LITMIR.BIZ

       One

      Inigo Velasquez lived life at a fast pace and liked it that way. As the youngest and arguably handsomest of the Velasquez brothers, he enjoyed life to the fullest. No tying the knot and settling down for him. Plus, his career as a Formula One driver kept him on the road and away from his matchmaking mama for most of the year.

      He had to give his mom credit, though. It took some real determination to arrange a setup at a party on New Year’s Eve, one that wasn’t even taking place in their hometown of Cole’s Hill, Texas. Back home, Inigo was always on his guard for his mom’s maneuvering, but tonight they were all the way across the country at the Hamptons home of his brother Alec’s baby mama, Scarlet O’Malley. Inigo had mistakenly assumed that his mom’s network wouldn’t be able to produce any potential bridal candidates this far afield.

      He had to give her high marks for finding a woman who was hitting all of his hot buttons. She was tall, probably an inch or so shorter than his own five-foot-ten frame. She had long blond hair with some darker streaks that hung down her back. She wore a chemise-type shift dress that was brilliant sapphire blue and complimented her silvery eyes perfectly.

      She didn’t let her height keep her from wearing heels, and she was by far the most stunning person in the room. She moved through the well-heeled, moneyed crowd with ease, which made him wonder who she was.

      “Mom, you’ve outdone yourself,” he said as his mom came over to him with a glass of champagne in each hand. She handed him one, which he took and knew he’d have to nurse all night. He was already training for the upcoming season, and that meant watching his alcohol intake.

      “Thanks, sweetie,” she said. “It’s really only a glass of bubbly.”

      “I meant the woman,” he said.

      “What woman?”

      “Are you seriously going to pretend that the only single woman in the room isn’t here at your behest so that I accidentally meet her?” he asked.

      “Inigo, I didn’t invite anyone for you to accidentally meet. I wanted my boys to settle down in Texas. But Mo is the only one who married a Cole’s Hill girl. Diego divides his time between London and Texas, and it looks as if Alec is going to be doing the same, commuting between New York and home. I want my boys close so I can spoil my grandchildren,” she said.

      Inigo couldn’t believe how he was the only Velasquez brother still single. Diego, his eldest brother, had married British legacy jewelry designer Pippa Hamilton-Hoff. Alec had Scarlet, and Alec’s twin, Mauricio, was now engaged to his long-time on-again, off-again girlfriend, Hadley.

      “So, she’s not for me?” he asked.

      His mom shook her head and started laughing. “Honey, it’s amazing that with your ego and inflated head you can even get the helmet on at the start of a race.”

      “Ha-ha, Mom. You know it’s not that far-fetched that you’d try to set me up,” he said.

      “I know. Which girl is it?” his mom asked.

      He nodded in the blonde’s direction.

      His mom whistled between her teeth. “She’s a looker. How do you know she’s single?”

      Inigo tried to play it cool, like he hadn’t asked around to find out who she was. But his mom, who was watching him, just smiled and shook her head. “You like her?”

      “Don’t get any ideas,” he warned her. “I have a big year coming up, and I’m focused on being number one.”

      “I know you are, baby. And your father and I are very supportive of that,” his mom said. “But if you like her…maybe you should go and introduce yourself to her.”

      “I might now that I know you didn’t meddle to get her here,” Inigo said.

      “Might what, son?” his father asked as he came over, putting his hand on his shoulder and squeezing.

      “He might go talk to that girl,” his mom said. “Here, finish this for Inigo. He’s training and shouldn’t be drinking.”

      “Whatever you say, darling,” his father said, taking the champagne flute from Inigo’s hand. “What a party! Several people have already confused me with Antonio Banderas tonight.”

      His mom swiped the glass from his father’s hand. “Obviously you’ve had too much to drink if you think that’s what they said.”

      Inigo smiled at his parents joking around with each other. Seeing them together always made him think of relationship goals. But they had gotten together back when life was simpler. Now the world was faster, meaner and more connected. He had to hustle a lot to stay relevant off the track while still winning races on it. There was no time to find someone and get to know them in the real world the way his parents had.

      But someday he did want that…when he was like thirty or, hell, maybe forty, depending on how his career went.

      “Which girl are you looking at?” his father asked when his mom spotted one of her favorite Food TV chefs and wandered over. This party had everyone at it, and frankly it was the kind of shindig that he tried to avoid except when his sponsor made him attend.

      Sponsors and family. They were the only two things that he ever allowed to pull him away from racing.

      “Dad, you can’t call women girls anymore,” Inigo said. “But she’s the blonde in the blue dress over near the French doors.”

      “You know I meant no disrespect,” he said. “Hell, you and your brothers still look like boys to me. Guess it’s my age.”

      “Don’t be all aw-shucks with me. If Mom or Bia heard you, you’d be in trouble,” Inigo scolded.

      “I know. Maybe I’d better go back and find that lady who thought I was Antonio Banderas,” his dad said.

      “I wouldn’t. Unless you want to start the new year with Mom ticked off at you,” Inigo said.

      “True. How’d you get to be so smart?” his dad asked.

      Well, Inigo hadn’t been drinking all night, the way his father clearly had, which made everything sharper, but he smiled at his father and winked. “From you.”

      His father clapped him on the back. “Of course you did. I like your gir—woman. Have you talked to her?”

      “Not yet.”

      “What are you waiting for, son?” his dad asked. “She’s alone. Go.”

      His father gave him a nudge toward the blonde, and at that moment she glanced over at him to see his father pushing him toward her. Their eyes met, and he knew that he was hooked when she shook her head, smiled at him and crooked her finger.