“Maybe that means we were destined to meet.” I moved toward the kitchen, picking up one of my favorite coffee mugs that had been broken. I hadn’t been able to throw it away. “Yeah, I do love this place. But everything is different.”
“Different doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy what you loved before.”
“Barcelona is a long way away from Santa Barbara.”
“There are always vacations.”
The lilt in his voice had me lifting my head. “What are you getting at?”
He sauntered closer. “Maybe I purchased the house and the one next door. I thought we could turn it into a little vacation property for us. Plus, since I also purchased the building blocking your view, you never know what might happen.”
“You didn’t.”
“Why not?” He had his hands in his pockets, the tight black tee shirt he was wearing making me appear as the big, bad cartel commander I’d come to know and… maybe love? The jury was still out, but if tingling sensations were any indication, I was heading in that direction.
For good and bad.
For richer, for poorer.
“We’ll need to travel while you show off your talents across the world. Call it an early wedding gift.” I walked closer. “Believe it or not, I want you to be happy.”
“Happiness is not about four walls and a roof.”
“I’m finally learning that. I’m curious. What do you think it’s about?”
I pressed my hand on his chest and peered down at my sister’s portrait, slowly smiling. “I wasn’t certain all my life. I’d searched for something I thought I wanted, but it always seemed unreachable. If the last few days have taught me anything it’s that life is short. You can find happiness in anything from a beautiful sunset to the perfect cup of coffee. Maybe a movie you’ve longed to see or being able to find the time to read a book uninterrupted. Most of all happiness is about being in the moment and never allowing the past or fears to take you away from the present. You know what’s funny?”
“Hmmm… What?”
“In a way, you taught me that. You’re responsible for forcing me to face my past including all my fears. In doing so, you allowedme to see the beautiful light of just being.” I rose onto my tiptoes, pressing my lips against his cheek.
Exhaling, he touched my face, darting his eyes to the same painting. “And you’ve taught me that family means more than anything.”
“You really didn’t need to buy me a couple houses.”
“We can sell if you want.” He had a wry grin on his face.
“Not so fast, buster. This was my gift. Remember?”
He burst into laughter and even if it would last only a few minutes, it felt good not to feel the need to look over our shoulders from fear of being shot at. Granted, the fact there were four burly men keeping a constant watch on our surroundings did help.
The new norm.
Sadly, seconds later the beautiful moment began to fade. “Come on. Let me show you what my father left.”
We headed to the envelope I’d hidden in my own secret compartment behind boxes of clothes in my bedroom closet. With everything spread out on the bed, we started going through the vast number of papers.
An hour passed.
When we were finished, we both lifted our heads at the same time. For some reason, I thought he’d be angry, but the same soulful, yet wry smile was on his face.
“Your father is an extremely astute businessman.” His statement was said with reverence, which surprised me. I’d felt Navarro’s acrid hatred of my father for placing Brooke and me in danger.
“You think so?”
“He planned his daughters’ futures long before leaving Barcelona. He set everything in motion because he knew something was brewing.”
I cocked my head and stared down at the real estate closing papers I’d found nestled with documentation on bank accounts in several countries, stock certificates, and even a recent turnover of his property in LA to both Brooke and me. I did the math in my head. The date for the sale of my parents’ estate in Barcelona had occurred when I was eight. My mother died not long after I turned nine.
