “I’m thankful for new challenges in the near future that bring meaning to my life.”
There was a beat of silence, like the others expected him to elaborate. Then Tomás gave a hearty cry of “Here, here!” and raised his wineglass in salute.
While everyone else started loading their plates with food, Jeremy sought Rosa’s gaze. He hoped she’d caught the underlying meaning of his words. The fact that he was ready to do anything to prove himself worthy of her and their child. Prove himself a better man than his biological dad, in every way possible.
That was his goal in everything he did.
Rosa smiled at him with her expressive brown eyes. It was that same look of hers that inevitably made longing steal through him, seeping into the shadows of doubt he kept hidden from outsiders.
“What happened with your project in Japan?” Yaz asked as she slid a slice of the plantain, cheese, and egg tortilla dish onto her plate.
“Turns out the other company is in the midst of acquiring a smaller entity.” Jeremy served himself a spoonful of mashed potatoes, then passed the bowl to Lilí on his left. “We decided it was best to wait until the merger goes through so we can include all their offices in the IT upgrades.”
“Cool!” Lilí said. “So you’re home for now, then you’ll go back?”
“That’s the plan.”
Or it had been a week ago. Now he was considering asking to be moved to another project. It’d be less prestigious, but local.
He wanted to be closer to Rosa and the baby.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Maria reach for one of the large turkey legs. “Here, Tía, my mamá said this was your favorite piece. You can have it if you want.”
The little girl swung the leg in Rosa’s direction, nearly smacking her on the nose with it.
“Oye, cuidado, nena!” Tomás cautioned.
“Yes, careful, you’re going to hit Tía Rosa.” Yaz waved for Maria to put down the turkey leg.
Lilí snorted with laughter.
Rosa turned her face away, her skin slowly morphing to that same shade of pukey pale green it had the other day in his condo foyer. Hand pressed to her stomach, she pushed away from the table, her chair legs scraping against the hardwood floor.
“Permiso,” she excused herself before hurrying toward the downstairs hall restroom.
Jeremy was up and out of his chair before the door slammed shut. Yazmine followed close behind him.
“What the hell?” Lilí called out.
The sound of Rosa throwing up drove Jeremy to try the doorknob. He muttered a curse when he found it locked.
Yaz pushed him out of the way to bang on the wood frame. “Rosa, let me in.”
“Go away,” Rosa answered, her feeble voice barely audible from the other side. “I’m fine.”
“Quit saying that. You’re not fine,” Jeremy argued. “Last Sunday, you said you’d been throwing up all—”
“What do you mean she’s not fine?” Yaz frowned at him over her shoulder. Worry pinched her features as she tucked her long black hair behind her ears. “What do you know that I don’t?”
Hands on her hips, she spun around to face him, staring him down in prime big-sister mode.
Damn, this was getting more complicated by the minute. Jeremy shoved his hands in his back jeans pockets and clamped his mouth closed. His frustration with keeping their news a secret mounted.
“Yeah, what were you two whispering about over on the couch earlier?” Lilí came around the corner to join them in the hallway.
“Jeremy,” Yaz drew out his name as if she were speaking to a recalcitrant child.
He barely held an eye roll in check.
Arms crossed in front of their chests, the two sisters stared him down. Yaz’s black high heel and Lilí’s brown ankle boot tapped against the wood floor, the sound like a clock ticking off the time he had to respond before all hell broke loose.
Jeremy squirmed under their combined pressure. Man, when the Fernandez sisters teamed up, they were a force to be reckoned with. But this wasn’t really his secret to tell. And he had made a promise.
“Rosa’s just . . . well, she’s not just,” he stammered, struggling to come up with a feasible explanation. “Honestly, I think she’d rather . . .”
The sound of the toilet flushing, followed by the faucet running had Rosa’s sisters shoving him aside and clamoring toward the door. A welcome reprieve from their Spanish inquisition.
After several moments, the bathroom door opened and Rosa stepped out. She held onto the wall for support with one hand. The other splayed across her belly. She still looked a little peaked, her beautiful face slightly dewy with sweat.
Lilí rushed closer. “Are you okay?”
“Why didn’t you say anything about not feeling good?” Yaz asked. “Is it that flu you’ve had that keeps lingering?”
Rosa sagged against the door frame, tipped her head against it, and closed her eyes.
“I’m not sick,” she murmured.
“Qué?” Yaz and Lilí asked in unison.
“The vomiting and nausea. It’s not because I’m sick sick.” Rosa looked pointedly at her older sister, her expression serious. “Not in the sense you think, anyway.”
“What? I don’t get it.” Lilí scratched her head, mussing her pixi
e haircut.
Rosa and Yaz stared at each other, an unspoken conversation going on between them. Jeremy remained quiet, loath to interrupt. More loath about what would happen when Yaz put two and two together. Or rather, one and one, and how it made three.
Finally, understanding dawned in Yaz’s dark eyes. Surprise, followed quickly by resolve flashed across her face.
“What Rosa is trying to say is that she doesn’t have the flu or any other kind of bug, right?” Yazmine waited for Rosa’s nod, before continuing. “Our dear sister is pregnant.”
Lilí’s outraged gasp was horror-film classic.
“And somehow, I doubt it’ll take us three guesses as to whom the father might be,” Yazmine added.
The oldest and youngest Fernandez sisters turned to him in unison, accusation zinging at him with arrow sharp precision.
“It’s not what you think,” Jeremy said. He held his hands up, as if it would help placate the two sisters. “It wasn’t exactly planned.”
“Obviously,” Yaz muttered, her mouth twisted with derision.
“But I’ve asked Rosa to marry me.”
Lilí and Yaz’s jaws dropped, their shock so intense you’d think he’d told them he had asked Rosa to join him on a trip to Mars.
“You proposed already?” Lilí’s voice rose on a screech. “Pero, papi, you need to, like, hit the brakes a bit!”
“This isn’t a joke.” Yaz elbowed Lilí in the ribs, keeping her sharp gaze on him the whole time. “Have you two discussed a date yet?”
If only they’d gotten that far.
Jeremy glanced at Rosa, hoping to find even the tiniest of signs that she might be changing her mind. Instead, despite her pallor and the tired lines creasing her face, she gave him a firm shake of her head.
Damn it. Maybe she wasn’t sure, but it was important to him that her sisters know his intentions. “I was hoping maybe over the Christmas holidays.”
Rosa’s mouth pursed, her annoyance obvious by her scowl, but he was only speaking the truth. Hell, he’d marry her tomorrow if she’d just say yes.
“Or,” Jeremy continued, refusing to be put off anymore. Rosa should know how much he’d been thinking about this. How serious he was. “Maybe around Valentine’s Day if she wants more time to plan, but—”
Her Perfect Affair Page 6
