Digest. Every detail was harmonious perfection. Polished hardwood floors, colorful rag rugs. And views. Wow. One entire wall of glass framed the ocean in the distance.
When she and Alex entered the large room, Rafael III jumped to his feet. “You’re here at last. We’re honored to welcome you to our home.” He shook Alex’s hand and kissed Maria on both cheeks.
One glance around the assemblage told Maria that the key players in this drama were present. Rafael’s three children—Gabriel, Bella and Rafael IV. Juan Carlos II, the cousin. And, last but not least, the frail but indomitable Isabella Salazar.
At seventy-three, she should still have a number of good years ahead of her, but her body had been ravaged with Parkinson’s. Though bound to a wheelchair when she was able to get out of bed, she was an imposing figure. Grandmother to Juan Carlos and great-aunt to his cousins, Isabella wielded considerable influence. And she was a proponent of the old ways. Which made her automatically an ally.
With the exception of Isabella, Maria and Alex had met everyone the night of the reception. Knowing that, and as a matter of courtesy, Rafael took them immediately to sit with his aunt.
The old woman might have been trapped in a broken body, but her mind was sharp and her eyesight keen. “Do you know why we invited the two of you today?” she asked, the words abrupt.
Maria gulped inwardly and saw by Alex’s reaction that he was as taken aback as she was. Alex recovered first. “Not exactly, ma’am.”
“You’re wondering why we didn’t bring the entire delegation out here.”
Alex was brave enough to give her the truth. “The thought crossed our minds.”
“It’s simple, boy. Your people are supposed to have the weekend free to relax and enjoy Miami. Correct?”
“Yes.”
“So we left them alone. But the two of you are here because Gabriel over there owned up to being a bit of an ass when he first met you. He’s hotheaded, but he’s a good boy, and he thought better of his actions. On behalf of our extended family, we want to apologize for any ill manners on the part of the Montoros, and I assure you, you’ll find us receptive to your proposal when it is ready.”
Maria glanced around the room, not at all convinced. Gabriel and Bella wore identical mulish expressions. Rafael, the father, was sober. Rafael, the son, appeared uncomfortable. Only Juan Carlos, who was not a key player in all of this, seemed calm.
Alex, ever the politician, spoke carefully. “Maria and I are very appreciative of the invitation to be here with you today. But apologies are unnecessary. This is a difficult time for everyone involved. I’d expect there to be certain tensions along the way. Hopefully, in the end we’ll be able to work out solutions beneficial to Alma and to your family, as well.”
Rafael III nodded. He had allowed his aunt the courtesy of speaking due to her age and position, but now he took control. “Mr. Ramon, my elder son and I would like to sit down with you in my office and go over our business situation so you have a clear idea of our responsibilities. I’ve asked Bella and Gabriel to entertain Ms. Ferro.”
Juan Carlos, the tall young man with the reserved manner, spoke up. “My grandmother has a social engagement this afternoon, and I have promised to escort her. But we will rejoin you for dinner later this evening. Please excuse us.”
When those two left the room, Maria saw Alex glance at Gabriel with an inscrutable expression. Was he unhappy that Maria was to spend time with the Montoro bad boy...even with Bella as chaperone? If he was, it was too bad. Maria couldn’t refuse without insulting her hosts, and besides, she didn’t want to refuse. Gabriel was an interesting man whose company she enjoyed, and this would also be an opportune moment to get acquainted with the very young and very pretty Bella.
As Rafael escorted his son and Alex out a door on the opposite side of the salon, Bella clapped her hands softly. “Alone at last. I’m so tired of all this Alma talk. No offense, Miss Ferro.”
“None taken. But please call me Maria.”
Gabriel squeezed his sibling’s shoulders. “My baby sister thought you might enjoy the pool. She has enough bikinis to outfit every woman in a twenty-mile radius. But if you’re not a sun worshipper, Maria, we can go out on the boat instead.”
“The pool sounds delightful, actually. And I did bring a suit. As long as you have sunscreen, I’d love a swim.”
Bella wrinkled her nose. “I’ll let you two be energetic. I had a late night last night, so I may snooze behind my sunglasses.”
Gabriel chuckled. “Maria, it’s no secret that my Bella is a party girl. She knows every hot spot in Miami. But somehow she manages to stay out of trouble.”
“Which is more than you ever did at my age,” Bella shot back with a fond smile that told Maria these two were close, indeed.
Seeing Bella in a bikini made Maria very glad she had brought her own swimsuit. The younger woman’s style and body were flawless. Maria had a decent self-image, but she was more than happy to don the conservative navy maillot she’d brought along.
When she and Bella exited the changing cabana, Gabriel was already in the pool, his broad shoulders gleaming wet and golden in the blistering sun. The man was incredibly handsome, but oddly, he didn’t increase her heart rate one bit. Apparently she had a thing for focused, überconscientious oil barons with black hair and deep brown eyes.
Determined to forget about work and Alex and Alma for a while, she stepped up onto the diving board, walked to the end and executed a simple dive into the aquamarine water.
When she surfaced, she laughed out loud, exhilarated by the feel of the silky cool water against her overheated skin. “This is amazing,” she said. “It was raining when we left home...in fact, it had been raining for a week. I could get used to perpetual sunshine.”
Bella adjusted the back of her lounge chair and smoothed her beach towel before stretching out with an audible sigh. “Perfection gets boring after a while, Maria. Ask our older brother.”
Gabriel slicked a hand through his hair, sending droplets of water flying, his green eyes gleaming. “You’re not being fair to Rafe, Bella. You try being CEO of Montoro Enterprises and see how you like it.”
Bella donned dark glasses, shuddering. “No thank you. My job is to spend money, not make it.”
When his sister subsided in a somnolent pose, Gabriel swam to where Maria paddled lazily in the deep end. “She’s putting on a show for you,” he said in a low whisper. “Bella gets tagged as flighty and shallow, but my sister is a good actress. Few outside the family know about her charity work and her passion for preserving the environment.”
“Why the charade?”
“I think people made assumptions about her as a teenager, and at that vulnerable age, the criticism hurt. Now she goes out of her way to appear as a wealthy diva without a care in the world.”
“How does she feel about the possibility of becoming a royal and living in Alma?”
He
