Santa Fe Fortune & How to Marry a Matador

Gracias. They slipped my mind.”
    She huffed as he stuffed small portions of these in his bag as well.
    “So?” she asked. “Are you going on a picnic or running away?”
    Since he’d been eight years old, the latter had crossed Fernando’s mind more than a dozen times. Yet he would never leave her. When his father had died at forty-nine, Fernando had been left manning the ranch. While he’d grown older and had moved to Madrid, his heart remained in La Esperanza del Corazón. He would always take care of his mother. She’d been his source of strength and had granted him the freedom to follow his dreams, even when they included—for a time—dabbling in the one profession she’d prayed to God he’d never pursue.
    “We won’t be gone long,” he said, buttoning up his satchel. “Back by nightfall, vale ?”
    She paused for a thoughtful moment, seeming to soften just a little. “Fernando,” she said, “are you sure you’re doing the right thing? Is this girl really the one?”
    He pensively eyed his mother, knowing she wished only to protect him.
    “The situation is…complicated,” he said truthfully, without giving too much away.
    “Love is always complicated,” she admitted with resignation in her eyes.
    “Yes, Mamá, ” he said, kissing her on the forehead. “It is.”
    “I still don’t think this is a good idea for the baby!” she called after him. “I was an experienced horsewoman, you know!”
    He turned back with a gentle smile. “If she shows any signs of trouble, we’ll abandon the horses immediately. Jessica’s in top form, and it’s still very early. I can assure you with my word as your son, I would never take my new bride riding if I felt that our child was in danger.”

Chapter Three

    Jess gripped the satellite phone with white knuckles. “He’s a liar and a cheat, and I don’t know how I let myself get talked into this!”
    Evie’s calm voice resonated from the other side of the Atlantic. “Now, if you’d just take a deep breath and calm down, maybe I’d be able to understand you. Inhale, come on.”
    Jess imagined Evie was twisting up her hair, as she did when taking on her consultant role. Evie’s fiery red tresses fell in ringlets to her shoulders. She had a habit of twisting them into a French knot and securing it with any handy implement. Even a chopstick or a pencil would do. Jess had always envied that ability, as her own stick-straight hair wouldn’t even hold a barrette.
    Jess took a deep breath, then let it out slowly.
    “Better?”
    “Are we on speakerphone?” Jess asked.
    “Nobody’s here. Out for the three-martini lunch.” Evie worked in a small yet prestigious publishing firm where publicity deals were forever being cut. As an assistant, she practically ran the place but still barely got paid. Jess was secretly ashamed to earn so much more than her, knowing that Evie worked just as hard. Jess didn’t feel nearly as smart or savvy as everyone thought she was. She owed her early success to a series of lucky breaks. If things had broken differently, it could just as easily have been her sitting in her old college roommate’s chair.
    “Well, I’d appreciate you taking it off, just the same.”
    Evie’s reply came back without the previous echo effect. “Okay, so tell me again, because I know I didn’t hear you clearly. It sounded almost like you’d said you’d gotten married!” She affected a laugh.
    Jess’s heart lurched in her chest. It did sound absurd, and she knew it. Especially for her. Jess winced, hearing her voice come out as a squeak. “It’s true, Evie. Oh my God.”
    “ What? ”
    Jess bit into her knuckle, stopping her knee-jerk reaction at the first flash of pain. Her pulse was racing, and her head pounded. As bad this already was, somehow it sounded worse admitting it to her best friend. “I did it, Evie. Just last night. I married a matador.”
    Evie’s tone was shrill with disbelief. “How did you do that?”
    Jess grimaced. “It was a mistake.”
    Evie huffed into her mouthpiece. “No, Jess, a mistake is missing your connection at the airport, forgetting to pack extra panties! A mistake is not marrying a matador!” She paused a beat, then began slowly. “I know what this is. It’s a joke, isn’t it? Ha ha! Right?”
    Jess stared down at the naked spot on her ring finger. As soon as there was time, he’d told her, he’d buy her a big, beautiful engagement ring—and a wedding band to match. Didn’t