The Noel Stranger by Evans Richard Paul

Author:Evans, Richard Paul [Evans, Richard Paul]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Inspirational, Age Range 2 Older Audience, Romance, Adult, Contemporary
ISBN: 9781501172069
Goodreads: 39939236
Publisher: Gallery Books
Published: 2018-11-06T08:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER

Twenty-Four

Something about him makes me throw caution to the wind. I hope the wind doesn’t return as a tornado.

—Maggie Walther’s Diary

I woke the next morning bathed in sunlight. It may have been the same sun as at home, but it definitely worked a lot harder here.

Andrew was already awake; I could hear him in the kitchen. I could also smell something cooking. I got up and put on my swimsuit and cover up, pulled my hair into a ponytail, then walked out.

Andrew was standing in front of the stove frying eggs in a skillet. He wore a blue-and-white swimsuit, water shoes, and a short-sleeved baby-blue linen shirt. He looked handsome. He always looked handsome.

“Good morning, cariña,” he said.

I sidled up next to him. “Morning.” We kissed. He handed me a cup of coffee. “Thank you,” I said. “Cariña?”

“It means cute.”

“My best friend’s name is Carina, remember? She works for me too.”

“Strike two,” he said. “Linda and Carina. Maybe you should give me a list of your employees’ names.”

“I don’t have that many. And I’m pretty sure Kylee and Nichelle aren’t Spanish words.”

“I’ll keep working on it. How did you sleep?”

“Better than usual.” I looked at the stove. “What are you making?”

“Huevos rancheros on corn tortillas. Do you like avocados?”

“I love avocados. Almost as much as I love a man who can cook.”

“That’s good,” he said. “Because I am both.”

“I have no idea what that means.”

“Don’t think too much about it.” He lifted a fried egg and set it on the crisp tortilla layered with lettuce and refried beans. He dusted it with cilantro, then dropped on some jalapeños. “Those are to wake you up.” He handed me the plate.

“I thought you said you didn’t cook much.”

“Not if I can avoid it,” he said.

“You’ve even got the presentation down.”

“I watch cooking shows when I’m bored.” He brought over his own plate and a pitcher of guava juice.

“We’re off to the sea today?”

“Yes. And beaches. You can only get to the best beaches by boat.”

We finished eating and put our dishes in the sink. “Should we clean up?” I asked.

“No, Jazzy will be by to straighten up.”

“Jazzy?”

“Sorry. Her real name is Jazmín. She cleans the condo when we’re in town.”

I went back to my room and got the canvas beach bag I’d brought, along with a book, my iPod, and a few other necessities. When I came back out, Andrew was standing by the door with a large backpack slung over his shoulder. “I’ve got sunscreen, oil, and towels. There are a few things we need to pick up at the grocery store.”

We drove back down to the mercado and bought some bread, meat, and cheeses, along with two large bottles of water. We then walked down to the dock to the chartered tour boat, where Andrew was embraced by a short, barrel-chested man with a full beard and mustache and a T-shirt with a picture of David Bowie.

“Maggie, this is my friend, El Capitán.”

“Hello,” I said, shaking the man’s hand. I glanced at Andrew.

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