"A starburst," Rafael murmured. "Another challenge."
Fox pulled the furniture out of the way and rolled up a rug to give them a dance floor. Rafael nodded to Santos to start the music, then waited for Maggie to set the pace with her footsteps and castanets.
Santos clapped the rhythm, and Fox joined in while Ana peered through her camera lens seeking perfect shots as Maggie and Rafael danced with their usual intensity and grace. "Yes, that's it," she called. "Pretend I'm not here."
With Rafael bumping her hip whenever he caught the chance, Maggie found it a simple matter to ignore Ana. The room could have been crowded with ranch hands, and she'd still have seen only Rafael. He certainly stood in the center of his life with a bravado most men would envy. She knew her part in the dance, but her life was spinning like a top, with a constantly shifting center.
When the music ended, Rafael dipped her for an affectionate kiss, then hugged her to his side. She was surprised by the applause, but Refugio and his helpers in the kitchen had come out to watch. Mrs. Lujan, in a dark dress for the evening, stood in the dining room doorway, applauding enthusiastically. Fox was beside Ana, looking at her camera, but Santos's angry frown made his hostile reaction to their dancing plain.
"We are ready to serve dinner," Mrs. Lujan announced.
Maggie was so hungry she could barely wait to be served. Fox sat on one side of her and Rafael on the other, while Santos and Ana again sat opposite them. Just as in the beach house, the chair at the head of the table was left empty. She reached under the table to squeeze Rafael's knee, and he covered her hand. They had only that evening and another day to get through there, and while he hadn't been friendly with Santos, he hadn't gone out of his way to insult him again. She'd thank him later for that, if it continued.
There was a clear mushroom soup served before a well-seasoned rib roast, rare the way she like it. There were fresh green beans with sliced almonds and rice flavored with saffron. She chewed slowly so she wouldn't be finished well before the others. When Fox asked for more, she relaxed.
Santos sat back in his chair and took a sip of wine. "You must have had some amazing experiences in prison. Why don't you tell us a few?"
"That was uncalled for," Maggie stressed, disappointed he'd ask such a rude question.
"No, really," Ana insisted. "I'd love to hear about it. The rest of us will never know life behind bars."
Rafael didn't look up from his plate. "I worked in the prison hospital and took care of men who'd been beaten, stabbed and gang raped. Those stories aren't appropriate for the dinner table."
Ana paled slightly, while Santos dipped his head to hide his smirk. "You'll have to tell us another time."
"I can't think of any time such sad stories would be entertaining," Maggie argued. "Which designer has the best collection for the fall, Ana?"
Ana seized upon the question and gave an animated response that lasted through the rest of the meal. Fox hung on her every word. Maggie tried to listen and was grateful her brother had finally shut up. The dessert was a crema catalana, a rich egg custard, chilled icy cold and topped with grilled sugar.
"This is so good," Maggie exclaimed.
"You haven't had this?" Ana asked.
"No, this is my first trip to Spain. Mexican food is more common in America than Spanish."
"You'll have to come back often," Santos suggested.
Rafael laid his hand on her thigh, and she chose her words with care. "Yes, I'd love to." She waited for Rafael to add his hopes that she would, but he remained silent by her side, and she managed only a tremulous smile.
Chapter Twelve
As soon as they entered her room, Maggie handed Rafael the money. "Please count that to make certain it's what you paid Ana."
He quickly thumbed through it. "It's all here. When did you get it?"
"When you stepped into the den with Santos to talk about tomorrow. She didn't care who paid her, and she took the two extra pairs of shoes for her friends who dance. She admitted checking the sizes of my clothes and shoes after Santos convinced her to stay. She said all models know what size each other wears, and she did it simply out of habit. She didn't know I wasn't