In a Broken Dream (The Broken Series Book 4) (28 page)

I
reached for her mother’s hand. “Thank you for inviting us to stay with you,
Mrs. Perez.”

Her
lips brushed against my cheek. “Isabel,
por favor
.”

Cenia’s
father gave me a quick kiss on the cheek and a hug. “I always think someone’s
referring to my father when I hear Mr. Perez. Please call me Al,” he requested
with a warm smile.

Isabel
reached for my hand while nudging Cenia toward the house. “Please, let the men
bring the luggage in. Are you hungry? You look like you haven’t eaten in
weeks.”

Cenia
laughed. “Mom! I’m no thinner now than the last time you saw me. Quit trying to
fatten me up!”

Isabel
examined her daughter a bit more closely. “You’re too pale. You need some color
in your cheeks. You should at least eat some beans.”

My
stomach growled the second I entered the house. I could smell the beans and ham
simmering in the kitchen, as well as fresh pressed garlic, onion, cilantro, and
some kind of pepper. Jalapenos maybe. “Whatever you’re cooking smells amazing,”
I groaned more than said. I glanced around the house, then gawked at the terracotta
tile floor. There was no carpet to speak of, only tile.

Isabel
steered us toward the kitchen. “
Sientase
,” she said, pointing toward the
breakfast bar. Cenia and I complied.

Her
mom handed each of us a plate heaped with pinto beans. “The tortillas will be
ready in a minute.” Bowls full of shredded cheese, shredded meat, lettuce, and
pico
de gallo
were sitting on the counter in front of us. “Eat. We have a long
day ahead of us tomorrow.”

I
wasn’t about to argue. The food smelled too good to pass up.

Cenia
and I were eating our second helping of beans by the time the men joined us in
the kitchen. Isabel handed each of them a fresh tortilla and a plate full of
beans. “Would you like a glass of wine?”

Kadyn
shook his head. “No, thanks. I’m good with water.”

Isabel
handed Kadyn a glass of ice water. “Roger, Alejandro?” she asked. She topped off
the wine she’d poured for Cenia and me while waiting for their response.

Roger
gave Cenia a kiss on the cheek before joining Alejandro and Kadyn at the table.
“Yes, please,”

“I
would love a glass of wine,” Alejandro replied. “Your
madrina
and
padrino
will be here shortly,” he told Cenia. “A few of your cousins will be stopping
by as well. I’m going to put some music on so we can dance out back.”

Isabel
tsk’d
her husband under her breath. “Alejandro, I told you not to
schedule the
fiesta
until tomorrow night. The kids are tired. They had a
long flight.”

“I
did schedule the
fiesta
for tomorrow night. This is just a precursor… a warm
up for the main event,” Alejandro protested. He winked at Cenia.

I
joined Cenia at the sink so I could help with the dishes. “What do our sleeping
arrangements look like?”

She
handed me a dish towel. “My parents have two guest rooms. You and I will be sharing
a queen size bed in the first bedroom to your right.” She nodded toward the
hallway. “The bedroom across the hall from us has two twin size beds, so I
figured Roger and Kadyn would be more comfortable sleeping in there,” Cenia explained.
“If you want to skip the party…”

“The
party sounds fun. I’ll be fine,” I replied. I nudged her shoulder with mine as
I began drying the plates.

“Well,
don’t be afraid to retire early. We’ve got a long day tomorrow,” Cenia warned.
She handed me another plate.

“You
should do the same. You’re the one who has to look good for the photographer,”
I chided.

“I’ll
help Kri finish the dishes,” Kadyn said, edging between us. Cenia’s godparents
had just arrived.

Cenia
handed him the dish brush. She rolled onto her tiptoes and gently kissed his
cheek. “Thanks, Kadyn.”

I
smiled at Kadyn when Cenia joined Roger and the rest of her family in the
living room. “That was very sweet. Thanks for freeing her up so she could spend
time with her family.”

Kadyn
rinsed the suds off a glass before handing it to me. “I was just looking for an
excuse to hang out with you.”

I
laughed. “Yeah, right.”

Cenia’s
brother, his wife, and children arrived a few minutes later. Kadyn and I
finished the dishes and joined them in the living room. Alejandro introduced us
to everyone. I ducked inside the bathroom to freshen up for the party when the cousins
began trickling in. Isabel was already shooing people into the backyard.

I
brushed my teeth, patted my face with a cool washcloth, and refreshed my lip
gloss before applying a new layer of deodorant and Bvlgari perfume. The ivory,
pink and green floral dress I had worn to the airport seemed appropriate
enough. The soft flowing material ended mid-thigh in the front but mid-calf in
the back. A thin leather belt cinched the waist. I’d purchased a pair of brown
cowgirl boots to wear in Texas. Rafael had gaped at me when I paired them with
the dress this morning. He made me keep the boots and the dress on when we had
sex.

I
was still thinking of that early morning tryst when I stepped out into the
backyard. I stopped short when I looked up. Alejandro had strung red, green,
and white paper lanterns among the pecan and orange trees. They were glowing
softly against the darkening sky. I walked over to one of the lanterns, curious
as to how they’d been lit.

“He
tucked battery operated LED lights inside,” Kadyn explained.

I
glanced at him, uncertain as to how long he’d been standing next to me. I
reached up and gently tapped the lantern. “This place looks magical.”

“Maybe
it is,” Kadyn mused. “Would you like to dance?”

My
eyes drifted toward the patio, where Cenia’s cousins were dancing. Alejandro
was playing salsa music. “I don’t know if I can salsa anymore. I think my body
may be permanently stuck on waltz.”

“I
think I can fix that,” Kadyn assured me. He bowed gallantly and held out his
hand.

I
slipped my hand in his. He stopped to talk to Alejandro before leading me
toward the large travertine patio.

Kadyn
twirled me under his arm before positioning me for the waltz. I studied my
friend’s handsome face, then glanced at Alejandro in surprise when Norah Jones
began singing “Come Away With Me.” Kadyn stepped forward as he began the waltz.

Cenia
and Roger joined us on the dance floor when her cousins cleared out. Alejandro
led Isabel to the patio, and they too began to waltz. The remaining guests
gathered around the patio to watch.

The
tension eased from my body as Kadyn whisked me around the makeshift dance floor.
Our bodies rose and fell in time to the music until it felt as if we were
drifting across an ocean of lyrics that felt more perfect than they should
have.

I
was vaguely aware of Cenia’s cousins clapping when the three men dipped us at
the end of the song. Time seemed to stand still as they held us suspended in
that precarious pose.

Kadyn
and I stared at one another when he finally pulled me to his chest. My eyes
fell closed when his thumb brushed across my bottom lip. My pulse quickened. I
knew he was about to kiss me. “I can’t,” I breathed… but it was too late.

*
* * * *

The
bedroom door creaked open. The latch clicked when Cenia closed the door behind
her. She looked freshly showered. She stole quietly across the tile floor and sat
on the edge of the bed. “We’re going to have to sneak into Mexico,” she
confided in a hushed tone.

I
grabbed my cell phone off the nightstand and glanced at the time. I groaned
when I saw it was only six o’clock. “We can’t
sneak
into Mexico. What
are you talking about?”

“Roger
doesn’t want me to go,” she confessed miserably. “I have to go, Kri. It’s a
tradition. Every woman in my family has had her bridal portrait taken at this
studio. My mom is going to be heartsick if I break this tradition.”

I
leaned against the headboard as I slowly sat up in bed. “Why doesn’t Roger want
you to go?”

Cenia
took a deep breath and blew it out. “He’s worried about the drug cartels. They’re
still fighting over territory on the other side of the border. You never know
when a fight is going to break out. It’s getting more dangerous to cross over
at Reynosa. We could try to cross further down the border, but it would add an
entire day, maybe longer, by the time we drove back around. We don’t have that
kind of time. We’ve still got a lot of things to do for the rehearsal dinner
and the wedding.”

I
frowned. “I thought Roger and Kadyn were going with us.”

Cenia
shook her head. “I don’t want Roger to see me in my dress before the wedding,
and we’re bringing the portrait back with us.”

I
suddenly felt very nauseous. “I don’t know, Cenia. Sneaking over the border
seems like a really bad idea. I understand this is a family tradition, but I
think we should talk the guys into going with us.”

Cenia
began pacing across the room. “The more I push, the harder Roger’s going to
fight this. I don’t want to fight. I’d rather just go and plead for his
forgiveness later. My mom made this appointment months ago. The photographer is
expecting us in four hours. This is beyond rude, canceling four hours before
the appointment.” Cenia grew quiet. She appeared to be waging some internal war
as she carved a trail across the floor. Suddenly, her feet stopped. “If we
cross at Reynosa, we can be back in six hours. My father has agreed to take the
guys fishing this morning. We should just go and get this knocked out while they’re
fishing.”

I
pulled my knees to my chest. Fear and dread were playing tug-of-war with my
heart. “Is your mom going with us?”

Cenia
nodded. “Yes. She knows her way around San Fernando far better than I do.
Besides, this event is like a rite of passage. My mom wants to see me in the
dress and help me get ready for the portrait.”

“Does
your father know we’re going?” I asked. I was curious as to whether Alejandro
was a coconspirator or an unwitting accomplice.

Cenia
put her finger to her lips as someone walked by the room. She joined me back on
the bed. “Yes. My father knows we’re going, but my mother has sworn him to
secrecy. He’s supposed to be rounding the guys up now. As soon as they leave,
we can head out.”

I
eyed Cenia’s wet hair as I threw the covers aside. “Okay. If you’re done in the
bathroom, I’m going to take a quick shower. Do you have everything you need?
Makeup, dress, shoes, veil...?”

Cenia
nodded. “My mom has all my wedding clothes stashed inside her bedroom. We’ll haul
everything out to the car after the guys leave.”

I
sank onto the floor as I began digging through my suitcase. “What are you
wearing to the appointment?”

The
door creaked as Cenia peeked out into the hallway. “A sundress.”

“Okay.
I’ll meet you in the kitchen in twenty minutes.” I pulled an azure blue chiffon
dress from the suitcase, grabbed my makeup bag, and followed her out the door.
Cenia ducked into her parents’ bedroom when I stepped inside the bathroom.

I
showered quickly, dusted a thin layer of makeup over my face, dried and curled my
hair. I paused briefly in front of the full length mirror to ensure my new
dress wasn’t too short. The filmy sky-blue dress fell halfway to my knees. While
the dress was fairly shapeless, the long split sleeves made it look incredibly romantic.

I
stashed my pajamas, makeup, and curling iron back inside my suitcase; grabbed
my cell phone, purse, and sandals; and hurried toward the kitchen.

Cenia’s
mom handed me a cup of coffee. “
Buenas dias.
Has dormido bien
?
Did you sleep well?”

I
smiled. “
Si. Muy bien, gracias
.” I set the coffee on the breakfast bar
so I could fasten the straps on my sandals. “Have the guys left yet?”

Cenia
set a plate next to the coffee cup. She had piled a warm tortilla, eggs, beans,
shredded cheese, and
pico de gallo
onto the plate. “Yes. They left ten
minutes ago. We’ve already loaded everything into the car, so we can head out
as soon as you’re done eating.”

I
dug into the
Huevos Rancheros
. “Thanks for fixing breakfast.”

Isabel
handed me a glass of juice. “Oh, it’s nothing, really. Just something to tide
you over until Cenia has her pictures taken. We can go out to lunch in San
Fernando while we’re waiting for the photographer to develop the pictures and
frame the portrait. I know the perfect place.”

I
sampled the juice. “This is delicious! What is this?”

Cenia
laughed. “It’s fresh squeezed orange juice from the oranges out back.”

I
stared at the glass. “Wow. That tastes nothing like the stuff I buy from the
grocery store. This is really good.” I downed the juice and finished eating
breakfast while Cenia and her mom gathered snacks, bottled water, and the
camera. I carried my dishes to the sink. “Aren’t you going to style your hair?”
I asked Cenia while quickly washing the dishes.