Page 65 of Finding Love in the Clouds

“Tom reached out to me. He heard about the meeting arranged with Sarah for the end of the month. We pooled our resources, and I finally have conclusive information on the Reyes Cartel. Sophie, you may not like this, so sit down,” Enrique instructed.

“Sitting,” she confirmed.

“First of all, the reason you’re a free woman is because Richard Reyes is dead. He turned state’s evidence and was placed in the witness protection program. With his help, the entire operation was shut down. The entire Reyes family was wiped out. A large number of them were killed during the raid on the family estate in Mexico. The rest were wiped out by competitors who didn’t want one of the most powerful cartels restructuring. Richard’s testimony helped the feds understand the cartel’s structure like they never had before. They were able to convict over a hundred key players in the sophisticated network the cartel had created. The reason it took me this long is because I was working to identify anyone who was still alive from that time whomight hold a grudge against Richard and come after Javier if his face ever landed in the tabloids. I have spread my net far and wide over the past five months, and I am certain that there is no threat from the Reyes Cartel. I’ve worked with the BraveHeart team, and security measures are in place to monitor for any threat that may arise. Sophie, if you want Javier to continue wearing the special cream to keep his face from being photographed, that’s fine. I won’t tell you to stop. What I will say is that he doesn’t need to be hidden away anymore. Julio and I are confident that our teams can keep him safe. Tom is satisfied with the plans we have in place, and you have the green light to move forward with Sarah. Her safety is a top priority. Do not plan any media campaigns with her face. She lives in seclusion with her husband for a reason.”

“Enrique, is working with Sarah going to increase the danger to my family?” Fernando asked, considering this angle for the first time since all of this started.

“No. I’m fully aware of the situation surrounding Tom’s heightened security for her, and it shouldn’t be a problem for you. If it becomes an issue, I’m confident your BraveHeart security team will be able to handle it,” Enrique replied confidently. “If there aren’t any questions, I’ll wish you both a very Merry Christmas. See you on New Year’s Eve.”

“Merry Christmas!” they said in unison before Enrique jumped off the call.

“Sophie, are you okay?” Fernando asked, wishing he had been with her for this conversation.

“Yes, actually. I think in my heart, I knew that Richard was dead. I’m glad he was able to help bring the cartel down before he was killed. It must have been very hard for him to turn on his family, though. I think this is a secret we should keep from Javier until he is an adult. Heknows he has a biological father, and I can honestly say he is dead now but that he was a good man. When the time comes to share his father’s past, I will ask Enrique to help us so Javier doesn’t wind up doing his own research and stirring up trouble. Now that Enrique helped us verify the cash and gems he saved for us are clean, we can put them in the safe for Javi when he gets older and decides what he wants to do with them. A few of the stones would make beautiful jewelry for his future bride and would be a nice connection to his father. Okay, I need to get back to work, so this is done before Javier gets home from school. Was there anything else?”

“Yes, I received confirmation from Harrington House in Hickory Falls; our reservations are all set for December 22nd-25th.”

“Perfect. The winter clothes I ordered for Javier arrived, and they fit, a miracle of all miracles given his recent growth spurt. I’ll work on getting us packed. I think I forgot to mention the gowns you had Tess select for both Christmas and New Year’s Eve arrived, too, and they are stunning. Thank you. That was a huge item taken off my list. I appreciate not having to stress over what to wear for those two occasions.”

“There are perks to having a personal stylist, Sophie. Soon, you will be calling and arranging your own wardrobe. Have a good evening. I love you.”

“I love you, too,” Sophie said softly before ending the call.

Chapter Sixty-Six

The family’s short winter holiday in the Massachusetts forests was amazing. While Sophie and Fernando met with Max at his historical law office in the heart of Hickory Falls, Sophie’s parents took Javier sledding down the hills in the town commons and fed him hearty meals in a diner over a hundred years old.

Later, they traveled a steep and winding road in their rented four-wheel-drive SUV to reach Sarah’s home, which was hidden deep in the forest at the top of a mountain.

Her door was answered by a man larger than Fernando had ever seen... and his brother Gabriel was massive. No sooner was the door opened than an auburn-haired beauty holding a baby gave him a gentle shove. “Stop scaring the guests.”

The man grimaced and glared but stepped back, allowing Fernando and Sophie to enter the cozy and delightfully warm cabin.

“Welcome! I’m Sarah, obviously, and the grumpy mountain man still holding the door open is my very protective husband, Eric.”

Before she could continue, the door slammed shut, startling the child.

Glaring at her husband, she handed him the crying infant, which instantly calmed her.

“Thank you for coming. As you can see, thepersonal businessI was dealing with when we first spoke was the final trimester of my pregnancy and the growing pains of having a newborn in our life. Come, sit. Would you like coffee or hot chocolate?” Sarah asked, heading towards the kitchen.

“Coffee would be lovely,” Sophie answered. “How old is your baby?”

“Three and a half months and growing like a weed. She was in a hurry to meet everyone and came a bit early, which caused a bit of excitement, but now that she’s here, we are figuring out the whole parent thing. She just started to sleep through the night, so this was perfect timing. I might actually remember what we discussed and stay awake through the entire conversation,” she said, laughing softly.

“I remember those early days. My son cried incessantly, and I couldn’t figure out why. An older woman finally told me it was likely one of two things if the doctors ruled out colic. One, he wasn’t happy being out in the big scary world and was telling everyone who could hear him that he wanted to go back to the warm, dark cocoon he had liked much better. Or two, my new mom’s nerves were scaring him, and I needed to work on controlling my emotions. She said I could help with the first by swaddling him tighter, and the second, I would need to work on, but that a crying baby didn’t mean the end of the world, and I needed not to let it upset me,” Sophie shared.

Sarah returned to the living room with a tray of steaming mugs. “That is pretty much the advice we’ve received as well. I don’t understand why they don’t tell you all of that before you leave the hospital.It seems like a lesson all new parents have to learn, though. How old is your son?”

“Javier is six and in first grade,” Sophie answered.

“I didn’t realize you had a son,” Sarah said, glancing over to Fernando. “I guess we have a lot to learn about each other if we are going to be literary partners. I only know what I found on the internet, which was clearly not accurate, and you shouldn’t know anything about me at all.”

“My son is a new development as we just got engaged and will marry on January 1st,” Fernando confessed. “I would love to learn more about you. Your brother Tom has made it very clear I’m not to ask any questions, though, so you’ll have to volunteer any information you feel comfortable sharing.”

Sarah turned to glare at her husband, reclining comfortably in his chair with his daughter resting peacefully on his barrel of a chest, her entire body covered by his massive hand. He shrugged and returned his gaze to his sleeping infant.

The afternoon passed quickly, with plenty of stories and laughter between the three of them. Sarah’s husband observed the scene with penetrating green eyes but didn’t say a word unless addressed directly by Sarah.

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