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The moment he stepped outside, his boisterous Mexican family, who he probably hadn’t seen for five years, besieged him, swarming him with kisses and hugs and demands as to when he was going to be the next Sorensen to walk down the aisle. His sisters sat back at the main table with their mother, wide satisfied smiles on their faces, probably having something to do with the fact he was now the center of the aunties’ attention instead of them. Even his Aunt Glenda, Kate’s neighbor, was smiling a little too smugly at the comments.
He was well aware that Payton wasn’t anywhere to be seen. Same with her mother, and he felt a pang of guilt at the battle of a different kind she was going through now.
Kate and Dominic sat together at another table, already packed full with their relatives. They had blissful and glowing looks on their faces as their hands twined together. But he saw a certain something in Kate’s eyes as she sipped her drink and stared at him a minute too long for his comfort before returning her attention to his Aunt Essie.
It was with relief that he sank into the chair next to his youngest sister, Benny.
“Glad you could finally make the show, bro,” she said and bit into a buttery-looking croissant. “If one more of our well-meaning aunties asked why I was here all by my lonesome and that they had several young men they’d be happy to make my introduction to if I was that hard up, I’d have drowned myself in the ocean. They didn’t seem to hear me explain that a pediatric residency at a premier children’s hospital doesn’t really allow for much of a social life—or that I’m not looking for one.”
He grabbed the bottled beer he’d had the forethought to snag from the refreshment table and took a long pull, enjoying the cool taste as it went down—a different experience from the almost burning tequila of last night. “Yeah, but it wouldn’t hurt you to occasionally put your toes in the water. Get out there once in a while.”
“Said the pot to the kettle. That’s rich coming from Mr. I-Don’t-Do-Commitment, working probably as much if not more hours a week than I do.”
Which was all true. Except for the part where less than twenty-four
hours before he’d made the biggest commitment a man could make to another person. He looked across the table to his other sister, Daisy, who had a slight smile on her face as she watched her three kids run around with their cousins. She looked amazing for a woman who’d been through so much these past few months. Her weasel of a husband had taken off with their money and some girl half his age, leaving her to pick up the pieces.
Benny followed his gaze, dropping her tone to more of a conspiratorial whisper. “At least the aunts were a little kinder to her, mostly muttering curses at her waste of an ex-husband, intermixed with prayers that he get what’s coming to him. That got her actually laughing. I’m just glad he signed the divorce papers and didn’t fight her on custody of the kids.”
Him too. Not that anyone thought the weasel really wanted to be tied down to three kids—no matter how awesome his two nieces and nephew were. No, it was more the kind of thing Daisy’s ex would have done just to add a little salt to the wound. The guy was lucky he didn’t have two broken legs. Kate had swooped in and made sure that Daisy got what she was owed and then some. Something Cruz would be eternally grateful for.
A wisp of long dark hair flew across Daisy’s eyes and she brushed it back and caught them both staring at her. “You guys don’t have to look so tragic,” she said and laughed. “I’m doing great. Better than great. Did Benny tell you I was promoted at the bakery? Gina’s even giving me artistic license to create a few of my own recipes that we’re going to add to the daily specials.”
“Not even surprised, sis. When you set out to do something, you always kick ass.”
A hand slapped him on the shoulder. “Language,” his mother said before leaning over to give him a hug and kiss on the head.
He looked around for his dad, finding him in conversation with the uncles, the barest smile on his mouth. A big Nordic man with quick discerning blue eyes and blond hair slowly turning to gray, he carried authority despite his age and the heart condition that necessitated surgery a few months ago.
His mother took a seat next to Daisy and stared at him with her sly brown eyes that usually knew more than he liked. “Glad to see you survived your trip. I haven’t seen Kate’s friend though. I hope you didn’t leave her behind at a gas station or try to sell her to the gypsies.”
“Tempting, but no,” he said, a smile tugging at his mouth. The gypsy thing was an old joke his mother used to say when they were kids as a threat when they got out of line. Until he was eight, he’d actually expected they would arrive for him one day and take him away, since he and Dominic made being naughty an art. “We managed to get here just fine. You can even ask Dominic. He saw her. She’s probably cornered somewhere by that mother of hers.”
At this the women all visibly shuddered. “She’s definitely something to get used to,” Daisy said with some restraint.
“Get used to? I’d sooner have an enema every day than be subjected to that woman,” Benny said. “She’s only been here a couple of hours, but I’ve already seen the hotel staff run and hide, crossing themselves whenever they spot her. Kate at least managed to get her isolated out at the pool—under proper shade, she insisted—and out of the staff’s hair for a little while.”
“Yeah. I hear she’s a pill.” Cruz took another drink and considered the possibility of hunting down Payton himself. Just to make sure she was okay.
No. That wasn’t necessary. Payton was a grown woman. She had to decide what she did and didn’t want. If she didn’t want Brad, then she had to be strong enough to resist her mother’s threats. In fact, after the spirit and spunk Payton had shown the last few days, maybe it was her mother he should be worried about.
Then he thought about the restrictive diet the woman imposed on her already beautiful daughter. The way she’d manipulated Payton into giving up her dreams of practicing environmental law for a position as part-time party planner. How the woman thought Payton’s only value was in being the trophy wife to a dipshit like Brad Eastman.
He got to his feet, ignoring his sisters’ curious stares. Maybe he’d just make a quick appearance after all.
Payton knew from the quick rap on the door, insistent and terrifying, that her mother was on the other side. She smoothed invisible lines on the sundress she’d slipped on moments before, glad she’d had the chance to apply a minimal amount of makeup to meet her mother’s approval, and went and answered the door.
Her mother stood there in a knee-length apricot-colored skirt and matching jacket, her mouth turned down in that perpetual frown she’d perfected, as she stared at her daughter. She took a step closer and Payton got a good waft of her mother’s perfume, something she’d always thought heavy and overbearing. Perfect for her mother.
“Well I can see you didn’t listen to a word I said about applying sunblock and wearing hats. Your face is positively tanned and splotchy. We’ll need a good layer of foundation to cover those freckles along your cheeks,” she said and swept into the room, wheeling her carry-on behind her.
Payton shut the door, gritting her teeth before forcing a smile. Her mother left her luggage by the couch and walked around the suite, looking into the bedroom, the bathroom, and then joining her back in the living area. “It’s a little small but it should do.”
“Should do for what?” Payton asked slowly, already knowing the answer.
“A stage for the New York Rockettes. Really, Payton?” she said in her most exasperated tone. “For our stay here. What else?”
“I wasn’t under the impression this was our hotel suite. In fact, I’m not even sure why you thought it was necessary to come down here at all. But now that you’re here and can see I arrived in one piece and in relatively good health, save for a little tan, you might as well head home. I’m sure you can find a taxi to get you to the airport. I’ll see if the front desk can do that right now.”
