Armando Returns (Barboza Brothers) (30 page)

Katie cozied up next to Armando, holding his hand.

The room was silent as Dwayne closed his eyes, thinking. When he opened them, they were glossy. He put his elbows against his knees, leaning forward, fingers laced together.

Lisa
’s eyes narrowed at Dwayne as she waited for him to speak.

Dwayne sniffled and drew the back of his hand across one eye. Then he took a long, deep breath, looking in Armando
’s eyes. In a gentle voice, he said, “I’m sorry.”

Lisa
’s jaw dropped.

Armando squeezed Katie
’s hand, unprepared for his apology. But he was especially unprepared for his sincerity.

Dwayne continued.
“Son, if I’d known your Mama was sick, I never would’ve…” His voice trailed off as he sniffled again. He reached into his suit pocket for a handkerchief, which he wiped across his face.

Lisa rolled her eyes and shook her head.

Katie and Armando stared at Dwayne, both of their hearts racing, stunned by his emotional display.

After a little while, Dwayne put the handkerchief away, appearing calmer. He cleared his throat and looked again at Armando.
“What I did to you was wrong. There ain’t much else I can say about it. Thought I was doing the right thing, protecting my family.” His eyes flashed to Katie. “If you still make my little girl happy after all this time, then—”

“
No!” Lisa slapped her legs with her hands. “You can’t be okay with this!”

Armando stared straight in her eyes and said,
“Why the hell not? Katie and I both deserve an answer.”

Dwayne nodded, his face solemn.
“I agree.”

Lisa huffed out a stubborn sigh.

Katie said, “Mom, stop doing this. Daddy’s fine with it! Haven’t we been through enough?”

Lisa gritted her teeth, glaring at her daughter. Then she straightened her skirt and stood up, pacing back and forth in a nervous display Katie knew all too well.

Dwayne watched his wife for a second, then turned to Armando and Katie.
“We may need to have this talk another time. After everyone calms down a bit.”

Armando watched Lisa pace the floor.
“With all due respect, sir, I’d like to know right now. It changed the course of my life and I feel like I’ve waited a million years to hear it. I already know it has something to do with a deal you made with Henry. Please tell me what it was.”

Lisa bristled at the mention of Henry
’s name.

Dwayne gave his wife another glance, then his eyes focused thoughtfully on Armando.
“Do you know where he disappeared to?”

“
Who, Henry?” Armando shrugged. “No. He checks in with Ramon once in a while. He’s traveling. That’s all I know.”

Dwayne scoffed.
“Traveling. Well, when he finally gets his skinny ole ass back to that ranch, you tell him it’s time me and him had a talk.”

“
A talk about what?” Armando asked. “You gotta give me more than that. If it’s something bad enough to make you break us up the way you did, it’s probably something my brothers and I need to know about. We’ve been trying to figure it out and we’re not gonna stop.”

Dwayne inhaled sharply, then exhaled, a glum look on his face as his eyes darted around the room everywhere but at his wife. After a long pause, he said,
“What story did Henry tell you about why he moved you and your family over the border, to his ranch?”

Lisa stopped pacing to glare at Dwayne.

Confused, Armando said, “I don’t know what you mean by ‘story.’ I met him when I was eight and he got lost in our village. I gave him directions. He said he never forgot how nice I was. He came back a couple years later and tracked us down, offered our mom a job. So we moved.”

Dwayne
’s lips pursed, thoughtfully. “You ever think there’s something not quite right about that story?”

Through gritted teeth, Lisa whispered,
“Dwayne!”

Dwayne continued, ignoring her.
“You ever wonder why he’d let a strange woman and her three boys move right into that nice, big house of his?”

Armando gulped.
“No. But we didn’t have anywhere else to live, and Henry’s ranch didn’t have living quarters.”

Dwayne nodded.
“So I guess you never really questioned it, then.”

“
At first we did, maybe, but we were kids,” Armando said. “Henry was good to us. Mama was happy. We weren’t struggling anymore. That’s all we cared about.”

“
Well, son,” Dwayne said, “Henry Platt lied to you.”

Lisa grunted in frustration and brought her hand to her forehead.

Armando’s eyes widened. “About what?”

Dwayne gave Armando a sympathetic frown.
“He knew exactly who you were when he met you.”

Armando felt the hair on his arms stand up as a nervous twinge fluttered in his stomach then spread through the rest of his body.
“How?”

“
Dwayne!” Lisa shouted.

Sighing, Dwayne looked at his wife, then back at Armando.
“Like I said. You let me know when Henry comes back. There’s a whole lotta shit he’s gonna have to tell you himself.” His head shook. “But I can’t.”

“
Yes, you can,” Armando pleaded. “I had no idea. I beg you, please tell me. I can track Henry down if I have to.”

“
Well, you do that,” Dwayne said. “And I’ll be ready to talk. But for now, that’s all I can say.” He paused, sighing. “That, and I’m sorry.”

Lisa threw her hands up in the air, then muttered at Dwayne,
“I can’t believe you. I’ll see you in the car.”

“
Mom, wait!” Katie opened her purse, frantic. “I need to show you something.” When she found her ring, she turned to Armando with a big smile and she slid the ring onto her finger, right where it belonged. Then she lifted her hand, displaying the ring with pride. “We’re engaged!”

Lisa shot Katie a mean look. Her eyes then settled on Armando for the briefest moment. And then, with a loud huff, she gave her husband one last glance before opening the door and slamming it shut behind her.

Dwayne snorted and waved his hand toward the door in a dismissive gesture.
“Don’t worry about her.” Then he stood, gazing down at Katie. “You have my blessing.”

Katie rose from her seat, her bottom lip trembling. She held back her tears and softly said,
“I’m shocked. After what happened I—”

“
I know.” Dwayne nodded. “I know.” Then he put his arms around her and pulled her in tight. “I know, darlin’.”

Hesitantly, Armando rose.
“Thank you, sir. It means a lot to have your blessing.”

Dwayne hugged Katie for a little while longer before letting her go and turning his attention to Armando. He extended his hand.
“Again, I’m sorry.”

Armando
’s heart raced, his thoughts whirling in a hazy cloud of disbelief. He was about to shake the hand of a person who had done him so very wrong. Maybe Armando should hate Dwayne. But he remembered his mother’s words.
Revenge will end up killing you.
So, Armando took Dwayne’s hand, shaking it firmly. “Thank you.”

Dwayne stared into Armando
’s eyes. “I know it doesn’t make any sense right now. But like I said. You get Henry, I’ll give you answers.”

Armando sensed Dwayne
’s genuineness. He knew he was dealing with a man whose handshake was as good as getting it in writing. Armando nodded in agreement. “I’ll do that.”

Half-smiling, Dwayne let go of Armando
’s hand and said, “Welcome to the family.” Then he stood back and addressed the couple. “I’m gonna leave you two alone now. There’s a big fight with my wife in my future. Better go get it over with.”

Armando instantly thought about the fight he had with Dwayne ten years earlier. He surprised himself by letting a statement fly out of his mouth,
“I have a feeling you’re gonna be just fine, sir.”

Dwayne gave him a knowing look, and chuckled.
“Yeah. And hey, no more of this ‘sir’ stuff. Just call me Dwayne. All right?”

Armando nodded.
“All right.”

Dwayne patted Armando
’s shoulder, then gave his daughter another hug and a kiss on the cheek before saying goodbye and heading out the door.

When the door closed, Katie turned to Armando. Their eyes locked for a moment, and then they both burst into tears.

Armando held her as tight as possible, stroking her hair.

Katie went weak against him.

They both felt a huge weight had been lifted, and they were finally free to live their lives as husband and wife. Exactly how they had always intended.

Exactly three weeks from the day Armando proposed, Katie was in her wedding dress, arm in arm with her father as they walked down the sandy, makeshift aisle, to the love of her life. Her red hair was piled top her head, with flyaway pieces hanging down, blowing with the gentle ocean breeze.

They were in Cabo San Lucas, on the beach below the villa where Armando proposed. They had such a lovely time there that weekend, he decided to buy it, and was in the process of doing so.

No more waiting, they decided. This wedding was long overdue. So, the planning was quick. Katie wasn
’t so concerned about what dresses she or the bridesmaids wore. As long as she would finally be Mrs. Armando Barboza today, she was happy.

Her mother, Lisa, took about a week to get over her anger with Katie. Or, at least she
acted like she was over it. Katie suspected her Mom was just grateful she could brag to her friends about her daughter marrying such a successful man. But regardless of the reason, Katie was thrilled to have some peace in her life.

However
...

Two days earlier when Dwayne and Lisa arrived, they broke the news to Katie and
Chelsea of their separation and pending divorce. The decision was made less than a day after they learned of Katie’s reunion with Armando. Their argument began when they left her apartment and ended in the wee hours of the following morning, both of them hoarse from screaming.

Privately, after Lisa went to her hotel room, Dwayne confided in his daughters that the
greatest reason for the divorce was Lisa’s lack of respect for him. He encouraged Katie to always be honest with Armando, and to never let an issue fester until it boiled over. He said he learned more about his wife the day of that argument than he learned in their entire thirty years of marriage. No matter the reason for their divorce, the girls were less than thrilled about the news, but they both understood and wished their parents well.

Since the wedding was planned so quickly, Katie and Armando
ended up with just over twenty guests, but to them, that was plenty. In fact, they had an inside joke that maybe the secret to having a small, stress-free wedding was to have it in another country on less than two weeks notice. Thankfully, many of the guests in attendance were the most treasured people in their lives.

Katie
’s matron of honor was her sister, Chelsea. And because Katie had thrown herself into work the past few years, she had inadvertently let a few of her closest friends slip away. As a result, Cara and Patty stepped in as bridesmaids. One of Katie’s college friends was able to attend the wedding at the last minute but Katie was positive it was only because she had seen pictures of Armando’s single brother, Ramon. Katie did her best to warn her that, no matter how gorgeous he was, he had been a total jerk to her for the past ten years.. Armando found the idea hilarious, considering how much Ramon reveled in his bachelorhood.

Armando stood at attention in front of the minister alongside his two brothers as he awaited his bride, a full-wattage smile on his handsome face.

Katie smiled back at him, her heart blooming with joy. This moment was so much more than a “dream come true.” Katie felt as if everything that had happened in her life had prepared her for this moment. And even though she despised what her father did to Armando, deep inside she wondered if she and Armando would appreciate each other nearly as much if it had never happened.

Her eyes drifted from Armando for a moment as she took a glimpse of the bridal party. The ladies smiled at her, looking beautiful in their powder blue dresses. Beside Armando were Victor and Ramon, standing in a line, all of them wearing lightweight beige suits that were similar to the color of the sand. It warmed Katie
’s heart to see the dashing brothers together like this, beaming at her. Even Ramon held her gaze for a moment and gave her a soft grin.

When the minister asked,
“Who gives this woman to be married to this man?” Katie teared up when her father said, “Her mother and I do,” and kissed her cheek. Even though Katie would have married Armando without their approval, it felt a million times better to be open about their love.