[Santa Olivia 02] - Saints Astray by Carey Jacqueline

Author:Carey, Jacqueline [Carey, Jacqueline]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
ISBN: 9781455504688
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Published: 2011-11-22T05:00:00+00:00

TWENTY-SIX

Yes, yes,” Christophe assured them on the phone. “There were inquiries, but it is over now, and the Americans did not find out about our family in Huatulco. It is safe for you to visit.” He paused. “But maybe not to run so fast on the beach and make the tourists gossip anymore. Gossip travels, you know?”

Tía Marcela’s warm embrace made the entire trip worthwhile. “My lovely girls!” she exclaimed. “I’m so very glad you came.”

“Gracias, Tía.” Loup smiled.

“Look at you.” She held first Loup, then Pilar at arm’s length. “You’ve been working as bodyguards? Truly?”

“Loup, mostly,” Pilar said. “Me, only sort of. But we caught a bad guy and everything.”

“Well.” Marcela gave them both another hug and kiss. “I can see there will be stories. Come, I have your same room waiting for you.”

“Okay.” Loup pulled out her credit card. “But we can pay this time.”

“No.” She raised a stern finger. “You are here visiting as family. I will not hear of it.”

“But—”

“Absolutely not.”

“All right. Thank you.”

Everything was as they had left it—the charming room overlooking the little marina, the palm trees, the bobbing fishing boats. They wandered into town and through the marketplace and saw the same shops, the same bars and restaurants. Even the weather seemed unchanged—warm and sunny, the aquamarine sea lapping the white-sand beach. They had lunch beneath the thatched palapa, eating spiced grilled fish and drinking cold beer.

It wasn’t the same, though.

“It all seems different, doesn’t it?” Pilar asked. “I wish it was the way it was before. I hate that you have to pretend again.”

“Yeah, me too.”

She rested her chin on her hand and gazed out at the sunbathers. “It changes everything, doesn’t it? Because nothing else has changed.”

“We have.” Loup switched their plates and began finishing Pilar’s fish. “Think about it. Other than a couple days in Mexico City, this was pretty much the only place we’d ever been other than Outpost in our entire lives.”

“Snipes fresh out of the gutter,” Pilar mused.

Loup laughed. “Pretty much, yeah.”

“Do I seem all that different?”

“In some ways.” Loup studied her. “You know a lot more, that’s for sure. We both do. You’re more… I don’t know. Sophisticated?”

“You think?”

“Yeah.” Loup nodded. “More confident and worldly. Do I seem different?”

“Nah.” Pilar gave her a fond smile. “Not really, no. But you didn’t exactly need confidence. You were always my fearless little hero with the very big appetite, and I don’t think anything in the world could change that. There’s nothing about you I’d change.” She reached across the table and caressed Loup’s cheek. “I had a lot farther to go, baby.”

“No, you didn’t.”

Pilar shook her head. “You and your ridiculously unconditional love. Oh, don’t give me that big, shiny-eyed look.” She touched the necklace nestled in the hollow of Loup’s throat. “It makes me get all choked up.”

“Is that so bad?” Loup asked honestly.

“No.” She thought about it. “No, I guess it’s not.”

There was an impromptu party that night on the hotel terrace. Most of the aunts and cousins were in attendance.

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