Danica Williams: Hot Vacation

His mother’s mouth actually hung open for a moment before she snapped it shut and glared at him, “You are an ass , August David Lang. Don’t you look at me all surprised. This is your life. Do you think we care what color she is or if she has any damned money ? Do you think we’re that horrible that we’d judge a woman who was worthy of emotion from you? Because Madeline was all those things you seem to think we expect: skinny, well-educated, rich, and white. She was also one of the coldest bitches I’ve ever known in my life, you never felt a thing for her, and it ended in the only way it could have.”

“This woman make your blood boil, son?” his father demanded.

“I…yeah. Yeah, she does.”

Daven Lang, millionaire businessman who’d been featured numerous times in Forbes, rolled his eyes like a teenage girl. “And you left her in Mexico? Likely the dumbest thing you’ve done besides marrying the ice princess.”

“I don’t know…I didn’t know if I was ready. I’ve been so angry, felt like shit with wasting the last ten years of my life on a woman who barely tolerated me. I thought we were too different, that you’d be disappointed if I didn’t hook up with a society girl.”

“We care about you , August. Not society. And we barely saw you over those ten years so any woman willing to include your family in her life will be fine with me. I bet we’ll get along like a house on fire.” His mother’s eyes were sparkling.

Daven grumbled, “Alright then. I’ll get the ball rolling on the company. Get that off your neck. Your mother will work on unloading your place in Boston. You should start completely fresh. Puerto Vallarta is as good a place as any to think about your next step.”

His parents stood up and stared at him. Finally, his mother put her hands on her hips and huffed, “Well? What are you waiting for? Move it. I need grandchildren before I’m too wretchedly old to spoil them.” They waited as he stood and she grabbed both his wrists in her small hands. “Is she pretty, August?”

“Beautiful, Mom. She’s absolutely beautiful.

Chapter Four

Two weeks later…

He hadn’t given her any warning he was coming. There was too much of a chance she’d say no. Watching her from the trees across from the cantina, August took her in slowly. She was even more beautiful than he remembered.

She wasn’t smiling. She was friendly, good at her job as he’d seen firsthand. Two weeks ago there had been an inner glow about her, a life he hadn’t seen in many people. Now, she seemed sad. Subdued.

He’d done that. He hadn’t meant to but he’d done it. Now he had to fix it.

When she took a break and stood looking out over the ocean away from foot traffic, he went to her. He heard her give a deep sigh before she dropped her head and shook it.

“Lily?”

She spun so fast she kicked up sand then went completely still. “ Ah mi dios …August?” A frown formed between her dark winged brows. “What are you doing here?”

He took a single step toward her and she stiffened. “Did you get my messages? My letter?” The deepening upset on her face would have answered her question but her furious glance at the cantina certainly left no doubt. He took another step closer. “It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t, Lily. The point is: I shouldn’t have left. I should have stayed and waited until I could talk to you. Until I could tell you something.” Walking the last three steps, he stroked the back of his hand down her face. Her eyes drifted shut. “Until I could ask you something.”

“Ask me what, August?”

Nothing was like the sound of her saying his name. “Do you believe in love at first sight?” Her sharp indrawn breath was followed by a slow shake of her head. “Neither do I. What about love at second sight?” The bright smile that broke across her face touched a place inside him that had once been so cold, so isolated, that he’d allowed his entire world to go numb. “I believe, Lily.”

He pulled her to him and his body recognized her. Her warmth, her smell, her touch. His hand slid along the nape of her neck, tilting her face back so he could look into the warmest chocolate eyes he’d ever seen. “I want to meet your family. I want you to let me love you with everything I have in me that I’ve always held back.” Taking his time kissing her, he pulled back reluctantly with a smile and dropped another kiss on the tip of her nose. Resting his forehead against hers, he whispered, “This is what comes after, Lily. This .”