Armando Returns (Barboza Brothers)

by Reeni Austin

  They were in Cabo San Lucas, on the beach below the villa where Armando proposed. They had such a lovely time there that weekend, he decided to buy it, and was in the process of doing so.

  No more waiting, they decided. This wedding was long overdue. So, the planning was quick. Katie wasn’t so concerned about what dresses she or the bridesmaids wore. As long as she would finally be Mrs. Armando Barboza today, she was happy.

  Her mother, Lisa, took about a week to get over her anger with Katie. Or, at least she acted like she was over it. Katie suspected her Mom was just grateful she could brag to her friends about her daughter marrying such a successful man. But regardless of the reason, Katie was thrilled to have some peace in her life.

  However...

  Two days earlier when Dwayne and Lisa arrived, they broke the news to Katie and Chelsea of their separation and pending divorce. The decision was made less than a day after they learned of Katie’s reunion with Armando. Their argument began when they left her apartment and ended in the wee hours of the following morning, both of them hoarse from screaming.

  Privately, after Lisa went to her hotel room, Dwayne confided in his daughters that the greatest reason for the divorce was Lisa’s lack of respect for him. He encouraged Katie to always be honest with Armando, and to never let an issue fester until it boiled over. He said he learned more about his wife the day of that argument than he learned in their entire thirty years of marriage. No matter the reason for their divorce, the girls were less than thrilled about the news, but they both understood and wished their parents well.

  Since the wedding was planned so quickly, Katie and Armando ended up with just over twenty guests, but to them, that was plenty. In fact, they had an inside joke that maybe the secret to having a small, stress-free wedding was to have it in another country on less than two weeks notice. Thankfully, many of the guests in attendance were the most treasured people in their lives.

  Katie’s matron of honor was her sister, Chelsea. And because Katie had thrown herself into work the past few years, she had inadvertently let a few of her closest friends slip away. As a result, Cara and Patty stepped in as bridesmaids. One of Katie’s college friends was able to attend the wedding at the last minute but Katie was positive it was only because she had seen pictures of Armando’s single brother, Ramon. Katie did her best to warn her that, no matter how gorgeous he was, he had been a total jerk to her for the past ten years.. Armando found the idea hilarious, considering how much Ramon reveled in his bachelorhood.

  Armando stood at attention in front of the minister alongside his two brothers as he awaited his bride, a full-wattage smile on his handsome face.

  Katie smiled back at him, her heart blooming with joy. This moment was so much more than a “dream come true.” Katie felt as if everything that had happened in her life had prepared her for this moment. And even though she despised what her father did to Armando, deep inside she wondered if she and Armando would appreciate each other nearly as much if it had never happened.

  Her eyes drifted from Armando for a moment as she took a glimpse of the bridal party. The ladies smiled at her, looking beautiful in their powder blue dresses. Beside Armando were Victor and Ramon, standing in a line, all of them wearing lightweight beige suits that were similar to the color of the sand. It warmed Katie’s heart to see the dashing brothers together like this, beaming at her. Even Ramon held her gaze for a moment and gave her a soft grin.

  When the minister asked, “Who gives this woman to be married to this man?” Katie teared up when her father said, “Her mother and I do,” and kissed her cheek. Even though Katie would have married Armando without their approval, it felt a million times better to be open about their love.

  The ceremony was quick. Armando and Katie kept their vows simple. A mere promise to spend the rest of their lives together was all either of them needed.

  The wedding ring Armando slipped on her finger was made of solid gold, with one tiny diamond chip—the same diamond from the treasured engagement ring Armando gave her in high school. She knew the old ring was going to be used to make her wedding band, but this was her first time seeing it. Her heart fluttered and she blinked rapidly to try to make her tears go away when she saw it on her finger for the first time.

  Armando kissed her like they were the only two people in the world. Sounds of cheering and music all faded into the background. Katie’s heart swelled with the realization that she was now his wife. She suddenly felt like a teenager again. Her mind’s eye flashed back to that day, before their worlds were shattered. Sitting there in his car, holding his hand as he sped through Texas, was the most thrilling time of her life. Until now. She remembered gazing at him, memorizing his face. And knowing, deep within her soul, that she would be his wife.

  She just didn’t know it would take ten years to happen.

  * * * * *

  Victor smiled at Cara as he hooked his arm around her elbow, escorting her down the aisle behind Katie and Armando as the recessional music played. They both nodded at Isaac, who sat on the front row beside Tom, eagerly waving to get their attention. Chuckling, Victor said, “I think he’s getting anxious for that baby brother.”

  Cara blushed and bit her lip as she looked down at her sandaled feet. “Yeah. About that. Maybe we should set a wedding date soon. I’d rather not have to wear a maternity bridal gown. Isaac’ll ask too many questions.”

  With a gasp, Victor drew her closer and said, “Are you pregnant? Now?”

  When Cara’s eyes met his, Victor slowed his pace.

  Cara said, “I don’t know for sure. Maybe.”

  Victor felt his eyes well up with joyful tears. He took a deep breath and tried to concentrate on walking his fiancée down the rest of the aisle. “Only you would give me news like that at a moment like this.” He laughed.

  “I’m sorry. We’ve been so busy with this last-minute wedding trip, I didn’t even realize it till this morning. I’ve been dying to get you alone.”

  “It’s fine, querida. We’ll get you to a doctor as soon as possible. And no alcohol for you at the reception.”

  Cara nodded. “Okay. Please keep it to yourself. I’d hate to get everyone’s hopes up.”

  “Of course.” Victor glanced over his shoulder at Patty, who chatted with Ramon. “So, do you wanna get married here in Cabo? It’s beautiful. And I’m sure they’d let us use the property.”

  “I don’t know. The idea of having the wedding at the ranch is starting to grow on me. That is, if Ramon wouldn’t mind.”

  Victor smiled and paused long enough to kiss her forehead. “You have no idea how happy you just made me.”

  * * * * *

  Patty’s eyes danced among the wedding guests as she held Ramon’s arm. She let out a hopeful sigh and said, “What a beautiful place to get married.”

  Ramon nodded as they walked along. “Yep.”

  “Oh, come on.” Patty gave his arm a light smack. “It’s a beautiful wedding. You’re next, you know. Or, well, you’re next after Victor and Cara…”

  Ramon snorted. “Next? For what? A death sentence?”

  Patty’s eyes rolled. “You just haven’t found the right woman.”

  At that very moment, Ramon noticed an unfamiliar girl smiling at him out of the corner of his eye. He assumed it was Katie’s single girlfriend Armando told him about before the wedding. Ramon straightened his posture and made sure to walk past her with blatant disinterest. “No such thing as the right woman. Some men just aren’t the marrying kind, Patty.”

  Patty noticed the girl who was gazing at Ramon, and gave her a friendly grin as they marched by. “No, she’s out there. I don’t think she’s here at this wedding, but she’s out there.” She ignored his deep groan as she thought about Marcy.

  Epilogue

  Three years later

  Armando and Katie had an annual tradition of taking an extended vacation for their anniversary. They spent the first few weeks in their villa in Cabo San Lucas, then they came
to Turnbrook to visit their families. This year, they would stay long enough to attend Isaac’s seventh birthday party, which was a few days away.

  Katie was six months pregnant with their second child: a girl. This morning, they left their two-year-old son, Carlos—named after Armando’s paternal grandfather—in the care of doting grandpa Dwayne and his soon-to-be wife, Yolanda.

  Armando brought the car to a stop in the mall parking lot and turned to Katie. “So, what to buy for a seven-year-old boy’s birthday?”

  Katie patted his thigh. “Just think about the stuff you liked when you were seven.”

  “My life at seven was a lot different from Isaac’s, I can assure you.”

  Katie shrugged. “It’s nothing to stress over. He’ll be happy with anything.”

  “Yeah.” Armando breathed deeply and took Katie’s hand, his voice laden with sympathy. “You can stay out here if you want.”

  Katie raised a brow. “I’m pregnant. Not helpless.”

  “I know, honey.” Armando flashed her a warm smile and leaned over to kiss her as his hand gently caressed her swollen belly.

  Inside, Katie smiled to herself as they kissed. Armando was always too protective, but he was so darned sweet about it.

  Soon, they strolled hand-in-hand through the mall to the first toy store they found. After twenty minutes of deliberation, Armando held a large basket full of toys as they stood in line at the register.

  Katie leaned against him. “This is fun. Isn’t it nice to buy gifts in person, for a change? Instead of sending your assistant or ordering online?”

  Scoffing, Armando said, “What are you talking about? I buy stuff in person all the time for you and Carlos. You know that.”

  Their friendly argument continued until they reached the counter, where a blond-haired sales associate stared at Katie, her mouth gaping.

  Caught off guard, Katie’s thoughts took a moment to settle. When they did, she politely said, “Hi Jennifer,” as Armando placed the basket of toys on the counter.

  Jennifer swallowed, hard, and plucked a toy from the basket to scan it, no longer looking at Katie. “Hi. You move back to town or something?”

  Katie glanced at Armando, who seemed oblivious. “Uh, no. We’re just here visiting family.” She cleared her throat and decided to ask another question to hopefully make this awkward encounter pass quickly. “So, you don’t work at Cortez anymore?”

  “No,” Jennifer said, her voice carrying a hint of sadness. “I left right after you did.”

  “Oh.” Katie mindlessly put her hand on her baby bump and chose to be quiet instead of asking more questions. Aside from the occasional fleeting thought, Katie hadn’t thought of Mitch or Jennifer in years. And she had the feeling, given Jennifer’s tone, that Mitch had something to do with her leaving the restaurant.

  As Armando handed her his credit card, Jennifer asked, “So, when are you due?”

  Determined to give her as little information as possible, Katie said, “A little over three months from now.”

  With a weak smile, Jennifer looked in Katie’s eyes and said, “Congratulations. Is it your first baby?”

  Katie shook her head and said, “No. We have a two-year-old boy.”

  “Oh.” Jennifer nodded, her eyes lighting up for the first time during their conversation. “So do I.”

  Katie grinned and chose not to ask any questions. Even though Jennifer looked the same as she did three years earlier, it was obvious her demeanor had changed. She no longer appeared as the happy-go-lucky girl Katie once knew. Maybe motherhood had matured her. Maybe there was strife between Jennifer and her son’s father...and maybe that father was Mitch. Regardless, Katie just wanted to get out of that store with a minimal amount of information.

  Katie said, “Goodbye,” to Jennifer and took Armando’s hand as he lifted the bag of toys from the counter.

  They had just set foot outside the store when Katie heard Jennifer’s voice behind her.

  “Wait!” Jennifer said. “Katie, wait.”

  Katie and Armando stopped. Katie turned around and said, “Yes?”

  Jennifer’s eyes filled with tears. She hesitated, then said, “I’m sorry.”

  Katie was unexpectedly choked up at Jennifer’s sincerity. “It’s okay. I forgive you.”

  “Really?” Jennifer asked, her bottom lip quivering.

  “Yes.” Katie forced a grin and swallowed against the lump quickly forming in her throat. “Yes, I do.”

  Jennifer nodded and said, “Good.” Then she let out an abrupt chuckle as she took a tissue from her pocket to blot her eyes. “And for what it’s worth, he’ll probably always be a cheater.” She sighed. “But at least he pays child support.”

  Armando’s eyes widened.

  Katie instinctively placed a hand on Jennifer’s shoulder and said the first thing that came to her. “Well...good luck.”

  “Thanks.” Jennifer nodded and went back into the store.

  After she left, Armando put his arm around Katie’s waist as they headed through the sparse crowd to the parking lot. “Shit,” he said. “I didn’t realize it was her until she said that thing about cheating.”

  Katie exhaled an unsteady breath and tried not to cry. “Yeah.”

  “You okay?” Armando stopped walking, pulling her over to the wall to be out of the way of traffic.

  Katie drew in a deep breath through her nose, sniffling, then reached into her purse to scrounge for a tissue. “I’m fine. It’s probably just the mom in me, or the pregnancy hormones. I feel bad for her.”

  “Listen, I’ve always heard if someone will cheat with you, they’ll probably cheat on you.” Armando’s eyebrows arched. “She should’ve seen it coming.”

  “So?” Katie found a tissue and brought it to her eyes. “It still makes me sad for her. And for her...little boy…” Her voice cracked.

  Armando pulled Katie close as she sobbed against his chest.

  When she finished, she pulled away and wiped her face. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I didn’t mean to do that in public.”

  Armando kissed her lips, then draped his arm around her back as they walked on. Gently, he said, “You know I don’t care what anyone thinks.”

  Katie let out a sigh of relief. “I know. I love you.”

  “I love you, too.”

  In silence, they headed out to the parking lot. Katie was afraid to speak again, lest her hormones launch her into another fit of despair.

  A few minutes later, as Armando started the car and prepared to back out of the parking space, Katie said, “Do you think we’d be together right now if I never got engaged to Mitch? That’s why you came back to find me, right?”

  Armando removed his hand from the gear shift and kept the car in park. He turned his body to face her. “I thought of you every single day when we were apart. I would’ve come looking for you, eventually. Your engagement was the kick in the ass I needed, I guess.” He shrugged, then took her hand and repeated something he had told her many times. “We should’ve found each other sooner, but I’m not gonna mourn those lost years. Regret will only eat away at your soul. I’m with my true love, now. She’s carrying my baby girl, now.” He placed a tender hand on her stomach. “And Carlos. What would our lives be without him?”

  Katie laughed as tears welled up in her eyes. “I love you more than you’ll ever know.”

  Armando moved his hand to her cheek and leaned across the seat to give her a long, deep kiss.

  When he pulled away, she smiled at him, her tears now almost dry. She held his gaze and said, “It feels like those ten years never even happened. I barely remember them anymore.”

  Armando nodded. “I know.”

  “Is it weird that I forgot about Mitch?” Katie’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully. “You came back into my life and poof.” She snapped her fingers. “It was over. I didn’t want him anymore--”

  “Shh.” Armando placed a finger against her mouth, then quickly moved it away to kiss her before his lip
s went to her ear. He whispered, “You felt that way because you were always mine.” He kissed her ear. “And you’re always gonna be.”

  Katie sniffled and let her forehead rest against Armando’s. “I know. You’re right. I shouldn’t be upset about it now.” She groaned as she brought a tissue to her eyes. “It’s these stupid hormones.”

  Armando chuckled softly. “It’s okay.”

  He waited until she was sufficiently calm before pulling the car out of the parking lot and heading down the road. To lighten the mood, Armando said, “I hope your dad’s house is still standing after Carlos has his way with it.”

  Katie laughed. “Me too. I don’t think Dad knew what he was getting himself into. At least Yolanda’s there to help. And they haven’t called us. That’s a good sign.”

  “Yeah.” Armando nodded. “So, are you sure you wanna go see your mom this afternoon? Are you really up for that, without me around?”

  Katie shrugged. “I’ll be fine. She’ll be so distracted with Carlos, she’ll barely notice I’m there. Besides, I can always come back to Dad’s house if she pisses me off.”

  Armando shook his head and let out a long sigh. “I don’t know. I should come with you. I’ll let Victor know--”

  “No.” Katie’s voice was firm. “Henry’s expecting both of you today. We may not be here again during visitation days for a few months.”

  Armando sighed as he stared off at the highway in front of them. “I know. I just hate the thought of you going off to your mom’s while I’m at the prison.” His eyes rolled. “It’s probably only gonna put both of us in a bad mood. It’s so depressing to see Henry like that.”

  “I know.” Katie placed a hand on his knee. “But later on tonight, you come back to me. And poof.” She giggled as she snapped her fingers. “It’ll be like it never happened.”