Читать книгу And Babies Make Five / At Long Last, a Bride: And Babies Make Five - Judy Duarte, Judy Duarte - Страница 9

Hector couldn’t believe he’d asked his pregnant neighbor out to dinner, but at the time he’d made the offer, it had seemed like a natural thing to do.

His sister, Yolanda, had told him about The Old World Bistro, saying that she and her husband had really enjoyed it and recommending it highly. So he’d planned to check it out, anyway. It didn’t seem to be the kind of place he’d want to dine alone, so he’d asked Samantha to come along.

Now, after showering, splashing on a dab of aftershave and slipping on a pair of black slacks, a white button-down shirt and a sports jacket, he was heading over to Samantha’s house to pick her up.

The storm had finally passed by, leaving the lawns and grounds wet, but as he walked next door, he savored the earthy, after-the-rain scent that clung to the plants and shrubs.

When he reached her stoop, he rang the bell and waited for her to answer. She was an attractive woman, so he’d expected that she would look nice when she swung open the door. But he hadn’t been prepared to come face-to-face with a beautiful, statuesque blonde who could put Katherine Heigl, his favorite Grey’s Anatomy actress, to shame.

She’d pulled her hair up into a twist, revealing pearl studs in her ears. And she’d applied a light coat of mascara that emphasized the biggest, bluest eyes he’d ever seen. Expressive eyes that boasted a warmth he rarely saw in people these days.

The adolescent in him wanted to utter “Wow …” but the man in him bit his tongue.

Had a woman ever appealed to him more?

He couldn’t help scanning the length of her, completely forgetting she was pregnant until he noticed how her classic black dress fit snugly over her baby bump. Yet he still found her as sexy as hell.

But he’d be damned if he’d ogle her any more than he probably already had.

“You’re ready,” he said, making light of it all.

Her lips, which bore a pretty shade of pink lipstick, parted, and she glanced at her bangle watch. “You said twenty minutes …?”

Yes, he had. But he’d never known a woman who could pull off getting dressed within the time allotted, especially when it appeared as though she’d been fussing in front of the bathroom mirror for hours.

“You look great,” he said.

“Thanks.” Her face lit up, as if she hadn’t been complimented in ages and had taken it to heart. Then she reached for her purse, which had been sitting by the door on an entryway table, locked up the house and walked with him to his car.

The soles of their shoes—his Italian leather loafers and her sling-back heels—clicked upon the sidewalk and echoed in the evening air, which was clean and fragrant after the rain.

Her shoulder brushed his upper arm, setting off a rush of hormones in his blood, and he had the strangest compulsion to take her hand in his. He didn’t, though, and the fact that he’d wanted to made him realize he might have made a big mistake by asking her out to dinner.

But there was no way to backpedal now, so he shook it off, determined to enjoy a casual, carefree evening with his neighbor—even if he wasn’t feeling the least bit neighborly.

Once inside his car, he stole a glance at her, saw her profile as she glanced out the passenger window.

Damn, she looked good sitting across the console from him.

Nevertheless, he turned on the ignition, started the car and backed out of the driveway.

Ten minutes later, they arrived at the bistro. He parked at the curb, just two shops down from the entrance, and escorted her to the front door.

A hostess in her mid-thirties stood at a podium and welcomed them.

“Reservations for Garza,” he told the woman.

“Yes, sir. Right this way.” She reached for two faux-leather-covered menus and led them to a linen-draped, café-style table in back, where a violinist played softly. Votive candles and a single red rose in a bud vase added to a romantic ambience Hector hadn’t expected.

He pulled out Samantha’s chair, and before taking a seat, she scanned the white plastered walls, the dark wood trim and the various pieces of art that had been tastefully placed throughout the restaurant.

“What a nice place,” she said. “I don’t remember seeing it before.”

“It opened up about six months ago.” He sat across from her. “I was told the service was excellent and the food even better than that. So I’ve been meaning to try it.”

“Who told you about it?”

“My sister and her husband found it one day while they were shopping, and they’ve been raving about it for weeks.”

“Your sister?” she asked. “The pregnant one?”

He nodded. “Her name is Yolanda, and she’s my only sister.” He chuckled. “She’s three years younger than I am, but you’d never know it. She’s been mothering me for as long as I can remember.”

Samantha smiled and leaned into the table, clearly engaged in the conversation. “Do you have any brothers?”

“One. His name is Diego.”

“So your parents had three children?”

“Yes.”

Her smile broadened, and her blue eyes glimmered in the candlelight. “That’s a nice family size.”

He shrugged. “I guess it is.” He’d never thought about his family in terms of the number of siblings he had.

Was she thinking about having another child down the road, maybe giving her baby a brother or sister?

He couldn’t blame her for wanting to create a family, but you’d think that she’d consider adding a husband for herself, and a father for the baby. Yet that didn’t seem to be part of her game plan, and he wondered why.

Had she loved Peter too much to consider replacing him in her life?

That was hard to imagine. But then again, maybe that was because Hector hadn’t really liked the guy. Either way, it wasn’t any of his business.

Silence settled over them until the maitre d’ arrived. “Can I start you out with a bottle of wine?” he asked.

“Not for me,” Samantha said. “I’ll stick with water.”

Hector ordered a glass of merlot from his favorite California winery.

“Good choice, sir.” The maitre d’ motioned for one of the other waiters to bring water for the table, then left.

When they were alone, Samantha leaned forward again and said, “I’m curious about your sister.”

“What about her?”

“How’s she feeling? When is she due? Has she taken any childbirth classes?” She gave a little half shrug. “Just that sort of thing.”

“Oh,” he said. “I get it. Being pregnant means the two of you have a lot in common. And now that I think about it, I’ve noticed that expectant mothers tend to gravitate toward each other at every opportunity.”

“What makes you say that?”

“I’ve been with Yolanda at a couple of social events recently, and she’s drawn to any other pregnant woman within fifty feet of her.”

Samantha chuckled. “I’d probably do that, too. I’m going through so many physical and emotional changes right now. It would sure be nice to have someone to share it all with.”

But not a husband?

Why had she gone the sperm-donor route to get pregnant? A woman as beautiful as Samantha shouldn’t have had any trouble finding a man willing to donate his sperm—especially the old-fashioned way.

Hector certainly would have been tempted.

“You know,” he said, resting his forearm on the table, “this really isn’t any of my business, but I’m surprised that you went to the Armstrong Fertility Institute.”

“Why would that surprise you? They’re one of the most reputable and successful fertility clinics around.”

Fertility? He hadn’t realized that she might not have been able to get pregnant without the help of doctors.

“So it wasn’t a matter of not finding a suitable man to father your baby?”

“No.” She lifted her glass of water and took a sip. “Actually, I haven’t dated anyone since Peter died.”

That struck him as odd, and he couldn’t help saying so. “I would have thought that a woman as attractive as you would have eventually found another man and gotten married.”

“Thank you.” She lowered her glass and her gaze at the same time, and he wondered if his compliment had somehow surprised or embarrassed her. When she glanced up, she said, “Actually, I never gave dating much thought.”

“Why not?”

Hector’s latest question caught Samantha off guard, and she pondered her answer.

For one thing, she’d been grieving Peter’s loss that first year. Then she’d been so caught up in her mother’s illness, in her suffering, in the failed attempts to beat the cancer, that thoughts of romance had been the last thing on her mind.

Looking back, she had to admit that she’d never even considered replacing Peter in her life. At least, not right away.

But then again, she hadn’t been looking for a husband when she’d first met him, either.

Her experience with marriage had been a dysfunctional relationship between her mother and stepdad, so she hadn’t seen a relationship as a catch-all/end-all. But Peter began to court her, which had slowly worn down her reluctance and proven to her that some relationships could be healthy and happy.

“There aren’t many men like Peter,” she finally answered. He’d had a kind heart and a gentle touch. He’d also saved her from a life of poverty and shown her that not all men were physically and mentally abusive.

“You must have really loved him,” Hector said.

“Yes, I did.” Peter had been a wonderful human being, a good husband, and she would never forget all he’d done for her. Still, she supposed, if she met the right guy, she might be able to love someone again. But with the babies coming … Well, there wouldn’t be any men in her life for a very long time. She couldn’t imagine anyone willing to take on an instant family of triplets.

“Lucky guy,” Hector said.

Touched by Hector’s comment, yet doubting it, Samantha smiled. “I was the lucky one.”

As she glanced across the table and caught Hector eyeing her with an expression she couldn’t read, something stirred deep within her, something she couldn’t quite understand. Something that made her question what she’d actually felt for Peter, which was silly. She’d loved him, of course. How could she not?

“So you’re not interested in dating anyone?”

She placed a hand on the upper ledge of her pregnant belly. “Come on, Hector. Who’d be interested in me now? Before you know it, I’ll be bigger than a house. Besides, I have a lot more on my mind than romance.”

“Like what?”

“For one thing, I have a nursery to decorate.” And since she’d need three of everything, it was going to take all of her organizational skills to get the kids’ room ready for their homecoming.

A grin tugged at her lips as she thought about how much fun she was going to have getting ready for her babies.

The wine steward brought Hector’s merlot, stayed long enough to ask if they needed anything else, then left them alone again.

“You’re obviously happy to be pregnant,” Hector said. “And that’s great. I’m happy for you.”

“You have no idea how thrilled I am to be expecting. Unlike you, I was an only child. My dad took off when

I was a preschooler, and for the first half of my life, it was just my mom and me. So I’m really looking forward to having a family of my own.”

The pregnancy was also her way of thanking Peter, of saying goodbye to him without ever forgetting him. Of course, she’d never forget how he’d rescued her, how he’d offered her a life of luxury that she’d never even imagined, how he’d loved her in a way no one else ever had.

Having the babies would also mark a new beginning for her, but Hector didn’t need to know all of that.

Besides, what would he say if he learned that the father of her babies was her late husband, a man he hadn’t liked? A man who’d been dead for five years?

No one, especially Hector, would be able to understand her decision. She wasn’t entirely sure she understood the complexities herself.

“Hey,” a cheerful female voice called out. “What a surprise. Look who’s here, honey.”

Samantha turned to the woman, a petite Latina who appeared to be about six months’ pregnant. The man with her was tall, lanky, and fair-haired. He, too, seemed bright-eyed and cheerful as they approached the table where Hector and Samantha sat.

“You said you really liked this restaurant, but I didn’t expect to run into you here tonight.” Hector rose to his feet and extended a hand to greet the man. “We were just talking about you.”

The woman offered Samantha a friendly smile. “We’ve been telling Hector all about this place, so I’m glad he took our advice. I’m Yolanda, his sister. And this is my husband, Chad.”

Samantha had already made that assumption, noting a family resemblance between the siblings, even if there was a definite difference in size. “It’s nice to meet you, Yolanda. I was hoping we would. I just hadn’t expected to meet you here tonight.”

“Really?” Yolanda turned to Hector and smiled in a you’ve-been-holding-out-on-me way.

Obviously, she thought the two of them were an item, so Samantha decided to explain. “Hector said you were expecting, too. I thought it might be fun to compare notes sometime.”

Yolanda, who hadn’t yet noticed Samantha’s pregnancy, since it was hidden behind the table, zeroed in on her baby bump now. As she did so, her eyes widened, and her lips parted, clearly unable to hold back her surprise. “Oh, my goodness. So you are.” She glanced at Hector, then to Samantha and back at Hector again.

It was, Samantha supposed, an easy conclusion to jump to: that Hector and Samantha were dating; that he was the expectant father. But she thought it was best if he clarified things. In fact, he’d probably be fielding a lot of questions from his sister when she got him alone, which seemed fair. After all, he’d been quizzing Samantha all evening.

Yet he seemed oblivious to his sister’s assumptions and did nothing to set her at ease.

“How about lunch someday?” Yolanda asked. “I’m free on Tuesdays and Thursdays.”

Samantha hadn’t expected such a quick response, but her calendar was clear. “Sure.”

“If you give me your number, I’ll call later in the week, and we can choose a day that works for both of us.”

Samantha reached into her purse, pulled out a pen and the little notepad she carried, and scratched out her cell number. Then she tore out the small sheet and handed it to Hector’s sister.

She wasn’t sure if the two of them would actually get together. People often said things like that upon meeting, but then dropped the ball for one reason or another. Either way, whether they met for lunch or not, she’d be okay with it.

It’s not as though she was desperate to find friends, although in a sense she needed to connect with someone. For the longest time, her life had revolved around Peter and his family, then her mom. So she’d lost a lot when her husband died and even more when her mother passed away.

Besides, with the babies coming, it wasn’t a good time to be alone.

There was a support group for expectant mothers at the clinic that she’d considered joining. It was just that she felt a little uneasy in a crowd, especially when meeting people for the first time. And for that reason, a one-on-one lunch with Yolanda was far more appealing.

“Would you two like to join us?” Hector asked. “We can ask the waiter to give us a bigger table.”

Yolanda brightened, but before she could speak, Chad responded. “Thanks for asking, Hector, but I planned a romantic dinner tonight.”

“Oh, honey, that’s so sweet.” Yolanda turned to her husband and smiled. “But it might be fun to—”

Chad put his arm around his wife’s shoulders and drew her close. “I didn’t tell you yet, but the company’s got me scheduled to work a lot of overtime for the next month or two. So this might be our last chance for a special evening. And with the baby coming …?”

Yolanda nodded, then placed a hand on her brother’s shoulder. “In that case, we’re going to have to pass on joining you tonight. Maybe, when Chad has more free time, we can make it a double date.”

Samantha waited for Hector to correct his sister about the date comment, but he didn’t.

Instead, Yolanda added, “So what do you think of the Old World Bistro? Isn’t it great?”

“I like the setting and décor.” Hector lifted his wine glass, tilting it just a tad. “The merlot is good, too, but the jury’s still out on the food. We’ll let you know after we eat.”

“Just wait until you try the spinach salad,” Yolanda said. “You’re going to love it.”

Chad gave Yolanda an affectionate squeeze. “We don’t want to keep the hostess waiting, so we’ll let you two get back to your menus.” Then he ushered her back to the table they’d been given.

But as they walked away, Yolanda glanced over her shoulder, taking one last look at Samantha, her curiosity evident.

Samantha waited until Chad and Yolanda were clearly out of hearing range, then said, “Your sister thinks that I’m your date tonight.”

A grin curled the corners of his mouth, setting off a pair of impish dimples and a glimmer in those pretty brown eyes. “I know.”

Samantha placed a hand on her rounded belly. “And she thinks that you’ve been hiding a big secret.”

Hector chuckled. “It’s going to drive her crazy until she learns the details.”

“You kept her in the dark on purpose?”

“Yolanda’s a great sister, but I can’t help giving her a hard time every once in a while.”

Samantha didn’t have a sister—or a brother, for that matter. So she didn’t understand the dynamics at play in the Garza family.

Would her three children grow up to care about what was happening in each others’ lives? To tease each other in a goodhearted way? She hoped so. It all seemed so normal, so loving.

She glanced across the restaurant at Yolanda and Chad’s table and caught Hector’s sister looking at her again. Then Samantha offered Hector a smile. “Whatever you’re up to seems to be working. Her wheels are definitely turning.”

“If you think she’s wondering now, watch this.” Hector reached across the table and took Samantha’s hand in his.

The surprise of his touch, the heat of it, nearly knocked the wind right out of her. As his thumb caressed her skin, her heart soared.

She could have pulled her hand away, she supposed. In fact, she really should have. But she was so taken aback by the bold move, so caught up in it, that she sought his gaze instead. And while she’d expected to see those impish dimples, a glimmer of mischief in his eyes that reflected the whimsical game he was playing with his sister, something entirely different passed between them, something blood-stirring.

Something real? she wondered.

Too real to ponder, she decided. The handsome bachelor sitting across from her was playing a game, all right, but on her senses. And so was the romantic ambience—the candles, the red roses on the table.

She clicked her tongue and drew back her hand, trying her best to regroup. “You need to stop teasing her, Hector. Or you’ll really have some explaining to do. In fact, your phone will probably be ringing off the hook before you can unlock your front door.”

He smiled again, but the playful glimmer in his eyes had completely disappeared, and a shadow of something altogether different had taken its place.

Something serious, something heart-stirring. Something a woman in Samantha’s delicate condition had no business toying around with.

Then whatever had simmered in his eyes and had sizzled in the air around them faded as quickly as it had settled over her, leaving her to wonder if she’d imagined it all.

What had started out as an opportunity to tease Yolanda earlier this evening had morphed into something else the moment Hector had touched Samantha’s hand and looked into her eyes, and his playful plan had quickly fallen by the wayside.

He tried to blame it on the evening, on the romantic setting, but he feared there was more going on than that, which caused him to withdraw.

They finished their dinner without another touch, another heated gaze, but he’d been on edge for the rest of their time together.

After paying the bill, he orchestrated a brief stop at his sister’s table to thank her for the restaurant suggestion and to say goodbye. Then he and Samantha headed back to Primrose Lane. As they drove, he turned on the radio and found his favorite station. He thought a little music would eliminate the need to make conversation. And, for the most part, it worked, until Joe Cocker began singing “You Are So Beautiful.”

He parked in his driveway, still a bit off-balance and eager to end the evening and set his world to rights.

As he walked her home, the moon and stars were especially bright, and the scent of night-blooming jasmine laced the air. Apparently, in spite of his best intentions, a romantic mood was going to dog him all evening long.

“Thanks for dinner,” she said. “It was nice getting out, and the food was great.”

“I’m glad you enjoyed it.”

“Your sister was right. The Old World Bistro is wonderful.”

“Yes, it is.” And far more romantic than Hector had expected.

For a moment, he had the strongest compulsion to touch her, to cup her cheek, to press a good-night kiss upon her lips.

But that would be utterly foolish.

And so would lollygagging at her front door until he lost his resolve to keep things neighborly—and completely platonic.

“I’ll see you around,” he said, making a decision to steer clear of her for a while.

She nodded. “Take care.”

As he returned to his car so he could park it in the garage, he realized that Samantha had made a quick escape easy for him.

Apparently, she hadn’t read anything into that momentary rush when he’d touched her hand—thank goodness for that. Whatever crazy romantic notions that might have crossed his mind had been put to rest.

He heard her door close behind him, and it took all he had not to turn, to look over his shoulder.

But he didn’t want to give her any ideas. And he didn’t want things to become any more awkward between them. They were, after all, neighbors and bound to run into each other more often than not.

He pulled the car into the garage, then let himself into the house. He’d no more than opened the door, stepped into the living room and reached for the light switch when his phone rang. He took his time answering, assuming it was his sister on the line. Yolanda had been trying to hook him up with someone—anyone—for the past six months.

When he answered, Yolanda skipped the formalities of a greeting and launched right into the reason for the call. “Okay, Hector. What gives? Who is Samantha? Where did you meet her? And better yet, who’s the father of her baby?”

“Hang on a minute. I just walked in.” If he hadn’t actually struggled with some real-life attraction tonight, he would have considered her inquisition amusing. But as it was, he didn’t find anything remotely funny about it now.

He slipped the house keys into his pocket, took a seat in the easy chair and kicked off his shoes. “I was expecting your call.”

“Don’t give me a hard time. You can’t blame me for wondering. I’ve been trying to talk you into settling down forever. But maybe I shouldn’t have bothered. It looks like you might have already found someone.”

“Slow down, sis. Samantha is my neighbor. And since she’s a single mom, I thought she deserved a night out. We’re just friends.”

“She’s not pregnant with your baby?”

“Nope. ‘Fraid not.”

He could hear the disappointment in her sigh, and he decided to set her straight. “If the woman I got involved with was expecting my baby, my family would definitely know about it.”

“I guess you’re right. But you can be so secretive at times.”

“Relax. Samantha’s a nice woman. But no, we’re not involved.”

“I’m actually sorry to hear that.”

“I’m sure you are.”

Recently, Hector’s parents had joined his sister in pressuring him to remarry, to start a family and to enjoy the fruits of his labor. According to his brother, Diego, they were proud of him and his Horatio Alger success, but they were worried about him and his nonexistent social life.

He’d tried to explain to them that a woman and kids didn’t fit into his life, which was why his first marriage didn’t last.

“Samantha is a beautiful woman,” Yolanda said. “Aren’t you the least bit interested in her?”

A bit too much, he realized. “Come on, sis. She’s pregnant.”

“I guess that means you’re not attracted to expectant mothers, and I can see why you wouldn’t be. I was looking in the mirror one morning and realized I was as getting to be as wide as I am tall. I started to cry—I do a lot of that these days—but Chad was such a sweetheart. He told me he loved me and said that I was more appealing to him now than ever before. He seemed sincere, so I sure hope he meant it.”

“He did mean it,” Hector said. “I can’t imagine how exciting it must be for him to know that a baby was created out of your love for each other. And looking at you, seeing that the baby is growing and getting ready for birth, has to be a real thrill for him.”

“Thanks, Hector. I needed to hear that.” She paused for a moment, as if taking it all in. “So I guess that means Samantha’s pregnancy is a turnoff to you since it’s not your baby.”

It certainly should have been, but for some reason, it wasn’t, and he had no idea why. But since he didn’t understand it himself, he certainly couldn’t explain it to someone else. So he decided to change the subject. “Hey, I’ve got a question for you.”

“What’s that?”

“Even though Samantha and I aren’t dating, do you still plan to give her a call?”

“I told her I would. And she seems like a nice person. Do you have a problem with us having lunch together?”

“No, not at all. I think it would be nice if you did. Her mother died recently, so she’s pretty much alone.”

“What about the baby’s father?” she asked.

“He’s out of the picture—completely.”

“And so you’re looking out for her?”

“I guess you could say that.”

“Hmm. Now, that’s really interesting, Hector.”

He blew out a sigh. “Stop trying to read things into this.”

“Okay, I won’t. But don’t you wish you had someone in your life again? Someone to come home to?”

“Not if she’s like Patrice.”

“You see similarities between Samantha and your ex-wife?”

Actually? Not a single one. But if he gave his sister any idea that he was interested in Samantha—well, he wasn’t; he couldn’t be. So he couldn’t let Yolanda jump on an idea like that, or he’d never hear the end of it. And neither would Samantha, if the two women did end up having lunch together.

“So you’re glad to be footloose and single?” his sister asked.

“Of course.” He scanned his living room, which was cluttered with this morning’s newspaper, a copy of Golf Digest, an empty beer bottle he’d forgotten to take to the kitchen a couple of days ago, a golf scorecard he was rather proud of.

If Patrice were here, she’d be bitching about how messy he was. Not that he didn’t like a clean house; he wasn’t a slob. If he spilled something, he mopped it up. And he never let the trash pile up until things smelled rotten.

He just didn’t always pick up after himself. But he had a maid come in once a week, and she did the things he didn’t have the time or the inclination to do.

And she never complained.

“You don’t miss having a wife?” Yolanda asked.

“Why would I? I take my dirty clothes to the laundry, and my shirts come back starched the way I like them. I eat at my favorite restaurants, and for the most part, my house is clean. It’s easier that way.”

“But you’re also missing out on love and companionship.”

“I’m happy,” he told his sister. “You’ve never heard me complain.”

But he had to admit, at least to himself, that it wasn’t all that fun coming home to a dark, empty house.

Or sleeping alone in a king-size bed.

Odd, he thought. Before Samantha moved back home, he hadn’t given either much thought.