She hesitated. “Alex does have some enemies, though. No one who’d really want to hurt him, but he’s trodden on a few toes over the years.”
“Haven’t we all? It’s part of being successful.”
She sighed and nodded. “And he rose so far so fast, it put some people’s noses out of joint. Did you know Alex used to be the groundskeeper at the club?”
“You’re kidding me.” His look of genuine shock made her wonder if she shouldn’t have told him.
Did Alex want people reminded of his humble beginnings?
“Not for long. Just during part of high school and college. He used to mow the lawns after class. Once his import-export business took off, he quit and he’s never looked back.”
“I had no idea.” Rick raised a brow. “Alex sounds like quite a character.”
“He’s an amazing man.”
“And I guess he doesn’t think any guy is good enough for his baby sister.” A smile lifted one side of his mouth. “Is that why you won’t let me near the house?”
Alicia laughed. “He’s overprotective. It drives me nuts. I know he’s only like that because he cares about me, but come on—I’m twenty-six!”
He leveled a serious blue gaze at her. “Maybe you should get your own place.”
“Oh, I’ve thought about it, but as far as Alex is concerned, a girl doesn’t leave home until she goes to live with her husband.”
She blanched. Once again she’d managed to raise the specter of marriage. That spooked most guys right out of the room. “It’s a Mexican thing. We’re very traditional. You learn to work around it.”
At least some people did. Maria had lived on her own for three years.
Maybe I’m just the lamest wimp on earth.
She fished inside her lobster claw, hoping he’d change the subject.
Was he crazy to want an affair with Alicia? Alex Montoya was not someone to tangle with.
Lord knew he put enough distance between himself and his own interfering relatives. Did he really want to get involved with a woman whose brother hovered over her like a shadow?
Justin watched her probe into the red depths of her lobster claw like a surgeon with a scalpel.
She looked up. “What?”
“I’ve never seen someone eat a lobster with such meticulous precision.”
“I like to enjoy every delicious morsel.” She smiled and popped a tender piece into her mouth. Like everything else in Alicia’s world, her plate was perfectly ordered, not a lettuce leaf out of place.
“You’re very detail-oriented.”
“I’m a museum curator. We’re probably the most detail-oriented people on earth. Except maybe for mail-service workers. But at least we don’t have to worry about going postal.”
She shot him an infectious grin, then returned to surgery on her lobster.
“I didn’t know you were a curator. You must be very accomplished to hold that position at your age.”
He’d been impressed and intrigued when she told him she worked at the museum, but for some reason he’d assumed she gave tours or taught classes there. It didn’t occur to him she was running the show.
“Oh, I wouldn’t say that.” A delicate blush darkened her cheeks. “I’m just passionate about my work. The Somerset Museum of Natural History was just getting started when I joined as an archivist. The original curator left for a job at the Smithsonian, and I kind of stepped into the role.”
“I’m ashamed to admit I’ve never been to the museum. What kinds of artifacts do you have?”
“It’s an interesting mix. Most of it came from a huge private collection started almost a century ago. Dinosaur bones, fossils, meteorites, that kind of thing. We have some Native American artifacts from a different private collection. My focus has been on objects unique to the Houston area, and in particular to Somerset. This region has some interesting history. People seem to forget that when they talk about knocking down old buildings to put up a strip mall.”
Justin’s ears pricked up. “You mean the redevelopment of downtown Somerset?”
“Exactly.” Alicia tossed her head, which made her thick dark hair swing over her shoulders, golden highlights sparkling in the candlelight. “That would be a travesty.”
Interesting. He’d heard rumors that Alex had blocked the redevelopment of a key area that could have meant a big windfall to a couple of club members, including Kevin Novak. “Wouldn’t redevelopment be good for the local economy?”
“That’s what some people say, but our downtown area is one of the most well-preserved main streets in Texas. The architectural style is unique. Come on, have you ever seen corbelling like the fascia of the old town hall?”
Justin laughed, impressed by her command of architecture. “I can honestly say I haven’t.” Longhorn cattle with brass horns jutted out beneath the metal roof of the grand old building—Texas-style gargoyles. “I admit the aspirations of the town’s founders were writ large in those buildings. It does have its own charm.”
Alicia nodded, passion shining in her dark eyes. “And that would all be lost if they were bulldozed to make way for more generic big-box stores. It’s like the stuff I see in my job. Once upon a time, that fossil was just another boring insect or fish or leaf. Now it’s the only one of its kind that’s survived to the present day. A unique glimpse into another time that enriches our understanding of the world around us and its history.”
“I’ve never heard that perspective before.” He frowned. “I suspect most people would rather have a dry cleaner closer to home or a Mega Mart where they can get cheap groceries.”
“I’m not saying those things aren’t important, but downtown Somerset is too special to let it be lost forever. There are plenty of bland, ugly buildings that can be torn down instead.” She flashed a wicked grin. “I’d be happy to give them some suggestions.”
“Maybe you should.”
Justin frowned. He was getting a very different impression of the Montoya family than the one he’d formed based on idle gossip.
He’d assumed her brother stood up to block the redevelopment because he had his own profit-making agenda for the area. Now it almost seemed like he’d stalled the new development to make his history-buff sister happy.
This was not the fearsome and dangerous Alex Montoya of local legend.
Justin sipped his wine and peered at Alicia through narrowed eyes. “What would you do with the downtown?”
“I’d love to see it become a tourist attraction. Some of the buildings are ideal for upscale retail, or for quaint bed-and-breakfast accommodation. I don’t think many people in the Houston area have any idea how beautiful Somerset is. It could become popular as a weekend getaway, and that would bring business and tax revenue to the town without destroying its unique charm.”
“I’d hire you to do that in a heartbeat.”
“Shame you can’t.” Her luscious lips turned into a smile that heated his blood. “Or can you?” Her brows lifted. “You haven’t told me what you do.”
Oh, I’m just heir to the largest shipping operation in the western hemisphere.
He wasn’t at all sure how she’d react. But if he told her, he’d also have to confess that he was Justin Dupree, not Rick Jones.
“Nothing very interesting. Pushing papers around.”