this, Matt Harper was done.
* * *
Matt stopped in at Juanita’s Café and Market. It was one of his favorite childhood hangouts in Pueblicito—the tiny village on the edge of his family’s property.
The first summer he’d gone into the place, he was eight. He’d been overwhelmed by interesting smells and sights. He couldn’t understand the Spanish signs, and the boar’s head behind the meat counter had freaked him out, but the Mexican candy was intriguing. He’d never seen anything like it so he’d swiped a handful. His mother had been horrified that he’d, first, gone into that dirty place and, second, taken anything from “those people.” She’d made him go back and pay for the candy.
Juanita herself had given him a stern look and told him she expected him to work for his crimes. He’d swept the entire store. It was the first time he’d worked for anything, or felt a sense of accomplishment. He’d returned the next day and asked if he could steal something else.
“Why? Didn’t you learn your lesson?” she’d asked.
“Sure, I did. I want to sweep again. Work is fun.”
Juanita had thrown her head back, laughed and then hugged him. She’d smelled nice and her arms had been warm and soft. He’d wished his mother would hug and smile with her whole face like Juanita did, not just with her thin lips.
“Claro, amorcito.” She’d released him and handed him a broom. “Use this anytime you want. I’ll pay you in dulces.”
A bargain was struck. When his family visited for the summer, he spent a lot of his vacation helping Juanita. He had all the sweets he could want. And churros. Holy crap, he’d forgotten about the churros.
His mouth watered as he waited at a table outside for Juanita to take his order. Some of the same old codgers sat at the other tables eating menudo and yakking above the polka beat playing in the background. It was as if he’d never left. Except that Julia wasn’t with him this time.
A young girl slapped a basket of chips on his table followed by a small bowl of salsa. “Ready to order, mister?”
“You’re not Juanita.”
“Good one. And you’re not George Clooney. Juanita is working her other job today. I’m Ana.”
Other job? Was Juanita in financial trouble? “Where? I’m an old friend in town for a few days. I’d like to see her.”
“Sorry. It’s a secret job. As in, I don’t even know where she is. You want something to drink?”
Matt couldn’t help feeling crushed. Juanita was the only one who’d seemed to really care about him. “Beer, please. Do you have churros today?”
“Every day. I’ll be right back.”
He ate his chips and dipped them into the world’s hottest salsa. His ears burned from the heat and sweat rolled down his back. He’d missed this. When Ana brought his beer, she said, “Go easy, mister. That stuff’s hot. I’ll bring you a water, too.”
He nodded and gulped beer to cool his tongue. It didn’t help.
At the table next to him, two women loudly discussed dresses and shoes. “Well, I don’t care if you all are going in pirate costumes. I’m wearing the new dress I ordered. It’s not every day a girl gets invited to the Harper mansion.”
He almost choked on his beer. The women didn’t look familiar and there was no way RW Harper had invited total strangers to his house.
“Excuse me. Did you say there is a party at the Harpers’?”
The lady leaned closer. “Yes, Mr. RW Harper himself invited everyone in town.”
Now he knew something was wrong. His parents had made it a policy not to fraternize with “the help” and since most of the people who worked for the Harpers lived in Pueblicito, the entire town was off-limits. Not that he’d paid any attention to that rule. “Do we know what the occasion is?”
“No, we do not, guapo. But if you are looking for a date...” She raised her hand.
The other woman slapped her arm with a menu. “Maria, you’d better put your hand down. Jaime is your date.”
The woman pouted. “Jaime hates to dance. I can tell by looking at this guy’s muscles. He knows moves that would make a girl’s head spin...” She turned back to him. “You’re a good dancer, right?”
He laughed. “I was taught that dancing is for girls.”
“Well, that’s stupid. Who do you think dances with the girls?”
“Most of the time we dance with each other and the guys just shuffle their feet.” A voice came up behind him. “Sorry, my cousins are a little excited about the party. I don’t know why. I wouldn’t go to that blowhard’s house if you paid me.” She stepped around him and stole a chip from her cousin’s basket. “Not that I’d be invited.”
Julia.
An electric current shocked every cell in his body. His chest tightened. It was hard to swallow. His heart...was it still beating?
Julia’s dark hair captured sunlight and reflected it like stars in a midnight sky. He knew the strands were soft and would slip through his fingers and curl around his hand. If he tugged gently, her head would tip back, revealing the long neck he used to kiss. She would squirm and try not to giggle when he nibbled and whispered against her soft skin because she was so ticklish. Damn, he used to love that.
She had tiny lines around her deep brown eyes and her sensuous lips but her expressions were exactly what he remembered. Her voice sounded like the one he still heard in his dreams. Although he’d changed in a million ways, she still seemed...perfect.
“You’re not allowed to go, chica,” Maria said.
“You shouldn’t have ticked off Mr. Harper until after the big party.” The other woman clicked her tongue. “Can I wear your red dress?”
Julia shrugged and sat with the women. She was taller than he remembered and those curves. Damn! Little Julia Espinoza had grown into a gorgeous woman.
“Sure, Linda. Why not? Where am I going to wear it?”
She turned her attention to Matt, tipped her head and shielded her eyes. “Do I know you?”
* * *
Julia couldn’t see his eyes behind his mirrored aviation glasses, but something about him struck a familiar cord deep within her. He was tall, very tall—easily six foot two—and broad-shouldered. His arms were muscular and tanned. His dark hair was cut in a military style and he had a short-cropped beard. Was she always going to be attracted to military men?
He scooped up a chunk of salsa on his chip and promptly started coughing.
“Careful, that stuff is hot,” she warned.
His throat was long and corded as he swallowed, his jaw square.
