LITMIR.BIZ

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only had she lost Antonio, she didn’t feel all that bad about it.

      Was there something wrong with her? Sometimes she really did wonder.

      Her cell rang as she stood at the cash register paying the check. It was her sister.

      Mercy said, “Hey.”

      Elena signaled to the hostess that the five dollars in change should go to the waiter and smiled at the sound of her sister’s voice. “Hey.” She turned for the glass doors that led to the parking lot.

      “Did you hear?” Mercy asked. “Dad thinks he’s found a buyer for the company.” Their father was a builder. He owned and ran Cabrera Construction. Lately, he’d been making noises that he wanted to retire. Mercy added, “Some friend of Caleb’s, I think.”

      Caleb was one of Davis Bravo’s seven sons, and thus Elena’s half brother. He was also Mercy’s brother-in-law, since Mercy’s husband, Luke, was another of Davis’s sons.

      Family connections. Truly convoluted, at least when it came to the Bravos and the Cabreras. It wasn’t quite as creepy as it might sound, though. Mercy, unlike Elena, was not related by blood to the Bravos—or the Cabreras, for that matter. Mercy had been adopted into the Cabrera family when she was twelve.

      Elena reached her car and pulled open the door. “I remember now. Caleb mentioned that some guy he knows in Dallas—Logan somebody-or-other?—might be interested.” In the past few years, after the big revelation concerning Elena’s true parentage, Elena and Caleb had become not only newfound siblings, but close friends, as well.

      “Not Logan,” said Mercy. “Rogan. Rogan Murdoch.”

      “Rogan. Right.” Elena slid in behind the wheel and started the engine to get the air-conditioning going. April in San Antonio could be as hot as August in other places. “Caleb said the guy runs his family’s company.”

      “Murdoch Homes,” Mercy confirmed. “And he wants to expand. He showed up yesterday. And he’s with Dad now….”

      “With Dad at the office?”

      “That’s what Papi said when I called.”

      Elena readjusted the vent so the cold air blasted into her face. It felt good. “You think I should go over there? Check the guy out?”

      Mercy laughed. “I would do it myself, but I have a sick heifer to treat.” Mercy was a large-animal vet. “And then I have to get home to take Lucas to Mommy and Me.” Lucas was her two-year-old. And she was two months pregnant with her and Luke’s second baby.

      True love, a toddler and a baby on the way. Mercy had it all. Elena adored her big sister. Otherwise, she would be green with envy.

      “I’ll take care of it.” She bent closer to the vent so the cool air flowed down the front of her shirt. “It’s Good Friday. What else have I got to do?” Elena taught middle-school social studies. Good Friday was a school holiday.

      “You sure? I thought you mentioned something about lunch with Antonio….”

      “Oh.” Elena slumped back in the seat and stared glumly out the windshield. “That.”

      Mercy made a low, sympathetic sound. “What happened?”

      “I just got dumped over fish tacos.”

      “No.”

      “Yeah.”

      “Are you all right?”

      “Sadly, yes. I’m just fine.”

      “Oh, chica…”

      “Tonio’s found someone else.”

      “That bastard.”

      “Her name is Tappy.”

      “Tappy?”

      “It’s what I said—and I can hear you laughing.”

      “Tappy?”

      “Stop it, Mercedes.” But Mercy didn’t stop. And then Elena was laughing, too.

      Finally, Mercy pulled herself together enough to remark philosophically, “Well, at least your heart isn’t broken over this.”

      “Yeah. It’s really depressing.”

      “Elena.” Her sister’s voice was gentle, soothing. “There’s someone out there for you. I know there is.”

      “Keep talking. I’m twenty-five. I’ve never been in love—not that I’m feeling sorry for myself or anything.”

      “What’s this never? What about Roberto Pena?”

      “That was high school. It’s been a decade, in case you didn’t notice.”

      “It will happen. You’ll see.”

      Enough of the pity party. Elena sat forward again and reached for the ignition key. “Gotta go. Got to check out this Rogan character, make sure Papi knows what he’s doing.”

      “Hit me back. Let me know what you think of him.”

      Cabrera Construction took up half a block in a street of auto repair shops and contractor supply outlets. Years and years ago, the place had been a used car lot, so it had plenty of parking surrounding the flat-roofed central structure, which was the former showroom. It had big windows in front and a giant reception area, with a warren of hallways and office space in back. Behind the main building, there was more parking and also four large sheds where Elena’s dad stored equipment and building supplies that weren’t currently needed on a job.

      Elena pulled in next to her dad’s giant shiny red extended cab. There were three other vehicles parked in the same row. One was her dad’s secretary’s car. One belonged to another Cabrera Construction employee.

      There was also a Mercedes she’d never seen before. It was low and lean and fast-looking. A beautiful silver bullet of a car.

      As she entered the building that her dad had owned for almost twenty years now, she thought how sad it was that he might actually sell out. She had memories here. Family memories. From back when her mom and dad were still together and so much in love it was kind of embarrassing.

      If she closed her eyes and listened real hard, she could almost hear her own happy laughter as she and Mercy played tag or hide-and-seek.

      “Tag, you’re it!” Mercy would crow in big-sister triumph.

      “No fair!” Elena would whine.

      “Is so!”

      “Papi, Mercy cheated….”

      “Don’t be such a baby.” Mercy would stick out her tongue. “Did not.”

      “Did so!”

      Elena opened her eyes. The memory of young voices receded. Yes, it was sad to think of someone else running the place, someone else’s children playing tag in the reception area.

      But then again, neither of Javier Cabrera’s daughters had shown any interest in following in his footsteps. Elena was a teacher, Mercy a vet. And there was no son. Her dad was close to sixty and he often complained that he was tired, ready to relax a little, maybe travel some, see the world.

      If this thing with Caleb’s friend panned out, her dad might get his chance for freedom. Too bad he no longer had her mom to share his retirement with.

      He really ought to get out more, Elena thought. He ought to try and meet someone. But he never did. He and her mom were over and done with. But they were true Catholics. They might be apart with no hope for a reconciliation, but there would be no one else for either of them.

      Really, it was kind of heartbreaking.

      But she shouldn’t think like that. Maybe they would surprise her, and each of them would end up happy with someone else.

      It

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