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CHAPTER 9
MARY
It turned out that Hector agreeing to marry her didn’t automatically mean everything was settled between them. There was no sunset to drive into together. No sappy Hollywood moment, in which he suddenly discovered that his love for her had been there all along.
Instead, she suspected Hector was avoiding her. At first, she thought he was just busy, but it had been two days since he’d asked her to marry him—kind of—and she hadn’t heard from him since. Reason enough for a pit in her stomach to form. If he had changed his mind, she’d rather have him tell her now than being left at the altar. Of course, technically there would be no altar to be left at, but him not showing up at the courthouse would have the same painful result.
She had spoken to Zoe on the phone this morning, had cried a little after that—okay, a lot—then she’d spoken to Mrs. Wilson, casually mentioning that she was getting married to Hector, her long-time boyfriend. At least in her fantasies, she’d pictured him like that. Now, she was back at Diaz Security, on her way to Hector’s office.
Everything was happening so fast, yet not fast enough. She still had a million things to take care of, so she could present a unified and stable front to the judge.
She greeted Jess and Beau, who were having a chat at the reception’s desk, when Hector rounded the corner.
There was no greeting with words; the man just pulled her against his chest and gave her a kiss that made her toes curl.
“That was not the welcome I was expecting,” she said honestly.
He cocked a brow. “Don’t like it?”
“Love it.” She shrugged. “I guess I’m used to you being more grouchy around me. Oh, and keeping a distance.”
“Yeah, well, you’re mine now. I can touch you whenever I want.”
It was said as a given, and it warmed her belly. Of course, that might also be her raging hormones after that lingering kiss.
Beau gave her a thumbs up from behind Hector’s back and she felt herself flush. He was the prettiest man she had ever seen and, just like the others, had been so understanding when she told him about her predicament. He’d even offered to marry her should things not work out with her grouchy wolf.
Hector grabbed her hand. “Let’s go.”
A little surprised, she followed him outside and into a car. For some reason, she had expected him to blow her off again. After all, wasn’t that why she was here in the first place?
A few minutes after he drove away, she couldn’t hold it in anymore. “Are you sorry?”
“About what?”
“Us.” She looked away. “You’ve been avoiding me ever since we agreed to get married.”
When he didn’t deny it, the hollow feeling in her stomach grew. She didn’t pay any attention to where they were going until he parked in front of a big brownstone with a huge front yard.
Hector finally broke the silence. “Yeah, I’ve been avoiding you.”
But what about that kiss?
Maybe he just likes to liplock.
Remember that guy in college who just loved painting your toes?
“Thank you for being honest with me,” she croaked.
She needed to make some calls. Her head went a million miles an hour, thinking of what was very likely to happen when she showed up before the judge without a husband on her arm. Especially after she’d told Mrs. Wilson that she was engaged. Oh, God, the woman might think that she had lied, or that she was a flighty woman, getting engaged and breaking up in just a few days.
“Don’t thank me yet. You have no clue why I’ve been avoiding you. Come on, let’s go.”
She blinked. “Go where?” Didn’t he just break up with her?
He frowned. “To go see the house, of course. The realtor is already waiting.”
Realtor? It was only now that she saw the “For Sale” sign in the yard.