Island Affair (Keys to Love #1)(96)
“Catching sunset.”
“You mean you were; it’s nine thirty. My bad, am I interrupting romantic time with Sara?”
Luis watched a fish jump in the water. The splash sent concentric circles across the surface, growing bigger, then disappearing as if they had never been. Would Sara, after creating such a huge splash in his life, disappear now that he had screwed things up?
“Hello, you still there? Need me to let you get back to Sara?” Carlos asked.
“No. It’s just me.”
“At Mallory Square?”
“No, I’m at South Beach. Look, did you need something?” he barked, frustrated with the who’s-on-first routine with his brother.
“Co?o, what crawled up your shirt? Gina and I finally got the boys in bed and I figured I’d see how it went out on the Fired Up with her familia. But I can see you’re in butthead mode. Frankly, I’d hoped being with someone as cool as Sara would knock some sense into your sorry ass.”
“My sorry ass messed things up. It’s over.”
The admission slipped out before Luis could stop it.
Several beats of silence passed; then he heard Carlos tell Gina, “I’ll be right back, babe.”
The heavy scraping sound of a sliding glass door in need of WD-40 opening, then closing, carried through the phone. He figured Carlos had moved outside by their pool for some privacy.
“What the hell’s going on?” his brother asked, concern weaving through his tough-love act.
Luis heaved a sigh, part of him wanting to stick with his regular nothing, I’m fine. But that way led to more of this. Him sitting alone. Pining for the woman he loved.
“I’m hanging out here on the dock at South Beach asking myself the same damn question,” he admitted.
“You want me to come meet you? Maybe grab a beer at Waterfront Brewery?”
Luis dug two fingers in the space between his brows, massaging at the headache throbbing behind his eyes. “You’re probably not the brother I need to talk to.”
“Wait a second, qué dijiste?”
“Don’t be a jerk; you heard what I said.”
Luis didn’t have to be with Carlos to guess that the jokester probably had a finger stuck in his ear, pretending to clear out the cobwebs, certain he was hearing things.
“It’s the same damn thing Sara insisted. Before I told her to mind her own business and walked out.”
Picturing her anguish, the tears he had caused, gutted him.
“Look, you know me,” Carlos finally said, all trace of humor gone from his voice. “I don’t do that woo-woo, let’s talk about our feelings crap. I’ve never pushed you to see a shrink who’s gonna ask what you see when you look at a blob of ink that’s like something one of my boys painted in art. Like I said before, you gotta find a way to get over what happened. Especially if it’s screwing up what you’ve got going with Sara now.”
Luis hung his head. Like an anchor tied around his neck, the weight of past hurts dragged him under the murky water of regret and recriminations.
“If you won’t listen to me,” Carlos continued. “Or Mami and Papi. Or your damn captain. Listen to Sara. Don’t mess that up. The way you were looking at her the other night, the way she was looking at you. That’s how Gina and I feel about each other. That shit’s golden, ’mano. Don’t let her get away.”
“What if I’m too late?” Luis’s question came out in a rough whisper, born of fear and despair.
“Do whatever you have to do,” Carlos advised. “Make peace with Enrique. Make peace with yourself. Then go get Sara back. Whip out some of your San Navarro magic that used to make you Mami’s favorite. Till I gave her the first grandkids.”
Luis barked out a laugh, the sound loud along the darkened pier. “I’ll always be her favorite.”
“Whatever. Now, I got a fine woman waiting inside for me, so I’m hanging up. No need to send me any money for my therapy fee, just know you’ll be watching the boys the first weekend Gina and I can get away.”
A tiny spark of hope ignited in Luis’s chest as he slid his phone into his pocket. His mind whirred, plans taking shape, tightening his chest with determination and, co?o, a measure of fear.
He needed to find Enrique, apologize for the self-blame Luis had put on his baby brother’s shoulders. Follow Sara’s example and take that first step to make amends.
Once he’d proven himself worthy of her, there was an incredible, amazing, inspiring, and sexy-as-hell woman he intended to win back.
Chapter 22
Luis pulled up to his parents’ house early the next morning and parked next to Enrique’s black SUV. Peering at the backyard, he was relieved to see their dad’s pale green and white Everglades 253 cc still tied to the canal dock.
Papi had mentioned plans to go fishing today once Enrique got off shift. Luis needed to talk to his brother before they left.
Now that his mind was made up, Luis didn’t want to waste any more time.
He hopped from his truck just as Enrique strode out of the storage room they’d helped Papi build between the pillars elevating the older house. Several fishing rods in one hand and a beat-up gray tackle box in the other, Enrique headed toward the boat. Luis followed.