With that, I turned and strode toward the house in a subdued panic, feeling more relieved with every footstep I could put between us.

Twelve

The band played jaunty surfer-pop as guests began to arrive. In no time at all, the house and patio were packed. People swarmed around the buffet and went out to the boardwalk arcade for dessert. A bartender served tropical drinks at a grass hut near the pool, while waitstaff walked around with trays of ice water and glasses of nonalcoholic punch.

“The mini golf course is a hit,” Sofia said as we passed each other on the patio. “So is the dessert station. In fact, everything is a hit.”

“Any problems with Steven?” I asked.

She shook her head. “Did you say anything to him?”

“I made it clear that anyone who disrespects you will be out on his ass.”

“We couldn’t afford to lose Steven.”

“Out on his ass,” I repeated firmly. “No one talks to you like that.”

Sofia smiled at me. “Te amo.”

For the rest of the afternoon, I stayed busy, taking care not to cross paths with Joe. A couple of times, when I passed by him, I could feel him trying to catch my gaze, but I ignored him, afraid that he would pull me into a conversation. Afraid that my face would reveal too much or that I would say something foolish.

Seeing Joe in person forced me to contend with him not as a friendly voice on the phone, but as a robust male who made no secret of the fact that he wanted me. Any notion I might have had of trying for a platonic friendship with Joe was gone. He wasn’t going to settle for that. Neither would he let me slip away without a confrontation. My mind buzzed with ideas about how to handle him, what to say.

After lunch had been cleared and the caterers were washing dishes, I found Sofia and Ree-Ann standing just outside the kitchen door, drinking glasses of iced tea. They stared intently in the direction of the pool, neither of them sparing me a glance.

“What are you two looking at?” I asked.

Sofia made a shushing motion with her hand.

Following their gazes, I saw Joe emerging from the pool, shirtless and dripping. The sight of his athletic body, bronzed and taut, all those wet muscles gleaming in the sun, was spectacular. He shook his head like a dog, sending water drops flying.

“That is the hottest guy I’ve ever seen,” Ree-Ann said reverently.

“A papi chulo,” Sofia agreed.

Joe lowered to sit beside the pool as his nephew Luke came to him with an orange plastic water wing, the kind that slid over the upper arms. Joe pried open the valve on the plastic wing and blew air into it. I noticed a neat diagonal surgical scar on his side, parallel to his ribs, extending upward almost to his back. The line was nearly invisible, only a shade or two darker than the surrounding skin, but I could tell from the way the light hit it that the scar was slightly raised. After turning Luke around, Joe repeated the procedure on the other water wing.

“I wish he’d inflate my flotation devices,” Ree-Ann said wistfully.

“Can’t either of you find something productive to do?” I asked in annoyance.

“We’re taking our ten-minute break,” Sofia said.

Ree-Ann shook her head in admiration as Joe stood, his board shorts riding low on his hips. “Mmmn. Look at that rear view.”

Scowling, I muttered, “It’s not right to objectify men any more than it is for them to do it to us.”

“I’m not objectifying him,” Ree-Ann protested. “I’m just saying his ass is cute.”

Before I could respond, Sofia said, “I think our break is over, Ree-Ann.” She was struggling to hold back a laugh.

The three of us went to work in the kitchen with the catering staff as they boxed up untouched food to be taken to a women’s shelter directly afterward. Glassware, dishes, and table accessories were washed and dried, table linens were put into laundry bags, the garbage was bagged, and the kitchen was scrubbed until it was spotless.

As the last of the party guests went inside to mingle with the family in the main room, Steven and Tank supervised the breakdown of the cabana tents and the dessert station, while the rest of the crew cleaned the pool and patio. After the caterers and cleanup staff had left, I walked around to make certain we had left everything exactly as we’d found it.

“Avery…” Sofia came out to the patio, looking satisfied but tired. “I just went through the house – it’s perfect. The Travises are relaxing in the living room. Ree-Ann can drop me off at home, or I can stay here with you.”

“Go with Ree-Ann. I’ll ask Ella if there’s anything else they’d like me to do.”

“You sure?”

“Absolutely.”

Sofia smiled. “I probably won’t be home when you get back. I’m going to the gym.”

“Tonight?” I asked incredulously.

“There’s a new combo class with spinning and core training.”

I gave her an arch glance. “What’s his name?”

Sofia smiled sheepishly. “I don’t know yet. He always takes bike twenty-two. Last spin class, he challenged me to a race.”

“Who won?”

“He did. But only because I was distracted by his glutes.”

I laughed. “Have a good workout.”

After Sophia left, I continued to walk around the pool. Sunset wouldn’t occur for another couple of hours, but the low-slung light was already braised with the last red fire of day. I was hot and sticky, and my feet were sore from walking back and forth across the patio. Sighing, I slipped off my sandals and flexed my toes and arches.