Page 53 of Betrayed

“I’m sorry, Momma. I got so caught up in me, and school, that I forgot to worry about you.” She collapsed into her arms as tears spilled down her cheeks. “I’m a sucky daughter.”

“You’re not sucky, baby. You’re busy. I get that, but I have felt distanced from you. Can we work on that?”

“Absolutely. I can come home at least once a month, I promise.”

“Me, too,” Jordy said, approaching much slower. “And I’m sorry, too. I’m supposed to be the man of the family and I let you down.”

Mari opened her embrace to include her son. He moved in and they all held each other in a great big group hug.

“I can come up some, too, and we can meet in the middle. The shop will be back to normal with Adri back.”

She then urged them to a seat at the breakfast bar and as they caught up on each other’s lives, she made their favorite, French toast with almond extract, stuffed with cream cheese and raspberry preserves. As she whipped the eggs and milk together, she smiled to herself at the irony of the menu. Arturo would approve.

Chapter 16

STANDING ON THE WARMsand with the smell of the salt air surrounding her, and the gulf breeze gently blowing through her hair was a wonderful way to wind down any day. But having Arturo’s arms around her, his broad chest supporting her back and his lips brushing occasionally against her temple as streaks of red and pink painted the sky made it perfect.

“Come eat, you two,” Lexie called from the house.

They turned to see her on the second-level deck waving them in as Jonas manned a smoking grill behind her.

“I like them,” she said as she waved back.

Arturo’s arm slipped around her shoulders as he guided her up the sandy path to the steps.

“I do, too. And this house is amazing,” he added, as they climbed steadily, side by side up to where their hosts were laying out dinner.“And it’s a far cry from damp, dreary London, this time of year.”

“Now that’s somewhere I’d like to go. I’ve never been out of Texas.”

“Never? Then I shall be happy to expand your horizons someday soon. We’ll plan a London excursion after the rainy season, which means, we have a narrow two-week window of opportunity in May.”

She laughed. “You’re exaggerating, surely. Besides, you haven’t experienced a full summer in Houston. Nothing is worse than the humidity. If we don’t get hit by at least one tropical storm or hurricane this year, it will be an exception to the rule.”

“I like what I’ve seen here so far,ma colombe.”

Her eyes met his swiftly. Getting the impression he wasn’t talking about the weather or the city, she blushed. She also took a sudden interest in her feet as they tackled the second flight of steps.

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