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“I wasn’t trying to be funny,” Rafael insisted.
His innocent expression sent Libby into another fit of giggles, and Maggie began to laugh and couldn’t stop either. After paying their bill, Santos rose and grabbed his crutches. “We better go before they ask us to leave.”
“This was really fun, Santos. We’ll treat you next time,” Maggie promised.
When they reached the beach house, they picked up the wedding presents they’d left there and said good night.
Santos and Libby went into the den. “I’ll never understand what she sees in him,” he said.
“You don’t have to,” Libby insisted. “I should call Patricia and get it over with fast.”
“Fine, but if she balks at slowing things down with Fox, let me talk with her.”
“I will.” She pulled her cell phone from her purse and perched on the arm of the sofa. “It’s early evening in Minneapolis. Let’s hope she answers.”
“Libby!” Patricia greeted her warmly. “Let me guess, Mom’s begged you to convince me to cool it with Fox. Well, I won’t, so tell me what’s happening in Spain. Is Santos as great in bed as he looks?”
Libby closed her eyes and sighed. “Even better, but that’s not the point. Fox is a seventeen-year-old kid, Patricia.” She paused to speak to Santos. “Where’s Fox’s father?”
“He was a photojournalist and killed in Bosnia at the end of the war. Fox was a few months old and doesn’t remember him.”
“Patricia, Fox has lost both of his parents. If he gets too attached to you, he’ll be devastated when you break up with him, and you know you will.”
“Maybe not. He could be the one.”
“Wonderful, I hope he is, but after his senior year, his mother wanted him to go to university and have a career. If he spends next year screwing you, he won’t have the grades to go. If you do care for him, you’re going to have to make some tough choices, but you need to stay on your side of the Atlantic, and let Fox concentrate on school. Give him time to grow up and be the man his parents hoped he’d be, the man he should be.”
Libby held her breath and looked at Santos. When Patricia didn’t immediately respond, she tried again. “Just think about what I’ve said. If you two are meant to be together, then you will be, but don’t make it now when it could wreck Fox’s whole life.”
“All right. I see your point,” Patricia answered softly. “I wouldn’t do anything to hurt him.”
“Good, keep thinking about his future. Love you, good-bye.” She ended the call. “Patricia actually seemed to get the idea. I thought it would take half a dozen calls to get through to her.”
“Do you always say, ‘love you’ to her?”
“Sure, we all do.” It was obvious her family was very different from his, and she was so sorry he’d grown up with such scattered love. “Let me pour my own Bailey’s. What do you want?”
He pulled her into his arms and put his whole soul into kissing her. He promised the world in his kisses, and when he pulled away, she had to shake her head to focus her eyes. “Could you put that into words, please?”
“You understood.” He smoothed her hair. “I got a text from Cazares while you and Maggie were away from the table. Rigoberto Avila died this afternoon.”
A sudden rush of terror squeezed her breathless, and she could barely gasp. Someone had the rifle, and they were sure to blame Santos for his death, but there wasn’t a hint of fear in his eyes.
Chapter Sixteen
“Now you really do need a bodyguard,” Libby murmured.
Santos pulled her back into his arms. “Rigoberto caused the accident that killed him, but I understand. Victoria or one of his friends may come after me.”
“Not, ‘may’, will, and we’ve got to be ready and find her first. Did you hear from Nuñez too?”
“Not yet. It’s Sunday; maybe he’s off duty.”
Libby sat back. “If you hadn’t hired Cazares, then we wouldn’t know Avila had died. We might have spent the evening on the patio, where we’d have been sitting ducks. Someone from the police department should have called to warn you.”
“It’s plain Nuñez doesn’t care if I live or die.”
“Well, I do!”
