“I wouldn’t necessarily call me a—”
“—and who signs contracts making her a new spokesmodel for an up-and-coming athletic wear company. Felicidades.”
Her argument against being called anything close to a superhero stalled in surprise at his congratulations.
Alejandro’s dark eyes flashed with glee. “Ahhh, you didn’t think I’d heard. Did you?”
“Are you kidding me?” She shook her head dubiously and hooked a hand over the lowered passenger window’s edge. “On this island, with our mothers, and the way chisme passes between them and their friends? I’m not surprised you already know.”
“This isn’t cheap gossip,” he answered. “It’s good news. Of course they want to share. They’re proud of you. Rightfully so.”
She’d feel more proud if she could have revived that man today. Saved his daughter from facing her agonizing loss.
Anamaría shook off the guilt-driven thoughts, remembering what Luis had advised when he’d called to check on her from Station 3, where he was on duty. She and Jones had done everything by the book. They’d followed standing protocols set by the Medical Director to the letter. Sometimes, despite their best efforts, it was too late. There was nothing they could do.
Dwelling on the call. Doubting her decisions. Those could only lead to mistakes with the next person. Eyes fluttering closed, she rubbed her forehead, massaging the stress headache pounding inside.
“¿Qué te pasa?” Alejandro’s hand covered hers on the door ledge. The soft caress of his thumb along the side of hers sent heat spreading up her arm, short-circuiting her resolve to remain unaffected by him.
“Nothing’s wrong with me,” she fibbed.
“You sure?”
Lips clamped shut, she dipped her chin in a brisk nod, unwilling to confide in him when he was a distressing thread weaving through the memories and emotions she struggled with.
“You want to play it that way? That’s fine. But if you need to talk something out.” His hand tightened briefly over hers. “I’m here.”
“Uh-huh, sure.” The skepticism automatically slipped out.
Sure he was here; for now. Until things got uncomfortable with his dad and Alejandro took off again, rather than work through their difference of opinion.
Or until adventure crooked its finger and lured him away, which she couldn’t exactly blame him for given his talent. Although leaving didn’t mean he couldn’t eventually return home. That had been his decision.
Just as hers had been to wait for him. Lying to herself that she had moved on.
Not anymore.
Exhausted by the day’s emotional toll, she dragged her hand out from under Alejandro’s and took a step back, out of his reach. “I’m good. Thanks.”
His doubtful expression told her he wasn’t convinced, but he didn’t press. “I thought you’d wanna know that I’m working on something. I’m not ready to say anything yet, but this should keep my mom busy enough to get her mind off matchmaking.”
Something?
With the call earlier having dredged up the past, Alejandro’s secrecy now had her reliving the shock when he confessed about having applied for and accepted the six-month apprenticeship in Spain, without telling her. The betrayal of him making a choice that affected both their lives, their plans, then not understanding why she’d been upset, still rankled.
“If you really want to know—”
“That’s okay!” She threw up a stop sign with her hands as she edged backward toward the sidewalk. Him being here right now only compounded her difficulty with silencing past fears so they wouldn’t sabotage her present. “I’m not involved with whatever you’re cooking up to thwart your mom. And I don’t plan to be.”
Alejandro frowned, probably confused by her brush-off after the way they’d left things last week. But today, swarmed with harrowing memories, she was having trouble holding on to his olive branch offering.
“You do your thing.” Like he always did. Like she was determined to do now. “And I’ll do mine.”
She took another step and backed into her brother with an oof.
“Everything okay?” Enrique asked.
“Yep. All done here.” She spun and sidestepped around her brother, anxious to get away. “I should get back inside.”
“Hey, you wanna—”
“Catch you later, E.” She lifted a hand to wave but didn’t turn around. He’d see the lie in on her face and she couldn’t deal with an interrogation.
On the sidewalk, Anamaría bent down to grab her gear, then hightailed it to the station. Away from the temptation to fall into old habits like confiding in Alejandro and accepting the comfort he offered simply because she felt vulnerable at the moment. If she gave in, she’d only wind up getting hurt later. Unlike before, she knew better this time.
* * *
Anamaría waved good-bye to the last of her Morning Yoga on the Beach students, watching as they drove away in their cars and on their mopeds or hopped on their beach cruisers and pedaled down the wide sidewalk at Smathers Beach.
Once they had all departed, she turned to face the open ocean.
Instead of starting to pack up the yoga blocks she provided for students, she closed her eyes and tipped her chin into the light breeze. The bright ball of the morning sun hovering above the horizon left a dark circle behind her lids.
Inhaling deeply, she filled her lungs with the familiar waft of sulfur from the piles of seaweed washed up and drying on the shore. Many wrinkled their noses at the stench. To her, it mixed with the fresh, briny scent blowing in from the ocean, creating a smell she would always equate with home and the contentment that came with being where she belonged.
Toes wiggling in the wet sand. Ears tuned to the lap of barely there waves on the shore thanks to the reef, and the putter of a boat’s motor out on the water. Skin dewy with humidity and perspiration. In her element.
Only this morning, the sense of serenity her yoga sessions typically brought eluded her.
When two belly-filling breaths and slow releases still hadn’t quieted her unease, Anamaría dropped down onto the packed sand. She crossed her legs to sit in lotus position, elbows bent, the backs of her hands resting on top of her knees. The midmorning sun wrapped her in its welcome embrace, heating her bare legs and arms, kissing her cheeks.
She should be excited. Preparing for her first AllFit photo shoot tomorrow. The company had even upped the wow factor by working out the logistics for Brandon Lawson to come to Key West.
Forget butterflies. Baby seagulls like the little ones scampering across the sand flapped in her belly when she thought about the text message Brandon sent her last night:
Looking forward to some fun and sun with you tomorrow.
Even though he had a weekend event on his schedule, Brandon was flying down for a brief overnight trip before heading out west. According to her agent, Brandon had suggested the idea of them pairing up. A splashy way to announce her partnership with AllFit, seeing as how he’d been the company’s face since its inception several years ago.
Sara had whooped with glee when Anamaría called her with the news. Of course her lovesick soon-to-be sister-in-law had jumped to unfounded conclusions.