Island Affair (Keys to Love #1)(27)

His cheeky announcement earned him a swat on the arm from his wife and a laugh from the rest of the group. Even Robin and her husband, who hadn’t contributed much to the fun and games conversation thus far, cracked smiles.

It was strange really. The atmosphere among Sara’s family was different from what she had described. He’d expected stuffy, even snotty doctors filled with that inevitable God complex he’d run up against dropping patients at the hospital.

Earlier, after stowing Sara’s suitcase in one of the upstairs bedrooms, Luis had followed Ruth out back where the rest of the family had already settled. Robin and Edward had greeted him with the polite hellos and pleasure-to-meet-yous Luis expected based on his notes. Jonathan and his wife, on the other hand, came across as more approachable, a little more down-to-earth.

For the past hour or so they’d all shot furtive, and not-so-furtive, glances Luis and Sara’s way. He figured they were reserving their judgment on the interloper in their private family vacation.

He completely understood. Let his sister, Anamaría, try bringing a stranger home for dinner without expecting the Cuban Inquisition from the rest of the familia. Odds were better his mami would serve hot dogs and mac ’n’ cheese, a meal he doubted she had ever cooked, instead of her go-to picadillo, black beans, and rice that Anamaría’s date would leave unscathed.

Still, the reticence Luis felt like heat waves in the air around them wasn’t just about her family sizing him up.

Even when Sara and her father had joined the group, the siblings’ reunion had been subdued. Sara had shared an awkward hug with her sister, one less awkward with Jonathan, who ruffled her hair playfully and called her kid. Then Sara had seemed to crawl into a shell of the outgoing, vivacious woman she’d been with him at the beach.

Ruth’s cheeriness, comfortable and genuine when Luis had arrived, felt a little unnatural with the others. As if she were trying a new dress on for size. Except for with her husband, who doted on her and more easily navigated around their kids.

Sara had mentioned having a closer relationship with her dad growing up. Luis figured as much based on their private welcome home when he’d come inside with Ruth. Evidently Charles was the connector between them all.

Luis sipped his beer, thinking of the difference when he showed up at his parents’ house. Inside, there’d be several conversations going on at once. Music, food, and kinship held court. Disagreements inevitably cropped up, but never got in the way of familia time. Even long-standing ones like his and Enrique’s.

When it was time to leave, there was always the inevitable round of hugs and cheek kisses with everyone. People often joked about the need to start saying your good-byes at least fifteen minutes before you actually had to hit the road. If not, by the time you made the rounds you were late.

His mom had been known to stand at the door and yell at him to come back inside and hug a tía he’d skipped. God forbid he be seen as disrespectful to his aunt.

As it was, his mom had texted twice in the few hours since Luis had left his brother at the fire station. If he didn’t get back to her soon, the next message from her would be a lament about his lack of regard for the woman who’d given him the gift of life.

“Sara mentioned you’re in community development.” Robin scooted around on the edge of the pool to face Luis. “I’m wondering how a real estate developer from Miami meets a social media butterfly from New York.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Luis noticed Sara’s fingers tightening their grip on the edge of her armrest. Thus far they had managed to keep the conversation on local vacation hot spots and the itinerary Ruth had planned for them. Easy topics with no need for him to worry about mixing up their story.

Looked like the time clock on their reprieve had expired.

“Mutual friends in Miami were hosting a cocktail party. Lucky for me I was in town that weekend,” Luis answered. He reached across the small end table in between their chairs to cover Sara’s hand with his.

Sara’s blue-green gaze slid his way. Hesitant. Worried.

He rubbed his thumb along her delicate wrist bone, hoping to calm her worries. “I knew right away she was someone I wanted to get to know better.”

Stick as close to the truth as possible.

The last part of his story was certainly the truth. From the moment she’d spun around and bumped into him at the airport, he’d been charmed.

At his wink, the tension in Sara’s shoulders eased. She twisted her hand so they were palm to palm, then linked her fingers with his.

“You travel for work a lot?” This from Jonathan, still sprawled on the double ottoman, beside his wife.

“Not like Sara does. Though I spend as much time here in the Keys as I can.”

“Mom mentioned you have family in the area, right?” Jonathan asked.

Sara’s hand squeezed his in a death grip.

“Yeah, I do. Three siblings, my abuelos on my mom’s side, and some extended familia. My parents actually live up the Keys a little ways.”

“Are any of them firefighters?” Robin asked.

Sara’s soft gasp drew his attention. He continued his gentle caress with his thumb along the side of her hand, then turned back to her sister. Robin pointed at him, and it took Luis a few seconds to realize she indicated the KWFD logo on his T-shirt.

“Oh yes, they are.” He focused on remaining calm in this first test of threading the truth into his fake backstory. Knowing Sara counted on him. “It’s pretty safe to say that firefighting is our family business. Ever since I was a kid, there’s pretty much been a”—he barely caught himself before saying Navarro—“been one of us on shift practically every day in the city or county.”