On his way to Isabel’s car, after the dinner was finally over, Isabel began to apologize. “Stop.” He shook his head. “That was all your sister in there. You have nothing to apologize for. Has she always been that conniving? To have your ex show up because she thought I wasn’t coming?”
“I’m not defending her, because when she found out he was making Lieutenant Commander and he was still single, I’m sure the idea of him and me reconnecting crossed her mind. But that wasn’t the sole purpose to invite him here tonight.” Romero held back all the sarcastic remarks that came to mind. He had no doubt that was exactly why her sister had invited him. “It’s also really important to her that my dad makes mayor. Jacob has connections now. He could be a big asset to the campaign, so she’s really counting on that.”
The guy was going to be around for the whole damn campaign? “How long did you go out with this guy?”
They reached her car and she stopped at the door and searched in her purse for her keys. She was stalling and it irritated him. “Izz?”
“I don’t remember. It was so long ago—high school, Romero.”
“Was he your first boyfriend?”
She nodded, whispering, “Yes.”
Feeling even more irritated now, he squeezed her hand. “Then you remember.”
She lifted a shoulder and clicked the car opener on her keychain. “Just over two years.”
“What!”
She turned to him and he pinned her against the car. “It was a long time ago. This was the first time I’d seen him or talked to him in years.”
The thought choked him, but he wouldn’t put it past her sister. “Was he your first… everything?”
“Do we really have to get into this right here? Right now?”
That burned him up even more. “It’s either a yes or a no.” Just like all those saps that hired him to find out what they already knew—he knew the answer just by looking in her eyes and it killed him.
“Yes, he was.” She caressed his face. “But what does it matter? There’s a reason why we didn’t stay together.”
“And what was that?” He needed something—anything to keep him from walking back in there and telling her sister off. Pat had brought out the big guns tonight.
“There was no spark. None, and after talking to him tonight it only confirmed it.”
“What do you mean?” He felt a panic he’d never felt before, thinking of all those f**king medals her family had such a hard-on for. “Were you looking for a spark?”
“No! Are you crazy?”
Damn. He was. For her. Romero hugged her burying his face in her neck, taking in a deep breath of her—all of her. He was going to blow this. “You love me?”
“You know I do.”
He breathed in deep, knowing he had that much. He only hoped he could remember that every time he had to be around or hear about this f**king lieutenant commander, Jacob—her first. “I love you too much, Izzy.”
CHAPTER 14
Trouble
Since Isabel had an early morning staff meeting to attend, she was out of the apartment before Romero. He finished getting ready. Not wanting to eat alone he decided to stop at Moreno’s for a breakfast burrito, maybe catch up with the guys. He hadn’t hung with them in a while.
To his surprise, Sal was the only one of them there when he got there. He was leaning against the bar reading the paper.
“Don’t act like you read.”
Sal looked up and smiled when he saw him. “Funny you’d walk in. I was just reading about your future father-in-law. Alex had mentioned it but said Valerie told him it wasn’t a for sure thing. I didn’t know it was official.”
When Romero got close enough he got a glimpse of the headlines. “It’s already in the papers?”
“Yeah, front page. And they have a whole section about it on the inside.” Sal tapped the paper. “You here to eat?”
“Yeah.” Romero’s eyes were still on the paper. “I’ll take the usual.”
Sal walked away from the bar to put in Romero’s order. Romero turned the paper around and read the headline: Superior Court Judge Arturo Montenegro III Announces Run For Mayor.
Isabel and her family’s picture had made the front page. He skimmed the story and the few other pictures, flicking Pat’s face with his finger before turning the page to see the rest of the article. There were more pictures including one of Isabel and Jacob standing alone talking. Feeling that inner heat that had become too familiar these days, he scanned the rest of the pictures. There was another of them in the background of one of her father. Fucking Pat stood with them with a big toothy smile. She sure as shit loved the up-and-coming Lieutenant Commander. Except for the picture where Isabel stood alone with him, Isabel appeared annoyed.
His eyes were back on the picture of Isabel and Jacob. Almost obsessively, he studied how they looked at each other. Was this the moment she’d been looking for the spark?
“Who’s that with Isabel?” Sal asked.
“Her ex-boyfriend.” It wasn’t until then that Romero realized how tight his jaw had become and the words he’d spoke were through his teeth.
Sal laughed. “Is that why your eyes are nearly burning a hole through my paper?” He tugged at the paper. “Lemme see.”
Romero shoved the paper at Sal. “Dude!” Sal smirked then examined the paper. “Where were you?”