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ChapterOne
Brandon
Mariana pulls her hair into a knot at the top of her head, revealing her long neck. I don’t remember admiring a woman’s neck before, but hers is so delicate and graceful. I’ll bet that pretty skin is as velvety soft as a flower petal.
Fuck. Why am I sitting here gawking at my best friend’s youngest daughter in the middle of a family barbecue?
I never should have started courting her older sister. It felt wrong the moment Hector asked me to do it. Beautiful as Sofia is, I haven’t felt that special spark with her, and she’s too young for me.
Mariana is much, much too young for me.
My damn celibacy vow must be fucking with my head after three years of not touching a woman. I should have known waiting until marriage was taking it too far. It’s not like I believe sex outside of marriage is wrong. My goal was to eliminate distractions and narrow my focus on building my church, and I’d only have to wait until I found a wife, after all.
I assumed I’d have found her by now.
“Brandon,” Hector says, breaking me out of my reverie. He draws his brows together. “I need to talk to you about something.”
I frown, shifting in my chair. Does he sense the direction of my thoughts? I hope he didn’t catch me staring at Mariana after she just stripped down to her bikini.
“Do we need to go somewhere private?” I ask.
He shakes his head, his gaze drifting to Sofia. She’s standing in the middle of the pool, a small child in her arms. She’s always playing with one of her nieces or nephews at these family events. Dread clamps around my chest. She’s so good with children. It’s her dream to be a mother. She told me on one of our first dates.
It was a clear message.
“I wouldn’t be here right now if my intentions weren’t serious.”
“How are things going with the two of you?” Hector asks, his voice dropping to a whisper.
I take a sip of my Corona, giving myself a chance to think of a reply that won’t sound half-hearted. “I’m taking it slow. I still feel like she’s too young.”
He huffs out a laugh, patting my back. “You don’t think you’re a little too old to be single, brother?”
Brother. What he means is “brother in Christ,” but the word holds so much more warmth coming from him. Hector has been like an older brother ever since he brought me to God four years ago. Now that I’m leading what’s become one of the biggest churches in Santa Barbara, every Christian in my acquaintance seems to be in too much awe of me for real friendship. Aside from my younger brother, Hector is the only true confidant I have, which is why I did him this favor. I started “courting” his daughter, as he calls it, against my better judgment.
I set down my beer, leaning back in my chair. “I just don’t want to rush into anything. I know she’s serious about settling down and starting a family.”
Hector nods. “You’re damn right she is. She’ll be thirty in September.”
I exhale a deep breath. Ever since Sofia’s broken engagement three years ago, Hector’s been eager to see her married. In a world where women often get married in their early twenties, it must be hard for Sofia to be constantly reminded of her singlehood.
“That’s still eight years younger than me.”
He waves a hand. “Age differences don’t mean anything after thirty. I think it’s time for you to settle down too.” His lips quirk. “A forty-year-old single pastor. You’re like an exotic bird.”
I snort before taking a sip of my beer. “I’m thirty-eight, but thanks for aging me up. The church needs to adapt to the times. People shouldn’t get married if they don’t want to.”
Hector chuckles, shaking his head. “A liberal pastor. Even more exotic. But I agree with you to some extent. Marriage isn’t for everyone.”
“Exactly,” I say, relieved by his concession. Hector still attends the evangelical church where I met him, which is much more conservative than the one I lead now. He and I don’t always see eye to eye on issues, but at least he tries to be open-minded.
“Being a pastor’s wife isn’t for everyone either,” I say. “I have to be even more careful now than ever.”
“You don’t think Sofia would make a good pastor’s wife?”
“I certainly haven’t asked her.”
Hector’s gaze finds Sofia as she lifts her baby niece into the air and gently tosses her in the pool. “Look at her with little Ava,” he says. “She was born to be a mother. She was like that with Mari when she was a baby, even though she was a little girl herself.”
