older girl looked surprise Jillian knew her name. She lifted her hand like she was in school. Jillian transferred her gaze to the younger one. “Then you must be Nina.”
“Sí.”
They were adorable. “Shall we ask the Senor to take us for a ride?”
Their eyes rounded as if the question shocked them.
“Haven’t you ever ridden in it?”
They shook their heads.
“Why not?”
Their little shoulders shrugged.
“Does the Senor have horses?”
“Sí.” This from Marcia. “He keeps them at his work.”
“Ah. Then I’ll ask him tonight. Would you like that?”
The broad smiles they gave her provided the answer. Then Marcia spoke up again. “Mama told us to get you. Lunch is ready.”
Already?
She checked her watch. She’d been out here a lot longer than she’d realized. If she wasn’t mistaken, Remi had told the women to keep a close eye on her. Jillian had to admit it was nice to be watched over. In fact she could grow to like it too much. Normally it was her job to look after other people.
“Let’s go.”
They jumped down and she followed. At the doorway to the barn she reached for their hands. She did it without thinking because they reminded her of her own family. They seemed happy about it. Together they walked back to the main house. By the time they reached the foyer she had an idea.
“Would you like to eat your lunch with me in my room?”
They nodded excitedly and ran off to ask their mother. While they were gone she hurried to the bedroom and put in her eyedrops. Before long Soraya appeared with Jillian’s tray. The girls trailed behind with their own.
“Do you mind if they eat with me?” she asked in Spanish.
“No, no. They’re very excited.”
“So am I. You have no idea how much I miss my own family.”
“Of course.”
“Would you like to eat with us, too?”
Soraya shook her head. “Not this time.” She waved goodbye to her daughters and left the room. In another minute the three of them were gathered around the yellow table. The girls chattered a mile a minute. Jillian couldn’t follow all their conversation but it didn’t matter. Their presence was very comforting.
She found herself wondering who provided the balm to the Senor’s troubled soul, but thinking about him got her into trouble. In a deliberate attempt to concentrate on something else, she got up from the table and went over to her suitcase.
Her clothes had been put away, but she’d left the gifts for the children inside it. Since she wasn’t going to be seeing them for a while, she decided to give them to Marcia and Nina.
Removing the adaptor from her laptop, she plugged it into the little portable CD player she’d bought for them. She’d purchased several CDs in Spanish. One of them was a cartoon. Since Dave’s children loved the English version so much and had it memorized, she knew they’d get a kick out of it.
The girls grew silent as she plugged it into the wall socket and placed it on the table. Once she turned it on, the girls became so engrossed in the charming story they forgot to eat. When their mother came to get them, they begged to stay long enough to finish it.
“I’ll send them out when it’s over,” Jillian promised her. “In the meantime let me help take everything back to the kitchen.” But Soraya insisted on doing it.
Too soon the movie was over. The girls didn’t want to leave. However, they were too well-behaved to argue with their mother. Jillian sent the player and the other CDs with them, and invited them to eat lunch with her by the pool tomorrow. Since they didn’t have school right now, she would love their company. They could swim while she cooled off in the water without getting her head wet.
Squeals of delight from the girls settled the matter. With a heartfelt thank-you, Soraya ushered her children out of the room.
To Jillian’s surprise she felt sleepy. Although the temperature was pleasant inside the casa, she decided that being out in the heat had gotten to her. A little nap wouldn’t hurt.
After she awoke, she worked on some ideas, then walked through the house to the kitchen for dinner. Since the men were working late, the three women and the girls gathered for the evening meal. Still later she went back to her room to e-mail Dave and Angela.
She was on the verge of sending it when there was a knock on the door. Thinking it was the girls, she told them to come in.
“Buenas tardes, Jillian.”
“Remi …” She started to get up, but he told her stay put.
Why was it that every time she saw him after separation, her heart fluttered.
He lounged in the entry with his broad shoulder resting against the doorjamb. Patches of sweat had moistened his shirt. Obviously he’d just come in from a hard day’s work. She could see the darker shadow on his jaw. As far as she was concerned, he’d never looked more attractive.
“I understand you’d like to go on a carriage ride.” Jillian shouldn’t have been surprised word traveled so fast. “Will tomorrow evening be soon enough for you?”
“Only if it won’t be an inconvenience.”
Remi straightened to his full height. “I could use the distraction.” His comment was a reminder of the torturous memories he continually had to suppress in order to survive. “I’ll see you and the girls in the courtyard at seven.” On that note he disappeared. She stared at the closed door wondering how she was going to make it through the next twenty-four hours.
Luckily the ideas and drawings she was working on occupied her time. By the next evening she stood near the fountain just as excited as the girls while they waited for the first sight of the carriage. She, of course, was waiting for Remi. Heat from the day still rose from the ground, but having spent several hours with paper and pencil in the mill house, she was getting used to it.
Marcia must have heard the sound of the horses’ hooves the second Jillian did. The girl’s dark brown eyes flew in her direction. Nina simply jumped up and down clapping her hands.
Jillian exchanged smiles with the women standing a few feet away. According to Maria, the carriage hadn’t been brought out since the death of Remi’s mother.
Suddenly a beautifully matched team of white horses with black spots appeared. They were pulling the black carriage that rounded the side of the main house. Jillian’s gasp coincided with the girls’, who’d never experienced this particular adventure before. Elaborate leather trappings with red tassels and bells covered the horses’ heads and bodies. To everyone’s delight the horses’ movements caused them to sway, bob and jangle.
