Page 44 of Dina's Favorite Mistake

“It might be a good channel for all that teenage angst. My sister spent most of her high school years in the stables.”

“I grew up with horse girls. They all stayed out of trouble,” Dina agreed. “They were too busy braiding horse manes and mucking stalls and cleaning hooves to worry about boys and drugs and booze.”

“See?” He playfully nudged her with his elbow. “I’ve got good ideas sometimes.”

She laughed shortly. “I suppose.”

“So—where are you going?”

“Out,” she said, purposely keeping her gaze on the window.

“Out where?” Steve pressed.

“To see someone.”

“Someone like a school counselor who has been filling your daughter’s head with lies?” Steve’s unblinking stare finally broke her, and she chanced a glance his way. He looked both amused and worried. “Did Camila come clean to you?”

Dina nodded. “I’m glad she told me everything.”

“I wanted to give her a chance to tell you. I know it’s important for mothers and daughters to be able to talk about things openlyand honestly.” Steve touched her shoulder in the gentlest way. “But I intended to come find you this morning to make sure you got the full story about her counselor acting as a go-between.”

“Thank you for giving her space to be honest with me.” Dina marveled at this man who tried so hard to do everything right. The bar for men was so low, and here was Steve, jumping as high as he possibly could.

“You’re welcome.”

As Dina gazed up at him, she wished more than anything that her morning was entirely free and open. She wished she could ask him to come with her into the city, to have breakfast at one of the better hotel restaurants and then casually ask if he wanted to see the suites upstairs. A day in bed with Steve was exactly the stress relief she needed right now.

And exactly the sort of distraction she couldn’t afford.

“I’m actually going to see Jose first,” Dina said, purposely drawing away to put room between them.

Steve’s face fell at her sudden step back, but he frowned when her words registered. “Jose? Why?”

“He’s Chavela’s uncle,” Dina said matter-of-factly. “I figured you knew.”

“I didn’t.” Steve looked extremely concerned. “Shit.”

“What?”

“I asked him to look at the video footage from the security cameras. He said there was nothing on it. Maybe he wiped them?”

“Maybe,” Dina replied uncertainly. “He’s her uncle, but only by marriage. It’s not a close family. If anything, he’d be more likely to turn Chavela in than help her get out of trouble.”

“Really?”

“Oh, yeah. It’s a complicated, messy family.”

“Aren’t they all?”

“It sure seems that way! You know Beto dated her when they were kids? I’m the reason they broke up.”

“I found out they dated last night, but I didn’t know you were the reason the relationship ended.”

“I found her going through his drawers in his bedroom.” Dina scowled at the memory. “She had a safety pin in her hand, and she was poking holes in condoms he had hidden in there.”

“No way!”

“Yes! I was shocked! They were still in high school, and she wanted to get pregnant!”

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