See Me

Later, they showered together and dressed. Maria dried her hair and put on makeup while Colin leaned against the bathroom counter beside her, nursing a cup of coffee.

"Are we going someplace?" he asked.

"Brunch. With my parents."

"Sounds good. I'm going to need to change first, though. What time?"

"Eleven."

"I take it that we won't be riding together."

"That's probably not a good idea. It's going to be hard enough to prepare them for your visit. Because this time, they're going to ask a lot of questions."

"Okay."

Maria put down her mascara wand and took his hand. "Does that bother you? Or scare you?"

"No."

"Well, it sure scares me," she admitted, returning to her makeup. "The whole thing is terrifying, in fact."

He took a sip of coffee. "What are you going to tell them about me?"

"Hopefully, as little as possible. Any details will just spur more questions that you should answer, not me."

"What are you hoping for today?"

"For my mom to get through it without tears, and my father not to demand that you leave the house."

"That's not a very high bar."

"Trust me," she said. "It's higher than you think."

CHAPTER 13

Colin

Colin pulled up to Maria's parents' house just before eleven. He had no idea how the conversation with her parents had gone, and as he stepped out of the car, he figured there was no use in speculating, since he'd find out soon enough anyway.

Had Lily been around, he would have asked her what he should bring to a family brunch, but she and Evan were already at church when he got home, and in the end, it probably wouldn't do much good anyway. Like everyone else, they were going to form their own opinions, and a basket of muffins wasn't going to alter them.

Still, as he walked to the door, he hoped that Maria was all right. Earlier, on his way home, he'd thought about her virtually nonstop, one series of images giving way to the next, each more ravishing than the one before. That was a first for him, she was a first, and he took a deep breath, reminding himself that even though he wouldn't shy away from any questions, his answers could be framed in a lot of different ways and still remain honest.

He knocked at the door and it swung open almost immediately, revealing Serena. He noticed again how much she resembled her older sister, though she seemed even more high-strung than usual, which probably wasn't a good sign.

"Hey, Colin," she said, stepping aside to let him in. "I saw you walking up. Come on in."

"Thank you. How did your dinner go last night?"

"Awesome," she answered. "But I should be the one asking you."

"We had a good time."

"I'm sure." Serena winked. "Maria's in the kitchen with Mom," she said, closing the door behind him. "And I'm amazed you were able to get her to go dancing."

"Why?"

"If you don't know yet, I think you need to spend even more time with her," she answered. "But here's a word to the wise--I wouldn't get too descriptive about last night, especially anything that might have happened after the dancing. It's already a little tense around here. I have a hunch that my parents think you're a terrorist."

"Okay."

"I might be exaggerating, but who really knows?" she babbled. "I didn't get here until the three of them were finished talking, and my parents barely said hello to me. All I really know for sure is that my dad wasn't smiling and my mom kept making the sign of the cross, despite how well last night's dinner with the director of the foundation went... not that my little challenges matter right now. Anyway, I decided it was best if I just waited for you in the living room."

By then, they'd reached the kitchen, where he saw Maria standing over a sizzling frying pan while her mom pulled a small baking pan from the oven. The air smelled of bacon and cinnamon.

"Colin's here," Serena called out.

Maria turned and he noticed she was wearing an apron. "Hi, Colin," she said tightly. "You remember my mom, right?"

Carmen forced on a plastic smile, and though Colin might have been imagining it, she seemed paler than she'd been just a couple of days earlier. "Good morning, Mrs. Sanchez," he said, figuring a bit of formality was probably a good bet.

"Good morning." She nodded and, obviously uncomfortable, turned her attention back to the pan as she placed it on an iron rack on the counter.

Serena leaned toward him. "My mom decided to do an American breakfast just for you," she whispered. "Bacon and eggs, French toast, cinnamon rolls. Of course, that was before Maria told her about you."

Maria pulled a couple of strips of bacon from the pan and set them on a napkin-covered plate off to the side of the stove. "Hey, Serena? Can you take over for a second?"

"Be glad to," Serena chirped. "But only if I get to wear the cool apron."

Maria started toward them, slipping off the apron as she walked and passing it to Serena like trading places was normal. In this kitchen, Colin assumed it was. Serena started chatting away with her mother in Spanish as she donned the apron.

Up close, Colin noticed tension in the way Maria was moving. She gave him a quick peck on the cheek, careful to keep a bit of distance between them. "Any trouble finding the place?"

"Google," he answered. Glancing over his shoulder, it was hard not to notice the way Carmen frowned slightly. He knew enough not to ask how it had gone earlier; instead, he defaulted to silence. Maria lowered her voice, concern etched on her face.

"Would you mind talking to my dad before we eat?"

"Okay."

"And, um..." She trailed off.

"It's your father," he said. "I won't forget."

She nodded, the movement almost imperceptible. "I'm going to stay in here and help my mom in the kitchen," she said. "My dad's at the table on the back porch. Do you want any coffee?"

"I'm fine," Colin replied.

"Water?"

"I'm fine," he said again.

"Okay..." She took a step backward. "I guess I better get back to the kitchen, then."

Colin watched as she backed away, past a refrigerator decorated with dozens of photos, letters, and other keepsakes, before she turned around. He moved toward the slider and as soon as he opened the door, Felix turned his way. There was less anger than he'd anticipated, though the shock and disappointment were evident, as was his obvious antagonism. In his lap, a small white dog was sleeping.

Colin closed the door behind him and walked toward Felix, his eyes steady. Nearing the table, he offered his hand.

"Good morning, Mr. Sanchez. Maria said you wanted to speak with me."

Felix looked toward the hand before he reluctantly offered his own. Colin stood, waiting for Felix to invite him to sit at the table. Eventually Felix nodded toward a chair, and Colin sat. He clasped his hands and rested them in front of him, remaining quiet. There was no point in trying to make small talk or pretending that he didn't know what Felix wanted to discuss.

Felix was in no rush to speak and took his time scrutinizing him. "Maria said that you were in trouble with the law," he finally began. "Is that true?"

"Yes," Colin answered. Over the next half hour, the full story came out in bits and pieces, much as it had with Maria that first night on the beach. He didn't sugarcoat his past or attempt to mislead Felix; he was who he was. Like with Maria, Felix's shock was pronounced at times and he pressed for further clarification; when Colin eventually recounted what happened at the first military school he'd attended, Colin thought he saw a flash of sudden understanding. By the time he finished, Felix was less on edge than he had been when Colin had first joined him on the porch, but it was also clear that he needed time to think about all that he'd learned. No surprise there. Felix was a father and Maria was his daughter, and there was only so far he would go.

"You claim that you've changed and I would like to believe you, but I'm not sure that I do."

"Okay." Colin nodded.

>

"What if you get arrested again?"

"I don't plan on it."

"That's the problem. People seldom plan on it."

Colin said nothing. There was really nothing to say.

Felix continued to pet the little white dog. "If you do get arrested, what will happen?"

"I won't see her. I'll end it. The worst thing would be for her to think she should wait."

After a moment, Felix offered a slight nod, satisfied but still unsure as to whether he believed it. "If you ever hurt my daughter or put my daughter in danger..."

He didn't finish, but he didn't need to. Colin knew what Felix wanted to hear, and because it was true, he had no trouble saying it.

"It won't happen."

"I have your word."

"Yes."

Just then, Maria popped her head out, clearly nervous but also relieved that she hadn't heard any shouting. "Are you two about finished? Brunch is ready."

Felix exhaled. "We're done," he said. "Let's eat."

After they'd finished eating, Serena and her parents began to clean up while Maria lingered behind with Colin. "What did you say to him?" Maria asked.

"The truth," Colin answered.

"All of it?"

"Yes."

Maria appeared flummoxed. "Then it went a lot better than I thought it would."

Maria was right--the brunch had been relatively pleasant, with Serena chattering on about the scholarship, Steve, and the escapades of her numerous friends. Felix and Carmen had occasionally asked questions, even lobbing a few queries toward Colin, though all were about work or school. When he'd mentioned MMA, he thought that Carmen had paled just a bit.

"Still..." Maria said. "I guess you were right. It was best to get it all out there in the beginning."

Sometimes, Colin thought. Not always. Felix had been cordial, but there wasn't any fondness or trust evident, both of which would take time to achieve, if that was possible at all. He didn't say that, though. Instead, he reached for the door.

"Do you want to do some paddleboarding later?" he asked.

"How about we do something different instead. Like... Jet Skiing. We can rent them at the beach. Does that sound fun?"

He recalled the sight of her in a bikini again. "Actually, that sounds great."

They met at Wrightsville Beach later that afternoon and spent a couple of hours on Jet Skis before Colin returned home to squeeze in a quick workout. They cooked dinner at Maria's and then, like the night before, spent the next few hours wrapped in each other's arms.

Monday morning came too soon, but that week they spent as much time together as they could. Colin met Maria for lunch twice, and on Wednesday, she spent the evening at Crabby Pete's, nursing a Diet Pepsi and working on a legal brief for Barney with her MacBook propped on the bar in front of her. Aside from his shifts and classes, a few hours for working out, and family brunch, they were together almost every minute, and went to both the farmers' market and the aquarium, neither of which Colin had ever contemplated visiting before.

Through it all, he simply tried to embrace the way he felt about her. He didn't think about it, didn't worry about it, didn't try to understand it. Instead, he enjoyed the way he felt whenever she laughed, and how sexy she was when she knit her eyebrows in concentration; he savored the feel of her hand in his as they walked and talked, their conversations drifting from the serious to the silly.

On Sunday night, in bed after making love, Maria was lying on her stomach, her knees bent and feet up as she nibbled on some grapes. Colin found it impossible to take his eyes from her, ogling her until she playfully tossed a grape at him.

"Stop staring. You're making me feel self-conscious."

He reached for the grape and popped it in his mouth. "Why?"

"Because I'm Catholic and we're not married, maybe?"

He chuckled. "Your mother asked if I was Catholic, didn't she? When we were at lunch the first time?"

"You understand Spanish?"

"Not really. I took it in high school and barely passed, but I heard my name and the word catolico when she was at the table. It wasn't that hard to translate. But yes," he continued. "I was raised Catholic. I was baptized and confirmed, the whole nine yards. But I pretty much stopped going to church after I got sent off to school, so I'm not sure what that makes me now."

"She'll still be happy."

"Good."

"How did they get you confirmed if you stopped going to church?"

"Donations, I guess. Probably a big one, because the priest let me do a cram course one summer and even though I didn't do any of the work, the next year, they let me get confirmed anyway."

"That's kind of cheating."

"It's not kind of cheating. It is cheating. On the plus side, I got a go-kart out of it, so that was kind of nice."

"A go-kart?"

"It was either that or I wouldn't do it. For all the good it did me. I totaled it within a couple of weeks and refused to talk to my parents the rest of the summer because they wouldn't buy me a new one."

"Nice," she said sarcastically.

"I've never hidden the fact that I have issues."

"I'm aware." She smiled. "But sometimes, I wish you'd surprise me in a good way when you talk about your younger years."

He thought about it. "I beat up my older sister's ex-boyfriend once. Does that count? Since he was a total jerk?"

"No," she said, "that doesn't count."

He smiled. "Do you want to have lunch tomorrow?"

"I'd love to, but I already promised Jill. She texted me earlier and I forgot to mention it. I'm open to a late dinner, though."

"I can't," he said. "I have to work."

"You mean we might not see each other tomorrow? Whatever am I going to do?"

It might have been the playfulness in her tone or the fact that a long and wonderful weekend was finally coming to an end, but he didn't respond. Instead, he just stared at her, noting the sensual curves of her body, perfect in nearly every way. "You are incredibly beautiful," he whispered.

A light smile played across her lips, seductive and lovely. "Yeah?"

"Yeah," he echoed, and as he continued to gaze at her, he couldn't shake the feeling that a long journey was finally coming to an end. He knew what that meant, and while the feeling had been unimaginable even a month ago, there was no reason to deny it. He reached toward her, gently running his fingers through her hair, the sensation luxurious, and he let out a long breath. "I love you, Maria," he finally murmured. He watched as her surprise gave way to comprehension.

With his hand still in her hair, she wrapped it in hers.

"Oh, Colin," she whispered, "I love you, too."

CHAPTER 14

Maria

They made love early the following morning; afterward, Colin told her he wanted to get a workout in before class, and though the sun had not yet risen when he left, Maria tossed and turned, unable to fall back to sleep. She finally got out of bed, resolved to catch up on some long-neglected work.

She brewed coffee, showered, and dressed, and with the best of intentions opened up her MacBook to get some work done in the hour and a half before she left for the office. And yet, as she settled in, she couldn't escape a growing, though inchoate, sense that something was wrong. Even as she sifted through her feelings, she couldn't pinpoint the cause. The timing made her suspect that it had something to do with Colin; the relationship had been a bit of a whirlwind, although she certainly didn't regret it. They'd fallen in love, and there was nothing wrong with that. It was normal. It happened to other people every day. And considering all the time they'd spent getting to know each other, it wasn't even all that unexpected.

So what on earth was bothering her?

Refilling her cup, she abandoned the table and wandered to the balcony, watching as the port city slowly came to life. A light mist lingered just above the sidewalk, making it appear almost out of focus. As she sipped her coffee, she remembered standing in the same spot th

e night they had first made love, and though it brought a smile to her face, the memory was accompanied by a definite pang of anxiety.

Okay, so maybe her feelings about Colin weren't as simple and straightforward as she wanted to pretend. But what, exactly, was throwing her off? That they were sleeping together? The words they'd spoken to each other last night? The fact that her parents didn't approve of him? Or that a month ago, she couldn't have even imagined falling for someone like him?

That pretty much sums it up, she admitted. But why this anxiety this morning? It was ridiculous to think that simply saying I love you could upset her equilibrium this way. Logically, it made no sense. She finished her coffee and decided to head in to work early, sure that she was blowing the whole thing out of proportion.

And yet, throughout the morning, the feeling didn't dissipate; if anything, it only grew more pronounced. By ten, even her stomach had grown slightly upset. The more she tried to convince herself that worrying about Colin didn't make sense, the more difficult she found it to concentrate. As the clock clicked toward the lunch hour, all she could think was that she needed to talk to Jill.

Maria went through all of it, including the way she was feeling, as she watched Jill pull several pieces of sushi from the platter onto her plate and begin wolfing them down. For her part, Maria put a single piece on her plate before realizing there wasn't a chance she could force it down. By the time she finished speaking, Jill was nodding.

"So let me get this straight," Jill said. "You met a guy, the two of you slept together after not dating all that long, you introduced him to your parents and they didn't run for the hills, and he told you that he loved you. And then, this morning, you suddenly began questioning everything. Have I summed that up correctly?"

"Pretty much."

"And you're not sure why?"

Maria made a face. "Humor me."

"It's simple. You're just going through a grown-up version of the walk of shame."

"Excuse me?"

"The walk of shame? From college? After you had too much to drink at a party and you hooked up with a guy that you thought was perfect and then, when morning came around, you couldn't believe what had just happened? And then walked back across the campus to your place wondering what the hell you were doing, still dressed in what you'd been wearing the night before?"