by Rhodes, Beth
“Thank you, Papi.” She was swallowed into his hug then. She’d never had any hope of growing tall like him, like her siblings. More like her mother, she was short. Just one more reason to baby her.
When her dad let her go, Maria looked to David, relieved when he came forward to take her hand. “Sir. Ma’am, if you don’t mind, we’d like to speak to you.”
Her parents both looked at each other and something passed between them, something she was suddenly sure she’d never have with David. For some reason, the thought boosted her bravery. Why? She had no idea. Perhaps because it finally occurred to her that she had nowhere else to go but up. She was so far off the target; she could only get closer in the time to come.
Mom settled in her favorite chair in the living room and Dad came and sat on the arm of it. Everything about them said united.
She shook inside and outside, her hands drawn into her lap, clutched tightly. Quickly, she rubbed them against her jeans. Again, David’s perceptiveness comforted her as he rested his hand over both of hers.
He had big hands. She loved his hands.
David cleared his throat, looked at her then looked at her parents. “Maria and I have some good news to share with you. We—” His gaze found hers, but she couldn’t read it. All she knew was that he was playing a part. “I love your daughter, and asked her to marry me.”
Her mom smiled and took her dad’s hand.
Maria’s heart fell. She wanted her parents to believe she had something good, wanted to please them, but the lie from David, even to protect her, twisted something in her gut.
“We were married on Wednesday.” David added.
“Mi amor. No.” Her mother rose quickly and came to her. “You were not married in the church?”
Maria shook her head.
“We intend to be, Mrs. Rodriguez.”
Maria turned to stare at him. They did?
“We just felt it best to take care of business as quickly and quietly as possible.”
“Business.”
Maria’s heart sank at the bite in her father’s tone. “Not like that, Papi. That’s not what he means. We are together because we want to be.” She took David’s hand, sending him a warning look. His gaze met hers, gave her strength to continue. “You know we met last fall and spent time together. We—” She wanted to say fell in love. She’d fallen in love. “We enjoyed each other’s company and found we had things in common.” Heat rose on her neck and she sent a fleeting glance back to David. “One thing led to another.”
Her dad stood, turned his back on them, and there was pain in his stance as his fists clenched at his sides.
Her throat closed, but she refused to allow the cowardice back in now. “We’re going to have a baby.”
Without a word, Papi walked out, and it hurt—more than she thought it would. Her throat closed painfully, and she wiped a tear before it trailed down her face. It was done.
Her mom came to sit on the coffee table, faced them, and took one of each of their hands. She gripped them, hard. “My baby. You know I love you, but you can’t stay here—not together. Will you come back tomorrow? I want to hear how you are doing.”
They wouldn’t let her stay here, not as man and wife, because in their eyes, she was not married. She felt like the biggest idiot. She shouldn’t let it bug her, because if she’d truly thought it through, the truth would have slapped her in the face. “I’ll come back.”
“Good.” Her mother rose and held a hand to Maria’s cheek. “He will need some time, Maria.”
On the front porch, Maria looked back. “Mom,” she called before the door shut. “Tell him…tell him I love him.”
Her mother nodded with a sad smile. “It will be okay, Maria.” Then she closed the door and Maria was alone with her husband, on the porch of the home she grew up in.
David put his arms around her. Through her jacket, the heat of him surrounded her, warmed her, comforted. She wouldn’t cry. Not now, maybe not ever. She definitely didn’t want to cry in front of him. He’d not shown her a smidgen of emotion in three days. He’d been nice and supportive. No more.
He had avoided touching her—
His hands threaded through her hair and he kissed her temple.
—until now.
~*~
“Where it all started.” She sipped her decaf coffee and wished it was regular. Wished it was a beer so that it could mask the sudden shame and guilt rushing through her veins. “That went…well.”
“It could have been worse.”
“True,” she admitted as a smile played at her lips.
“Your brothers might have been there.”
She was glad for his effort to keep things light. She wasn’t sure she could handle any more serious today. “We may leave without being able to talk to my dad again.”
“We’ll come back.”
Her heart softened even more. “Why? I know for a fact that you wouldn’t be married at all, if not for the baby. Why should you care what my dad thinks or does?”
He paused, thinking before he answered. “Easy. My goal is to keep you happy so we can live in peace. No roller coaster ride for this couple, babe.”
“You’re saying you have selfish motives,” she spoke deadpan.
“Maybe.”
His grin caught her off guard, made her heart stop, and her mouth fall open. “You should do that more often,” she said. “Geez, I know we don’t have a smooth road, yet; your sleeping in a separate bed, case in point. But I could just eat you alive when you smile like that.”
She wanted him more than just as a partner and companion. She wanted to relieve some of this incredible tension with him, wanted to find a room and rip his darn clothes off.
With a sigh, she took another sip of her coffee.
She wanted there to be a valid reason for hurting her dad the way she had. And so far, she didn’t even have a real marriage.
“Well, if it isn’t the happy couple.” Her almost brother-in-law Zack slid into the booth next to her. She should have known their respite from family wouldn’t last too long. Zack’s arms automatically came around her and she reciprocated by squeezing his middle. “Zack.”
And then she didn’t let go. He was like a brother to her, to the whole family—except for Lena.
David cleared his throat, and Maria reluctantly released Zack. “How’s Lena?”
“She’s doing great. Happy where she is.”
“Is she in town?” Maria blushed at the obvious yearning in her voice. She might have been in Vermont for a week, but it felt like forever.
Zack shook his head. “No. Couldn’t get out of work. Look, I have an extra room if you guys need a place while you’re in town.”
Maria brightened at that, but David spoke before she could. “We have arrangements elsewhere.”
“Oh, David, please?” She didn’t know why the sudden flare of panic or the need to stay with family. It didn’t make sense. She wanted to be alone with him, yet she was nervous, too. He was so full of secrets. First he’d told her mother they planned to be married in the church and now he had reservations somewhere?
Zack’s gaze lit from her to David as he scooted over to the edge of the bench. “It’s free...” he suggested, and David bristled. Not so much that Zack would notice—no. But, somehow she’d learned him. And he would be too proud to let anyone think he couldn’t afford a place to stay.
But then David’s gaze found her and she sent him a pleading look. “Please,” she whispered.
He gave in with a sigh and a shrug.
She smiled, too big. “Thank you.”
David’s brow lifted. “You’re welcome?”
And she blushed because she felt crazy, crazy with relief. Deep down, she’d been hoping to be truly home, in her parents’ house. Maybe she’d been secretly wishing to see if life could be the same as it had been in November.
Foolish, though. It would never be the same.
“Come on over when you’re finished.”
Zack rose, placing a hand on her shoulder. “I’ll be around all afternoon.”
“Thanks,” David answered, also getting up. He held a hand out to Maria.
She took it, for the first time truly grateful for his efforts to make her comfortable and keep their life on an even keel. She might not have the true love she’d always dreamed of, but she had a man who was generous, considerate, and completely willing to stand with her in front of her family.
Could she really ask for more?
9
“Oh, stop here, David.” Maria reached out and put her hand on David’s arm. Main Street was quiet, the sun was shining, and her childhood church sat tall against the sky. It pulled to her.
His foot came off the brake as he eased over to the curb.
“Do you mind if I just stop in for a minute?”
He shook his head, turned back the key, and got out. Maria watched him cross in front of the car. Then he was at her door, opening it and holding out his hand for her.
She took it and stepped up with a smile. “Thank you.”
His hand was warm in hers, and soft. She really liked holding his hand and wondered what made him do it in the first place. It went against their arrangement.
“I’ll just be a minute.” She hurried up the steps and into the foyer where she blessed herself from the font of holy water. When the door didn’t automatically close behind her, she turned her head and saw David standing just inside.
Back in October, they’d chatted briefly about religion. She’d been too shy, too new at the relationship to dig deeper. He knew she was Catholic. She had no idea if he was even baptized.
David came forward, taking her hand again. “It’s quiet in here—peaceful,” he whispered.
She took him through the pews about half way up and walked toward the statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe on the left. “I’ll light a candle and we can go.”
He lifted a brow, but it was more amusement than criticism or objection.
Squeezing his hand, she let go and lit a candle. For her family. For her sister in the military. For her baby.
And for herself—and David.
It made her feel better, even if it didn’t do anything tangible at the moment. She believed only good came from praying. Sometimes, it just took a while.
When she went to go, David came to her side and put an arm over her shoulder, pulling her against his side. There was an exit there, and they left through it. The sunshine beat against her eyes after being in the dim church. She used her hand as a visor.
“Thank you for letting me do that.”
David looked at her funny. “I don’t let you do anything, Maria.”
“Maybe—”
The sound of a horn broke through the cold air. “Maria! I didn’t know you were back in town.” A car had pulled up to the curb, a blonde woman sat in the front seat, leaning over the window frame, a cigarette between her fingers. “And—oh! David. When did you come back?”
“Jennie,” Maria greeted her friend as she and David crossed the sidewalk.
“Hi,” David said with a grin. “How are things with the Neanderthal?”
Jennie snorted a laugh. “You remember,” she said, her eyes bright with humor. “Well, look—” She held up her left hand and flashed the big diamond on her finger. “I decided to keep him.”
Maria grabbed Jennie’s hand. “When did that happen? I’ve only been gone a week and a half.”
“Yeah, but you’ve been flying under the radar for at least a month—friend.” Jennie frowned. “What’s going on with you, anyway? Coral says you’re off the schedule for two more weeks.”
“Well, actually…” Maria glanced over at David. “I went to find David. We got married.”
“What?” Jennie shrieked, as she tore her hand free, opened the door, and pulled Maria into her arms. “I knew it. You guys,” she grinned. “You were so cute last fall. Why didn’t you tell me, girl?”
A funny feeling filled her gut. “Oh, well.” She cleared her throat. “I— I missed him—” She was avoiding the conflict, avoiding the shame, and hated herself for it. “I’m pregnant.”
“What?” Jennie shrieked again, and then lowered her voice. “Oh, my God. Did you tell your parents? What did they do? Are you okay? Holy hell, I can’t believe it. Sister Maria got pregnant.”
Heat rose on Maria’s neck. Her friends called her Sister Maria off and on since high school, when she wouldn’t drink the beer everyone else was drinking, didn’t stay out past curfew like they did, and never once tried cigarettes. She’d earned a reputation for being the good girl.
And she’d never regretted it.
“Sister Maria?” David looked from Jennie to her.
She couldn’t help but roll her eyes. “It’s a…bad joke, from our school days.”
Jennie grabbed David’s arm, gave it a squeeze. “She never broke the rules…well, not until you anyway.”
“That’s not true!” Maria defended herself, but inside, she knew it was…sorta true. “Okay, it’s a little bit true. But there was the time I cheated on that test.”
“That wasn’t cheating,” Jennie immediately argued. “We were allowed to use outside sources on that test.”
“Shut up, Jennie.”
David broke his silence. “You know what they say about still waters running deep.”
Maria looked up to him surprise…and gratitude. Her smile came from deep inside. He was standing up for her, in his way. And when he took her hand, she melted.
“You want to get going?” he asked, pulling her toward him. As if he knew the conversation was about to get awkward.
“Yes.” She turned to Jennie. “It was good to see you.”
“Hey,” Jennie added. “Congratulations, you two. I’m really happy for you.”
“Thanks.”
Jennie hopped back in her car and drove off with a wave.
“The whole town will know within the hour.” Maria leaned into him. “Is that going to bother you?”
“No. I don’t care who knows. I married you, didn’t I?”
“Yes, but she’ll put a spin on it, make it as juicy as possible.”
He lifted his shoulder. “Don’t let it bug you.”
“It doesn’t bug me! I’m used to it. I grew up with these people.”
But it was funny because maybe it did bug her a little. She still wanted people to think they’d married because they were madly in love. She wanted people to believe they had something that would last forever.
And she just wasn’t sure that was true.
~*~
As he drove to Zack’s, David worked hard to bury the lust that bombarded him. It had been easier when they were in Vermont, and he had an office to hide in.
Not hide, work.
“You’re quiet,” Ree stated from her side of the vehicle. He’d liked holding her hand in the church. He wasn’t a religious person. But he couldn’t deny the calm he’d experienced in there with her.
Of course, being alone with her in a quiet, dark place… that had been something he’d been thinking about a lot in the last few days. The ache of wanting her was growing, and leaving him frustrated, too. Being back in this place where all these feelings had culminated in the first place, was tough on his determination to remain distant. She was alive here, in her family, in her friends, in her life—church, work. All of it. “Just processing, I guess.”
“Jennie, she’s harmless. I mean, yeah, the whole town will know, but they’d have known anyway, right? Or was it Zack? He didn’t mean to imply that you couldn’t afford a place to stay.” Maria worried her bottom lip. “I’m sure it wasn’t meant as an insult. Besides, no one knows who you really are.”
She’d thought he was offended. Okay, maybe he’d been a little put off. He shrugged. “I’m not worried about Jennie. Also, Zack knows who I am.”
“What? How?”
“He works for a security company out of Sacramento. I’m married to a woman he claims as a sister.” David h
ad no doubt that Zack was well-aware. “He knows.”
“Well, crap,” she said. And laughed. “You’re probably right. Brothers. I swear.”
“I liked your brothers.”
“Liked, as in past tense?”
“Right. I guess now will depend on how many bones they leave unbroken.”
“Oh, dear” She laughed as the color drained from her face. “I’ll protect you.”
He lifted a brow.
“What?” She grinned. “I have my ways.”
They pulled back onto her street, and David noted the empty driveway of her parents’ home. Regret was an unfamiliar emotion but it sat in his chest. He liked her family. Would they ever like him back?
The chat with Jennie revealed something he’d missed all those months ago. Sister Maria? Maria had come to him that day in the diner. Even knowing she was from a big, conservative family, he’d never seen her as a goody-two-shoes. She’d been…tempting yet pure, a friend and then more. Shit. “Um, were you really going to become a nun?”
“No! Oh.” Maria gave him a whack on the arm, and it made him grin. She used her hands to talk, and she had a way of showing surprise that was endearing, to say the least. She wouldn’t hurt a fly, much less a grown man. “You said not to let it bug me, now you’re letting it bug you. I was never going to be a nun.”
“Okay.”
“Would it really matter that much?”
At the uncertain tone in her voice, he parked the car at the curb in front of the little house. He sighed. Did it matter? Should it matter? “I don’t know. I’d have gotten between you and any other man, that’s how much I wanted you. God? That’s a different story.”
She studied him.
“What?”
“I was never going to be a nun.”
“Okay.” He believed her. “I guess it doesn’t matter now anyway.”
Maria took his hand. She seemed more comfortable now. At her parents, she’d been drawn and pale, and he worried about the stress on her and the baby.
