nodded curtly, her gaze raking Ryan shrewdly. “Bienvenido. Welcome to our home.”
Jennifer quickly stepped around them and took her place at Ryan’s side. “Mamá, Papi, I’d like you to meet my…friend, Ryan Madison. Ryan, these are my parents, Carmen and Diego Rodriguez.”
As the three of them exchanged pleasantries, Jennifer chided herself inwardly. What a wimp she was! Why not just introduce him as her fiancé and get that out of the way? She’d have been halfway there after barely walking in the door. She twisted the ring around on her finger until the diamond was cradled in her palm.
“Mr. and Mrs. Rodriguez, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you,” Ryan said, reaching out to shake their hands. “Jennifer has told me so much about you.”
“Funny, she hasn’t told us a thing about you,” Carmen murmured, grudgingly impressed with his easy charm and impeccable manners but still reserving judgment for later.
“Carmen, haven’t you forgotten something?” Diego teased.
Jennifer’s mother looked over at her husband. “And what is that?”
“You’ve forgotten to tell Jennifer she hasn’t been eating.” He turned to Ryan and chuckled. “It’s part of their little ritual. Carmen tells Jennifer she’s too skinny and Jennifer tells Carmen that she eats plenty. Jennifer tells Carmen to mind her own business and Carmen tells Jennifer to mind her elders.”
“Well, I didn’t say anything because Jennifer looks fine. In fact, she looks as if she has gained weight.” Carmen nodded. “You look healthy, niña.”
Jennifer sent Ryan a sideways glance and he returned a reassuring smile. “Actually, Mamá, I have gained a few pounds.” She slipped her hand around Ryan’s arm. “And I’m sure you have lots of things prepared to fatten me up even more.”
“Come along, then, Ryan,” Carmen ordered. “We will introduce you to the family and get you both something to eat.”
They followed a few steps behind her parents. “Coward,” Ryan whispered.
“Don’t rush me,” she muttered. “All in good time.”
But as they were both drawn in to the whirl of the barbecue, the right time never seemed to appear. Jennifer tried to keep an eye on Ryan as she mingled with the guests. He’d found a friend in her eight-year-old sister, Teresa, who dragged him from spot to spot in the backyard, introducing him to curious relatives and showing off her special hiding places. Like Jennifer as a child, Teresa was a tomboy and preferred to spend her time up trees or crouched behind bushes, knees muddied and hair tangled.
When they finally met up near the edge of the swimming pool, Jennifer felt compelled to apologize. “I know this is a little overwhelming. There have to be at least a hundred people here.”
“It’s quite a celebration,” Ryan said, casually slipping his arm around her waist as he stared out at the boisterous crowd. “Are they all relatives?”
“Relatives and friends. Some are Maria’s padrinos—her sponsors. They help pay for the quinceañera celebration, at least in spirit, since Papi won’t let them pay for anything big. They contribute little things like the bouquet for the Virgin Mary and the souvenirs for the guests and Maria’s crown and ring. They also give her the capias and the capia doll.”
“Capia?”
“The capia doll is like a keepsake, a doll made up to look just like the quinceañera in all her birthday finery. And the capias are ribbon favors with Maria’s name and the date printed on them. The doll is covered with the ribbons, and after they’re all distributed to party guests, the doll is revealed.”
“And you went through this when you were fifteen?”
Jennifer smiled and shook her head. “No. I was the family rebel. Of course, I had the mass and I was forced to wear a pretty dress. But I insisted on a small party with just close family. And I made my father give all the money he’d put aside for my quinceañera to a homeless shelter. Maria, on the other hand, prefers to follow tradition and spend as much of Papi’s money as possible.”
“I didn’t expect anything quite so elaborate.”
“If you think this is big, wait until tomorrow. There’s the mass and then the party. Tomorrow morning the party planners and caterers and musicians will come and transform the backyard into something resembling a fairyland. Maria will have her court of honor—probably fourteen damas and chambelanes, plus Teresa for her flower girl and Linda for her princess. After the mass, they’ll all walk in with her and Mamá and Papi and the padrinos. That’s called la marcha. Knowing Maria’s flair for the theatric, there will be choreographed dancing. It all leads up to the big moment—the presentation, when la niña is transformed into una señorita. When she changes from a girl to a young lady.”
“How does that happen?” Ryan asked.
“She changes her shoes,” Jennifer said.
“No, really, I want to know.”
“That’s how it happens. She’ll begin a waltz with Papi and then the music will stop and she’ll walk to a chair in the middle of the dance floor in flats. Then Mamá will change her shoes to heels and she’ll finish her waltz with Papi. And after that, she’ll dance with all her chambelanes, the boys on the court. Those are mostly cousins and sons of Papi and Mamá’s friends. She saves the last dance for her chambelán de honor, which will probably be my brother, Joe.”
Ryan released a long breath. “Wow, it’s like a wedding.”
“It’s bigger than a wedding,” Jennifer said.
He turned to her and tugged her closer. “I’m glad you asked me to come. Meeting your family gives me a keener insight into you.”
“And what have you figured out?”
“That you’re a pretty fascinating woman,” he said.
She playfully bumped against him. “You are too charming, Ryan Madison. No wonder my sister Teresa is in love with you.” Jennifer pointed to a tree at the other end of the pool. “She’s watching us. Why don’t you go over and ask her to dance. You’ll make her day.”
Jennifer watched as he circled the pool and stood beneath the old cottonwood tree. He held up his arms and Teresa jumped into them. He set her down and she wiped the dirt from her hands on her pretty white dress. Before long, they were dancing the night away on the makeshift dance floor.
Jennifer managed to steal a dance with him, a pretty Julio Iglesias ballad, after Teresa was ordered to bed. They moved around the terrace to the soft sounds of the small mariachi combo and the high, wavering voice of the singer. Jennifer looked over to the house to find her parents watching them both from the terrace. “Maybe we should tell them now,” she murmured, resting her cheek against Ryan’s chest, exhaustion suddenly overwhelming her.
“Not just yet,” he said, his breath soft on her temple.
She sighed softly, then drew a deep breath, enjoying the scent of his cologne. “All right,” she murmured. “Not just yet.”
In the end, they danced until the band stopped playing,
