“We missed you at dinner tonight,mijita.” She reaches out to nudge my shoulder, silent laughter dancing in her eyes. She wears a relaxed smile that warms my chest, and I’m thankful to be here to see it.
“I’m sorry,Mami. I just wasn’t feeling up to it yet. I’ll be there for family dinner this weekend, I promise.”
She nods slowly, averting her gaze to the papers littered around me. She lets out a sigh and sinks further into the mattress. “Ajá,so youdidremember.” Her smile shifts to a knowing smirk that has me rolling my eyes.“¡Lo sabia!”
“Of course I remembered.”
“I bet he would’ve liked it if you’d been there tonight.Pero,judging by the way he ran out as soon as his plate was clean, I imagine you already know that.”
My cheeks heat, and I refuse to meet her gaze, studying the paper in my lap as I meticulously fold the edges and roll the papers. “He didn’t say as much, but I got the picture,” I answer.
“Tá bien. I’ll leave you to it. Keys are by the front door in case you decide to drive those over to himtonight.” She stands, but before she makes it to the door, she bends down and cups my chin, lifting my gaze to hers. “I’m proud of you, Lola.Tan orgullosa. I just wanted to remind you in case I haven’t said it enough.”
“You have,Mami.I promise. You say it plenty,” I assure her, my voice cracking on the next words, “and thank you.”
“Duerme bien, hija,” she says, kissing my cheek.
“Buenas noches, Mami.”
Once she’s gone, I finish the bouquet of origami flowers, my hands shaking by the time I’m done. My joints hurt, and I’m aching for a bubble bath, some painkillers, and ice for my hands, but I persist, tying a blood-red ribbon around the paper stems to hold them all together.
I hoist myself up, grab the keys from the hook by the door, and sprint through the sprinkling rain to Dad’s truck. I make the quick drive to Ryder’s cottage, and as my heart pounds faster, I’m starting to think this might have been a bad idea.
When I broke up with Ryder, we had both messed up. He had been grieving the loss of his best friend after a tragic accident and had kept me at a distance in an effort to protect me from his overwhelming grief and worsening depression. Meanwhile, I had been working my ass off to maintain my spot at the dance program I'd had to work twice as hard to get into as a woman of color. I was learning my craft from some of the most talented dancers in the country, and I'd more than earned my place there.
Ryder hadn’t wanted to burden me, knowing I’d have given it all up to return to him and be his rock when he needed me, and I think I was too afraid to do just that, so I never pushed for answers because he was right.
By the time he’d gotten the help he needed and we’d matured enough to have that conversation, it’d been too many years too late. He was already engaged to Lemmon, and I was in a committed relationship with Russ.
We let time and space create a divide that never felt naturalwhen he was always the other half of my heart, my partner in crime, sometimesliterally.So how could it be wrong to show him I still care? With Ryder, it’s never been that simple, though maybe he’s changed.
He chased you down on horseback today, Lola. Nothing has changed!
I huff out a breath, throw the truck in park, and run to his door, banging on the thick wood before looking for some place to put the flowers where they won’t get soaked.
I set them on the small glass table beside the rocking chair and haul ass down the short porch steps, effectively ding-dong-ditching a grown man.
I’ve been here for only four days, and it’s already glaring that my roots run deeper than I remembered.
Chapter Five
BIRTHDAY WISHES
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23
I jerkthe door open in time to see José’s black pickup truck pulling out of my driveway. My brows draw together.
I swing my gaze around the porch, looking for any reason José would’ve stopped over in this weather, but the question falls away when my eyes land on a tiny bouquet of origami flowers.
My heart swells, soaring to new heights, reminding me just how dangerous Lola Lima is for my health. She’s too sweet. Too beautiful. Too thoughtful. Tooperfect.
Too mine.
And if she ever leaves again, it’ll break my goddamn heart worse than it did the first time.
I pick up the tiny bouquet, heading inside to place it on the mantle next to fifteen others like it.
I’d thought all this time away from her might dull her shine, but I was wrong. With Lola home, I’m done for, and I’ll be damned if I let her get away again.
