I was touched and flattered until Duke finished his thought.
"You’ll always find trouble, if it doesn't find you first."
I gave him the stink eye. "Oh, just be quiet and eat your frog legs."
Chapter 42
"Papi, have you ever been to Texas?"
My father looked at me curiously. Our Skype connection was a good one this time. He could've been sitting in my kitchen, drinking coffee with me that Sunday morning.
" Sí, but it was so many years ago. Why do you ask?"
I was enjoying this little game. "Did anything, um, unusual happen there?"
"As I remember, there was a problem with my visa and I had to do some paperwork."
"Did that paperwork include an application for a marriage license?" I asked.
"My leader in the movement talked about doing some kind of pretend marriage so I could stay. I signed some papers, but nothing happened," he said, clearly puzzled by my questions.
"What if I told you something did happen? What if I told you that you got married that day?" I couldn't stop smiling.
"Dios mio!" He jumped up from his chair. "Married? Who did I marry? This is terrible!"
"Dad," I said, "You can relax. It's not terrible, it’s wonderful. You married mom. You did it by proxy, which means she didn't have to be there. She just had to sign the papers and send them to you. How about that?"
He looked so shocked, it worried me. I wasn't trying to give the man a heart attack. For several minutes, he sat there not saying a word, just staring at the floor, lost in thought. Finally, he looked up.
"Is this true, Jamie?"
I nodded.
"Did your mother know we were married?"
I shook my head.
He hesitated. "Am I married to Ana Maria now?"
I nodded again.
He smiled broadly. "This is wonderful! Although it doesn't change anything, it still makes me happy to know I married your mother when I had the chance. Thank-you for that gift, hija," he said, with tears in his eyes.
"But I haven't given you the gift yet!" I laughed. "Since I am now your legitimate daughter, I can apply for your visa. What do you say to that, Papi?"
The tears were flowing freely now, for both of us. Then I asked, "Did Ana Maria tell you to buy something special at the grocery store?"
He nodded.
"If you go get it now, I will, too," I said.
When we had both returned to our seats, we were holding the same thing, an ice cream cone with a scoop of ice cream.
"What flavor is yours?" I asked.
"Chocolate. Is yours mint chip?" He was grinning like a little kid.
"Yup. Are you ready?"
He nodded again.
"Okay," I said. "1, 2, 3, go!"
So, that's how I finally got to have ice cream with my dad. Next time, I'm buying.
Table of Contents
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Books by Barbara Venkataraman
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Peril in the Park: A Jamie Quinn Mystery Page 11
