“Come on. I want to introduce you to Rafael’s mother and the rest of the crew.”
Pepper put a hand on her arm. “Are you serious about Rafael?”
She lifted the handle of one of Pepper’s suitcases. “I’m going to marry him.”
Pepper stepped closer and looked into her eyes. “But it’s so fast. Are you sure?”
“You’re the one who’s always jumped into everything with both feet,” Lisa said. “Now it’s my turn.”
“You’re not misreading the signals?”
“He loves me,” Lisa said. “Just as I am.”
“He obviously has good taste.” Pepper smiled as she splayed both hands over Lisa’s shoulders. “If he hurts you, I swear to God, I’ll kill him.”
“I’m not going to hurt her.” They both jumped at the sound of Rafael’s voice.
Pepper flushed. “Hi, Rafael. I didn’t hear you coming.”
“He’s like that.” Lisa smiled up at him. “All of a sudden he’s just there. Before you know it, he comes before all else.”
Pepper peered at Lisa. “He’s the one, then?”
“He is,” Lisa said.
Pepper turned to Rafael. “She’s been looking for you.”
“She found me.” Rafael wrapped his arm around Lisa’s shoulders and held her close. “I understand it seems fast to you, but I can assure you I’m prepared to spend the rest of my life making sure she has everything she needs.”
“She’s not like other people, you know,” Pepper said. “Lisa’s special.”
“I’m quite aware of that,” Rafael said. “You should’ve seen her shine the last few weeks.”
“And you’re not going to be a baby that she makes more money than you?” Pepper asked.
“No ma’am.”
“You won’t get jealous when the whole world’s fawning over her?” Pepper asked.
“No, because I’ll know that at the end of the day, she always comes home to me,” Rafael said.
“And this nonsense about eloping? You’ll be putting a stop to that?” Pepper’s eyes glittered in the last moments of sun.
“You’ll have to take that up with her,” Rafael said. “She’s a strong woman who makes up her own mind about things.”
“I’ll take that under advisement,” Pepper said. “And you’ve met her mother? You know what you’re getting yourself into there?”
“Yes, ma’am.” Rafael let out a long sigh. “I’ll do my best not to lose my temper when she does her passive-aggressive crap, but no promises.”
Pepper laughed. “I’ve been doing the same for the last thirteen years.” She narrowed her eyes into slits. “You understand she wants fat babies.”
“Yes ma’am.”
“And you’re prepared to provide them?”
“I cannot wait,” Rafael said.
“One last thing. You’re all right with the fact she won’t eat in front of you?” Pepper asked.
“She does eat in front of me,” he said. “All the time.”
Pepper jerked her head toward Lisa. “Did I hear him correctly?”
Lisa grinned at her friend. “I’m not sure it’s a thing any longer. My mom, you know, is the one who made me paranoid about it and I’m over it. Over her.”
“Well, holy crap and halleluiah.” Pepper held her hand out to Rafael. “I guess I love you, too. Welcome to the family.”
“Thanks.” He smiled as he shook her friend’s hand.
“Let’s celebrate,” Pepper said.
“Your wish is my command.” Rafael let Lisa go to pick up both suitcases. The ladies walked arm in arm around the corner of the building and up the stairs to the porch.
Pepper said hello to Lavonne, who was too shy to meet her eyes. “Hi, Pepper,” Lavonne said. His narrow torso slouched as he bobbed his head in greeting.
Trey stood and held out his hand. “Welcome back to town, neighbor.”
Pepper shook his hand. “Don’t expect to borrow any eggs or sugar. I don’t cook.”
“We’ve got Lisa for that,” Trey said.
Nico came forward to introduce himself.
“The grower of all things beautiful,” Pepper said. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you,” Nico said.
Lisa looked for signs of attraction between them. All they needed in the building was a love triangle. But they simply exchanged friendly smiles.
“And this is Mama Soto and Ria,” Lisa said.
Mama, then Ria, hugged Pepper. “Lisa told us all about you this afternoon,” Mama said. “You’re just as pretty as she described.”
“Did you really get arrested for hitting a man over the head with a candlestick?” Ria asked.
Pepper laughed. “I did. But he deserved it.”
“I bet he doesn’t lie to a woman again,” Mama said.
“He’s not a good boy like Rafael,” Ria said.
“We need a good boy for Pepper,” Mama said.
Stone came out of the front doors carrying bottles of steak sauce and ketchup. He stopped abruptly at the sight of Pepper.
“Hey, Pepper. Welcome home,” Stone said.
“Hello, Stone.” Pepper lifted her chin and tossed him a haughty glare.
Stone grinned down at her, looking larger than usual next to tiny Pepper. “It’s been dull without a little spice to heat things up around here.”
“I bet you say that to all the girls.” Pepper did her trademark sassy toss of her black curls.
“Only the ones named Pepper,” Stone said.
* * *
At midnight, Lisa nestled in the crook of Rafael’s arm. Satiated for the moment, she rested her hand on his taut stomach. Through an open window, the scent of the sea drifted in with the breeze. A cricket chirped in the quiet of the night.
“Rafael?”
“Yeah?” he asked, sounding sleepy.
“Did you ever think your life could be as good as it is right now?”
“No, Stardust. I didn’t.” He played with her hair. “But my life isn’t good. It’s great. Every moment with you is the best one of my life.”
She snuggled closer. “Every day I think I couldn’t love you more than the one before, but I do.”
He shifted and moved her to her side. “I was going to do this the old-fashioned way, but now seems as good a time as any.” Rafael turned on the bedside lamp. She blinked as he sat up and opened the drawer of the bedside table.
She straightened and clutched a stray pillow to her chest.
He held a small box in his hand. “Ria took me aside tonight and gave me this.” He opened the lid. A ring with a small diamond sparkled up at her. “This was her mother’s engagement ring. She’d saved it for Paulo and wanted me to have it—to give to you.”
She inhaled a sharp breath as she dropped the pillow onto her lap. “Oh, Rafael.”
“It’s a starter ring,” he said. “Until I can afford to get you something better.”
“I don’t care about the ring. I just want to be your wife.”
His dark eyes were glassy in the dim light. “There was a time not long ago that I wouldn’t have thought that possible. Until I met you and realized that angels don’t care about something as mundane as a ring. Angels have more important work to do, like saving mortals from themselves.”
“I’m not an angel. You know that, right?”
“I don’t know that. I’m certain you were sent to save me.”
“Isn’t it the other way around?” she asked.
He smiled and lifted her hand. “If you’re going to be stubborn about it, we can agree that we saved each other, how’s that?”
“That works.”
“Lisa Perry, will you be my wife? Will you allow me the privilege of being Mr. Perry for the rest of my life?”
“Yes, I will.” She met his eyes with her own. “Will you allow me to be Mrs. Soto for the rest of mine?”
“Yes.” He slid the ring on her finger.
“It fits perfectly. How i
s that possible?” she asked.
“I don’t know. Like I belong with you, the ring belongs to your hand. I’ll be grateful for the rest of eternity that God sent you to me. You’re all I’ve ever wanted. All I could ever hope for.”
She placed her left hand on the side of his face. His skin was dry and warm with a hint of roughness from his evening stubble. “I’d given up on finding you—stopped believing that love would ever come. Happiness with a man was for the lucky, not me. All this time, I believed the story my mother told me about myself. I was too damaged for anyone to love. When things with various men didn’t work out, I figured she was right. But then, there you were. You saw what no one else ever had.”
“The story your mother told you was wrong. You’re not damaged. You’re the least unstable person I’ve ever met.”
“Being with you makes me strong.”
“No, you were strong all along. You just needed to get your mother’s voice out of your head.”
“And let your voice in,” she whispered.
“Can you hear how much I love you?”
“Yes. Your voice echoes through every part of me.”
They kissed. The cricket quieted. Even the breeze stilled. The only sound was the distant crash of waves as they hit the shore.
For a few glorious seconds, the world ceased. There was no pain, no suffering, no recollections of the horrors or the hurts of the past. In the tranquil night, it was only the two of them and their swollen hearts that beat to the timeless, mighty rhythm of the sea.
The end.
Missed: Rafael & Lisa Page 27
