The Wedding She Always Wanted (10 page)

But, then, this wasn’t about tile or even about the restaurant. This was about his father’s dedication and commitment, qualities that had made him the love of Maria’s life. Even after ten years, she remained fiercely loyal to her husband’s memory. It was a devotion that left Javy in awe and wondering what it would be like to have a woman love him like that.

To have
Emily
love him like that.

The thought should have come from left field, blindsiding him and knocking him on his ass. Instead, the idea whispered through his mind like it had been there all along. And wasn’t that what remodeling the restaurant was really about for him? To prove he not only had what it took to see things through, but that he deserved a woman who would stay by his side…

He probably couldn’t pick a worse time to talk to Maria, but this was his last chance. Either they started the remodel
or they went ahead and planned for the reopening next Saturday. Once the restaurant was up and running, it would take another disaster for Maria to close the doors again.

“It’s a big change, but I think you’ll be glad once it’s done. Just like I think you’d like the changes if we remodeled the patio and bar. I get that it’s hard to take that first step but—”

“No, Javier. You do not
get it
. Not if you think I would ever be happy to see Delgado’s change. You look around and see someplace old-fashioned and out of date. I see the
restaurante
exactly as it was when my Miguel last walked through those doors.”

Maria flung a hand toward the lobby. Javy’s gaze automatically followed, and a slight movement caught his eye.

“So, no, Javier. No more changes.” Maria spun on a heel at her final word and disappeared out the back as suddenly as she’d arrived. And the silence he had enjoyed as such a peaceful relief only moments ago was now filled with frustration and regret.

“You can come out, Emily,” he said, glancing toward the lobby, where he’d spotted her seconds earlier.

Stepping into the dining area, Emily wished she’d given in to the urge to slip away unnoticed. She hadn’t intended to eavesdrop but hadn’t thought anything of it when she heard voices coming from the restaurant. At Maria’s outburst, though, Emily had frozen in place. Last thing she’d wanted to do was to interrupt, but she’d been equally afraid to call attention to herself by trying to sneak away.

She was still caught in her own indecision when Maria stormed out of the restaurant.

“I’m sorry, Javy. I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop—”

“But you heard everything.”

“Enough,” she admitted. Enough to know how hurt he must be by his mother’s refusal to trust in the changes he
wanted to make, and enough to realize now why Maria was so against those changes.

“She must have really loved your dad.”

“More than anything,” he agreed, the flatness in the words telling Emily more than he was willing to say. He leaned against the handle of the push broom, but the defeat she saw in his posture had nothing to do with the long, hard days of physical labor he’d put in.

“Javy…”

“Look, let’s just forget about this.”

A part of Emily was tempted to do just that. The part of her that didn’t cause waves, that never mentioned touchy subjects, that pasted on a happy face and let things slide…

Except that part of her was becoming smaller and smaller, and it was Javy who had encouraged her to stand up for herself, to speak out. And this was her chance to stand up and speak out—for him.

“This isn’t about you. You must know that. Your mother is trying to hold on to the past and the memory of your father.”

“That’s not the only past she’s holding on to.”

Anna’s insight—that Maria wouldn’t change her opinion of Javy until he changed his ways—echoed in Emily’s thoughts, but she wasn’t about to repeat his cousin’s words. First, she didn’t know if the other woman was right, and second, because Javy was…Javy. Charming, flirtatious, sexy, and Emily didn’t want him to change.

“I wanted to prove I could do this. That I deserve…”

His voice trailed off, but the look of longing in his dark eyes reached out and squeezed Emily’s heart, reminding her there was more to Javy than his charm and sex appeal. He did a good job of hiding it, and Emily did her best not to see it, because that was the side of Javy she was coming dangerously close to falling for.

“Javy…”

He quickly shook his head, denying anything she might have seen. “It doesn’t matter. She doesn’t trust me, and she has every right not to.”

“That’s not true,” Emily protested. “Why would you even say that?”

“Maybe because she can’t forget that I practically destroyed the place the first time she left me in charge.” Javy let go of the broom, and it fell to the bare concrete floor with a loud clatter.

“What are you talking about? When did…” Emily’s voice trailed away as she guessed the answer in the pointed look he gave her. “The fire ten years ago.”

“I was in charge that night. I’m the reason Connor took money from your family and left town.”

Emily didn’t know if Maria truly blamed Javy for the long-ago accident, but she had no doubt that it
was
an accident. And whatever guilt Javy felt, she refused to add to it. Especially over a relationship with Connor that would never have lasted, anyway.

She longed to reach out to him and offer what comfort she could, but the tension pulling at his shoulders and knotting the ropelike muscles in his arms told Emily he wouldn’t accept her consolation. He would likely see her sympathy as pity and reject any overture she made.

Taking a chance and hoping it didn’t backfire, she changed tactics. She stepped closer and canted her head in challenge. “So, what you’re saying is that…” Emily paused. “You owe me.”

Javy blinked once and then a second time before the edge of guilt and regret disappeared from his dark eyes. “I think, technically, I owe your parents.”

“Hmm, considering that I’m planning to make you work off your debt, I think you’d much rather owe me.”

He crossed his arms over his chest, hiding a would-be
smile behind a dark frown. “Gotta tell you, I don’t like being indebted to anyone. So what exactly do you have in mind?”

“Dinner,” Emily said, before quickly adding, “Tomorrow night.” He’d been hard at work all day, and she wanted to give them both something to look forward to.

“Just dinner?” he asked, an obvious dare written in his voice.

“It was ten thousand dollars, Javy,” she deadpanned. “It better be more than just dinner.”

“I’d say that you’re playing with fire, but considering the circumstances…”

“Good point.”

He let loose the smile he’d been fighting, his white teeth flashing in his too-handsome face, and shook his head. “Now I know what you mean.”

“Excuse me?”

“The night of the wedding, when you said I could make you laugh when you didn’t even feel like smiling. Now I know how that feels—thanks to you.”

Pleasure poured through her, and for a split second, Emily thought maybe she should worry that making Javy smile, making him laugh, made her so ridiculously happy. But as soon as it formed, she brushed the concern aside. She was
not
going to freak herself out over how
happy
she was! So maybe it wouldn’t last, all the more reason to enjoy the feeling now.

“So I guess that’s one I owed you,” she teased.

Javy smiled again, but she could see the toll the day of hard work and harder words had taken on him. The shadows beneath his eyes competed with the shadow of his beard. More than once he’d twitched his right arm and shoulder, trying to stretch out some stiffness, and numerous nicks and scrapes marked his hands.

“I should let you go…It’s getting late,” she murmured.

“Yeah,” he agreed, but he didn’t make any sudden move to leave. “I’d love a cold beer and a hot tub right now.”

The heat in his dark eyes told Emily that wasn’t
all
he wished for. She swallowed against a suddenly dry throat, which could have used a cold beer of its own, even as she took a step toward the door. As tempting as the idea of slipping into a tub of hot water on a hotter night was, the timing wasn’t right. The day had been filled with too much emotional upheaval to think it wouldn’t carry over. And besides…

“I’ll see you tomorrow night,” she promised.

Javy nodded. “Tomorrow night,” he echoed, only to call her name before she reached the door. “I didn’t even think to ask earlier, but why did you come back?”

Hardly able to believe she’d forgotten, Emily stopped short and flashed a smile over her shoulder. “Anna called. The buyer accepted my offer on the town house.”

“Hey, that’s great! When Anna said there was another offer, I was afraid you might miss out.”

“So was I.”

She very nearly had, thanks to old insecurities and old habits holding her back. But she’d learned her lesson. She refused to let her fears rob her of this time with Javy. It had been only one day, and she’d missed him terribly. Each breath she took had scraped the raw emptiness inside her. Now, though, after seeing him again, she realized that place in her chest didn’t feel so empty. Instead, her heart was practically bursting with happiness, excitement and a heady, overwhelming emotion she refused to name….

But something of those feelings must have shown in her expression, plain as day, for Javy to read. “Tomorrow night,” he echoed again, his voice a husky, sensual promise that Emily could no longer wait for him to fulfill.

E
mily watched with a smile as Angela Delgado looked through the rainbow of skirts, blouses, dresses and slacks laid out on her king-size bed. The woman gaped and offered prayers in Spanish beneath her breath as she ran her hands over the various fabrics. Emily knew without a doubt that Anna’s mother was taking more pleasure in simply
looking
at the clothes than she ever had in wearing them.

“
All
of these?” Angela questioned for the third time, as if she feared the colorful bounty spread over the cream-colored bedspread would be suddenly taken away.

“All of them,” Emily reiterated.

Once she’d learned her offer for the town house had been accepted, she’d wasted no time in arranging for Angela to come look at the clothes.

Still buried wrist-deep in designer outfits, Angela said, “Lauren will love these. I asked her to stop by. That is okay?”

“Yes, of course.”

Emily had barely said the words when she heard a soft knock on the open bedroom door. A wide-eyed young woman with short brown hair stuck her head inside. “Sorry I’m late. I didn’t think I was at the right house and…”

The woman—Lauren, Emily assumed—went completely silent when she saw the turquoise cashmere sweater Angela held up. “Is that…Are these the clothes?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

“Whatever you like,” Emily offered.

“Lauren just got a job with a law firm,” the older woman said, as much pride shining in her eyes as when she talked about her daughter, Anna.

“I’m only the receptionist,” Lauren clarified quietly.

“It is a good job, a professional job, and you need to look the part,” said Angela.

Emily nodded her agreement. “By the time we’re done, you’ll have the perfect business wardrobe, and maybe a few outfits for fun on a Friday night.”

Lauren gave a soft laugh as she fingered the sleeve of an emerald-green silk blouse. “Somehow I don’t think I’ll find a jogging suit and spit-up rag in here. My idea of a fun Friday night is playing with my two-year-old son.” A mother’s joy lighting her expression and adding a soft beauty to her otherwise plain features, she asked, “Would you like to see a picture?”

When Emily nodded, Lauren pulled out her wallet and showed photos of a chubby-faced, smiling toddler.

“He’s beautiful,” Emily declared.

“He’s what I work for, why I want a better life. And I’m so lucky to have found Angela. She helped me get this job. If not for her…” Lauren’s voice trailed off. She didn’t even want to mention what her fate might have been.

“You don’t have any family who can help you?” Emily asked.

Running her thumb over her son’s face, the young woman shook her head. “I was a senior in high school when I met Ben’s father. My parents didn’t like him. They said he was a user, told me to stay away from him. Obviously, I didn’t listen,” she said with a wry smile as she tucked the photos and wallet away. “I ran off to be with him. Only, my parents ended up being right, but by then it was too late. I was pregnant, and as far as my family was concerned, I’d made my decision, and I had to live with it.”

At eighteen, Emily had done the same thing—defied her parents and snuck behind their backs to date Connor. What would have happened had she run off with him, only to come home pregnant and alone? She tried to imagine her parents turning their backs on her but couldn’t. Their disappointment and disapproval would have been a heavy burden to bear, but she knew they loved her enough to welcome her back home.

Where they would have used her past mistakes to keep her firmly in line.

Emily tried to shove aside the unkind thought, but she knew the truth, just like she knew without a doubt that her parents would see her relationship with Javy as a mistake.

But from now on, she was playing by her own rules and doing what she wanted. And even though any relationship with Javy was bound to be short-lived, she planned to enjoy every minute. Beginning with their date that night.

“Maybe this one. Or this…”

Emily turned her attention back to the two women, who were having a hard time matching up the different pieces into coordinating outfits. Reaching past them and into the closet, she pulled out a pair of charcoal gray slacks to go with the turquoise sweater. “Here. Try this.”

Seconds later, Lauren stepped out of the bathroom to model her new clothes. “What do you think?”

Looking at Lauren, Emily tried not to smile. The two pieces combined made a lovely outfit, but the sleeves slid past Lauren’s fingertips, and she stood in a pool of gray wool. With her delicate features and short hair, she looked like a little girl playing dress up.

Emily tilted her head. “I think it will be a wonderful outfit once it’s tailored—”

“She can roll up the sleeves of the sweater, and a hem will do fine for the pants,” the older woman insisted, not refusing Emily’s advice as much as admitting a hem was the best she could do.

But to truly fit correctly, the outfit needed more than a simple hem….

“You know, my cousin has a friend who’s a dress designer,” said Emily. “She went to a local fashion institute, and I remember her saying she spent hours learning how to tailor clothes. I wonder if we could arrange for some of the current students to alter the clothes for extra credit.”

“Do you think they would?” Lauren asked.

The hope shining in her eyes made Emily wish she’d never said a word. What did she know about what the design students could or couldn’t do? She shouldn’t have gotten Lauren’s hopes up when she had no idea….

“Perfect!” Angela exclaimed. “Emily, you will arrange this for us, yes?”

With both women looking at her with such expectation, what else could she say but…yes.

After Angela and Lauren left, their arms weighed down with bags stuffed with clothes, Emily gathered the many now-empty hangers. She hadn’t expected to enjoy the afternoon as much as she had, but the women had given Emily’s spirits a lift she hadn’t even realized she needed.

Wondering what more she could do to help the charity, Emily didn’t notice that her mother had entered the bedroom until Charlene said, “I saw those two women as they were leaving. Do you have any clothes left?”

“Of course.” Emily crossed her arms at her waist. She hated that every conversation with her parents right now turned into an argument. Why couldn’t they be happy for her? Or, if that was too much to expect, couldn’t they at least respect her decision to move out?

Instead, she felt like she had when she was five and cut her own hair. For weeks her mother had shaken her head in a combination of disappointment and hope that her scalped bangs would grow out before anyone noticed.

Emily met that same look in her mother’s eyes now, as if she were making some foolish mistake that Charlene was hoping she would quickly grow out of.

Replacing the empty hangers on the rod, Emily said, “The things I gave away were outfits I haven’t worn in months, and they are all going to a good cause.”

Lauren had hugged Emily before she left, the shy, awkward embrace revealing that she wasn’t accustomed to such displays of affection. “Only a few months ago, I prayed for someone to help me and my son,” the young woman had whispered. “First, I found Angela, and now, you. I can’t thank you enough, Emily.”

Emily had never been the answer to
anything
before, and she couldn’t stop thinking about the light in Lauren’s eyes as she tried on one outfit after another. Even though the clothes hadn’t been perfect fits, it had been like watching an impromptu fashion show.

Donating more clothes would help the charity, but was there some way to combine the clothes and the fashion show into some kind of money-raising opportunity? An event where
everyday women, not high-paid models, walked the catwalk and the clothes worn were donated items instead of haute couture originals?

Caught up in the possibilities, Emily almost missed what her mother was saying until two words struck out at her.

“I’ve decided to have Dan Rogers’s dinner party next weekend.”

“Next weekend?” The Delgado’s reopening was that same weekend, an event she was looking forward to almost as much as she was dreading her mother’s dinner party. “What night?”

Charlene frowned. “Friday. Why?”

Breathing a sigh of relief, Emily said, “I have plans on Saturday and I was worried….”

“Worried what?” her mother asked, expectation written in the lift of her eyebrows.

Obviously Charlene thought her dinner party superseded any plans Emily might have made. “I was worried there might be a conflict, but there isn’t.” Trying to summon up a proper amount of interest, she asked, “How many people will be attending?”

“Six. I was thinking of having a seafood theme—lobster bisque, crab legs….”

“Hmm, my favorites.”

“It turns out seafood is Dan’s favorite, too.”

They spoke for a few more minutes, discussing whether or not to have the meal catered or to bring in a personal chef, as well as what desserts might be on the menu.

“Am I keeping you from something?” her mother asked, catching Emily glancing at the bedside clock and pinning her to the spot with a pointed look.

Emily had known this conversation was coming. If she was going to make her own choices, then she was going to have to learn to accept her parents’ disapproval. Ignoring the nerves turning her insides into origami, she said, “I have a date tonight.”

“A date? With whom?”

“Javier Delgado. He was Connor’s best man, and they’ve been friends for years.”

Her mother’s frown told Emily that while Charlene might have reluctantly welcomed Connor into the family, the same invitation didn’t extend to his friends. “Emily, are you sure you’re ready for this? What do you even know about this man?”

She shrugged. “I know I like being with him.”

“If you want to go out, your father and I know plenty of young men from good families—”

“Men like Todd?” Emily couldn’t help asking.

Charlene flinched. “Is that what this is about? Moving, giving away your clothes, going out with this man…Are you punishing us for not protecting you from Todd?”

“No. Of course not. Todd fooled all of us, but he’s the only one to blame for that.” And she could only blame herself for letting things go as far as they had. “It’s not your fault, and I shouldn’t have brought him up.”

“I’m glad you did, Emily. I’m sure this experience with Todd has shown you that there are men in the world who will use you to get what they want….”

Knowing where her mother was going, Emily shook her head. “Not Javy.”

“How do you know?”

“Because he told me…” He’d also told her she needed to confront her parents.

Taking a deep breath, she said, “He told me he wouldn’t take money from our family again.”

“Again?”

“The money you gave Connor to leave town…” Her mother recoiled at the reminder. “He gave it to the Delgados to save their restaurant.”

“And what exactly did he hope to gain by telling you that?”

“Nothing. He thought I already knew,” Emily replied pointedly.

Charlene sighed. “After Connor left, your father and I didn’t see any reason to tell you.”

“Not telling me is the least of the problem! Why couldn’t you…Why haven’t you
ever
trusted me to make my own decisions?”

“Including the decision to run off with a man your father and I disapproved of when you were eighteen?”

“This goes back so much further than Connor. I feel like I’ve spent my whole life with you and Daddy watching over my shoulder, just waiting for me to repeat some
huge
mistake!”

“That’s ridiculous,” Charlene insisted, even as she rubbed a spot on her crystal watch face and refused to meet Emily’s gaze.

“No, it’s not.” She wasn’t being ridiculous, but she couldn’t force her mother to talk. “Although it is almost funny. You don’t even trust me enough to tell me why you don’t trust me. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to get ready for my date.”

As Emily turned toward the bathroom, Charlene called out her name. Looking back, Emily could see the debate playing out behind her mother’s normally reserved features. She waited, hoping her mother might finally open up, but at the last moment Charlene said, “Everything your father and I have done has been in your best interests. We never wanted to hurt you.”

Frustrated by an explanation that didn’t explain anything, Emily nodded. Her parents did love her. She had no doubt of that. She could only hope they would understand that, from now on, as much as she loved them, as much she didn’t want to hurt them, she could look out for herself.

Javy had everything set for his date with Emily, and he was looking forward to the evening with an eagerness fitting for a first date—if he were thirteen and this were his first date
ever.

For a grown man with his experience, this should have been a typical night. But he couldn’t ignore the feeling that if he let it, this could be more….

Doing his best to shake it off, he just grabbed his keys. He was heading for the door when his cell phone rang. He answered the call as he hit the button for the garage.

“Hey, it’s Anna,” his cousin responded to his greeting. “I talked to my mom a few minutes ago, and she is thrilled. She said Emily gave the charity a ton of clothes.”

Javy listened with half an ear as his cousin raved about fashion. He had already backed down the driveway and pulled onto the street before Anna switched gears to the Wilsons’ house.

“And she says the house is a mansion, with these amazing columns and this huge fountain out front!”

“Yeah? Well, I guess I’ll see for myself tonight, when I pick Emily up for our date.”

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

“If this is about Emily and Stephanie being too much alike, you’re wrong.”

Expecting an argument, Anna surprised him by saying, “I know. I misjudged her. Emily’s stronger than I thought, and she’s a woman who knows what she wants.”

“I thought so from the moment I met her.” He was glad other people were starting to see the strength beneath Emily’s beauty. He hoped Emily was starting to see it herself.