The following Saturday was Olivia’s birthday. Alejandro had planned a perfect birthday celebration for her—a feast featuring filet mignon and butter-poached lobster, and of course it would be accompanied by continuously flowing champagne since it seemed to be Olivia’s favorite. And flowers. Lots of flowers. The condo looked like he had robbed a florist. Even though he had given Olivia her birthday present, the fire opal ring, earlier that week, he’d sent her out to the spa to be pampered so that she could relax and he could prepare for their romantic evening in.
During the day, while she was at work, Alejandro had been spending time at Hummingbird Ridge, proceeding as if the deal was still on track despite the fact that they’d suspended the closing indefinitely—or at least until he could secure another source of funding. It was difficult knowing he had a potentially untapped investor in Gerald. But he had to bide his time.
He could not give the impression that he had proposed to Olivia to get the inside track on securing the deal. His conscience simply wouldn’t let him do that. He had to wait until after Olivia broke up with him. If she was the one to walk away, Gerald would know that he hadn’t broken Olivia’s heart, and Olivia would know that he hadn’t been like every other guy who had seen an opportunity and used her to further his ambitions. His new plan was to talk to Gerald first and see whether he was interested. If Gerald decided to invest in Hummingbird Ridge, Alejandro would talk to Olivia and explain why he had done things the way he had done them. She would be off the hook and wouldn’t feel beholden to him for helping her with the Sophie debacle.
Technically they wouldn’t be together, wouldn’t be dating or engaged or be lovers—Okay, so they were lovers. That was the one part of the equation that was real. Maybe he should’ve exercised some restraint and waited until all the pretense was over, all the business deals were closed, and then they could’ve entered into a relationship of their own volition, but it was pretty clear he had no restraint when it came to Olivia.
Once everything was settled and Hummingbird Ridge was his, Alejandro would move to Austin and he had every intention of starting over and dating Olivia the right way, treating her the way she deserved to be treated.
He had just taken a pound of butter out of the refrigerator to make a compound butter for the fresh French bread he had purchased when he heard someone entering the condo.
“Hello?” he said.
“Hey, it’s me.” Olivia was home about an hour earlier than he was expecting her and judging by her expression something wasn’t right.
“What’s wrong?” He walked over and kissed her.
“I hope dinner can keep.”
“Why?”
“Sophie and Mason decided to come back from their honeymoon a day early because of bad weather,” she said. “There’s this tradition in our family, that we have a big dinner to welcome the newlyweds home their first night back from their honeymoon. That means we are cordially invited to my parents’ at six o’clock this evening. Attendance will be taken.”
Alejandro raked his hand through his hair. “How can they expect us? Can’t you tell them we already have plans? It’s your birthday.”
“Coming home from your honeymoon trumps a birthday, I’m afraid,” she replied. “Besides, when my mother called, she said we would be celebrating my birthday tonight along with Sophie and Mason’s return. So she gets her way after all. Should’ve known. She always does.”
Alejandro frowned. “But how can they pull together a dinner party on such short notice?”
“The plans have been in place since before the wedding. The menu was planned, the flowers, the decorations, the tablescapes, the guest list. Even though it was planned for tomorrow night. Oh, I guess I forgot to tell you about that, didn’t I? Sorry. If it makes you feel any better, there will be another dinner when Dana and Mason get back next week. Just be glad you won’t have to attend that one.”
What she didn’t say was: You won’t have to attend because by that point we will be broken up.
The unspoken words hung between them.
He thought he saw regret and sadness in her eyes, but maybe he was just projecting his own feelings onto her. The plan was to break up after Sophie and Mason returned. He needed that to happen so he could execute the next phase of his plan. However, Olivia told him about the dinner tradition. Probably because she had no idea that he was trying to avoid her father. The two of them had bonded over a joke of avoiding her parents for a completely different reason than the one that had him steering clear of Gerald. It appeared that he would have no choice but to go tonight. Unless—
“We haven’t really talked about the logistics of our breakup,” he said. “Maybe it would facilitate matters if I didn’t go tonight.”
He knew it was a bad idea before Olivia started shaking her head. That’s when he realized how weary she looked.
“I know it’s a lot to ask, and I’ve already asked way too much of you.” She looked too vulnerable and tired. “Can you just hang in there one more night? If I go without you, the attention will be focused on where you are and why we aren’t together. Not only will it detract from Sophie and Mason’s homecoming, but...”
She stared at her hands for a moment. When she looked up at him again, that’s when he noticed that she had tears glistening in her eyes.
“It’s my birthday, Alejandro. It’s bad enough that I won’t get to celebrate the way I want to, but I really don’t want to break up on my birthday.”
* * *
They were supposed to start the evening in the living room with drinks and hors d’oeuvres and a toast to the newlyweds and Olivia.
She had asked her mother if they could just focus on Sophie and Mason tonight. After all, her birthday happened once a year; her little sister only returned from her honeymoon once in her lifetime. But when Charlotte Robinson had a plan, no one changed her mind. That stubborn streak was probably what had kept her married to Gerald all these years. She lived in one of the largest homes in Austin; she had money and a lofty position in Texas high society. Those things mattered to Charlotte. Olivia supposed that was why she stayed with her husband despite the humiliation of everyone knowing that he had not only cheated on her repeatedly, but had flesh and blood souvenirs from those dalliances. Souvenirs who shared his DNA.
Compared to that, a birthday party was inconsequential. Still, Charlotte wasn’t about to change the plans and forget tonight was Olivia’s birthday. It didn’t matter what Olivia wanted as long as Charlotte could put on airs and pretend like everything was fine.
Olivia led Alejandro down the polished wooden hallway to the first door on the left—the living room—and they joined a handful of family members who were already there. Sophie and Mason had arrived and were sipping champagne and happily mingling with the others.
Olivia wished she and Alejandro could stay in the background, that they could be flies on the wall and observe the festivities from a safe distance, because talk was bound to meander to the engagement. Olivia’s thumb found the back of the fire opal ring Alejandro had given her for her birthday. The makeshift engagement ring burned her finger. As much as she loved it she wanted to take it off and stuff it in her purse. She loved that ring, but with everyone oohing and ahhing over the gorgeous stone, she wondered if she would be able to look at it the same way after Alejandro returned to Miami and she resumed her life. Funny, she used to feel she had a full life, a fulfilling life—no one to answer to, no one to consider, no one to make her realize she really did lead a small and lonely existence that consisted of getting up in the morning alone, working sixteen-hour days, coming home and falling into bed alone, only to get up in the morning and do it all over again. She was twenty-eight years old and this was all she had to show for herself. She balled her hand into a fist so she couldn’t see the ring.
A server stopped in front of her and Alejandro with a tray of champagne. He grabbed two flutes and handed her one. The two of them locked gazes before they toasted each other. She wondered if he was thinking the same thing that she was thinking—that yes, the sex had been great. Mind-blowing, in fact.
In that instant, he slipped his arm around her, falling so naturally into the part he had been playing so well, and she knew she didn’t want it to end. She didn’t want to tell everyone the engagement was off, that they had broken up. She encircled his waist with a possessive arm. Because somewhere along the line Alejandro Mendoza had proven to her that there were decent men left in the world. Men who were trustworthy. Men who didn’t use you for your father’s wealth and your family’s social standing. In fact, this man had selflessly helped her and wanted absolutely nothing in return.
And now he was about to walk out of her life.
They were too good together for her to let him go without knowing exactly what he meant to her, what she felt for him. She had to have faith that he was starting to feel the same way. Because how in the world could two people be so good together and not want to last?
It would be her birthday present to herself. Tonight, after they got home, she would tell him exactly how she felt.
She smiled at him and he leaned down and kissed her. It was just a quick, whisper-soft kiss, but it filled her heart and nourished her entire being.
“Olivia!” Sophie said, coming up to them and huddling in close so that no one else could hear. “Look at you two. If this is still an act for my benefit, I do beg you to stop. I mean, I appreciate all the trouble you went to, but look at you two.” She turned to Mason. “Honey, besides us, have you ever seen two people who are more perfect for each other?” She turned back and whispered to Alejandro, “Please tell me the two of you have figured that out.”
Sophie and her exuberance. You had to hand it to her. Only, Olivia wished that all this enthusiasm was coming after she’d had a chance to talk to Alejandro, because she wasn’t quite sure what to say. Of course, the plan was to keep up the ruse through tonight. Alejandro had been so gracious about not spoiling her birthday by staging the breakup tonight. So all she had to do was tell Sophie of course they were in love, just like they always had been, and always would be.
Until the breakup.
All she had to do was open her mouth and say it—except for the part about the breakup. That would come soon enough. Unless it didn’t. But pretending tonight made Olivia fear that it might jinx everything.
They were here, together. The less said the better.
Before she could say anything, Sophie took Olivia’s left hand and lifted it up. She gasped at the fire opal. “This is new. This is beautiful. Is this the engagement ring? Because if it is, I am starting to believe that this game you’ve been playing might in fact be real. Please tell me it’s real and you two really are in love.”
Before she could answer, her parents joined them. They were making the rounds greeting their guests, pretending to be the perfect host and hostess. Olivia wanted to roll her eyes and say to her sister, If you want an act, talk to the two of them. They are insufferable.
“Hello, Alejandro, I’m Charlotte, Olivia’s mother. I’m sorry we haven’t had the opportunity to formally meet before now.” Charlotte extended her hand as if she expected Alejandro to kiss it. He did, and somehow he made it look so incredibly natural and genuine.
“It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Robinson. Thank you for allowing me to join in the celebration tonight.”
“You’re family, Alejandro. Of course you would be included this evening. I’m sure very soon we will be planning a similar party for you and Olivia.”
Gerald had been talking to Mason while Charlotte had been addressing Alejandro. As if perfectly choreographed, they switched. Olivia’s stomach knotted as Gerald zeroed in on Alejandro.
But she was confused when her father said, “He does exist. I was beginning to think that you were a figment of my imagination since Olivia doesn’t make a habit of bringing many men home. Or, after you canceled our meeting, I thought maybe the Hummingbird Ridge deal had completely fallen through and you had left town.”
“Meeting?” Olivia said. “What were you two meeting about?”
“Alejandro here has a business proposal for me. I did some investigating and I learned that a large portion of his financing for Hummingbird Ridge fell through. I’m guessing he wants me to plug the gap. I was interested.” He turned to Alejandro. “But I must admit I’m a little skeptical since you haven’t shown very good follow-through.”
Olivia’s blood ran cold. She looked at Alejandro. “Are you going to ask my father to invest in your business?”
Alejandro looked panicked, but when he nodded the edges of Olivia’s vision turned red.
“I’m getting ready to leave on a business trip day after tomorrow,” Gerald said to him. “If you’re serious about this you need to get in before I go. Otherwise I think the window of opportunity is closed. The only reason I’m giving you a second chance is because of Olivia. If she loves you, that has to speak to your character. And if you marry her you’ll need to be able to support her in the manner in which she is accustomed.”
So Alejandro Mendoza was no better than any of the others. Oh, wait, yes he was. He was much smoother. He had actually convinced her that she could trust him.
“Excuse me,” she said, fighting back hot, angry tears. “I need to leave. I’m not feeling well.”
* * *
Alejandro excused himself and went after Olivia. Sophie came after her, too, but Alejandro said, “If you don’t mind, I’d like to talk to her privately.”
“Is she okay?” Sophie asked. “I don’t understand what just happened.”
Alejandro didn’t try to explain. “Liv, please wait, please,” he said, and went after her. Sophie must’ve stayed back, because he was alone as he stepped out the front door and made his way to the driveway where he caught up with her. “Will you please let me explain? Because I can explain.”
“I’m sure you can,” she said. “The only problem is I don’t want to hear it. However, I do need you to take me home. Or if you’d rather, I can call for an Uber. But you will need to come and get your things tonight so you might as well drive me. Unless you’d like to go in and see how much money you can get out of my father.”
That hurt. But he knew from her point of view she thought he deserved it.
“Get in the car and I’ll explain.”
Miraculously, she complied. Once they were inside he said, “It’s true, I did ask your father for a meeting to discuss investing in Hummingbird Ridge. But I asked him before you and I got serious. That day at the winery when we were there for the tasting, I got a call from my cousin telling me that one of the key investors had pulled out of the deal. Minutes earlier, I’d been talking to Gerald and he had been saying that he was intrigued by the Texas wine industry and had been looking into investing. After I got the call—actually, before we left Hummingbird Ridge—I asked him if I could meet with him to discuss possible investment opportunities. I scheduled an appointment for Monday. This past Monday. At three o’clock. But after things took a turn and everyone thought we were engaged, I canceled the meeting with him. I canceled because I didn’t want to go into that meeting under false pretenses.”
“But you’re still going to meet with him. You made love to me knowing full well you have a plan. Otherwise you would’ve told me about it. Why didn’t you tell me, Alejandro?”
She sat there with her arms crossed, walls up, glaring at him, a mixture of hurt and rage contorting her tearstained face.
“I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want you to feel like you had to intervene, or feel like I was using you. Because I wasn’t, Olivia. I didn’t want you to know anything about it until it was a done deal. I didn’t want you to think my business deal with your father had any bearing on us or that I expected anything from you.”
She shook her head. “But don’t you see it has everything to do with us? You kept it a secret. You went behind my back and didn’t tell me—”
Her voice broke. He reached out to touch her and she shook him off.
“Liv, please.”
“Alejandro, we were going to break up after Sophie and Mason got back anyway. This is as good a time as any to end it. Please take me home and we can both get on with our lives.”