Page 102 of Her Goal
She tips her head back. “I still can’t believe my high school advisor allowed me to take that class.”
“You could’ve taught it. Is your whole family fluent?”
“Mostly. Mami wasn’t going to teach us, but she and Dad would switch languages when they didn’t want us to understand what they were saying.”
“So your dad speaks Spanish too?”
“Born and raised in Nebraska, served four years in the army, learned Spanish, and then took a trip to Spain and never looked back. My mom was there for a dance festival.”
“So of course, you learned real fast so they couldn’t keep secrets from you guys.”
She nods. “Except Chuck.”
“Carlos.”
Leah rolls her eyes. “Yeah, he insists on being called Carlos now. It’s a Marisol thing.”
“Is she forcing him to go by Carlos?”
“No, he’s trying to win her over.”
“They’re engaged.”
“You’ve met my family. They can be pushy. Marisol doesn’t realize what she’s getting into … or maybe she does and that’s why she’s been so reluctant. She’s not just marrying him, but the rest of the family too.”
“So these arranged marriage things are customary?”
“Not. At. All.”
She takes a slight detour and tells me about how she recently learned her cousin was a mail-order bride.
“What country is she from?”
“Maryland.”
“Not a country last I checked.”
“She was living there after college and then met this guy online. They’re happily married.”
“So these arrangements work for some people?”
“They seem to be happy when we see them during holidays.”
“Every week it seems like there’s another one of those in your household.”
“They’ve only increased as the family has grown.”
“So October thirtieth,” I say, hinting at the one next on the calendar.
Leah leans in. “Listen, how about I run away to Greenland and you pull one of those twin trading places swaps?”
“You know the problem with that.”
She shifts on her skates. “Right. No one has heard from Hunter.”
“Plus, I’m so much better looking.” I pop my eyebrows and flash a smolder.
She smiles and doesn’t disagree, sending a burst of electricity through me.
