The Man From her Wayward Past

‘And an earring. Oh, my goodness,’ Grace breathed, clutching her chest. ‘He’s totally sex on legs.’

‘I’m afraid I’m no closer,’ Lucia admitted. ‘I have four brothers, all with dark hair and tattoos, and at least a couple of them wear earrings. Brigands are in vogue this year, I’m told,’ she added dryly.

‘The one leaning out of the window of that black tank on wheels.’ Grace clutched her arm. ‘Lucia—he’s looking at me like he can see right through my clothes.’

‘Nacho, you wretch!’ Lucia exclaimed as the beast of an SUV slowed to a halt beside them. ‘Do you have nothing better to do than terrorise my friends?’

‘Just looking,’ Nacho said without apology but with a wolfish smile. ‘Nice friend …’ And with one last appraisal Nacho pushed the sunglasses back up his nose and closed the window.

If only everything in life could go so as smoothly as this, Lucia thought later, hoping those would never be classed as ‘famous last words’ as she spotted Grace and Nacho chatting to each other in the yard.

Nacho towered over Grace, who was quite tall herself, and Lucia’s typically taciturn brother seemed unusually animated today. With a smile she hurried on to make sure everything was ready inside the guest house for Luke’s parents.

The Forsters arrived about an hour later, with an entourage of their own, and Lucia was hugely relieved when both Luke’s father and mother declared themselves charmed by the guest house.

Well, that was two discerning families satisfied, she concluded, as Nacho added his praise to theirs.

‘The Sundowner is even better than I remember,’ Luke’s mother was assuring Margaret. ‘Always so quaint. And now so of the moment …’

Margaret looked blankly at Lucia.

‘Thank you,’ Lucia said brightly, stepping in.

‘And Margaret tells me you were the driving force behind the restoration of the guest house?’ Luke’s mother commented, sizing Lucia up.

It was some time since they’d seen each other, Lucia reassured herself as she explained that putting the Sundowner back on the map had been a team effort. ‘We all played our part,’ she said pleasantly.

‘With Luke’s money …’

A million responses flashed through Lucia’s head, but she countered the comment with a welcoming smile. ‘Can I show you to your room, Mrs Forster? I’m sure you must be tired after your journey and keen to freshen up?’

Round one to the wild Acosta, Luke’s amused eyes reassured Lucia. They both knew that at one time Lucia might have retaliated rather differently to his mother’s not so veiled observation that Lucia might have been a pleasant enough fellow guest at the Sundowner all those years back, but that she was under suspicion in her new role as Luke’s business partner.

‘Lucia and Luke working together …’ Luke’s father murmured, hanging back to share an amused and kindly smile with Lucia. ‘Do you two have anything else to tell me?’

‘Like that we’ve stopped fighting?’ Lucia suggested.

‘I was thinking of something more interesting than that.’

‘I’m sure you’ll love the suite I’ve chosen for you,’ Lucia said quickly. ‘It has a marvellous view of the sea.’

‘And you, my dear, are more diplomatic than you were as a child.’

Lucia flashed a glance at Luke on her way out of the room. She knew she would never fit the mould and be stamped ‘Approved’ when Luke’s father barely approved of his own son, and Luke’s mother didn’t approve of anyone. But what Luke thought was the only thing that mattered, Lucia reassured herself as Luke’s hand brushed her arm in a brief show of support as she left the room.

He had arranged everything to the second, so that nothing went wrong. He had the ring in his pocket and he was going to wait until the party on the beach was in full swing and no one would notice if he had a very special private moment with Lucia. The match had created an incredible buzz, which was still reverberating through the crowd. The night was warm, the moon was shining, and a top band was setting the mood with sexy South American music.

Now all he needed was Lucia, who had gone to change out of her work c

lothes so she could enjoy the party.

Margaret was going to mount the stage first to thank everyone for coming. Luke would speak next.

Once that was done he would find Lucia. Guessing romance had never figured very highly in Lucia’s life—mainly because of her fear that her brothers would laugh at her—he wanted to do something special for her. Something that didn’t involve her brothers looking over her shoulder.

Grace had helped her to choose a dress for the party, which had involved a lengthy shopping trip to the nearest town.

‘Instead of hiding your voluptuous figure, you should celebrate it,’ Grace had pronounced.