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“If he uses one,” Santos snorted.
“Whether he does or not,” Maggie argued, “you’re not to make trouble for him.”
Rafael heard only the last part of her statement as he came through the door. “What kind of trouble?” He handed Santos an envelope. “Here’s a cashier’s check. That should be what you expected.”
Santos made a great show of opening the envelope to see. “Yes, thanks. Looks like you’ll stay out of jail another day.”
“What’s the matter with you?” Maggie cried.
“He’s jealous,” Fox said. He handed her a tabloid. “Have you seen this?”
Maggie recognized the beautiful bouquet and was shocked Ana had taken a photo in her room. The flowers must have been an excuse to visit her, and they made the photo appear authentic. “You can’t see my face, so this could have been anyone. I’m supposedly near death. If there are any reporters in front of the hospital, I want to show them I’m fine.”
“How will you explain the bandages on your wrists?” Rafael asked.
“A good point. We’ll have to go out through the kitchen again.” The nurse had helped her clean up and brush her hair, and she was grateful Rafael had brought her green skirt and white top to wear along with clean lingerie and shoes. The skirt had an elastic waist so she wouldn’t have to worry about handling a zipper or buttons. “I’m going to call the nurse to help me dress. Would you all please wait outside?”
“I’ll help you,” Rafael offered.
“Thank you, but I’d rather the nurse did.”
Santos had brought the purse she’d left at the beach house and pulled her watch from his pocket. “I cleaned it for you, and it’s keeping good time.”
She hadn’t missed it. “Thank you.”
Santos held the door open for Rafael, but Rafael ignored him and walked down the hall to keep his distance. Fox lagged behind. “We’re on our way to the airport, so I won’t see you for a while.”
“Well, come give me a hug,” Maggie invited and held out her bandaged arms.
Fox blushed and gave her only a light squeeze. He took a slip of paper with his cell phone number, friend’s address and his school’s. “Santos will know where to find me if you lose this.”
“I won’t. It’s nice having a younger brother, even if you won’t admit we’re related.”
“We aren’t related,” Fox answered, but he laughed and kissed her cheek before he left.
By the time the nurse had helped her dress, she was yawning and ready for a nap. Santos leaned down to kiss her before he left with Fox. She warned him, “Ana might have sold the latest photo just to prompt a call from you.”
“It won’t work. Let me know if you’re staying here or going home. I’ll give you a ride to the airport in the Hispano-Suiza whenever you’re ready.”
“Thank you.” When they were alone, she turned to Rafael. “We do need to talk. Could we go to a park where we could be outside?”
“What is it you really want, witnesses?”
He’d gone into his usual defensive mode, but there was a world of hurt in his dark eyes. It pained her to have to add to it. “No, let’s take some of the cafeteria’s soft chocolate ice cream and enjoy being outdoors. Do I have to leave in a wheelchair?”
He came around to face her. “Yes, but I’m not going to roll you out of my life.”
“That’s why we need to talk, but not here. I’m sure they need the bed for someone else.”
“I’ll move my car around to the loading dock and come back for you.”
“I’ll wait right here.” She saw the question in his eyes and smiled. “I won’t move.”
The Parc de la Ciutadella had a lake for boating, groves of orange trees and flocks of squawking parrots flying through the palm trees. They found a bench near the spectacular ornamental fountain designed for the 1888 World’s Fair. A stone crab’s pincers formed a stairway to a triumphal arch topped with an iron sculpture of Aurora in a chariot. Water spewed from the surrounding pond. It was an amazing architectural piece from any angle.
“What a gorgeous park!” Maggie exclaimed. “I’m sorry there’s so much of Barcelona I haven’t been able to see.”
“Perhaps you can make a list of worthwhile places to see and check them off on your quarterly visits,” Rafael suggested.
