Page 79 of Seasoned
She stood in her pristine kitchen, the one he’d rightly accused her of asking for. It had been a consolation prize when she’d given up the idea of starting her catering business, something she’d only recently admitted to herself.
Hector’s angry words forced her to see him with new eyes. The gruff, macho head of the family had been quietly resentful, just like her.
Had she been that dismissive of his feelings? She had let him know that she appreciated the kitchen remodel, but he was right—the words “thank you” hadn’t left her lips frequently. And he’d given her a life that many women didn’t have. Perhaps she’d taken his hard work for granted.
A man took care of his family.
Those were Papi Flores’s words and words that Hector not only lived by, they were the source of his pride. She did complain about his job—a job that he saw as an extension of himself. A job that he took very seriously.
“Oh, Hector.” Adelaide’s heart ached.
He’d been gone less than ten minutes, and she already missed him.
17
“Hey, Mom.”
“Hi, honey. Don’t you look nice.” Adelaide paused in the middle of wiping down the kitchen counter.
“Thanks.” Daniel adjusted his tie and straightened his jacket.
He’d cut his hair, wearing a fade with longer curls on top. Her baby was definitely growing up. He looked so mature.
“Did Dad tell you the good news?” Daniel asked.
“What good news?”
“He said if I keep up the good work, in another year I might be ready to take over the Carlsbad store.”
“That’s wonderful!” Adelaide pulled her son into a tight hug. “When did he tell you that?”
“Yesterday, when he and I went to lunch together. He also plans to hire this guy away from one of our competitors—a real go-getter, he called him. Funny thing is, even with all this good news, Dad doesn’t seem as happy as I thought he’d be.” Daniel frowned thoughtfully. “Are the two of you okay?”
Adelaide and Hector had always agreed not to involve their kids in their fights, and she intended to keep it that way. However, she did want to let him know a little bit of what was going on. “Your dad and I are good, but we need to talk.”
“You guys aren’t splitting up again, are you?”
“No,” Adelaide answered, though that statement might be premature. Hector had been very angry, and they hadn’t spoken in the past couple of days. “Listen, your dad may not say it much, but he’s very proud of you. He wanted one of you to go into business with him, but the twins weren’t interested. From what he’s told me, he’s really enjoyed having you work with him, and the fact that he’s already thinking ahead to having you manage the Carlsbad store says a lot.”
“I like working at Solar Beams, and I’ve learned a lot from him, Martin, and the other guys.” Daniel cleared his throat. “Dad and I had a long talk about me and Jamie and the baby, and Jamie and I have decided we don’t want to get married. I mean, if later on down the road we think we love each other, we’ll do it. But right now, we just want to be good parents, and that doesn’t include being husband and wife.”
“I understand. We’ll support you, whatever you decide.” She squeezed his hand and picked up her shoulder bag. “I have somewhere to be.”
“Where are you going?”
If she hurried, she could catch Hector. “To Carlsbad.”
Adelaide pulledinto the vacant parking lot and watched her ex-husband from a distance. He stood leaning against the front of his SUV, legs crossed at the ankles, his eyes locked on the Solar Beams III building. He was all alone, and she hated that he’d come here by himself when they were supposed to make this trip together. She was supposed to celebrate this momentous occasion with him.
She walked toward him, and before she arrived by his side, he turned his head in her direction. He frowned briefly in confusion, but then his expression cleared and he simply watched her approach.
Adelaide stood beside him and took his hand. His fingers curled around hers. “What time are they putting up the sign?”
“In about ten minutes.”
Adelaide stood very close to him, so close that their thighs touched. They watched the workers, neither breaking the silence, hand in hand the way they’d been together for over twenty years.
After about ten minutes, the men hoisted the blue and white sign onto the front of the building and secured it in place. Hector let out a breath, and a faint smile crossed his lips.
