Page 52 of What She Wants

Dallas adjusts his cowboy hat, a hat I’ve never seen him wear, while he stands there in a Hawaiian shirt and blue board shorts. I love how random he is all of the time. He doesn’t have the low level uptightness that the rest of us tend to have from growing up under our parents power.

“I was minding my business and the Costa Rican asked if I had to be in the thrupple, who would be my second husband. I picked the first random Hale and said, ‘Dallas because I know he’d feed me.’ and now he’s huffy like I just invited you into our bedroom.” Dallas's signature smile is back into place, his amusement makes his dimples pop.

“I guess it didn’t help that I showed up with food, huh?”

“You’re fine. It was a random selection so he’d leave me alone.”

His face drops and he puts his hands on his hips. “I’d be a great secondary husband.”

“It doesn’t matter, you can’t have a second husband, Chispa.”

Now I want to fight him because I didn’t ask for one.

“Look here fucker…”

“Can I interest you in Tártaras Cocadas? I worked on getting the recipe right all morning,” Dallas offers with one of the boxes open.

“A what?”

Marin moves around me to reach for one. “It’s a Costa Rican dessert.” He bites it and his eyes grow, impressed. “It’s damn near authentic. Very good, Dallas. Gracias.”

He takes the box and Dallas gives him the other two boxes while naming what’s inside. “Torta Chilena, and Fruit Empanadas. I put the tres leche cake in the refrigerator.”

Marin nods and goes to his dad and cousins for them to try the desserts. Dallas grins then winks at me. “Told you. Great secondary husband.”

Happy, he walks off towards the pool and drops his shirt on an empty seat revealing a body I don’t think any of us knows he has.

Karessa comes out with my nephew and looks at me staring. She double takes and stares for a moment as well.

“Well damn, he’s country-fed thick with muscles.”

“And a tattoo,” adds

Oran snatches up his son and glares at both of us like he’s not the same sans tattoo. “You twomarriedwomen should not be checking out my baby brother.”

Jagger is not far behind and pushes Dallas in the pool while shaking his head. “Another Hale, whore.”

Mind you, Jagger is half naked with the smallest swim trucks that money can buy.Ainslee must have peaked from the other end. I look over and see her shaking her head as she stares after her husband, yup that’s what happened. Delgado better not say shit to be because he’d lost his train of thought earlier when Ainslee stripped. Speaking of Ainslee, she brought all the candy to the party. I didn't know her little brothers looked like that. Correction, I didn’t know she had little brothers but they’re not so little anyway.

The Delgados have the music bumping again and Marín, Santí, and Desi have found the microphones again. I’m not surprised when they start performingMessing Aroundby Pitbull, those sexy horndogs. Desi is now just as naked as everyone else showing us his toned body and tattoos and he dances around with his cousin and uncle. But when Marín does part of the rap looking at me asking me if I want it in English or Spanish, I almost yelled both. This man is going to drive me insane.

Chapter30

Marín

Today has beenanother long but worth it day. One of my long-time patients just found out that she’s going to be a mother. I’m so happy for her and her family. It’s a sore subject because I think of my last patient… She didn’t have to die that way but there’s nothing that I can do. Things like this never really leave us doctors, they just remain there and we give them a sort of vigil in our minds, hearts, or some of us at church. Whatever works for each individual.

Taking a deep breath, I look at the alert on my work computer. I almost forgot about the ceremony today, specifically for my foundation. I should remember since it is the Nicolás-León Future Children Foundation, my foundation that I’ve been pouring more and more of myself into, well before I got married and now, this time, attending feels different. Maybe it's the fact that I have someone to share it with.

Shutting my eyes, I shake my head at the sudden headache that is coming on. I need a drink and to sleep some more.

My office phone rings and I answer it.

“Delgado.”

“Dr. Delgado, your mother is here to see you, should I… let her in?” My assistant wearily asks me.

I know that I told her to ignore my mothers calls and everything and to tell her that I’m not here but I didn’t actually expect my mother to show up. Sighing hard, I run my hand down my face.

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