Page 27 of Rafa's Convenient Wife

You’re desperate for comfort.

That’s all this is. It’s infatuation gone wild.

“Are you okay?” Dina asked quietly after the parish priest had offered a long prayer. “You look a bit flushed.”

“This dress is warm,” she lied. It was actually very comfortable. Even with all the lace, the fabric breathed well, and the fit was just right. If it wasn’t white, she would wear it once a week.

“I can ask someone to turn down the air conditioning.”

“No, it’s fine. Thank you.”

Dina eyed her skeptically. “If you change your mind...”

“Yep.” Sky nodded and then reached for her water glass. Soila had taken Jasper from Beto and had him in a highchair beside her. The doting grandmother had given him a warm tortilla slathered in butter. He happily chewed on it and grinned at her.

“I’m sorry we didn’t have to time to get your guests here.” Dina helped herself to the first course. The salad dish was an interesting mix of beets, jicama, and candied pumpkin seeds. There were hints of mint and lemon, and Sky wondered what other Mexican delicacies Jovita had conjured up tonight.

“I didn’t have anyone else to invite,” Sky admitted. She scanned the table, taking in the small guest list. Immediate family, the household staff, the judge, the priest, and a handful of business people she barely knew. “Most of my friends are overseas.”

“Well, we’ll have more time to send out invitations when we plan the church wedding.” Dina carefully avoided making eye contact as she used her fork to delicately stab a piece of jicama. “Have you given some thought as to when you’d like to do that?”

“Not really,” Sky said, wondering whether Rafael was getting the same question from the priest who kept smiling at her from across the table where he sat next to her new husband.

“Fall is the most beautiful time here.” Dina sipped her white wine. “You’ll look so lovely in fall colors.”

“I—.”

“Not this fall, obviously,” Dina clarified. “It’s too soon for you two to get all of the requirements out of the way, and well, it’s toosoon.” She didn’t mention the other reason, probably because she was afraid Sky would burst into tears. “Next fall then,” she decided. “We’ll have to get it on the church calendar as soon as you pick a date. We generally get special treatment at the cathedral, but it’s better to choose early.”

“Right. Of course,” Sky agreed, too overwhelmed to even consider arguing. It was easier to let her plan a wedding that wasn’t going to happen than to remind her that Rafael had stated from the outset this was a marriage of convenience for protecting Jasper.

This is all for him. All of it. It’s not about me or Rafael. It’s about keeping you safe, baby boy.

After a delicious dinner of Jovita’s signaturepozole,seafood,rajas con crema, roasted pork marinated in guajillo chiles, braised lamb, and all sorts of interesting side dishes and ultra-rich desserts, Sky carried Jasper upstairs to start his nightly routine. She didn’t bother changing out of her wedding dress as she took him out of his stained outfit. He was already starting to fuss a bit as she put him into a warm bath, and she suspected the long day, and his shortened nap would make him a bit harder to put down to sleep than usual.

As she slathered him with lotion and slipped him into his pajamas, Rafael arrived with a warmed bottle. “I brought his milk.”

“Thank you.” She winced as Jasper grabbed a handful of her hair and pulled so hard her scalp burned. “Okay, little dude. That’s not nice.”

“Here. Let me.” Rafael came to her rescue and carefully unwrapped their nephew’s fingers. He picked up Jasper and offered the bottle while she coiled her loose hair into a bun. “I wish we could communicate with him.”

“Usually, I can tell what his cries mean or why he’s upset.” Sky watched as Rafael tried to settle Jasper into his arms and get the bottle into his mouth. “Maybe he’s teething?”

“I think he misses his parents.” Rafael looked stricken as the realization hit. “What I said earlier about him looking for them? He’s doing it again. See?”

She didn’t want to confirm her worst fear, but there it was. Jasper kept stretching his neck to see the door, almost as if he expected his mother or father to appear. It broke her already shattered heart into tinier pieces.

Suddenly, she thought of something that might soothe him. “Wait. Let’s try some music.”

“Music?”

She nodded and grabbed her iPhone. She tapped and scrolled until she found the song that Maddie often sang to Jasper in the evenings. Soon, Mitski’s dreamy, lush voice filled the room. As soon as Jasper heard the familiar tune, he stopped crying and went still. Rafael managed to get the bottle close enough for Jasper to greedily take, and he sank down into the nearest chair to hold their nephew.

The lyrics toMy Love Mine All Minebrought fresh tears to her eyes.

It’s not fair. Maddie should be here singing to him. He needs his mother.

She looped the song, letting it play again and again until Jasper was deep asleep in Rafael’s arms. He set aside the empty bottle and carried Jasper to crib, stopping long enough for her to kiss her nephew’s head. She watched Rafael settle him into bed. He'd gotten better at it, no longer jostling Jasper or putting him down too quickly.

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