Armando Returns (Barboza Brothers)

by Reeni Austin

  Victor rubbed her back. “And I might have a project for Tom, too.”

  * * * * *

  It was Monday evening. Katie’s last day off before returning to work, and two days since she saw Armando. She wanted to call him but resisted, at the urging of her sister, Chelsea.

  Katie felt it was only right to give Mitch another chance, and tell him about her make-out session with Armando in person. Today she was worried. And not because she was afraid of what Mitch would say.

  She was worried about being physical with Mitch tonight.

  She had barely thought of him since Armando appeared in her life again. But she was too logical to consider their engagement to be over. After all, they had dated for over a year. Her family loved him. And he bought her a beautiful engagement ring. Certainly she wasn’t flighty enough to forget about him just because the guy she fell in love with as a teenager magically reappeared.

  Right?

  Sitting on her couch, Katie took another sip of wine to soothe her nerves. Mitch was on his way over. Not long ago she would have looked forward to his visit. She would already have the refrigerator stocked, ready to make him breakfast in the morning.

  But now, she waited on pins and needles for someone who may as well have been a stranger.

  Katie wore jeans and a nice blouse. Usually she wore something sexy when she was expecting Mitch but it would have made her feel like a fraud tonight. Perhaps her spark for him would reignite naturally. But she was certainly in no mood to seduce him. She spent a few minutes flipping through a scrapbook she made shortly after they got engaged. She stopped to study Mitch in each picture. He was handsome in his own right. Dark blond hair. Blue eyes. Tall. Nice build. All in all, a sexy guy.

  At almost seven-thirty, Katie heard a knock at the door. She groaned, set her wine glass on the coffee table, then stood up and shuffled to the door to let him in.

  Mitch was mid-yawn when the door opened. With his hand over his mouth, he said, “Hey baby.”

  “Hey you.” She forced a smile. “Come on in.”

  He finished yawning and bent down to give her lips a very quick peck before walking in.

  She relaxed a bit. That little kiss wasn’t nearly as bad as she thought it would be.

  Immediately, Mitch took off his jacket and hung it neatly over a chair, then loosened his tie and sat at one end of the couch. “Sorry it took so long to get here tonight. They shoveled more work on me today.”

  “That’s good though, right? It means they believe in you. They think you can handle it. You’re passing their test.”

  “No, I think they want me to pay my dues.” He rubbed his forehead. “This all better be worth it someday.” Then he let out a loud sigh and patted the couch next to him. “Come here. Sit down. Tell me what was so important you nagged me until I came over.” He produced a wicked chuckle.

  Katie knew that laugh. He was joking, but there was enough seriousness in his tone to let her know he truly felt nagged.

  He seemed not to notice her hesitation when she settled in beside him and welcomed his arm around her shoulders. She closed her eyes and relaxed against his chest. He smelled good and his body was toasty warm. So far, so good.

  “So?” he asked as he gently rubbed her back. “You gonna tell me why you wanted me over here? I’m gonna have to go home and go to bed soon.”

  “What?” Katie was glad, in a way. But she was also confused. She sat up straight and looked in his eyes. “This is the first time we’ve seen each other since Thursday. Don’t you wanna spend some time together? I thought maybe we could order in and—”

  He winced. “Katie, Katie, Katie. I tried to explain when you called earlier. I’m dead tired. That client in Dallas wore me out over the weekend. I just need a few nights alone in my own bed so I can rest up and do a good job at work.” He cupped her chin. “Please don’t be angry with me. I’m doing this all for us. For you.” He grinned and continued in an easy tone, “I know it’s hard now but it’ll pay off someday. It won’t be like this forever.”

  Katie nodded. Undeniably, she felt a deep sense of relief that Mitch was too busy to see her. But that relief turned to worry a moment later; her dilemma was left unresolved. She was engaged to a man she didn’t love anymore. And if she wanted a chance to reignite her feelings, lack of time with him was surely not what she needed.

  So, Katie looked into his eyes. If she had limited time with him tonight, she had to use it wisely. “I kissed my ex-boyfriend on Saturday.” She gulped. “Actually, it was more than a kiss. We got a little carried away for a few minutes. But I stopped him. Then I left, and I haven’t seen him since. I feel terrible about it. I’m sorry.”

  Mitch’s eyes widened, then narrowed. He removed his arm from her shoulders and hunched forward in his seat, hands folded between his legs. Then he stared straight ahead at nothing. “Hmm.”

  “Well?” Katie asked. “Aren’t you upset with me?”

  “I don’t know.” He drew his hand to his temples, pulsing them with his fingers. Then he took a deep breath and said, “At least you told me about it.”

  “Okay.” She waited for him to look at her, but he looked everywhere else instead, as if he was lost in thought.

  Finally he met her gaze and said, “I’m not thrilled about it but it’s not the end of the world. It happens. You haven’t seen each other in a while. There’s familiarity. Maybe you had a few drinks or something.” He shrugged. “I’ll ask you not to do it again but I can overlook it this once. Everyone makes mistakes.”

  Alarmed by his reaction, she asked, “Has this happened to you before. Is that why you’re so calm?”

  Mitch groaned and looked away, sheepishly.

  She gasped. “Was it after we started dating? Was it recent?” Another gasp. “Who was that woman I heard when I called on Saturday? I knew there was someone at the restaurant with you.”

  “Damn it, Katie! I’m way too tired for this conversation.” He rolled his eyes. “The woman you heard was a stranger I met at the bar when I was waiting for the client to arrive. Just a lady I met in passing and we struck up a conversation. I don’t even remember her name.”

  “Okay. What about my other question? Has there been anyone else since we got together?”

  He paused for a few seconds before speaking. “Look, I’d only known you for a couple of months. It was a girl I dated in college. She sent me a message on Facebook that she’d be passing through the area. We met for drinks.” Frowning, he shook his head. “I didn’t plan for it to happen.”

  Katie’s mouth dropped open. “Didn’t plan for what to happen? Did you sleep with her?”

  “No! We just kissed. And maybe a little more. In my car.” Smirking, he added, “So, I guess we’re even.”

  “No, we’re not even. I feel terrible about mine and I didn’t wait months to confess to you.”

  He gave her a glum look. “Katie, I wasn’t sure about our future at the time. She and I go way back. It just happened. Probably the same way it happened with you and your ex.”

  Rapidly, she shook her head. “No. You told me you wanted to be serious with me two weeks after we met. What was I doing that night? Did you lie and say you had to work? Are you lying to me now? How do I know you’re not cheating on me?”

  Mitch groaned and turned his face up to the ceiling. “Why’d I have to open my mouth?”

  She slapped her knees in frustration, then stood. “Get out of here.” She lifted her arm, pointing at the door.

  Mitch stood up next to her, his eyes and voice pleading. “This is all a misunderstanding. I’m not cheating on you.” He gently placed a hand on the side of her face. “Don’t break up with me over this. I did a stupid thing a long time ago and there’s nothing I can do to change it. But I wanna marry you, now. Soon, if you’ll let me. I love you.”

  Tears welled up in Katie’s eyes. If she had known about Mitch’s encounter with his ex-girlfriend, she would have considered breaking up with him. And if she had, maybe she wou
ld be with Armando right now.

  But, a tiny piece of her was jealous over Mitch and this other girl. It surely took place when Katie was completely smitten.

  Confused and angry, Katie motioned toward the door again, this time in a softer tone. “Get out. I need time to think.”

  Mitch stared into her sad eyes, his face sullen. “Don’t give up on me. Please. I forgive you for what you did because I love you. Please do the same for me.”

  “Just go.”

  He nodded, then gave her a peck on the cheek before heading to the door. As he stopped at the chair for his jacket, he said, “Let’s have dinner in a few nights.” He thought for a moment. “Thursday. I’ll clear my evening and pick you up from work. I’ll make reservations at someplace special. And I hope we can talk about setting a date.” With a grin, he said, “That Cancun idea is really growing on me. Just us, a few family members. It’s intimate, right there on the beach. We can do it soon. Please, think about it.”

  She pressed her hand against her stomach, nauseated by the idea of marrying him soon. Or at all.

  Mitch let out a loud sigh. “I hate to leave you like this. Are you sure you don’t want me to stay? I guess I could sleep here tonight. Your bed’s not as comfortable as mine but—”

  “No. Get out!”

  “Okay. See you Thursday?”

  Mindlessly, she shrugged.

  Mitch put his hand on the doorknob. “I love you Katie.” He blew her a kiss, then opened the door and left.

  Katie rushed to the door to lock it. She then went back to the couch to have another glass of wine, but she was too sick with nerves to drink more than a few sips.

  She remembered the night six months earlier when Mitch had almost gotten in a fist fight with a man who was flirting with Katie at a concert. But tonight, he showed practically no jealousy about the incident with Armando.

  As she sat there in silence with nothing but her thoughts, she couldn’t shake the feeling that Mitch was cheating on her.

  She grabbed her cell phone, ready to call Armando, but quickly stopped. She didn’t want him like this. Out of retaliation, rebounding from Mitch.

  Heck, maybe she just wanted to be single for a while. Armando seemed ready to jump into a brand new relationship. That sure wasn’t very practical. It would make all of her friends—and especially her family—think she was crazy.

  Oh sweet Lord...her family.

  Another thing to make her stomach feel sick. The idea of telling her mom and dad that she had chosen to break up with Mitch in favor of rekindling her romance with Armando Barboza, of all people. It would ruin her relationship with her parents, forever.

  Then she suddenly burst into laughter as an image passed through her mind. The way-too-horrified expression on Mom’s face. It was so sad, it was comical.

  But a few moments later, it was just sad.

  Katie sank back against the couch, sobbing as she had an epiphany. It was all perfectly clear now. Her choice was never between Armando and Mitch.

  Her choice was between Armando and her parents.

  Chapter 12

  Tuesday morning arrived. Ramon left the house much earlier, at four o’clock, to head to another ranch he managed. Armando was in Ramon’s office, sitting behind the desk, having a video conference on his laptop with some people in his home office. His suit and tie presented a stark contrast to his jeans and bare feet, but his business associates could only see him from the waist up.

  Victor and Cara were busy keeping Isaac entertained in the living room while they waited for their special guests to arrive. They thought it best for it to be a surprise to the young boy. For one, Isaac loved surprises. And second, if he knew he was about to see his Grandma, he would be too excited to sit still. So, they sat on the floor helping Isaac stack large blocks to build a brightly-colored fort. Victor and Cara shared a quick glance when they heard the car coming up the drive. Victor made sure to keep Isaac playing and sufficiently distracted.

  Soon there was a loud knock at the front door, and Cara popped up to answer it. “Wonder who that could be, Isaac?” she asked with a suspicious grin.

  “Huh?” Isaac turned to intently watch his mom as she went to the door.

  As soon as it opened, Patty burst inside and gave Cara a hug. “It feels like I haven’t seen you in years!”

  Isaac ran to the door at the sound of Patty’s voice. “Gwammah!”

  Immediately, Patty let go of Cara and scooped Isaac up her arms. “I’ve missed you so much!”

  As Isaac and Patty hugged and talked, Victor came in. Patty gave him a kiss on the cheek, then headed into the living room with Isaac.

  Tom, Patty’s new husband, came through the door after her, holding a suitcase. He gave Victor and Cara a big smile. “Nice place you got here.”

  They greeted him warmly. Victor helped him carry the luggage to the downstairs bedroom next to Isaac’s, where they would be staying.

  A few minutes later they were all in the living room. Isaac—who had recently started to refer to Tom as “Gwampah”—ran up to sit in his lap and give him a hug.

  Tom laughed. “Thanks, Isaac. Thought you forgot all about me.”

  “No,” Cara said. “He’s just excited to see his Grandma.”

  Isaac giggled and pointed to himself, proudly boasting to Tom, “I’m getting a baby bwothow fuh my buth-day!”

  Patty gasped.

  Cara and Victor, sitting on the loveseat, shared a stunned look. It was the first time in several days he had brought up his “baby brother.”

  Practically leaping off the sofa, Patty rushed over to Cara and Victor. “Really? Were you just waiting to tell me in person?”

  As Patty bent down to hug her, Cara shook her head.

  “No. I’m sorry, Mom,” Cara said in a sympathetic tone. “Isaac’s a little...uh...confused?”

  Patty’s face fell as she shrank away. “Oh.”

  Cara stood and led her mom across the room for a little privacy while the guys spoke with Isaac about the implications of having a brother. “Victor said Isaac started talking about it when he found out we were getting married. I’ve been afraid to ask how he connected marriage to having a brother. Victor and I’ve been reading up on how to talk to kids his age about sex.”

  “Aw,” Patty said. “I told you he’d make a good father.”

  “I know.” Cara nodded. “Do you have any idea how Isaac came to that conclusion?” She waggled her eyebrows at her mother.

  Patty shrugged. “No idea. I promise.” She let out a sad sigh. “Oh, but I already had my hopes up about another grandbaby. Are you sure you’re not pregnant?”

  “Pretty sure, yeah. Don’t worry, we’re talking about it. Victor definitely wants a family.”

  Patty turned her attention to the window, gazing at the clearing outside. “Have you thought about getting married here?”

  “No.”

  “You should. It’s lovely.” She pointed. “You could put an arch right over there, in front of those trees. There’s plenty of room. It’d be so beautiful.”

  “But I don’t know anyone down here. The relatives would have to travel—”

  “Oh, who cares? Let ‘em travel. It’s too pretty to waste.”

  In no mood to argue with her mother, Cara decided it was time to change the subject and show her the kitchen. So, she started across the room and motioned for Patty to come along. “Let me show you the rest of the house.”

  Patty followed Cara into the kitchen, immediately giving it a hard once-over. “Hmm. Interesting. Looks a little run down.” She looked up and down the counter at the paltry selection of appliances. “Oh no, this won’t do.”

  Cara watched Patty float around the kitchen, going from cabinet to cabinet, then opening the refrigerator door. “You know, if you’d like to make a few...uh...suggestions...about this kitchen, Victor will gladly cover the costs—”

  Patty raised an eyebrow at Cara as she closed the refrigerator. “Oh really, now? Is that why you in
vited me all the way down here? To get this dilapidated kitchen in order? Maybe have dinner on the table every night?”

  “Uh…” Cara struggled for words. “No…”

  Patty rushed to her, beaming. “I’d love to!” She folded her hands together, her eyes dancing around the room. “Oh, there’s so much to do. New recipes. I’ll need to go to the store right away to get started.”

  “Are you sure you’re okay with this? We’ve got a full house here. It’s a lot of work. We’ve been ordering take out.”

  “Are you kidding me?” Patty’s eyes widened. “It’s a dream come true! A big family. Lots of hungry men.” She smirked and waved a dismissive hand. “Don’t even worry about it.”

  Cara let out a quiet sigh of relief. “Okay, great. But I have to warn you. Ramon probably won’t like you infringing on his turf. He really needs to hire someone to do the cooking and housekeeping but he’s stubborn.”

  Patty shrugged. “It’ll be all right. He knows we’re here, doesn’t he?”

  “Yes. He didn’t seem too happy about filling up the very last bedroom but he knew Isaac missed you. Victor thinks he’s secretly happy to have a full house.” Cara took a deep breath before changing the subject. “But anyway, about the housekeeping. We’re hiring a service to come in during the day when Ramon’s not here. This house is too big and too crowded for one of us to do it. And God forbid one of these guys lift a finger. Armando and Victor have had maids for years.”

  Patty asked, “Have you thought about hiring Marcy? You know she keeps losing clients to some other office cleaning service.”

  “We don’t know how long we’ll be here and I didn’t want her to miss out on some new business because she’s out of town.”

  “Yeah, I get it. You really don’t know how long you’re staying?”

  Cara briefly glanced behind her, then quieted her voice. “No. Both of Victor’s brothers are going through some stuff. He wants to make sure they’re both doing better before we leave. Says he feels like maybe he’s neglected them for a long time.”