She wiggled a few times, snuggling her warm body into his chest as she made herself comfortable, and he found himself amazed by how easy it was for a child to worm her way into a person’s heart.
“You good?” he asked, ducking his head to peer at her face.
“Sí,” she answered, already scrolling through the pictures in his most recent National Geographic folder. “Ooh, pretty!”
A stunning South African sunset filled the tablet screen. Blurring brushstrokes of varying shades of orange and red filled the darkening purplish sky above rolling plateaus on the famous Garden Route. Having grown up taking pictures of the breathtaking Key West sunsets, he’d always found himself snapping a sunset pic at least once during his travels, no matter where he went.
Seldom did the resulting photograph compare to those he’d taken at home. But he kept searching for the place that would eventually usurp Key West as his favorite. There had to be somewhere for him.
Lulu continued scrolling until she reached the last picture in the file. “More, por favor.”
Alejandro obliged, closing that file and opening the one from his stay on a wildlife reserve following his shoot at the elephant sanctuary. He’d spent a month assisting the team with their conservation efforts, including monitoring the Big Five.
His niece oohed over the series of lion cubs wrestling and aahed when she spotted the leopard cub napping with its mother. She asked him the name of the big gray animal with a spiky horn, bumbling the pronunciation of rhinoceros with her toddler jargon.
Alejandro answered her questions while his gaze traveled the familiar setting of his childhood backyard. The bougainvillea vines climbing the privacy fence were thicker. The flamboyán tree with its orange-red flowers spread its branches taller and wider, still a great spot for candid shots of a particular dark-haired beauty who’d been his first model. Not that he’d be taking any more of her.
The grassy area where he and Ernesto had played football and tossed a baseball back and forth felt smaller, though he knew it was he who had changed, not the yard’s size. The wicker patio furniture where he and the Navarros hung out was different, the old set damaged by either a hurricane or the usual wear and tear of a humidity-laden climate with frequent rainy weather.
The rumble of cars driving down Laird Street in front of the house and nearby Bertha Street around the corner melded with the occasional puttering of mopeds creating a familiar white noise from his childhood. A bird squawked from the flamboyán, and another answered from the flowering geiger tree in the Morales yard next door, and a musical conversation ensued.
Absently, he wondered if the Morales familia were still their neighbors. Or if, like many other Conchs born and raised on the island, they had left behind the rising cost of living and ventured to the Central Florida area. Their girls had been younger than Ernesto but had to be at least college age by now. Grown up while he’d been gone.
A light breeze lifted the afternoon’s humidity and carried a hint of the salty ocean and seaweed draped shore less than a mile away. Overhead, the rhythmic whirr of the ceiling fan created a lulling effect that soothed his tension. His eyelids grew heavy, but he blinked away the tiredness. Hell, he’d already slept more in the past two-plus weeks than he had in ages.
Lulu stopped scrolling. Her hand plopped on to the iPad screen at the same time her body went slack in his lap. Her head lolled against the front of his shoulder, and he realized his niece had fallen asleep. Alejandro had no idea if she was on some kind of schedule and this was her regular nap time or not. That would be his luck to throw the kid off her routine, mess things up for Cece, who was at a doctor’s appointment and might welcome a nap when she returned. His poor sister-in-law had looked like she was ready to pop. Though her due date was supposedly still three or four weeks away.
Glancing at his watch, he realized it was almost twelve. His abuela should have called Lulu in for lunch already. Unless Abuela had dozed off while watching her telenovela in the living room.
Having adopted a “when in Rome” mentality over the course of his travels, a habit that taught him a respectful appreciation for different cultures and traditions, Alejandro figured it wouldn’t hurt to join his abuela and niece in a siesta. One of the many customs he welcomed when spending time in Spain.
Resting his cheek on top of Lulu’s head, he let his eyes drift shut. His body needed to heal. His mind needed a break from the onslaught of unwanted memories and thoughts of mistakes made. A short nap in the backyard where he’d once hung out with his closest friends, with the blessing of his cute niece in his arms and his medicine working its magic, sounded like a solid plan.
As was often the case when his defenses were down, his last thought before sleep claimed him was of that same dark-haired beauty with a long braid, a beguiling grin, and a beauty mark on her chin begging for his kiss.
* * *
The screech of the sliding glass door rubbing against the metal grate roused Alejandro from his nap. Straightening in the wheelchair, he rubbed at the crick in his neck and blinked, squinting against the bright sun.
Lulu shifted in his lap, murmuring in her sleep. Instinctively he cradled his niece’s limp body tighter in his arms and hunched over to press a kiss to the top of her head. He glanced at the back door, a smile for his grandmother on his lips. His friendly greeting wobbled when Anamaría stepped over the threshold instead.
“Hey, sleepyhead,” she said softly.
Her lips curved in an inviting grin, she moved toward him, her long braid swinging behind her. His ultimate fantasy come to life.
Dressed in another pair of figure-hugging black leggings, this time paired with a white and black AM Fitness tank over a bright pink exercise bra, the color complementing her white and pink Nikes, she was on her way either to or from a workout. Lucky clients.
He pushed the inane sentiment away. Jealous thoughts about her never led him to healthy mental places.
“She’s out like a light,” he murmured, gently rubbing his hand up and down the baby-soft skin on Lulu’s arm.
“She wasn’t the only one,” Anamaría teased.
The humorous glint in her hazel eyes, especially after her abrupt departure yesterday, was a welcome surprise, and he couldn’t resist joining her banter. “Oh, my abuela’s asleep inside, too?”
“Ha!” Anamaría’s lips curved with her husky laugh.
Lust raced through him. It gained momentum as he thought about the number of times over the years he had imagined kissing those lips. Nuzzling his nose along her smooth jawline to blow a heated breath in her ear. A move she had readily admitted turned her on. The urge to find out if it still did pulsed through him.
As if she somehow divined the illicit path his thoughts had veered down, the open expression on Anamaría’s tanned face slipped. Her gaze skittered away to the wide back lawn. But not before he caught the confusion puckering her brow, stealing away the carefree smile she’d offered him moments ago.
“How is your leg today?” she asked, her tone suddenly all business. No pleasure. “Any discomfort with that top pin site?”
He shook his head. “It’s fine. Better now that I’m staying on top of the meds.”
“Good. If you want to dial those back, I recommend talking to your orthopedic doc first. Maybe the physical therapist.”