provided aspirin?
âWhatâs so amusing?â
He didnât realize heâd chuckled aloud. âNothing.
âUh-huh. Is everything all right,
primo?
You seem distracted this morning.â
âOf course Iâm distracted. I thought we were finished mopping up Rodrigoâs and Mariaâs messes. Instead I had to bill a jilted customer on her wedding day.â
âBetter you than me. I would have caved completely out of sympathy.â
Carlos didnât say how close he came to doing that very thing. The two of them fell into step back to the office. Although only midmorning, the sun already hung hot in the cloudless sky. Sunbathers, eager to turn their skin to Aztec gold, crowded both sides of the walkway. A mosaic of body shapes sprawled towels and chaise longues. Some of the more cautious tourists staked their claims on the popular cabana beds scattered strategically around the resort. He wondered, would Larissa Boyd find her way to one of them to sleep off her hangover or would she prefer the privacy of her terrace? Pale skin like hers would definitely burn if exposed too long.
âI have to admit,â Jorge continued, ânow that you tell me the wedding was canceled weeks ago, Iâm surprised sheâs here. She must have had nonrefundable airline tickets.â
âOr perhaps she simply needed to get away.â He understood. After a while, all the well-meaning comments and sympathetic looks started to eat at your soul. It was either scream at people to go away or lose yourself in a place full of distractions. âWhatever her reason, ours is not the place to judge.â
âThe staff is fascinated by her. She made quite a memorable impression yesterday.â
Blue smudged eyes and rat nest hair came to mind. Memorable indeed. Wonder what Jorge would say if he saw her this morning.
Interestingly, he was beginning to think this morningâs version might be more memorable.
Mirabelle used to worry incessantly about her appearance, obsess over every hair, every ounce on her frame. As much as he reassured her that she would be the most beautiful woman in the world to him, his reassurances fell on deaf ears. Fell, and fell, and fell.
Something in him wanted to hope Larissa Boyd was different. Stronger.
âI donât think weâve ever had a guest stay solo before.â Jorgeâs voice saved his thoughts from traveling down a dark road.
âOf course weâve had single guests,â he replied.
âSingle, yes, but always as part of a group. I canât remember ever having someone attend completely alone before. Certainly not a woman on her honeymoon.â
âThereâs a first time for everything. Perhaps Señorita Boyd will spark a trend.â
âWouldnât that be nice?â Jorge grinned, his smile white and even. âWe could become the new singles hot spot on the Riviera.â
âYouâd like that, wouldnât you? A hotel full of heartbroken women.â
âWhat is it the Americans say about getting back in the saddle? Perhaps our señorita could use a stirrup.â
The idea of his muscular cousin touching pale American skin stuck hard in his chest, giving him heartburn. âThe señorita came to nurse a broken heart. I doubt sheâs interested in riding lessons.â
âYou never know. Not everyoneââ
âNot everyone what?â Carlos whipped around.
âNothing.â
As if Carlos didnât know what he was going to say.
Not everyone grieves forever.
Of anyone in the family, he expected Jorge to understand.
âItâs just...â His cousinâs voice softened. âItâs been five years
.
Donât you think Mirabelle would want you to move on?â
âMy days of giving Mirabelle everything she wanted died with her,â he replied. Fitting, really. Given all the times he failed her in life, why should his grief be any different?
Besides, he