I still don’t understand why I need to be here.”
Tomás let out a long, loud sigh to emphasize his frustration.
Cruz, who had been helping him set the dinner table, looked over at him and rolled his eyes. “Why are you throwing a tantrum about it? It’s just dinner.”
He put down the last water glass and then plopped into the chair closest to him. “Exactly. It’s just dinner. I don’t know why you and Dad are making such a big deal about all of us coming tonight. It’s not like she’s going to care if I’m here anyway.”
“It’s Veronica’s first dinner with the entire family,” Cruz explained as he continued to place plates in front of the other chairs. “Dad wants to make a good impression. Why can’t you understand that?”
Cruz had been the one to offer the dinner invitation to Veronica that morning. He’d wanted Tomás to do it, but after their interaction the day before over her lists, he told Cruz she was more likely to say yes if the invitation came from him.
Tomás wanted to tell Cruz all the reasons why he didn’t understand. Veronica had made it perfectly clear that she did not like him or the way he ran the stable. To be honest, he was kind of surprised that she hadn’t packed up her horse and left the ranch yesterday. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to give her what she had asked for—within reason. He just needed time. That was probably the main reason he didn’t want to be around her at dinner. He had a feeling she’d use the chance to complain about him to his dad and Cruz.
Nora walked into the dining room carrying two crystal vases of colorful flowers. “Your mom wants to put these in the middle of the table,” she said.
“Are those from Jerry’s shop?” Tomás asked as he watched her place them in the center of the place settings.
“Absolutely not. They’re from my garden,” Nora said, obviously offended. Nora was responsible for the abundant vegetable garden located on the property. Although she’d only been working at Rancho Lindo for about two years, he and his brothers had always considered her part of the family, and he’d bet good money it would be official pretty soon. Nora and Gabe had been dating for several months and it was obvious to everyone how much they loved each other.
Tomás got up from the table and walked over to Nora. “They’re beautiful, Nora. Of course I knew they were from your garden.”
She playfully slapped him on his arm. “You’re such a brat. Why do you Ortega boys like teasing me so much?”
Cruz answered. “Because it’s easy?”
“And fun,” he added.
That earned him a soft punch this time. “Okay, be serious for a moment. Do you really think they’re good enough?”
Her question confused him. “Good enough for what?”
“Not what. Who. Veronica. I actually had asked your mom if I should go buy some roses or hydrangeas from Jerry, but she was adamant that she wanted me to pick some wildflowers. I’m sure Veronica is used to more expensive arrangements, so I hope she doesn’t think they look cheap.”
Now Tomás was the one who was offended on Nora’s behalf. The fact that she was worried about impressing Veronica left a bad taste in his mouth. Why on earth was everyone bending over backward for this woman?
“Nora, trust me, your flowers are as beautiful as anything Jerry sells. I wish you wouldn’t worry so much about what Veronica thinks. If you ask me, she doesn’t deserve all of this fuss. If she doesn’t like the way we do things here on Rancho Lindo, then that’s her problem, not ours.”
“Of course it’s our problem,” Cruz said from across the table. “That’s what they’re paying us for.”
“Who’s they?” Tomás asked.
“Veronica and her father. Well, her father mostly,” Cruz replied.
“Right,” Nora agreed. “And we can’t afford to get on that man’s bad side.”
Tomás didn’t understand Nora’s concern. “Why?”
Cruz cleared his throat and shot Nora a pointed glare, which in turn made Nora suddenly decide to rearrange the flowers. He could tell she didn’t want to look at him.
“Nora? Who’s Veronica’s father?” he asked. He hated pressing her, but he knew his brother wouldn’t fess up. Nora, however, couldn’t keep a secret to save her life.
“He’s, uh, he’s Enrique del Valle.”
“Okay? And?”
“He’s Enrique del Valle,” she repeated. “He’s like the Rupert Murdoch of Mexico.”
Tomás had figured that Veronica must have come from a wealthy family based on her horse and what her dad was paying them for her to train and live at Rancho Lindo. But this news was surprising—and worrisome. He may not have known who Veronica’s dad was, but if he was as rich as Nora was insinuating, that meant he was also powerful. And powerful usually meant demanding.
It explained Veronica’s attitude. She was probably used to getting whatever she wanted. Tomás’s original irritation at having to be here for this dinner returned. He was just about to tell Cruz that he was leaving when excited voices carried from the kitchen and he knew it was too late.
“She’s here,” Nora said, voicing his own assumption, and walked out of the dining room. Cruz followed but turned around to see Tomás not moving. He raised his eyebrow and tilted his head in the direction of the kitchen. “It’s just dinner. Stop being such a grump,” his brother told him.
Tomás let out a long sigh and eventually joined Cruz and the rest of the family in the kitchen.
Veronica was already surrounded by his mom and abuelita, and all of them were engaged in a very animated conversation in Spanish regarding what they were about to eat for dinner. Apparently, they were both very excited for her to taste what they had made.
“Trust me,” his dad was telling Veronica, “Margarita and her mother are the best cooks in all of the Central Valley.”
Tomás watched as Veronica smiled widely at his mother and abuelita. “Thank you again for having me, Señora Ortega and Doña Alma. I’m so honored that you all have gone to so much trouble. I’m very touched,” Veronica said.
“Well, we are very honored to have you in our home,” his dad told her. “Let me introduce you now to everyone else in my family. I don’t think you’ve met my sons Gabe, Daniel, and Nico. And this is Nora, who is in charge of our beautiful garden. And you know my other two sons, Tomás and Cruz.”
He might have imagined it, but it seemed like Veronica raised her eyebrows at him in a question. But then almost immediately, her eyebrows relaxed and she smiled at the two panting border collies standing next to his dad.
“And who are these cuties?” she cooed before petting them both on their heads.
“That’s Oreo and Shadow. They take care of Rancho Lindo too,” his dad said proudly.
“We also have a manic shih tzu named Princesa,” Gabe added. “But she’s been banished to the laundry room because she doesn’t do well with visitors… or me.”
That made everyone laugh—even their dad. He took that as a good sign that dinner might not be that uncomfortable after all.
His mom then instructed everyone to go into the dining room. But Veronica raised her hand and asked if she could use the bathroom before they sat down to eat. “The water pressure in the cottage wasn’t cooperating tonight and I’d just like to freshen up,” she explained.
“Of course, Miss del Valle. I’ll show you where it is,” his mom said and motioned for Veronica to follow her.
“I’ll go check the pipes after dinner,” Cruz called out after them.
When his dad, Abuelita, and Nora disappeared into the dining room, Tomás told his brother, “I’m sure the water pressure is fine.”
“Why do you say that?” Nico asked.
Tomás threw up both hands. “Because the woman is high-maintenance. She is used to certain accommodations and can’t quite grasp the fact that we’re a ranch and not a five-star hotel. I honestly don’t understand why she agreed to stay here in the first place.”
“Because we can offer her something those fancy hotels in Santa Barbara can’t?” Cruz replied.
“What? The smell of cow manure in the morning?” he scoffed.
Cruz pointed at him. “Privacy.”
Daniel put his hand on Tomás’s shoulder. “It’s only been a few days. She just needs some time to acclimate.”
“We’ll see,” Tomás answered.
“Come on, let’s go sit down. I’m starving,” Gabe said.
“You guys go ahead. I need to go grab something from Dad’s desk.”
Tomás didn’t wait for a response before heading straight for the home office located down the hallway from the kitchen. It took him only a minute or two to find the paper he needed and save the contact information in his phone. When he walked out of the office, though, he almost collided with Veronica as she came down the hallway from the guest bathroom.
“Con permiso,” he said as he stepped to the side to let her pass. She nodded and began to walk by, but then she stopped and turned to face him.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were Señor Ortega’s son?” She asked the question as if it were an accusation.
Tomás shrugged. “I guess I thought you knew. Why?”
“It makes sense, that’s all.”
“What do you mean?”
“When I threatened to complain to Señor Ortega, you didn’t seem too worried. Now I know why.”
Irritation burned the back of his neck. He had told himself to play nice so dinner wasn’t a disaster. But Veronica had gone too far with her insinuation. “If you’re implying that I don’t take my responsibilities seriously because I’m an Ortega, then you obviously don’t know the first thing about me, my father, or our business. My brothers and I work hard to keep this ranch running. No one gets a free pass around here, especially not from my dad. And I don’t appreciate you insulting me or my family just because you don’t like how soft the sheets are in your bed. If you have complaints, by all means share them with my dad, Cruz, hell, even my abuelita, for all I care. It’s not going to change what I told you the other day.”
Veronica opened her mouth as if to say something, but then closed it. And even though he didn’t know her very well, he could tell by the narrowing of her eyes and clenched jaw that she was just as irritated as he was. He decided he needed to call a truce—at least just for tonight.
“Look, I understand that this place isn’t exactly what you were expecting. But my family is very proud of our ranch and we do want to make sure you’re as comfortable as possible so you can do what you came here to do.”
“That’s all I want,” she said after a few seconds.
His frustration began to dissipate. Maybe Veronica could be reasonable after all. “Okay then. Oh, and the dining room is the other way.”
She arched her eyebrow and looked down the hallway. Tomás held out his arm to let her walk in front of him.
Then he took a deep breath and followed.
Thirty minutes later, Tomás was feeling less full of irritation and more full of Abuelita’s chicken enchiladas. It was one of his favorite dishes and nearly made up for that fact that he’d had to sit through dinner listening to his family ask Veronica a million questions about the sport of equestrian jumping and her home in Mexico. In fact, the only time he’d spoken was to ask if there was more crema for his enchiladas. Even now as he finished off his second plate, Tomás did his best to ignore the conversation happening around him.
Until he heard a familiar name.
“Did you say Victor Rojas?” he asked after swallowing some chicken.
Veronica’s head snapped in his direction. The expression on her face told him that she’d probably forgotten he was even there. “Um, yes, I did. We met him last year when we visited a resort in San Miguel Allende for my sister’s eighteenth birthday.”
“I heard he manages the riding stables for the resort,” Cruz added.
She nodded. “Yes, that’s right. We went riding every day we were there so we got to talking to him. He’s the one who told my father about Rancho Lindo.”
Tomás cleared his throat. “And that’s why you came here? Because of Victor?”
“Pretty much,” she said. “He had lots of good things to say about the… property. I was also really impressed with his knowledge of horses. He says he learned everything while working here. It’s obvious that he really misses it.”
“Well, we miss him too,” Tomás’s mom said. “But we understood that he needed to move back home to take care of his parents.”
Victor had worked at Rancho Lindo for only two years, but he had been one of the best workers Tomás had ever had. So much so that Tomás had planned to make him his assistant until Victor had received a call that his dad had had a heart attack. Although Victor had originally gone back home to help his mom while his dad recuperated, he eventually decided to stay in Mexico permanently.
Tomás had heard about Victor getting a job at a popular resort, but it was good to also hear that he seemed to be doing well, and that he hadn’t forgotten about Rancho Lindo.
The conversation turned again toward equestrian jumping and Veronica’s upcoming competition. Thanks to Charles, he knew a little more than everyone else. And as he suspected, everyone was very impressed with the fact that she was hoping to qualify for the Olympics.
“The Olympics? Oh wow,” Abuelita said and clapped her hands in excitement.
“You must be very good,” Nico added. “I’ll have to make sure to stop by the stables sometime and watch you train.”
Veronica chuckled. “Sure. But it’s really not that exciting to watch, honestly.”
“Oh, I highly doubt that,” he said with a wink.
Tomás rolled his eyes. His brother was as subtle as a knock on the head.
“So, Veronica, do you have any brothers or sisters?” Nora asked, changing the subject. She knew when to put the brakes on Nico’s flirting.
“It’s just me and my sister, Valeria,” Veronica replied with a quick nod. “We’re really close.”
“And does she also compete in equestrian jumping?” Daniel asked.
She shook her head. “No, not at all. She’s actually in her first year of university in Mexico City. She wants to be a doctor.”
“Que bueno,” his dad commented, obviously impressed.
“Yeah, she’s the smart one in the family,” she joked, making everyone laugh.
“Your parents must be so proud of both of you,” his mom said.
Tomás noticed that Veronica’s smile faltered for a second. “Yes, my dad is our biggest supporter. And in fact, my mom is actually why I started competing in equestrian jumping. She was a very decorated equestrian jumping rider when she was a teenager. She retired when she married my dad, but then she became my trainer once I started to enter competitions. Unfortunately, she passed away when I was sixteen.”
“Pobrecita,” Abuelita said and reached out to grab Veronica’s hand.
Tomás had expected her to pull away, so he was shocked when he saw Veronica hold on.
“I’m so sorry,” Nora said. “I’m sure she’s watching over you and is still proud of everything you’ve accomplished.”
Veronica’s smile came back in full force. “Thank you. I like to think that.”
Everyone grew quiet and an uncomfortable heaviness filled the air. He noticed Veronica shift in her seat, and he willed someone to say something and change the subject. So when no one did, he opened his mouth.
“Nico, so did you tell Gabe about who you saw over in Buellton today?”
His younger brother set down his glass and began to share how he had run into a friend from their childhood.
Tomás watched Veronica carefully as she listened to Nico’s story. He was surprised to learn that her mom had also been an equestrian jumping rider and that she had passed away when Veronica was just a teenager. Although he wasn’t fond of the woman, he still felt sorry for her. Watching his dad suffer through chemo treatments the past few months was bad enough. He couldn’t imagine—refused to imagine—what it would be like if his dad wasn’t around anymore.
After dinner, his mom brought out two pies for dessert.
“Oh, these look amazing,” Veronica gushed. “I didn’t think I could eat another bite after those delicious enchiladas, but I might have to make room for a small slice. What kind are they?”
“This one with the crumb topping is apple and the other is chocolate cream,” his mom explained. “Our friend Lina owns a diner in town and she makes the best pies in all of the Central Valley. Oh, and the apples are from Rancho Lindo’s orchard, so they are especially sweet.”
After much debate, Veronica ended up with a piece from both and a cup of freshly brewed coffee.
As Tomás ate his own slice of apple pie, he had to admit that Veronica was almost likable when she turned on her charms. She had seemed to sincerely enjoy dinner and complimented his mother and abuelita on their cooking numerous times. Even now, based on the amount of “yums” she was expressing, this Veronica was down-to-earth and actually fit right in with his family. And maybe because she wasn’t looking at him with her usual annoyed expression, he could admit that she was an attractive woman. Beautiful even.
Her black hair cascaded in waves down to the middle of her back, and only when she brushed errant strands away from her face did he catch a glimpse of the small gold hoops dangling from her ears. Tomás also noticed how the dimples on her cheeks deepened when she laughed. He realized that tonight had been the first time he’d ever heard any sound of happiness or amusement from her.
That was when it hit him. It couldn’t have been easy for her to come live on a ranch so far away from her family. Guilt washed over him. Yes, she hadn’t been exactly friendly with him, but he could’ve been more welcoming.
By the time Veronica was ready to go back to her cottage, Tomás had decided that he would try to start over with her. And that meant offering to drive her even though Cruz had said he would so he could check the water pressure.
“I can do it,” he told his brother, who was happy to let him.
The short ride to Veronica’s cottage was quiet. He’d been trying to think of what to say to let her know that he was sorry if he’d made her feel unwelcome. But they arrived before he could get any words out besides, “I’ll go check the main water valve around the back.”
She nodded, grabbed the containers of food and pie that his mom had packed for her, and headed to the front door.
After adjusting the valve with his wrench, he walked over to the cottage’s porch. He almost went inside, then thought better of it and knocked first.
Veronica opened the door a few seconds later but didn’t invite him in.
“I was able to open the valve all the way. Sorry about that—we should’ve checked that before you arrived,” he said, hoping she could tell from his tone that he was being genuine.
She nodded. “Thank you.”
“Is there anything else I can check for you while I’m here?”
“Well, I did you give a list…”
Tomás cleared his throat. “Right. Well, most of the stuff on your list requires a little more time and supplies. I was thinking more along the lines of was there any small thing I can check for you while I’m here.”
“I don’t think so,” she said.
He nodded. “Okay, then. I guess I’ll be going.”
“Okay then,” she repeated and started to close the door.
“Uh, Veronica,” he called out. She opened the door a little wider but didn’t say anything.
For some reason, nerves began to prick along the back of his neck and his face warmed. “I, uh, just wanted to say that I’m sorry if I’ve given you the impression that I don’t care about…” He was about to say you, then caught himself. “Uh, about Takuache. I promise that I’m going to make sure he’s well taken care of and comfortable in his new surroundings. I’m sure it’s been hard for him to be away from his home and his usual caregivers. I don’t want to make this harder for him. That wasn’t my intention at all.”
Veronica seemed to study him for a few seconds. Maybe she was trying to decide if he was being sincere. Or maybe she was debating slamming the door in his face. He could never tell with this woman.
Finally, she cocked an eyebrow and nodded. “I appreciate you saying that.”
Tomás waited, but Veronica apparently had nothing more to say.
He stuck his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “Good. I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.”
She nodded again and shut the door, leaving Tomás to wonder if he was ever going to figure this woman out.
When he got back to the house, only Nico and Daniel were still in the kitchen, since they were on cleanup duty. Ever since their dad had started treatments, their mom had taken on most of the load when it came to taking care of him. So to help her out, he and his brothers rotated doing the dishes and cleaning up after each meal since she refused to hire any kind of outside housekeeper. They all had admitted to feeling a little helpless when it came to their dad getting sick. This was the least they could do.
“Did you fix the water pressure?” Nico asked after turning on the dishwasher.
“Yeah. It was only halfway. Cruz probably lowered it after Sal moved out.” Sal had been the last ranch hand to live in the cottage. They had to let him go last summer as part of the budget tightening.
Daniel, who had been wiping down the island counter, took a seat. “So, Tomás, everyone has decided that Veronica is pretty great and no one understands why you’ve got a stick up your ass when it comes to her.”
Tomás sat on the stool across the counter from his younger brother. “I don’t have a stick up my ass. All I said was that she was high-maintenance.”
Nico scoffed. “Why? Because she wanted decent water pressure?”
“No. There were other things.” His defenses kicked in as usual when he felt like his brothers were ganging up against him. “Look, I’ll admit that maybe I wasn’t being completely fair to her. She was actually acting pretty normal at dinner. But also, I’ve seen her get a little uppity because our stable services aren’t what she’s used to.”
“Well, that’s understandable. I mean the woman is training for the Olympics, for God’s sake.”
Tomás wagged his finger at Nico and corrected him. “An Olympic-qualifying competition.”
His brother rolled his eyes. “Same difference. I can see why she might be a little pissed if things get in the way of her training and focus.”
“Especially after what happened last time,” Daniel added.
“What happened last time?” Tomás asked.
“Show him the video,” Nico said, looking over at Daniel.
Daniel opened his phone, then hesitated. “I don’t know. Maybe we shouldn’t be adding to the views. I feel bad for her.”
“I feel bad too. But I think Tomás needs to see it so he can understand where she’s coming from. She isn’t just training for a chance to get into the Olympics. She’s kinda doing this to save her reputation.”
That seemed to be enough for Daniel, who typed something into his phone and then set it down on the counter in front of Tomás.
He saw it was a video on YouTube. Daniel clicked the Play button.
Tomás watched as a person on a horse came into view in what looked like an arena. He immediately recognized Takuache and then Veronica. Although he had no idea what was going to happen, a knot of apprehension welled in his gut. Because he could see right away that something was off with her. Her position on top of Takuache was stiff, and even the horse seemed uneasy before they took the first jump. His intuition was correct: Soon they began their approach, and he saw Veronica’s leg slip as she stood right before Takuache leapt over the rails. To his horror, Veronica seemed to lose her balance. As soon as Takuache touched the ground, she slid sideways off him. Even worse, one of her legs somehow got tangled in the saddle hanging off Takuache and she was dragged a few feet before the horse finally stopped.
“Dios mío,” he whispered as the video ended.
“She was in the hospital for a week with a concussion, a fractured ankle, and some other scratches and bruises,” Daniel said softly.
Tomás dragged his hand over his face. Although he knew Veronica was physically okay, he couldn’t shake the awful feeling in the pit of his stomach. “What happened?” he asked. It was all he could think of to say in the moment.
Nico sighed. “Stirrup bar. It got loose or broke, I guess.”
“She hasn’t competed since,” Daniel said. “That was three years ago.”
Guilt snaked through him. Nico was right. This was more than just trying to get to the Olympics. And based on the millions of views this video had already received, no wonder she had wanted to train in private. He couldn’t imagine the amount of pressure she must have been under.
He might have gone into dinner with one impression of Veronica, but her behavior and backstory had changed it.
Tomás decided he was going to do whatever it took to help her.