Besides, what would he say if he learned that the father of her babies was her late husband, a man he hadn’t liked? A man who’d been dead for five years?
No one, especially Hector, would be able to understand her decision. She wasn’t entirely sure she understood the complexities herself.
“Hey,” a cheerful female voice called out. “What a surprise. Look who’s here, honey.”
Samantha turned to the woman, a petite Latina who appeared to be about six months’ pregnant. The man with her was tall, lanky, and fair-haired. He, too, seemed bright-eyed and cheerful as they approached the table where Hector and Samantha sat.
“You said you really liked this restaurant, but I didn’t expect to run into you here tonight.” Hector rose to his feet and extended a hand to greet the man. “We were just talking about you.”
The woman offered Samantha a friendly smile. “We’ve been telling Hector all about this place, so I’m glad he took our advice. I’m Yolanda, his sister. And this is my husband, Chad.”
Samantha had already made that assumption, noting a family resemblance between the siblings, even if there was a definite difference in size. “It’s nice to meet you, Yolanda. I was hoping we would. I just hadn’t expected to meet you here tonight.”
“Really?” Yolanda turned to Hector and smiled in a you’ve-been-holding-out-on-me way.
Obviously, she thought the two of them were an item, so Samantha decided to explain. “Hector said you were expecting, too. I thought it might be fun to compare notes sometime.”
Yolanda, who hadn’t yet noticed Samantha’s pregnancy, since it was hidden behind the table, zeroed in on her baby bump now. As she did so, her eyes widened, and her lips parted, clearly unable to hold back her surprise. “Oh, my goodness. So you are.” She glanced at Hector, then to Samantha and back at Hector again.
It was, Samantha supposed, an easy conclusion to jump to: that Hector and Samantha were dating; that he was the expectant father. But she thought it was best if he clarified things. In fact, he’d probably be fielding a lot of questions from his sister when she got him alone, which seemed fair. After all, he’d been quizzing Samantha all evening.
Yet he seemed oblivious to his sister’s assumptions and did nothing to set her at ease.
“How about lunch someday?” Yolanda asked. “I’m free on Tuesdays and Thursdays.”
Samantha hadn’t expected such a quick response, but her calendar was clear. “Sure.”
“If you give me your number, I’ll call later in the week, and we can choose a day that works for both of us.”
Samantha reached into her purse, pulled out a pen and the little notepad she carried, and scratched out her cell number. Then she tore out the small sheet and handed it to Hector’s sister.
She wasn’t sure if the two of them would actually get together. People often said things like that upon meeting, but then dropped the ball for one reason or another. Either way, whether they met for lunch or not, she’d be okay with it.
It’s not as though she was desperate to find friends, although in a sense she needed to connect with someone. For the longest time, her life had revolved around Peter and his family, then her mom. So she’d lost a lot when her husband died and even more when her mother passed away.
Besides, with the babies coming, it wasn’t a good time to be alone.
There was a support group for expectant mothers at the clinic that she’d considered joining. It was just that she felt a little uneasy in a crowd, especially when meeting people for the first time. And for that reason, a one-on-one lunch with Yolanda was far more appealing.
“Would you two like to join us?” Hector asked. “We can ask the waiter to give us a bigger table.”
Yolanda brightened, but before she could speak, Chad responded. “Thanks for asking, Hector, but I planned a romantic dinner tonight.”
“Oh, honey, that’s so sweet.” Yolanda turned to her husband and smiled. “But it might be fun to—”
Chad put his arm around his wife’s shoulders and drew her close. “I didn’t tell you yet, but the company’s got me scheduled to work a lot of overtime for the next month or two. So this might be our last chance for a special evening. And with the baby coming …?”
Yolanda nodded, then placed a hand on her brother’s shoulder. “In that case, we’re going to have to pass on joining you tonight. Maybe, when Chad has more free time, we can make it a double date.”
Samantha waited for Hector to correct his sister about the date comment, but he didn’t.
Instead, Yolanda added, “So what do you think of the Old World Bistro? Isn’t it great?”
“I like the setting and décor.” Hector lifted his wine glass, tilting it just a tad. “The merlot is good, too, but the jury’s still out on the food. We’ll let you know after we eat.”
“Just wait until you try the spinach salad,” Yolanda said. “You’re going to love it.”
Chad gave Yolanda an affectionate squeeze. “We don’t want to keep the hostess waiting, so we’ll let you two get back to your menus.” Then he ushered her back to the table they’d been given.
But as they walked away, Yolanda glanced over her shoulder, taking one last look at Samantha, her curiosity evident.
Samantha waited until Chad and Yolanda were clearly out of hearing range, then said, “Your sister thinks that I’m your date tonight.”
A grin curled the corners of his mouth, setting off a pair of impish dimples and a glimmer in those pretty brown eyes. “I know.”
Samantha placed a hand on her rounded belly. “And she thinks that you’ve been hiding a big secret.”
Hector chuckled. “It’s going to drive her crazy until she learns the details.”
“You kept her in the dark on purpose?”
“Yolanda’s a great sister, but I can’t help giving her a hard time every once in a while.”
Samantha didn’t have a sister—or a brother, for that matter. So she didn’t understand the dynamics at play in the Garza family.
Would her three children grow up to care about what was happening in each others’ lives? To tease each other in a goodhearted way? She hoped so. It all seemed so normal, so loving.
She glanced across the restaurant at Yolanda and Chad’s table and caught Hector’s sister looking at her again. Then Samantha offered Hector a smile. “Whatever you’re up to seems to be working. Her wheels are definitely turning.”
“If you think she’s wondering now, watch this.” Hector reached across the table and took Samantha’s hand in his.
The surprise of his touch, the heat of it, nearly knocked the wind right out of her. As his thumb caressed her skin, her heart soared.
She could have pulled her hand away, she supposed. In fact, she really should have. But she was so taken aback by the bold move, so caught up in it, that she sought his gaze instead. And while she’d expected to see those impish dimples, a glimmer of mischief in his eyes that reflected the whimsical game he was playing with his sister, something entirely different passed between them, something blood-stirring.
Something real? she wondered.
Too real to ponder, she decided. The handsome bachelor sitting across from her was playing a game, all right, but on her senses. And so was the romantic ambience—the candles, the red roses on the table.
She clicked her tongue and drew back her hand, trying her best to regroup. “You need to stop teasing her, Hector. Or you’ll