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She frowns. “Why? It’s exactly what she does. She says passive-aggressive things, like, ‘I would’ve done more for my assignment if I had extra time in the art room, like some people who sneak in there at lunchtime.’”

I can’t come up with a single thing to say, because that’s one of the best examples of dry-snitching I’ve heard. It’s sad that Suzie is like that. All three girls have known each other since the early days of kindergarten.

“You and Bron could always invite her to hang out with you guys.”

Disgust twists her pretty features. “Why would we want to do that? She’s a hater.”

“She probably just wants to be your friend.” That little girl could probably use friends who are not as self-absorbed as she is.

“Papi, you know the history. B and I can’t have that kind of negativity threatening our auras.”

Como?

I shake my head. “Um. How’s your grandmother doing?”

She smiles again. “Good. She wants me to come visit her on Saturday.”

I nod. As much as there is no love lost between Mrs. Morales and I, she loves my Ayla and is always there for her.

We finish our dinner, tidy up, and settle in the family room. We turn on the TV, but I quickly lose Ay to her phone when she gets a call from Bron. I’m going over my blueprints to make some annotations and notes of what I need to check. I divide my staff so two of my strong workers can go over half the day to the Lucia—the Blake project.

I hope my disappointment didn’t show in my face too much when Cam showed up instead of his sister today. I have not forgotten the talk he and I had about Luciana after the baby shower for his son, CJ. He asked me if I had any interest in his sister. He said she wasn’t in a good place to date anyone.

I was struck by his and Chase’s protective nature. I don’t have a relationship with my siblings. I grew up as an only child—not by choice, but by rejection. But I get it. When Ay was born, every protective nerve and cell in my body activated. I would do anything to keep her from harm. I told them I would keep my distance.

And I did. Until Noche Buena.

And we didn’t date. We just— Nope, not thinking about that.

And that’s after I couldn’t shake the image of Lux at the baby shower for months. She looked like a sexy nymph. I found her hanging out with my daughter by the swings decorated with roses. She was taking photos of A and Bron and laughing with them. She was being so kind to my girl, and when she turned to look at me, all I could think was?—

“Wow, she looks so beautiful.”

My thoughts come out of my daughter’s mouth, but when I look at her, she’s staring at the TV. I look at a woman getting out of a sports car. Not just any sports car, a Veneno Roadster, one of the most expensive cars, a true automotive jewel. And not just any woman, the one I was just thinking about.

Lux is strutting around the car in a little black dress that clings to her form like she does to my thoughts. Her steps are confident, like she’s on a runway. Her smile says as much. On the other side, Mateo De La Cruz, home-run god, is waiting for her. The flashes of the camera illuminate her face, and she’s smiling. His hand is proprietarily fastened around her elbow. They walk in, and the people are shouting questions at them.

Does this mean you’re back together?

When did it happen?

“We always find our way back to each other,” he says as they rush through the doors of the building.

“Awww. Isn’t that sweet? He’s trying to win her back.”

I turn to look at my smiling daughter. Her big brown eyes are soft and dreamy, like there should be hearts instead of eyeballs. At that moment, it’s like I don’t even know her. Then I notice the phone in her hand.

“B, you’re so right. It’s super cute. They look so good together. Too bad he’s a dog, but maybe he changed his ways. Look at his car. So sick. I can’t believe your dad is going to sell the one the Emperors gave him. We have to talk to Lux. She has to show us how to make our ponytails look glam like that. And did you see her shoes? Gaggin’.”

No, I’m gagging. It’s sick.

Because it’s true. Luciana looks beautiful and glamorous, and they do look great together. Like they belong. I guess it was more than a work meeting that kept her in New York today. Why would she rush back to meet with a little contractor about a place that would probably be the equivalent of a vacation home? I can’t see her staying here now that she’s back with Mateo.

“You okay, Papi?’

“Yeah, why?” I ask.

“You look like you ate some lemon.”