Anna knew the minute Eduardo arrived at her grandmother’s funeral. A sense of calm, of rightness, of peace flowed through her despite the anguish of burying the woman who had loved her unconditionally.
There were only a dozen or so mourners in the church. After the debacle at the community center and the terror of the hotel fire, her staff had ‘leaked’ photos of her in Sweden. They’d been taken during her last visit there but had not been released at the time. Now her fans and the international media thought she was on the opposite side of the world.
Anna forced her brain to concentrate on the priest’s words as he enumerated the many blessings of life in heaven awaiting the pious like Marta Marquez. Anna’s thoughts were earthly. A day later and she was still trying to assimilate Eduardo’s reply to her request. He’d raced to his room, grabbed his half-packed bag, and shot out the door before she’d even pulled in a full breath.
She’d always thought that when she finally offered herself to a man, she’d be on her back before the words had escaped her lips. Trust Eduardo to be different. For a second, she’d thought maybe he didn’t want her. But his body didn’t lie, even if his mouth did.
She glanced across the aisle to see if he had joined Raul in the pew a few rows back. Eduardo’s driver had arrived at the apartment just as she’d been about to call a taxi. He’d brought his adorable little boy with him, both of them wearing black suits, explaining that if anyone were watching for her, arriving with a man and child would hopefully put them off the scent. For her part, she was dressed in a long-sleeved black dress and had her hair bundled under a wide-brimmed hat with a full veil. Not to mention the oversized sunglasses hiding her unusual eyes. She barely recognized herself.
A sad smile lifted her lips. Abuela would have appreciated the drama of her outfit. She’d always been a fashionable lady, even if she’d had the money to buy nice clothes only after Anna had ripped out her heart and sold her soul to the music industry.
The priest finally finished, and it was time for her to sing her grandmother’s favorite hymn. Her gaze skimmed over the small congregation. Her grandmother’s closest friends were all here. Anna’s mother, Abuela’s only child, wasn’t. Would Anna’s funeral be equally devoid of family, the church filled with people who cared only for what she had done for them?
As she began the first line of ‘On Eagle’s Wings,’ her gaze met Eduardo’s. Although the words were about the strength the Lord gave, he was the one she thought of. He was the one who’d inspired her, believed in her, lifted her up when she was down—loved her. Ironically, it had been that love, and the resulting courage and confidence, that had given her the strength to fulfill her dreams.
Eduardo looked away. Anna sang the rest of the hymn with her eyes on her abuela’s photo. The last note echoed in the church like a spirit delaying departure.
The first tear broke the dam, and the priest had to help her back to her seat. Her one glance upward confirmed what her heart already knew. Eduardo was gone. She heard nothing of the rest of the mass. She only knew it had ended when she was surrounded by a cluster of her grandmother’s friends, all crying as much as she was.
Abuela’s passing had been expected. She’d lived three times longer than the doctors had predicted when she’d first been diagnosed with cancer. Mostly, Anna suspected, because Abuela loved to prove people wrong.
Now her grandmother was free of pain, but it seemed to have transferred to her granddaughter instead. Anna pulled in an unsteady breath at the same time a large, warm hand settled on the center of her back. Had the touch been accompanied by tingles, she would know it was Eduardo.
She turned slightly and smiled as best she could at Raul. “I will be waiting by the door when you are ready to leave,” he said quietly.
“Where’s Timo?” She looked around but couldn’t see the little boy.
“Señor Forenza took him outside. He was restless.”
Who was restless, Eduardo or Timo? Before she could ask, her grandmother’s closest friend put a hand on Anna’s arm.
“Take your time,” Raul said before slipping away.
“She loved you very much and was so proud of what you achieved,” Eva Vasquez said. “Although she didn’t like your husband. She always hoped you’d get back together with that Eduardo. Was that who you were looking at during the hymn? Now he is a man worthy of you.”
Ah, the candor of the aged. You could always rely on them to tell it like it was. Anna ignored the comment. It wasn’t anything her grandma hadn’t told her personally. Numerous times.
Anna attempted a smile. “I wish I had been here to hold her hand in the end.”
The grip on her arm tightened. “Don’t torture yourself with what can’t be changed. Marta wouldn’t have known if you were there or not. She was sedated beyond comprehension in the last ten days.”
“At least she wasn’t in pain.” Anna said the words, although they gave no comfort. She should have made the time, should have canceled her last appearance and missed the court date to be at her grandmother’s bedside.
“All she ever wanted was for you to be happy, Anna. It’s what we all want.” Eva gestured at the other women arranged around her like a geriatric intervention. “Either start again, with a young man this time, or fix what must be mended from the past. But don’t put your singing before love. You’re a smart girl. Don’t make the same mistake again.” A pat on the cheek accompanied these last pearls of wisdom.
If Anna’s ego ever inflated, she knew where to come to get a grip on reality. Her gaze swept to the back of the church, but Eduardo was truly gone. Only Raul stood there, looking like the church bouncer.
Sitting alone in Eduardo’s apartment the night before, she’d let herself dream that he’d stride back through the door and, without words, sweep her into his arms, carry her tenderly to his room, and make love to her all afternoon and well into the evening. Then, when they were both too satiated to move, he’d look into her eyes and tell her that he’d never stopped loving her and he would never let her go.
Then what? He’d give up everything and follow her around the world while she resuscitated her singing career and set up her late husband’s legacy? Or would he demand that she return to Argentina and become the dutiful wife who looked good on his arm while he schmoozed planning committees and investors?
No matter what happened in the next two days, they had no future.
The old ladies were right. It was time to start over. Now. Before she lost her nerve.
She’d tell Eduardo the offer was off the table—or, more literally, off the bed. New plan: head back to LA, write a hit song about the folly of trying to resurrect a dead love, and live happily ever after in her ivory mansion in the sky.
Job done.
***
Eduardo stood in the shade cast by one of the street trees, idly rubbing Timo’s back. The little boy had his thumb in his mouth, his face tucked against Eduardo’s neck, almost asleep. It was during moments like this that Eduardo was bombarded with the what-might-have-beens. If Anna had stayed, would they have a little boy now? Eduardo’s throat thickened. Timo wasn’t even his son, and still love swelled within him whenever he held the child.
From the moment he’d first encountered the little boy—terrified, clinging to Raul while his mother screamed in the courthouse hallway—he’d felt a kinship with the toddler. He didn’t regret extending a legal career he’d intended to give up when it meant that Timo went to sleep each night safe, knowing he was loved and not a pawn in a battle between embittered adults.
The resultant friendship with Raul had been another bonus. A common background made it easy for them to understand each other. Tiago, Eduardo’s other close friend, had had his share of issues—but money had never been one of them. Raul understood Eduardo’s drive, his need to build his own empire, be his own man. Relying on others was a recipe for disaster. They left. Anna was proof of that. If he’d followed her to LA all those years ago, eventually she’d have tired of him. And then he’d have had nothing. At least now he had something. Even if it was just the opportunity to lull someone else’s child to sleep.
But, Dios, every time he saw her, he was struck with thoughts of what could have been. Taking Timo outside was the only excuse he’d been able to come up with to flee the service.
To flee Anna.
He shouldn’t have come. It had been a last-minute decision.
On the way to St. Felicitas church, he’d reasoned that he was going to pay his final respects to Marta Marquez. But his thoughts had only been about Anna. In his heart, he knew he should keep his distance from her. She could find some other man to be her first. Or hell, even a sex toy could probably do the job she wanted. After the funeral, he’d tell her no.
But hearing her sing in person had been too intimate, even with a dozen other people present, including a priest. Every perfectly pitched note had been a laser, slicing away the time between then and now.
He had a fairly iffy relationship with God. But just in case He did exist, surely it was flirting with disaster to be thinking of sex in a church.
He knew, though, in the depths of his soul, that making love to Anna even once would affect him forever. Seeing her again… All the times he’d told himself he was over her, he’d been lying. He wasn’t going to relive a painful parting for one night with his ex.
Even outside, Anna’s voice floated on the breeze through the partially open church door. He’d never doubted she’d be a star. Selfishly, though, he hadn’t wanted to share her with the world. At least not at eighteen. He’d encouraged her to wait until she turned twenty-one before taking her singing professional. In this, at least, her grandmother had been his ally.
They’d had it all worked out. By the time she was out of her teens, he’d be a professional rugby player, most likely playing for one of the wealthy European clubs. He’d be making his own fortune and able to support the launch of her career. Then together they’d conquer the world.
His injury had obliterated that path. She’d wait, he’d told himself while the doctor explained the likely outcome of the surgery—the end of his professional rugby playing days. Anna would hold his hand and help him recover. Then they’d make a new plan.
While he’d been under the knife, she’d come up with her own strategy. She’d cashed in on the song she’d written about the death of his dreams. Then she’d pursued her dreams, leaving him in agony in a hospital bed thousands of kilometers away.
Maybe if he’d helped her get some local singing gigs, she’d have stuck around. Maybe if she’d started her career in BA, she wouldn’t have had to fly so far away. What if, what if. How many nights had he tortured himself with these thoughts?
It all boiled down to this one reality: Anna had the option of him or fame. She’d chosen fame.
Like his grandmother always said, he’d never be anyone’s first choice.
Timo mumbled something, and Eduardo lightened the pressure of his hand on the child’s back. He’d almost squished the poor boy. Enough. No more thoughts of Anna. It had happened. They were different people now. They had to find a way to close the door on the past and move on.
A few mourners began to filter out of the church. He told himself not to look, but his eyes dismissed each person until they lighted on Anna. Not even the severity of her all-black attire could diminish the light that seemed to emanate only from her.
As if sensing his gaze, she raised her head and caught him staring. She excused herself from the person she was talking to and made her way over to him.
She nodded at little Timo. “Suits you,” she said, her voice husky. She’d been crying. His heart lurched, and he hugged the boy a little tighter, even though Raul was now next to him, arms out, ready to take his son.
“What does?”
“Fatherhood. How come you never married and had children of your own?”
“You have to ask that?”
She had the sense to glance down at the ground. But not before he’d seen the hurt in her eyes. Damn, he needed to stop giving away how much he was still affected by her betrayal.
And they both needed to stop pretending they could have any kind of relationship now. Some things were meant to be a lesson and not a happily-ever-after.
“Boss, are you coming back to the apartment with us?” Raul’s question shattered the silence.
Being in a confined space with Anna was more than he was capable of withstanding at the moment. She may be his not-all-love-lasted lesson, but clearly, he hadn’t learned all the nuances yet. He still wanted her. Fiercely.
“No. I’ve got Tiago’s SUV. I’m heading back to the office anyway.”
Raul nodded. “Señorita Marquez, I will get Timo settled in his safety seat. We can go whenever you’re ready. The car is just across the street.”
She gave Raul a watery smile, but no words escaped her lips.
Eduardo transferred the now-sleeping boy to his father’s arms. Raul already had the keys in hand and clicked the unlock button.
Kaboom!
The lightning Eduardo had feared earlier in church turned the daylight blinding. The shock wave hit them next, followed swiftly by chunks of metal and glass, and a deafening roar.
He dived for Anna, knocking her to the ground as much as the blast had done. He covered her with his body, bearing the brunt of the debris that rained down on them for what seemed like an eternity.
Screams filled the air. Eduardo raised his head enough to see that Raul had similarly sheltered Timo. The fronds of the palm tree that had stood in the church’s courtyard were blown off and now partially covered their bodies, providing flimsy protection against the flying missiles.
Car and building alarms blared. Within seconds, the sirens of emergency services vehicles joined the cacophony.
“Are you hurt?” he asked Anna.
At least his rugby career had taught him how to land without doing too much injury. Stabs of pain echoed through his collarbone, but he’d deal with that discomfort later.
It took her a second to reply, long enough for him to start an inventory of her limbs. “I’m okay. What happened?”
“Stay down while I check.”
“But—” She started to sit up.
“Just this once, Anna, listen to me.”
She lay back down but began to inch her way towards Raul and Timo. The big man was rising as well, running his hands over his son to search for injuries. The little boy was whimpering, although it appeared to be more from fright than pain.
Eduardo scanned the courtyard. Several others had been thrown to the ground by the blast, but there didn’t appear to be any serious injuries; all body parts were still attached at least. Most of the funeral’s attendees had stayed at the far side of the building. If anyone had been closer… Thankfully, the chest-high stone walls around the churchyard had provided some protection.
What remained of his vehicle was now on fire. All the windows of the building beside it were shattered. Glass was strewn about the sidewalk and roadway.
Raul crouched next to Eduardo, a sobbing Timo in his arms. “Take Timo and Señorita Marquez back into the church,” Raul said. Every vestige of civilization had disappeared from his face. Here was a man ready to rip apart the world to find the person responsible for endangering his son.
“I—”
“Señor Forenza, this is one of the reasons you hired me. I will make sure it’s safe and then get you all out of here. Where is Señor Alvarez’s SUV?”
“It’s parked on Azara by Suarez. I paid a boy to watch it.” Eduardo handed over the keys as Raul transferred Timo into his arms.
“I’ll get it.” He clenched the keys. “If something happens to me, will you look after Timo? Don’t let that bitch get him.”
Eduardo nodded, and Raul darted around the debris that was strewn about the courtyard. For a big man, he moved quickly.
The priest had emerged from the church and was ushering people inside. Anna held her arms out for Timo as Eduardo moved them towards the solid stone building. It would be easier to protect them if he had his arms free, so he let her take the small child.
The stained-glass windows on one side of the church had been blown in. Colored shards littered the pews and aisle, glittering in the unfiltered sunlight. Despite the destruction, it was still beautiful.
The shaken cleric rushed over to them. “Are you okay?” he asked.
“We’re uninjured,” Eduardo answered. “How are the others?”
“A few cuts and more than a few bruises, I suspect. Señora Vasquez may have re-injured her hip. But everyone is, gracias a Dios, alive.”
Eduardo nodded. He could now turn his attention to the cause of the blast. Or, more importantly, to its intended victim or victims. His gaze caught Anna’s. Her whole body was shaking. He wrapped both arms around her and Timo. This was the third incident involving her. It was hard to believe they weren’t somehow connected. But there was no denying he’d made a few enemies himself.
Now, however, wasn’t the time to compile a list. They had to get to safety.
“Is there a back way out of here?” he asked.
“Yes, through the priest’s door at the side of the chancel. But shouldn’t you stay to speak with the police?”
He handed the man one of his business cards. “They can call me for a statement. But I saw nothing. And please”—he leveled his sternest stare, usually reserved for an uncooperative court witness—“keep the name Angel from slipping past your lips. If her being here remains a secret, I will personally pay to have the church’s windows replaced.”
“I will pray for you all,” the priest said before directing them through several back corridors to a small room with a door to the exterior. He undid the six locks while Eduardo called Raul to let him know the pickup point.
Minutes later, with a squeal of the tires, they were speeding away from the church and the devastation.
“Where to, boss?” Raul asked.
“The airport. We’re all getting the hell out of town while we figure out who is after which one of us.”
Anna shot him a confused look. But instead of demanding an explanation, she said, “I have to pick up something from your apartment.”
Dios, did she not understand the danger she was in? “We can’t risk it. If someone is after us, my apartment will be the first place they’ll look.”
“Please, Eduardo. It’s vitally important to me.” A tear threatened at the corner of her right eye. He’d noticed a few fall since they’d been in the car. It wasn’t one of her better days. Actually, her whole week had been pretty upsetting. And it was only Wednesday.
Raul caught his gaze in the rearview mirror, his eyes full of compassion. “Señorita Miranda’s pet is also there.” He said it as though Eduardo would more likely be persuaded to care for a cat rather than cave to the whims of a woman who seemed to cause chaos wherever she went.
“My housekeeper—”
“Please, Eduardo,” Anna repeated. “It will only take me a second to grab it.”
Mierda. Didn’t they know he was trying to keep everyone safe? “All right. But I will get what you want. You’re to stay in the car with Raul.” If they were headed towards an ambush, at least some of them could escape.
“Thank you.” Her voice broke, and the tears began in earnest.
If Timo weren’t between them, he’d take her in his arms.
And then they’d both be lost.