Melissa Bourbon Ramirez - Lola Cruz 01 - Living the Vida Lola (35 page)

T
he
quinceañera
was going off without a hitch—if you didn’t count the cold shoulder I was getting from my family.

Mami glared at me as she walked by, squeezing Tía Marina’s hand.

“It’s perfect,” my mother said to her sister. “Look at her.”

I followed their gazes and saw Chely boogying in the center of the dance floor. She was a star.

Antonio sauntered by. His goatee was trimmed, his skin was browned, and his ribs were bandaged under his black guayabera. He gave me half a smile, but his eyes twinkled. He’d forgiven me for endangering his life. The question was, had I forgiven myself?

I really had to figure out a way to keep my business separate from my family.

“My Antonio!”

I turned to see Reilly skipping through the crowd toward him. Her halter dress looked a couple of sizes too small, but her emerald green hair looked fabulous.

Antonio shot me an
I’m going to get you for this
look and
darted off, clutching his ribs, just as Reilly reached me. “Where’s he going?” she asked.

I shrugged, not knowing which one of them to root for.

She giggled, then started after him. “Silly boy.”

Antonio didn’t stand a chance.

I ran my hands down my sides, looking around for Jack. We hadn’t had much chance to talk since the marina. He hadn’t made it to the Mass this morning. Maybe he’d had second thoughts about us. Maybe there
was
no us. And I’d been willing to bear his passel of kids.

The DJ put on my favorite Juanes song, and I moved my feet, my hands pressing against my stomach. My eyelids fluttered closed. God, Juanes had a great voice. Maybe he could help me forget about everything for just a little while.

My body quivered as someone pressed up against my back, hands slipping around to my stomach. Mmm. I knew that body. “You made it,” I breathed.

Everything slowed as I dropped my arms to my sides and turned to face him. The contact between our bodies never broke.

An enticing smile crossed Jack’s lips. His hands slid up the sides of my body, finally resting on my lower back. He drew me in closer and edged one of his legs between mine. “I wouldn’t have missed it.”

I hadn’t thought his showing up was a given, but I kept that to myself. “Good.” I gently ran my hand over his bandaged arm. I was shameless. I’d take any excuse to touch him. “Don’t I get a little thank-you?”

He gave me that
you need a straitjacket
look again. “Thank you for what?”

For what?
Was he serious? I pulled back and put my hands on my hips. God, didn’t I get any credit? Men. “Um, for saving your life?”

“Here’s a little news flash, babe,” he said, pulling me close again. “My life wouldn’t have been in jeopardy if it weren’t for you.”

Minor detail. I changed the subject. It was time to set those ground rules. “Who’s Sarah?” The question, along with whom he’d used the missing Trojans with, was going to bug me till the day I died—or until I tortured the answer out of him. Which, come to think of it, might be a lot of fun.

I thought I saw him hesitate, but then he smiled. “Nobody.”

I grinned coyly. “I’ll find out eventually. I’m a detective, after all.”

He put one hand on the small of my back, interlaced the fingers of the other hand with mine, and pulled me closer. “Yes, you are. And
bellísima
.”

I shuddered as he held me tighter.
La vida
Lola. Secrets or not, it was a good life.