Island Affair (Keys to Love #1) - Priscilla Oliveras Page 0,41

while Luis helped Carolyn climb down from the backseat on the driver’s side, Jonathan had shut the passenger door on their side and skewered Sara’s intent to come clean by revealing, “He seems like a nice guy. I get why Mother’s smitten with him. Seeing you with someone like Luis has her relieved. It’s good.”

With another annoying ruffle of her hair, her brother had sauntered off to catch up with his wife and Luis.

And Sara had been left with no choice but to swallow the truth ready to spring out of her.

That did not, however, give her permission to join her mom on the smitten cruise ship. Not at all.

Instead, Sara vowed to keep a clear head. Avoid as many lies as possible while reminding herself she could not, would not, fall for them herself.

Her therapist would caution her about jumping into something too quickly, remaining cognizant of her need to feel connected to others. How that need manifested in good ways and bad. It’s part of why she excelled as a social media influencer. A benefit in business; a curse when it came to her personal life.

The unicycling juggler finished his act in a flurry of flying bowling balls that had a few onlookers nearby ducking. After a reminder that he earned his keep via their generous tips, he posed for selfies and pictures and called thanks to those who dropped bills into a floppy straw beach hat marked “Donations.”

As she and Luis followed the crowd toward another act farther along the pier, a male voice called out, “?Oye, Santo!”

Luis stiffened beside her. He quickly shifted direction, sliding his big hand along her lower back and guiding her toward the sunset. Away from the row of booths now behind them.

“?San Navarro, ven pa’ca!”

The pressure on her lower back increased.

Sara glanced over her shoulder, then slowed her steps when her gaze collided with a guy in his mid-thirties looking right at her and Luis. “Um, I think someone’s calling you back there.”

“Ignore it,” Luis said, his voice a low growl.

“Did he say, ‘Saint Navarro’?”

Luis nodded. His scowl told her he wasn’t a fan of the nickname.

Sara bit back a smile. The moniker actually seemed to fit him almost as well as the one she’d given him already.

“Santo, don’t be like that! Come here!” the man yelled again.

Muttering a curse, Luis stopped in the middle of the crowd. Several people bumped into them from behind, but like a huge boulder parting a running brook, he remained immovable, forcing others to step around him.

Slowly turning, Luis’s chin jutted a greeting at the guy who stood several booths away. Geometric-shaped pieces of wood with painted tropical scenes decorated the sides and counter of his stall. He was dressed in the typical Key West attire of comfy shorts and a tee, and the guy’s darkly tanned skin and curly black hair were a foil for the slash of white teeth at his huge grin.

The vendor raised an arm in the air to wave them over.

Luis cut a sharp look at Sara, then shook his head.

Undeterred, the man motioned again, this time with more gusto.

“Co?o,” Luis muttered, angling himself to block Sara from the other guy’s view.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, catching Luis’s pinched expression in the waning sunlight.

“Freddie grew up around the corner from us in Big Coppitt. Graduated with my older brother, Carlos.”

Sara immediately ducked down like that would help her hide from Luis’s friend. “Damn” was right. The last thing she wanted was to make things more difficult for Luis by running into someone close to his family. It’d only compound the lie fest she had initiated.

“I can’t blow him off or I’ll risk hearing about it later.” Luis’s pained expression intensified. “Our moms attend weekday mass together every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.”

“Omigosh, you should go!” Sara splayed her hands on his chest to give him a little push. Fat lot of good it did. The man was like a brick wall. “Go! I’ll be fine.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, go!” she assured him. Seeing him with a family friend would be a vivid reminder that he belonged here. While her stay was only temporary. “I’ll poke around, see if there’s anything I might want to buy, while you chat.”

“This should only take a few minutes. I don’t want you to miss your first sunset.”

Sara shooed him off, then ducked her head for cover as she moseyed over to the booth next to Luis’s friend’s. Once there, she picked up a shell necklace, pretending to