by Reeni Austin
Cara grinned, hiding her tightly clenched teeth. “Yes. Betsy Kisch. I’ll remember.” Sure, like I have nothing better to do than to pay your compliments to that jackass doing nothing but sitting on his ass outside?
Betsy turned to the handsome man on her other side. “Smashing first course, wouldn’t you agree?”
The young, dark-haired man spoke dramatically. “Absolutely, Bets. Smashing. How in the world did you read my mind?” Quickly, he cocked a brow and gave Cara a wink that made her chuckle.
Betsy Kisch gave him a playful slap on his wrist and burst into laughter. She knew she was being mocked.
Appreciating his sarcasm in the midst of this stuffy crowd, Cara asked a question just as a gorgeous redhead took the vacant seat beside him. “Sir, would you like me to forward your compliments to Mr. Trafalgar as well?”
“Sure. Victor Barboza.” He gave the redhead a short, sideways glance, then looked up at Cara. “But I won’t be needing the services of a chef or a caterer anytime in the foreseeable future. No big events coming up.”
The redhead stared straight ahead. “That’s enough, Victor.”
Cara let out a nervous giggle, her wrist aching from the tray of dirty dishes she supported with one hand. Tension was unmistakable between these two strangers. “Okay then. I’ll pass the compliment along.”
As soon as the words left her mouth, her phone vibrated in her pocket and her smile disappeared.
Isaac.
Tears filled her eyes. I’m the worst mother in the world. If only she weren’t so desperate for this paltry paycheck she would have taken her sweet, sick toddler to the emergency room herself. She briefly scanned the room, sickened by the decadence. These people had no idea how easy their lives were compared to hers. Surely their children wanted for nothing, especially something as simple as medical care for a sinus infection.
Since the room was noisy and the people at this table seemed nice, Cara looked around for her supervisor. She then made a split-second decision to look at her phone.
She forced a big, fake smile, hoping they wouldn’t notice her watery eyes. “Is it okay if I set this tray down on the table for a sec?”
Victor returned her smile. “Sure, honey. Take all the room you need.” He took the tray from hand and placed it directly in front of him.
“Thanks.” Cara didn’t notice the redhead’s jealous glare as she pulled her phone from her pocket. She looked down at her mother’s message, which said, “Surgery Monday morning. Call soon.”
A few tears escaped Cara’s eyes and she wiped them away. If a doctor deemed it to be an emergency, the cost would be completely covered, either by her insurance or by one of the free hospitals in the area. And even if that fell through, she would find a way to pay for it herself. A hefty monthly payment plan, a new credit card, another job. Whatever it took. She felt a sense of relief, knowing Isaac would soon be back to his fun-loving self.
She took a deep breath and reached down for the tray. “Thanks.”
Victor’s eyebrows crinkled. “Everything okay?”
She grinned. “It will be.”
The redhead stood just as Cara lifted the tray. “Was that a cell phone I just saw?”
Shit. Cara’s tone was sheepish. “Um…yeah.”
Victor shot the redhead an angry look. “Alexis, don’t.”
Alexis walked around his chair and looked Cara in the eye. “We were assured the staff wouldn’t spend their evening on their cell phones. It’s very unprofessional and this is an expensive event.”
Cara felt a giant knot form in her stomach. “I’m really sorry. I know I could get in trouble but I have a three-year-old in the emergency room. He’s really sick.”
The guests at the table were now looking at Cara, their mouths gaping.
Betsy Kisch spoke up. “Oh dear, what’s wrong? Is he all right?”
Alexis shook her head. “You’re here, working, instead of taking care of your sick son?”
Cara’s mouth dropped open. “Yes, as a matter of fact.” Her fear quickly turned to anger as she looked in Alexis’s judgmental eyes. “You know, some of us weren’t born with silver spoons in our mouths. Some of us have to work hard for a living, even when we have sick kids at home.”
Alexis scoffed. “Yeah, whatever.” She turned on her heel and scurried away, her long dress flapping against her perfectly toned calves.
“That’s just great.” Cara sucked her bottom lip between her teeth and closed her eyes, hoping the tears wouldn’t come. She knew she would lose her job over this.
The people at the table all spoke at once. Cara was too shaken to discern any of their words. She simply reached down for the tray, opened her eyes, and headed back to the kitchen as fast as her feet would allow. She was almost there when she heard someone following her.
“Hey.” Victor put a hand against her back. “I’m so sorry about her.”
Cara paused to look in his eyes. “That wife of yours…” She shut her mouth. Maybe you won’t get fired. No need to mouth off and make your situation worse. She grunted and walked on through the swinging kitchen doors.
Victor followed her inside. “She and I aren’t together. She’s a fucking bitch. I’ll talk to your manager. Alexis is probably angry because I’m ignoring her and she thought I was flirting with you. She’s really selfish.”
Cara let out a cold chuckle and sat the tray on top of the counter. “Yeah well, maybe I’m better off. I need to go check on my son anyway.”
“Is he okay?”
“He will be.”
“Is there anything I can do?” Victor’s brown eyes were full of compassion. “Let me make this right.”
Cara couldn’t look in his eyes for long. She sensed his sympathy, and she didn’t want it. She stared off at the wall. “No, please. You wouldn’t understand.”
“Come on, try me. At least tell me which emergency room.” He put a gentle hand on her shoulder.
Tears suddenly flowed freely down her face. His touch sent her over the edge, and she wasn’t sure why. Maybe deep down, she really did ache for his sympathy; for the touch of a handsome man who offered help of some kind. But she thought again about the sequins and shiny jewelry flaunted in that ballroom. At a ten-grand-per-plate dinner. It was shameful, and she wanted no part of it. No, her desperate situation would make both her and Isaac stronger; she always found a way to get through. She shook away from Victor’s grasp, sniffling. “Please don’t. I really need to go.”
Cara ran to the back room to retrieve her purse from her locker. Victor didn’t follow. Soon she was driving home, leaving her catering job behind. She no longer cared whether or not she was fired.
Maybe that rich bitch was right, she thought. Maybe she should’ve been taking care of her son instead of working tonight.
Chapter Two
It was Monday morning and Victor was tired. He had spent the last two nights since the fundraiser tossing and turning in bed, feeling sick about the woman Alexis had gotten fired.
Why couldn’t Alexis just let it go? When she came back to the table and learned how unpopular her decision was, she apologized. Claimed she wasn’t jealous. She was only trying to look out for her family’s best interest and she got carried away.
Victor had never hit a woman in his life, but he secretly wished one of the other women at the table would have smacked Alexis. Betsy Kisch was quite vocal with her outrage. In her younger days, the feisty socialite probably would have taught Alexis a lesson or two. The thought almost made him smile…until he thought about that woman again.
He could tell by the way the now-fired woman spoke to Alexis that she was as disgusted with the event as he was. Damn, he hated himself for attending those showy dinners, but at least he tried to keep his attendance to a minimum and make sure he donated as much as possible.
Why didn’t he ask her name? He now kicked himself. All he knew was the name of the company for which she had worked: Luna Lee Catering. And so far, calling every possible numb
er for this company had resulted in him leaving at least ten unreturned voicemail messages.
But it was now Monday morning. Time for people to check their voicemail and call him back regarding his inquiry. He simply had to track down this woman and rectify the situation.
Victor’s first stop was his assistant’s desk. “Mornin’ Gary.”
“Morning Mr. Barboza,” Gary said. As usual, he was bright and perky, wearing his headset with a smile like he’d been happily waiting there at attention for hours by then.
Victor grinned. “Hope you had a good weekend. Say, did you get my email?”
“About the woman you’re trying to find?”
“Yes. Could you—”
“On it. Waiting on a call back from the receptionist. Said as far as she knew they hadn’t fired anyone over the weekend, but it’s early.”
Victor let out a heavy sigh. “Okay.”
A half hour later, Victor was about to head to a meeting when Gary rang his phone. “Yes?”
“I have Stacy at Luna Lee on hold. She said there were two people fired over the weekend and another quit. She thinks they all have at least one child. Could you give me a physical description to narrow the options?”
“Sure,” Victor said. “Blond hair, green eyes, glowing skin. Lovely girl. Breathtaking, really.”
It was only when Gary let out a small chuckle that Victor realized perhaps he remembered a little too much about her. And he knew how it sounded, like he had an entirely different agenda for tracking down this beautiful woman. But Victor didn’t care what anyone thought. He simply had a situation to fix. A woman with real problems had touched his heart and reminded him of his own mother. That’s all it was. So what, she had a stunning appearance? He wanted to help her even if she didn’t. Perhaps he wouldn’t have remembered her so vividly, but he certainly would have wanted to help. Victor cleared his throat and continued, this time calming his enthusiasm. “I have no idea how long her hair was. She had it pulled up in a bun. Don’t know if that helps.”
“I guess we’ll see. Let me click over.”
Victor’s heart raced as he waited for his answer.
Gary’s voice quickly returned. “Okay. Sounds like you’re looking for Cara Green. That’s ‘Cara’ with a ‘C.’ She lives in Newark. I have her address and phone number.”
Again, Victor stifled his enthusiasm. “Great.”
“Would you like me to have accounts payable cut her a check? It probably wouldn’t be hard to find her bank account and wire some money.”
“Just give me the address and phone number. I’ll take care it from there.”
* * *
“He’s doing fine,” the nurse told Cara. “The doctor will decide if he needs to stay overnight. Usually kids with severe infections stay a little longer but I can already tell he’s a tough one.”
Cara nodded and stroked the side of Isaac’s cheek. He had just fallen asleep after his second popsicle. “Yeah, he’s tough. I didn’t expect him to have so much energy so soon.”
“Little ones recover quickly. You’ll probably have to fight for the next few days to get him to rest. My daughter was ready to get on the jungle gym the next day.”
Cara laughed. “I’ll do my best.”
When the nurse left the room, Cara was sure she’d start crying again. But watching her little guy sleep so peacefully warmed her heart. It had been days since he slept without snoring.
“Sorry this had to wait so long,” she whispered as she bent forward to kiss his cheek. Then she took a long, deep breath before deciding to leave the room to find a vending machine in response to her growling stomach. “I’ll be back in a minute.” She gave the slumbering boy another kiss before turning around.
Her feet had just touched the hallway outside the room when a man sitting on the opposite wall stood up, startling her.
“Cara?” he asked. “Cara Green?”
“Um…” It took her a few seconds to remember how she knew the tall, dark stranger. But when she remembered, she couldn’t stop her groan. “You. How did you find me?” As soon as the words left her mouth, she rolled her eyes at her own stupidity. Of course he found me, she thought. Rich people can do anything.
Victor maintained her eye contact as he reached behind him to pick up a large gift bag. “I’m not stalking you. I was just concerned. And I brought you a few things.” He stepped forward and handed her the bag. “It’s not much. A stuffed animal and a care package from the gift shop.”
With hesitation, Cara took the heavy bag, immediately looking inside. Not much? It was filled to the top. “You didn’t have to do this.”
“I wanted to. Please take it.” He covered her hand with his, tightening her grip on the handle.
Tears filled her eyes. “It’s very generous. Thank you.”
He looked into her eyes, waiting another moment before removing his hand from her soft skin. “Listen, what happened to you the other night was wrong. I—”
“I’d like to forget about it if you don’t mind.”
Victor nodded. “Sure. I understand. So, do you,” he paused, trying to read her blank expression, “need a job?”
“No. Absolutely not.” She squared her shoulders and shook her head. “I have a job.”
“Yeah. Two jobs, from what your mother tells me.”
“You spoke to my mother?” Oh Lord, what does this man already know about me?
“Yes. That’s how I tracked you down.” He smiled. “Nice lady. Invited me in for coffee. Said she was coming by the hospital after she filled a few orders. So, she runs a bakery out of her house?”
Cara’s mouth dropped. “Wait a minute. I don’t even remember your name and you’ve already had coffee with my mother?”
Victor chuckled and extended his hand. “Victor Barboza. Nice to meet you. Again.”
She shifted the gift bag to her other arm, smirking as she took his hand. Careful not to gaze too deeply into those smoldering brown eyes…“Cara Green.”
“I know.”
She let his hand go as quickly as she had taken it. “Well, Mr. Barboza, it was nice to see you again but I’m sure you have to be somewhere.” Right then, her stomach produced a loud growl. Warmth instantly rushed to her cheeks. She rolled her eyes and continued. “Seriously…just…thank you.” She turned around to go back into her son’s room.
“Wait, if you’re hungry there’s food in the bag.”
“Thanks.”
“Can I see your boy? Isaac?”
Cara stopped with her hand on the door. What the heck did this stranger want with them? “Only for a minute. He’s resting.”
Victor followed her into the room and stopped beside Isaac’s bed, smiling. His voice was quiet. “Spunky little thing, I’ll bet. It’s probably killing him to be sick. Patty said he loves to go to the park.”
“Yeah.” He’s already on a first name basis with Mom? Cara’s eyes narrowed at the handsome man who now stood over her son’s bed, peering down at him as if they were old friends. She couldn’t wait to find out just how much “Patty” had told Victor. Or why. “Look, I appreciate the gift and I know my son will too. But we don’t need your pity. We can take care of ourselves.”
“I’m sure you can. But sometimes a person just needs to accept the kindness of strangers.” He turned to her, flashing a grin. “You know, I haven’t always had it easy. My brothers and I grew up with a mom who struggled to put food on the table and clothes on our backs. Please, just let me be nice to you for a moment. It’s the least I can do after what happened.”
Cara steeled herself. In her experience, people like him usually wanted something in return for their kindness. What did she possibly have to offer someone like him? She was a down-on-her-luck single parent who couldn’t even afford a routine surgery for her son.
Maybe he just felt guilty. She and Isaac were a charity case and he had a hero complex. That had to be all it was.
“Mr. Barboza, I do really appreciate your kind thoughts and the
gift.” She motioned vaguely to the door, hoping he would take the hint and leave.
“Very well.” He gave Isaac a long look before reaching into his pocket and turning to her. He handed her a card. “If you need anything, please call. Especially if the insurance company turns down your claim. I mean it.”
Mom told him way too much. “Yeah. Sure.”
Their eyes met for a few seconds. Long enough to make Cara’s breath catch in her throat. Hopefully he hadn’t noticed.
He gave her one last nod and left the room without another word.
Cara sighed with relief, now aware she had forgotten to exhale.
She would probably fantasize about him for a few weeks, and why wouldn’t she? It wasn’t every day a kind Latino hunk muscled his way into her life. But there was no sense letting him overstay his welcome. Besides, she saw the kind of woman he used as arm candy. Victor Barboza would make a nice story to tell her friends. Maybe give her a dream or two to keep her warm at night. And for that, she was grateful.
She marveled at Victor’s kindness as she searched the gift bag, estimating the cost of the items in her mind. There were designer shoes in Isaac’s size, toys, first aid supplies, small packages of gourmet food. He had to have spent at least two thousand dollars, not including the cost of the glittery silver bag that held the gifts.
She took some crackers and stashed the rest in a large drawer for safe keeping. Then she made sure Isaac was still sound asleep before she went to the hallway to call her mother.
Patty answered frantically on the first ring. “Is he still doing all right? I’ve been trying to get there for hours but I’ve had a million things to juggle.”
“Isaac’s fine. I heard you had a visitor?”
“A visitor?” She paused, then giggled. “Oh, you mean, Victor.”
“Yes. What did you tell him?”
She sighed. “I don’t know, sweetie. He had a lot of questions about you two. I answered them. No big deal.”
“No big deal?” Cara took a second to remember all the things he’d mentioned in his short visit. “Let me see. He knew about me having two jobs. He knows Isaac loves to play at the park. Knows his shoe size. And he thinks you run a bakery out of your house? Since when does making a few specialty cakes mean you run a bakery?”
