Victoria walked over to the door and opened it with a flourish. “Good luck with your big day. At least you’ll have the trees. I’m sure no one will miss the gingerbread houses or the customized hot chocolate bar or the hand-etched ornaments with the personalized calligraphy. You could always pick up a gross of candy canes and use them as wedding favors. That would be cute.”
It would be basic as hell, and Missy knew it. Her jaw clenched. “You and Rafael are a package deal?”
“You hire him back, and you get me. You’ll also get all the crafts. And my complete and utter devotion to this wedding. I promise you, it will be a winter wonderland.”
Even as she said it, a frisson of fear passed through her. Here she was, promising Missy the white wedding of her dreams when she had no idea if Rafael would come back. For all she knew, he never wanted to see her again. But his brothers might be more easily convinced.
Missy let out a huffy breath. “Fine. Get all of them back, including your boyfriend. But I want this wedding to beperfect. Got it?”
“Got it.” Fortunately, the forecast called for clear skies on Saturday, with a high of seventy-six degrees. Victoria had no doubt Missy would have blamed her for any inclement weather.
After Missy left, Victoria basked in her moment of triumph. But she wasn’t done yet.
She checked her phone. It was almost eleven, which meant Rafael and his brothers would be having their family meal at the restaurant before it opened at noon. If she hurried, she could make it there in time. As she grabbed her purse, she considered texting Rafael to warn him she was on her way.
But what if he told her not to come?
Better to beg for forgiveness than ask permission.
She’d need a way in, since the restaurant wouldn’t be open to the public. She texted Araceli and crossed her fingers.
Araceli responded right away.I can take an early lunch & meet you there at 11:30.Be prepared to grovel!!
Victoria would grovel all right. She was willing to do whatever it took.
Chapter 29
While Rafael was brewing a pot of coffee on Friday morning, his phone chimed with an alert.One day until the wedding!
He deleted it. Even if Martin was still under the impression Ben would come crawling back, Rafael harbored no such delusions. They were well and truly fucked. But he’d humor his brother and play along. And he’d show up for work, like always. It was the least he could do.
He wished there was a way he could fix things, but he couldn’t come up with a solution. He’d considered calling Ben and apologizing, but Martin had cautioned him against it. An apology would be akin to admitting guilt, which was something they didn’t want. Not when Rafael had donenothingwrong.
Surprisingly enough, Martin wasn’t angry at him anymore. He even admitted he was impressed that Rafael had owned up to his fling with Victoria rather than trying to hide it. But Rafael still felt guilty as hell. If he’d behaved professionally, none of this would have happened.
By now, everyone in his family knew about him and Victoria. He’d told his brothers, they told their wives, and once he let Araceli open the vault,everyoneknew. Though Ernesto and Dario ribbed him about his “secret” hookup, they weren’t mad at him. Even Mamá called to offer sympathy. Family stuck together, through good days and bad.
When he arrived at Tres Hermanos, his cousins Yesenia and Inez—who worked as servers—were setting up the ten-person table at the back of the restaurant for the family meal. Once they were all seated, the oversize table overflowed with staff members—Rafael, his brothers, his Uncle D, Yesenia, Inez, the prep cooks, and the busboys. After they said grace, they feasted on enchiladas suizas and arroz con pollo, while sharing jokes and gossip. They had almost finished their meal when the door to the restaurant flew open.
Araceli came barreling into the main dining room, her heels clacking on the tile floor. Trailing behind her was Victoria, who looked shaky and pale. Dark circles under her eyes. Hair in a messy braid. Dressed like she’d rolled out of bed.
Once he recovered from his shock, Rafael almost pitied her.
No mercy. She could have called you at any time.
“Listen up,” Araceli said. “This one has something to say.” She dragged Victoria by the arm and shoved her forward.
Even if Victoria wasn’t dressed in her business garb, Rafael expected her to revert to her formal persona once she opened her mouth. But her voice trembled as she addressed the family. “Um…hi, everyone. I was hoping to talk to Rafael alone. Or maybe just him and his brothers?”
Yesenia stood and crossed her arms. She tossed her head, sending her dark curls cascading over her shoulders. “Whatever you need to say to them, you can say to us. We’re family. We know what you did to Rafael.”
Victoria stepped back. She resembled a scared rabbit, ready to bolt at any minute.
Rafael couldn’t imagine how anxious she must feel, facing a sea of hostile faces. He kept his voice low so as not to frighten her off. “Go ahead, Victoria. We’re listening.”
“So…um…Rafael? I’m sorry Ben fired you.” She scanned the group. “I want all of you to know none of this is Rafael’s fault. He was trying to look out for me, but he didn’t do anything inappropriate.”
Though his brothers had believed him, Victoria’s testimony lifted a weight off his shoulders. He knew he hadn’t been out of line. But he hadn’t realized how much it would matter hearing her admit the same thing.
