Chapter 22

Stella had had it up to here with her mopey brother. Why he let some stupid woman break his heart, stomped all to pieces… She had been warned by everyone, Abuela too, to leave well enough alone. Well, screw that.

The Cortez family had been stepped on one too many times. Man. Joey had a son? An ex-baby daddy floating around? She hated that Joey had fucked Lou over. Her brother might not show it, but he had a heart of gold. He cared for all of them. Hell, he’d taken care of Joey’s kid without having been asked. She’d heard all about it from her mama, after Mama had heard about it from Del after dropping off some cookies at the shop. God forbid Lou tell them anything.

He just walked around, not eating, pale, losing weight, like he’d caught the goddamn love plague. For two weeks he’d been the walking wounded, and she’d had enough.

She parked her car near Joey’s address and waited across the street near the park. That’s when she saw them. Joey sitting away from the man and boy walking together.

The kid had to be hers. He had her face stamped on his, but with blond hair, like the guy’s. And yeah, a bit of the guy on the boy’s face too.

Stella left the car and angled toward the woods, on the trail, out of sight of Joey but close enough to overhear the conversation between the man and the boy.

“…so she’s sad?” the man asked, his voice deep.

“Yeah. I can’t help her either. She hides the crying.” The boy sounded on the verge of tears, pulling Stella’s heartstrings. It helped to know Joey was miserable.

“I’m so sorry, Brandon. I wish I could help.”

“Be her friend, Felix. Tell her to talk to Lou. I bet he’d talk to her if she’d call him.” Brandon paused, kicked a rock. “He said he’d take me to a Sounders game someday.”

“Yeah? That’s nice.” Felix walked with the boy. They neared Stella, so she kept her attention on the water, subtly turning her back to the pair. “Hey, you want me to talk to him?”

“Yes, please. That would be really great.” Brandon sniffed. “What if Mom gets so sad she gets heartsick? And she might leave me? My dad did. He got sick of me.”

Felix paused. She felt for him, because that had to be a real kick in the nuts, hearing your kid tell you he knew you’d abandoned him.

“You know what I think, Brandon? I think your dad was a confused kid when you were born. A real idiot, if you don’t mind me saying. But your mom is so strong. She could never get sick of you or because of you. She would probably be sick if you went away though.”

“Oh. I should stay around then.”

“Yes. Definitely.” She saw Felix pat him on the shoulder. And she noticed how very attractive the man was. Wow. Like, all-American, Caucasian hotness.

“And something else,” he was saying as he knelt to look into the boy’s eyes. “There has never, ever, been anything wrong with you or your mom. Anyone who says there is has something wrong with them.”

“Like Grandpa?”

“Why do you say that?”

“He said mean things to Mom, and now they’re taking a time-out from each other. Grandma was nasty too, but she apologized. So Mom said she has to be gracious and accept Grandma’s apologies. Because when you’re wrong, you say you’re sorry. And if you mean it, you get forgiven. That’s grace.”

Stella eyed Joey sitting apart, alone, small, and feeling dejected from her parents. And Stella’s brother? If she was into Lou, why had Joey dumped him? It made no sense. Sure, Felix was sexy, but Joey didn’t sound like she was into him anymore.

Felix continued. “So if I did something wrong, say, to you. I should apologize with my whole heart, and you’d forgive me?” he asked, his voice thick.

“Yes.” Brandon nodded and put hand on his Felix’s shoulder. “I’d forgive you. Dad.”

Felix blinked at his son, and as the moment settled, Stella felt tears prick her eyes.

“Damn. I mean, darn. You’re too smart for me.” Felix laughed and wiped his eyes.

“I am smart. Super smart.” Brandon nodded. “Besides, we have the same hair.”

“I guess we do.” Felix sighed. “I’m so sorry I left you guys. It was the biggest mistake I ever made in my life. And I haven’t been whole without you, Brandon. If you’ll let me, I’d like to be your friend.”

“That would be good. Do you think you could like soccer?”

“For you, I could.”

“And Mom? Could you like her too?”

“I already do. She’s my friend. But probably only my friend. I don’t think we’re going to be the kind of friends who get married. Is that okay?”

“Are you sure?”

Felix nodded. “Another thing I learned. You can’t go back and relive the past. You have to make your own future.”

“Sounds deep.”

Felix laughed. “It is.” He stood and gripped his son’s shoulder. “Go on back to your mom. She’s had a rough time, so go easy on her. And remember, she’ll never be heartsick unless she doesn’t have you.”

“Okay. Bye, Felix.” Brandon ran back to his mother. Joey took him with her, waved to Felix, then went across the street to their housing complex.

“All right, lady. Want to tell me why you’re so interested in that young man’s conversation?”

She blinked and found herself under scrutiny from the bluest eyes she’d ever seen. She stammered a “H-huh?” and felt like the biggest moron on the planet.

“Well, hel-lo, Ms. Nosy.” Felix smiled, and wow, did he have straight, white teeth. “Now tell me why such a pretty lady is wasting time on an eight—sorry, Brandon—almost nine-year-old when she’d do much better with a man more her own age.”

Staring at that smile, she nearly swallowed her own tongue. “You know what, Mr. Handsome? I think you and I have some things to talk about.”

His grin grew wider. Then she mentioned her brother.

He lost all trace of happiness. “You’re right. Let’s go grab a drink. And talk.”

* * *

Lou had a headache. Between Mateo being clueless, Heller still being gone, and Foley bitching about a transmission job gone wrong—that Lou had had nothing the fuck to do with—he wanted to go to bed and never wake up. The day had gone on forever, ending only after Del had yelled at everyone to get the hell gone.

He clomped into his house and made his way to the kitchen to grab a cold and much-deserved beer.

And was met by his sisters and some douche in a suit.

“What the hell is this?” Lou asked, not even trying to be polite.

He heard scuffling down the hallway but got distracted by Lucia moving forward to poke him in the chest. “Why are you not defending your woman? You love Joey, yet you leave her to this?” She pointed to Suit Guy.

Hell. To Felix.

“What the fuck do you want?” he growled at the guy. “Didn’t you already do enough damage?”

Felix sneered. “Didn’t you?”

Before Lou thought about it, he felt himself moving, launching a fist, and making contact with Felix’s jaw.

His sisters Lucia and Stella gasped. Felix went flying and slammed into the fridge.

Felix, the guy who’d gotten Joey pregnant, then ditched her. The same schmuck who’d never been there when she was alone and lonely and dealing with her asshole parents. “Hold on, motherfucker.” Lou gave him a mean smile. “I’m not done.”

Except Stella inserted herself between Felix’s pretty face and Lou’s fist.

“You hit me, I’ll hit you back,” she snarled.

Felix’s eyes widened. “He’ll hit you?”

“No. I meant to add if. If he hits me.”

“I’d never hit my sister. Jesus.” Lou backed away in disgust. “Why are you here? All of you,” he added to the person, no doubt his mother or Carla, hiding in the hallway.

“Why did you hit me?” Felix asked.

“Because you’re a prick who took advantage of a young girl and left her to fend for herself. Why else?”

“What do you care? You handed her off just like I did. Except she had her parents to go to when I left. You dumped her, and she has no one.”

“Bullshit. I didn’t dump her. I was trying to do the right thing.”

“Which is what?” Stella interrupted. “Making her decisions for her? She says she likes you, why don’t you believe her?”

“She needs to do what’s right for Brandon.”

“She is.” Felix straightened and tugged at his cuffs. “She’s a better mother than the one I had. Than the one she has. I trust in her judgment. Why don’t you?”

“First of all, I don’t trust you, so I could give a rat’s ass about you,” Lou scoffed. “Second, Lucia, Stella, why are you here?”

Lucia answered, “Because I want to hear my brother tell me, looking me in the eye, that he’s just a scared coward.”

“What?”

“Yeah. You heard me.” Only Lucia would be brave enough to get in his face after the day he’d had. Then she poked him. Fucking poked him. “Look. You love Joey. We all know it. Abuela called it after dinner at Mama’s. Then you take her and her son in. You care for them. You help them. And you dump them? What is that? Why you running scared?”

“I’m not scared. And you.” He pointed at Felix. “Get the hell out of my house.”

* * *

Stella and Felix exchanged a wary glance. This had seemed like a great plan at the time. Enrage her brother into confessing his love while Joey hid in the hallway, overhearing it all. Except Lucia had gone off script. Lou had punched Felix, and if she wasn’t mistaken, by the sounds of the scuffle in the hallway, it was taking Carla and Maria to hold Joey in place. The woman wanted to leave and not look at their brother again. Oy.

No, wait. There she was, standing in the kitchen with Carla and Maria looking sorry. Fuck.

Her hands on her hips, Joey taunted, “Yeah, Lou. Why are you running scared?”

* * *

Joey wanted to know. She missed Lou like crazy. Every minute without him felt like forever. She’d thought she could get over him easily enough. But she loved him and she missed him. She’d put on a brave face for Brandon, but he hadn’t bought it. Proof he hadn’t believed her had come when Felix and Lou’s sisters had arrived to kidnap her while Becky and Brandon shook hands and placed bets on who would apologize first. Not cool, Becky.

And since when did Felix get to involve himself in her life? He’d blown his wad, literally, nearly a decade ago.

Then again, what did she have left to lose? “Yeah, Lou. Why are you running scared?” she’d asked, and she wanted an answer.

He started, seeing her there. She wondered if he realized how lost and confused and hungry he looked. Hungry for her.

Behind him, Stella rolled her finger, as if to signal “keep going.”

“I’ve missed you, Lou. Why did you throw me away?” She hadn’t meant to add that last part, and it came out with a few tears.

He softened perceptibly. “Aw, cariña. I’m sorry. It’s just—”

“He thinks you’re going to be like our mom,” Lucia answered. “Because when we were little, Mama, bless her giving soul, had a lot of boyfriends. A lot. We didn’t have money for sitters, hell, for food. And she’d be out laughing, wining and dining her flavor of the week. So Lou took care of us. He watched us, changed diapers, somehow scrounged food for us. Abuela would find out, scold Mama, and come help out to get us back on our feet. All would be well. Then she’d find a new man and ignore us all over again.”

Stella looked sad. “And poor Lou thinks you’ll do that. That any woman with a kid is capable of it if she’s single. So he doesn’t date single moms.”

“And he doesn’t want kids of his own,” Carla added. “Oh, Lou. You’re so wonderful. Why would you not want to share that with your own child?”

Lou looked more than uncomfortable. “Can we talk about this later? In private?” he asked his sisters, glancing at Joey, then Felix.

“No.” Joey gave what she wanted him to hear. “I love you, Lou Cortez. Do you love me or not?”

He looked irritated. “Yes, damn it. You happy?” He shocked the entire room when he slammed his fist down on the kitchen island. The bang made Joey jump. “I can’t eat. I can’t sleep. I miss you all the time. Fuck. What do you want from me?”

“A chance, you big idiot,” Stella answered before Joey could.

Felix bit back a grin and tugged Stella with him toward the front room. Out of the corner of her eye, Joey saw Carla, Maria, and Lucia join them, edging out the front door.

Leaving Joey and Lou alone. Together.

“You promised my son a Sounders game,” she said.

He grimaced. “I didn’t mean to. He’s just so damn cute and likeable.”

“You said you cared for me. You just admitted you love me.”

“You’re damn cute and likeable too,” he growled.

“But I’m not your mother. I don’t care how sexy you are, Lou. My son comes first. He always has. He always will. You need to trust me enough to know that.”

“I do. I think.” He rounded the counter and took her in his arms, searing her with a kiss that made her needy in seconds. “God. I want you so much. I need you back. But I’m… If I ever made Brandon feel like I did when I was young, I’d never forgive myself. Joey, I love my mother. But when I was a kid, and she was dating this guy or that one, sometimes I hated her,” he ended in a whisper.

“Yeah? Well, I love and hate my parents all the time. They judge me, they misunderstand me, and they insult me. How? By not acknowledging I have my own mind.” She punctuated that last by poking him in the chest.

“Ow. Cut it out!”

“No.” She punched him in the arm. And damn, but it felt good. “I love you, Lou. And it scares me to death. I’ve taken care of myself my whole life. I don’t need anyone but Brandon. And you.” She refused to cry again. “You showed me how to trust. How to open myself to a man and experience real love.” She yanked him closer and took him by the chin, staring up into his eyes. “I know you’ll always be there for me, because that’s who you are. The kind of man who watches his girlfriend’s apartment. Cares for her son and is always there for his family.

“Let me be part of that family. Let me help take care of you for a change.”

“Joey.”

“I want a real answer. Take a chance on me, Lou. Say yes and be there for kid soccer games. Taco Tuesday. Awkward dinners with the in-laws.” Seeing him look ready to bolt at mention of “in-laws,” she smiled. “A figure of speech. How about, the parents of your girlfriend instead? I tried, but I can’t scrub you out of my mind. Or my heart. I love you. And I don’t know what to do without you.”

“Joey, I’m scared, amor. Of making you cry again. I hate hurting you.” He pulled her in for a hug.

“Then how about you stop treating me like I’m fragile and make love to me again? I know I was an ugly sick person, but come on. You wouldn’t touch me after you moved us in. Why?”

He flushed. “Because the boy was here.”

“You’re going to have to get over that. I want a man I can make love to. Not a tease.”

“Stop.” He dragged her closer and put her hand over his crotch. “You make me hard by breathing, cariña. You want me to prove it? We can go into the back and—”

“No. Stop!” His mother and grandmother appeared in the kitchen, his abuela with her hands over her ears.

Lou angled Joey in front of him, swearing under his breath.

“M’ijo, I’m so sorry.” Renata sobbed. “It’s all my fault. Oh, Luis, I’m sorry.” Renata hugged her son to her with a desperation Joey would have called overly dramatic, except she felt it, being crushed between the pair. Apparently Abuela and Lou thought so too, because they sighed and rolled their eyes.

“See?” Lou said to her over his mother’s head. “This is what you get if you come to live with me.”

“Live with you?” Joey swallowed. “Brandon too?”

“Yeah. I owe him a Sounders game.” Lou smiled, seeming finally to drop the tension and worry he’d been carrying. “I love you, baby. I’m sorry. I’ll try to do better. But if it doesn’t work, I’ll—”

“Make it work,” Abuela said in English, plain as day.

Lou gaped at his grandma. So did his mother.

Joey frowned. Hadn’t he said his grandma didn’t speak English? That sounded plain enough for her to understand. “What? Your grandma makes sense. No giving up or going back. Together, right…Guapo?” She laughed.

Lou gently nudged his mom aside. “Excuse me, Mama, Abuela. Sorry, but I need to take my woman in hand. Can you get everyone outside to go home? I need privacy for me and my…novia.”

Abuela and Renata clapped and yelled, then hustled out the door.

“Finally.” Lou dragged Joey to the bedroom. “I promise. We’ll move you guys in.”

“Wait. Novia?”

“Sweetheart. The permanent kind.”

“Oh, that’s fine. But the moving in? That’s a little soon for me, but—”

“No buts. Well, not those kind.” He waggled his brows, and she blushed. “Strip, woman. We’ll talk after. But right now I’m about to explode if I’m not inside you in the next forty-five seconds.”

“Forty-five? Kind of specific, aren’t you?”

“Forty-four, forty-three, forty-two…” he counted down as he stripped.

True to his word, he caused a major explosion when he got to one. Joey lost her mind, and her heart, to the second-most important man in her life. Her flower guy.