by Mimi Barbour
“Something is wrong? You’ve acted strangely ever since you saw her. Why? She’s lovely and a wonderful mother. Why have you been so distant?”
“I haven’t—”
“Maria por favor. It’s me. Miguel.” Frustrated, he slammed his hand on the counter like he did as a small child when he didn’t get his way. “Look, we’re married, and I like the girl. I have to make this work if we want to keep those babies here where they belong. She is their blood mother, and until I can attain a legal adoption, she has full rights over their future. Please, my dear, treat her well.”
The slight dampness of her hand against his cheek didn’t deter from the gentleness. “Si, Don Miguel. It will be as you wish.” With her eyes averted, he heard her capitulation, but couldn’t help but see the worried frown as she sucked her bottom lip under her teeth.
The back door opened noisily. “Miguel, I have the car in front waiting.” Not a fool, Juan obviously noticed his wife’s posture. “Has Maria’s nattering and fussing kept you?” He wagged his finger at his wife.
She snorted and turned back to her work, but not before Miguel heard her muttered Spanish words that referred to her husband as an old fool. Used to this behavior, Miguel grinned at Juan who grinned back. “You did say you wanted to go to the office today, didn’t you? Since the calls have been non-stop, I’ve no doubt there’ll be a pile of work waiting for you.”
“I’m sure you’re right.” With a hug from behind and kiss to her cheek, Miguel left his snarky housekeeper, and within twenty minutes, he arrived at his big office complex.
Before he could open the main door, three of his workers rushed out to welcome him and guide him inside. The chorus of greetings warmed his heart, and so too did the hugs and backslaps from each person he passed. It felt good to be esteemed. He never took such a thing in his stride. These employees weren’t the regular run-of-the-mill kind of people. They were all highly trained, hugely motivated, and skilled in their individual areas. To earn their respect took more than a large paycheck and a big Christmas bonus.
Once they’d given him a hero’s welcome, they left him to get on with the piles of work they all knew he faced. He soon became embroiled with the business he’d built into a world-class company.
For the rest of the day he cleared massive amounts of problems that had built up since he’d been away. While in Washington, he’d availed himself with a laptop, a blackberry and his cell phone, but it wasn’t quite the same as being in the room with his managers and watching their expressions as, one by one, they gave him presentations on each of their specific areas.
After lunch, feeling exhausted, he decided to call it a day. Much of the decision rested with knowing Sheri and his new family awaited him at home. Just as he’d finished packing away his papers, his personal cell phone rang and a woman’s hysterical voice ranted Spanish into his ear. “Miguel, you must help me. I’m in trouble.”
“Calm down and tell me who it is. I can’t help you if I don’t know.” Wails cut him off and he lost patience. “Stop crying or I’ll hang up.”
“You don’t even recognize me? I’m in trouble. Please, you must help your Margarita for old time’s sake. Come to me. I beg of you.”
“Margarita? Call someone else. I’m not interested.”
“No one else will do. It involves your friend, Nick.”
“Nick? What’s going on? It better be good or I’m hanging up now.”
“He’s been hurt. The man I married turned out to be an impostor; a Colombian spy and they have imprisoned your friend once more. I can’t save him alone. You must help me.”
“Where are you?” Sweat gathered between his fist and the receiver he clutched in his hand.
The tension in her tone eased as she gave him the particulars and then her gratitude, until he cut her off.
“You’d better not be messing with me, Margarita, or I swear, I’ll make you sorry we ever met.”
Chapter Twenty-One
After a short nap on a daybed in the spacious nursery, Sheri felt much better. She’d decided to settle the twins into their new home, realizing as she explored the master suite that the total space equalled twice as much as her old apartment in Manhattan. Since the babies were still sleeping, she tiptoed from their room to peek in the others. A large bedroom adjacent to the sitting area captured her interest first. The oversized bed distracted and compelled her forward into the bright area. The mattress edge halted her progress where her jittery knees gave out.
This would be the room where she’d make love with her husband for the first time, in this exact bed. Her hand smoothed the gold satin cover while her eyes tracked the intensity shining through the sheer-draped windows. Would that happen tonight as Miguel wished? One thing she knew for certain, it wouldn’t be difficult letting the man have his way. She sprawled back picturing them entwined, kissing and touching.
Her eyes closed, while her hands sought her stomach to rub at the disruption exploding there. Unconsciously, they lifted and cupped her breasts, a bit larger since she’d given birth and much more sensitized. Would he like them? Were they too small?
Desires, long dormant, awoke, catching her unaware. It had been ages since anyone had touched her there. She gripped her fingers together to stop further exploration.
Shaken, she stood and then spied her suitcases left by the open door to the large walk-in closet. She hesitated, and then decided to use the time to investigate further while the babies were still quiet.
Thirst attacked, and she soon found a small kitchen hidden behind closed louvered doors. The cupboards and pantry offered all kinds of snacks, and the ultra-modern refrigerator a variety of drinks including many Chilean wines. She nabbed a diet pop and continued her journey.
A sitting area with every modern convenience including a big-screen TV, stereo equipment and all the newest video games would more than likely become their personal family room. The pale taupes, ivories, and blues were her preferred color choices. Whoever decorated for them had done a superb job. Modern, with a touch of whimsy and luxury suited her very well.
Again, the artwork and ornaments pleased her and she felt instantly comfortable. From the look of most of the furniture and fixtures, the rooms had been recently remodelled. Andrea would be responsible for our rooms being transformed. Sheri made a mental note to thank her. She encountered an office area down a small hallway that would be perfect for her workspace. A desk with a laptop and telephone sat as if waiting for her to settle in.
Deciding there was no time like the present, she placed a call to Charly. “Hola mi amiga. Just calling to let you know we’re here safe and sound.”
“And showing off your Spanish already.”
“Pretty well covers my whole vocabulary, but I promise to learn more for the next time we talk.”
“How did Miguel take the news about the rug-bunnies?” The silence lasted long enough to give her away. “You didn’t tell him yet? Sheri, you idiot, what are you waiting for?”
“Tonight. I’m telling him tonight. I think…”
“Sher-ri!”
“Tonight.”
“Okay.”
“What’s wrong Charly?”
“It’s not the same here anymore. I hate walking past your door knowing the place is empty. Without you guys around, I’ve had so much time on my hands that I’ve been going non-stop on the manuscript. It’s coming along.”
“Good, I miss you, too. I have no one to share all my excitement with. This place is like a palace, Charly. I don’t know if I can live up to the elegance.”
“Hey, princess. Remember what I told you. Don’t take no guff from anyone, but don’t be hard to get along with either. What’s his mother like?”
“Andrea? She’s lovely, but still recuperating. It’s Maria, the housekeeper, that scare’s the stuffing outta me. She took one look at Rafael and has been giving me the evil eye ever since. Wish I knew her problem.”
“Hey, that little man is the spitting image of Felipe
. Has his eyes and complexion. Maybe the old doll is pining for him. You did say she was his nanny?”
“You’re right. How silly of me to be so paranoid. See, I knew I needed a good jolt of your common sense.”
“Anytime, my friend. Kiss the babies for me.”
“I will. Work hard.” As she replaced the phone, all the trepidation she’d experienced from her earlier run in with Maria dissolved. Why didn’t I see her behavior clearly myself? I need to stop thinking the whole world revolves around me all the time.
She continued her tour as she made her way back to check in the nursery. The wonderful luminosity from so many large windows attracted her attention. She strolled out onto the connecting patio.
Delighted with a small pool where golden fish zigzagged through sparkling waterfalls and lush greenery, she stopped and enjoyed. Soon the cold set in and she crossed her arms, rubbed at her pebbled skin and scooted back to the warmth in the house. Once there, her heart lifted and sang as she twirled around like a child, letting her smiles turn to giggles.
Happy, she looked in on the still sleeping babies and decided the time had come to unpack the various suitcases that Juan had delivered earlier. As Sheri tackled this job, she became aware of one niggling wrong in a world so right. She’d packed only summer clothes. Washington in July tortured with heat. Whereas in the southern hemisphere winter ruled, a fact that in her haste to get ready, and her worry of what the future held, she had forgotten.
Her warmest article of clothing was a sweatshirt she hadn’t had the heart to be separated from, thank God for small mercies. Shopping in a country where she didn’t speak the language terrified her. Would Miguel turn out to be the type who would wander through women’s clothing stores? She didn’t think so. Andrea, the obvious choice, hadn’t the strength, and she’d rather prance naked in snow than to go alone with Maria. Hopefully, hand signals and her trusty translator on her blackberry would be enough to see her through this emergency.
Soon the babies were up and fed. The moment had come to leave the suite’s security and find the twin’s grandmother. She’d promised they’d spend the afternoon together, and Sheri couldn’t put it off much longer.
Instinctively, she’d been watching for Miguel, almost certain he’d have returned by now. The provocative way he’d looked at her earlier, bold, intense and oh so hungry, had filled her with expectations. From his silent promises, she’d gotten the impression he couldn’t wait to spend time with her. Seems he’d played her, the jerk.
Anger sizzled, leaving her with a nervous stomach. To stop from letting it show, she bit the side of one finger that still had some cuticle left and re-adjusted her mindset. The poor guy’s been away for a long time, he has a big company to run, one he’s responsible for, so cut him some slack. There. She felt better. Pep talks had gotten her through many difficult times in the last few months. Mind you, most of them had been from Charly.
On the plane, when Miguel had offered to help her settle in, to introduce her to his world, she’d felt that he’d wanted to, that he looked forward to doing these things with her.
What was she to think now? Her enthusiasm slipped away little by little like a balloon punctured with a microscopic hole, deflating...
Chapter Twenty-Two
Two hours with Andrea, and Sheri succumbed wholeheartedly to the other woman’s charms. Even Rafael and Carrie-Anne yielded to their grandmother’s loving spirit, putting up very little resistance to her gentle approaches and tender hugs. Chortles and giggles reverberated until Maria broke up the party.
Sheri didn’t know Maria had entered the room until she saw a puzzled look engulf Andrea’s smiles and turn them to frowns. In the mirror above where Andrea sat, Sheri caught the unmasked expression of anxiety on the housekeeper’s face as she stared at her little son Rafael, and trepidation traveled, tiny little claws scoring her back.
“Maria. Why do you look so grumpy? What is the matter with you today?” Andrea’s puzzled enquiry couldn’t be ignored.
“Señora Andrea, you are overdoing things, and I promised the doctor when you came home, I would control your activities. You make a liar out of me.”
Chastised, Andrea answered. “You’re worse than a dictator. Being with Sheri and these two angels has more healing power than any of those medications the old fool has me taking. Between the two of you naggers, I’d be bedridden all day.
“Si. Maybe not bed, but rest now.” The serious woman turned to Sheri. “Señora Sheri, if you please, make sure she behaves. I expect Don Miguel will return very soon, and this disobedient mamacita will want to attend dinner his first night home. Now, Juan and I will take the babies for a walk in the grounds to give you both a chance to have a break.”
So saying, she wheeled a table laden with wonderfully scented chai tea, decorative mugs, and yummy sandwiches piled next to dainties towards the two ladies. Then she swept up a baby under each arm, and left the room.
Sheri’s mouth hung open and blinking was all she managed.
“You look so funny, my dear. Maria was both Miguel and Felipe’s nanny and takes her position very serious.” Just then, both women glanced up in time to see an obviously new twin stroller pass the window with Juan pushing two warmly wrapped happy children, while Maria made silly faces to amuse them. Sheri, flabbergasted, could only stare until Andrea burst into laughter.
“You should see your face.”
“Why she’s a phoney. Look at her playing with them. She’s lovely.”
“Yes, under all that crankiness, she’s a marshmallow but do not underestimate her. She’s crafty, and can be mean. Miguel adores her, as do I. We both know that woman would single-handedly fight off an army to protect those she loves. Anyone she perceives who would try to hurt one of hers had better step carefully. It’s almost like she has a second sight.”
Sheri flinched and lifted her hand to hide behind. Oh, God! Maria already showed signs of not trusting her. The woman had to have picked up on Sheri’s guilt.
“What is it, Sheri? What did I say? You looked horrified just then.”
Obviously, Miguel’s mother was more astute than Sheri realized. “I’m concerned why Miguel hasn’t arrived,” she said, fibbing being a good way out of a bad situation.
“Me too. I had expected him earlier. I know he had no choice but to go into the office for a short while, but I’d assumed he’d want to be around on your first day here. It isn’t like him to be so inconsiderate.” It became obvious to Sheri by the expressions on her mother-in-law’s face that worry combated with anger, but frustration won. “He will hear from me when he returns.”
Sheri laughed at the mock fierceness Andrea expressed. “I have no doubt you will strip him to the bone.”
Sheepishly, Andrea admitted. “Am I that transparent? I never could be angry with those boys. Miguel and Juan took over those duties, while I settled for the role of confidante and playmate. Thank goodness, neither son needed a lot of reprimanding. I know most mothers like to brag about their offspring, but I can honestly say, with a straight face, that my boys were a delight.”
“It must be hard to bring up two children alone? Miguel told me that your husband died when he was very young.”
“Died? No, he didn’t die until years after he left. We were divorced as soon as I found out what a grand lifestyle his mistress enjoyed on the money from my inheritance. I kicked the cheater out and moved Maria and Juan in. Best trade I ever made.” Fury shot from Andrea’s suddenly humorless eyes and steeled her expression. There sat the woman who had gone after a son imprisoned by terrorists in the horrifying jungles of a strange country.
A shiver traveled from Sheri’s neck to trickle over her tense shoulders. I mustn’t underestimate her. These words crammed into a head already full of rioting thoughts.
“I’m sorry. I automatically assumed he’d died when Miguel explained how Juan had been his father figure.”
“Yes, both Maria and Juan have been family to my boys. With their help, I
worked fulltime and managed the business my father had built. You see my husband had cleaned out our bank accounts before he disappeared, which left me with no choice but to work after the divorce. My father begged me to work with him and to bring the boys back here where I grew up. I couldn’t see any other way, so I agreed. My law degree proved useful, and with a few business courses and a very good training from the owner himself,” she said, smiling impudently, “I managed very well. In fact, you might say I fit right in.”
“Security doesn’t seem like a women’s choice for a career. Didn’t you have brothers who could help?”
“No, just me, one daughter. We coped until father became too sick to continue. However, by then we knew Miguel had an interest and would eventually take over. And when he did, I danced away from all the decision-making and tiresome board meetings. I can’t tell you how happy it made me to pass on the business.”
“The weight of all those responsibilities must have been appalling,” Sheri said, sitting spellbound, encouraging Andrea to continue with her story.
“Yes, I was pulled in so many directions. Like most other countries, security is a huge problem in Chile, but I never could have taken the firm much further, for instance into the espionage angle. I left that for Miguel. After he finished Harvard, like my father, his conscription into the military followed. Because of his, shall we say, considerable skills plus his ability to speak five languages, he spent much of this time as an operative with a special unit that interacted with other countries, one being the United States.”
“Was that why they sent him to Colombia?”
“Yes, the first few times. This last trip, when they captured him, he’d been contracted by the American forces and bribed to save some of their countrymen held hostage.”
“Bribed? I don’t understand. How could they bribe him?”
Sheri, absorbed with the story, had missed the grief created from the older woman’s reminiscing until she saw the tightened fists and tense shoulders. Her first instinct, to stop the narrative, passed when she sensed the other’s need to talk. Remaining silent, she listened.
