Page 80 of Wine & Whiskey
No wonder Nick has such a strong bond with Marta. She mothered him when his own mom couldn’t. Fearful of dropping the pan from her shaking hands, Shae sits it on a cold burner and slumps down onto one of the stools lining the bar. “Did Salvador hit Nick too?”
Marta presses the dough into the cake pan, metal scraping against the countertop as she shaves off the overlapping edges. “Sometimes. Her most of times. Salvador, he no good. No good to her or Nick.” She jerks the dish back in front of her and resumes her vigorous cutting, shaking her head. “When I here, Salvador work, gone lots of times. Nick need me so not alone.”
The admission hurts Marta too. She loves Nick like her own son. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you. I just wanted to understand what happened.”
“Is okay. You good girl. You take care Nick too.”
She squeezes Marta’s shoulder. “Yes, I will. I promise.”
“He good boy. Like mother in here.” She taps her chest, nodding in confidence. “Not father.”
“I know. Like you too.”
Shrugging out of the embrace, Marta returns to her baking. Shae lets her arm fall away, respecting the woman’s stoicism. After years of living only with men, it must be difficult for her to share her emotions, especially ones triggered by such painful memories. Marta hands her a pastry brush and points to the raw dough. “I put in pan. You spread.”
The ache in her chest eases a bit. Nick had Marta. Without her, he may have vanished just like his mother. Lost to the abuse of his father with no one to protect him or mourn his loss. No one able to stand up to his father’s unlimited power. Her presence saved him.
The soft peal of bells echoes throughout the first floor. Her hand stops mid-stroke. “Is that the doorbell?”
Marta wrinkles her nose. “I not know. Never heard before.”
She shakes her head. They live in a surreal world, hiding behind thick curtains of security, never having to wonder who’s at the door. No running around in a frenzy trying to clean up a messy house for unexpected visitors. “I guess I’ll see who it is.”
She jogs into the foyer and peeks around the burnished wood. Nick’s sexy smile lights up his face as he holds a huge bouquet behind his back. His enthusiasm envelops her, and she can’t stop herself from returning the sentiment. “What are you doing?”
“A gentleman always picks up a lady at her front door.” He bows before handing the flowers to her. “These are for you.”
The light, sweet scent engulfs her as she breathes deeply. “They’re beautiful.”
“The florist helped me pick them out. The light pink roses signify sweetness, and the dark pink are passion.” He wraps his arm around her waist and pulls her against him, making her shiver at their bodies pressed together. “Purple means love at first sight.”
A lump forms in her throat at the eagerness on his face. Desperate to keep his promise from the night Juan kidnapped her, he wants to please her with a romantic date just like regular people. She swallows hard, forcing the emotions away. This is their day. Forget Spencer and Nick’s father and her mom. She refuses to let any of them ruin what he’s working so hard to create for her. “I love them. Thank you.”
“I love you.” His lips brush against her cheek before he releases her and taps on his watch. “Are you ready to go?”
Her stomach twirls as she shakes her head. “No, I didn’t know we were leaving so early.”
“Just like a woman not to be ready.” He laughs and jumps back before she can smack his arm. “Well, hurry up. We have a plane to catch.”
Her heart flip flops. He’s going all out to make everything perfect, to ensure her happiness. Just like always. “Where are we going?”
He winks before shaking his head. “Uh-uh, it’s a surprise.”
“Then how do I know what to wear?”
“If it was up to me, it’d be nothing. Since I know you won’t agree to that, anything is fine. It’s casual.”
His lack of detail is both adorable and exasperating. Men don’t know how lucky they are to throw on a shirt and jeans and be ready. “You’re so mysterious.”
He shrugs his shoulders and smiles.
“Fine. I’ll be down in twenty minutes.”
She pauses on the first step. It’s already wonderful, and they haven’t even left yet. She’ll keep her promise too, taking care of him and making him feel special. His face scrunches in confusion as she runs back to him and kisses his cheek. “Thank you.”
“For what? You don’t even know if you’ll like it.”
“For everything. Being with you is all I need to be happy.”
