Island Affair (Keys to Love #1) - Priscilla Oliveras Page 0,63

was needed, which hadn’t been often. Watchful dark eyes and jet-black, later gray-streaked, hair she wore in her signature sleek bun. The lilt of her Mexican heritage dancing through her Spanish, heavily accenting her English. Sara liked to think Mamá Alicia and Luis’s abuela were probably looking down on them all right now. If so, Sara figured the two older women would be shaking their heads at Luis and Sara’s ruse. Although, after her family’s fun-filled day and the sun-kissed color on her mother’s thin face, Sara had a hard time seeing the error of her ways.

Twisting the cap off her bottle of sparkling water, Sara strolled out to the back patio, feeling oddly at peace around her family. Mostly thanks to Luis, whose calm demeanor seemed to rub off on all of them. Including her.

Robin and Carolyn left their lounge chairs to join everyone at the table. Her sister-in-law stepped around one of the citronella candles dangling on a hook at the top of a waist-high metal stake stuck into the soil near her lounger. Several others dotted the perimeter of the raised porch, while two more candles burned in the sitting area. Orange flames flickered inside the dark glass orbs cradling the candles.

A light breeze blew away the heat and humidity of the day. While the sun’s last rays poked through the tree branches, splaying wispy shadows and light across the backyard oasis.

“Is Jonathan still talking to the kids?” Carolyn asked, motioning with her head toward the kitchen alcove. “I don’t know which one of us feels worse about not bringing them along. But couple time is hard to come by these days.”

Sara’s brother appeared in the large window, holding the phone out toward them. “Say bye to everyone!”

Good-byes and talk-to-you-soons and a “Mommy loves you” from Carolyn chimed in a raucous farewell to the little ones; then Jonathan hung up.

“Anyone need another drink?” he asked.

By the time Jonathan made it to the table carrying several dark green beer bottles for the other guys, Luis had kicked off the domino game by slapping down the double six. Sara’s mom’s triumphant “yes!” coupled with her wide leer drew a rumbly chuckle from him.

“I have to warn you,” Sara told Luis as she moved to stand behind him. “Game night can get pretty cutthroat in our house.”

Resting her hands on his shoulders, she bent down to peer at his dominoes. Luis turned to look at her, his handsome face inches from hers. The corners of his eyes crinkled with the easy smile she had quickly grown fond of seeing. He surprised her with a peck on her jaw that sent tingles tap-dancing their way down her body.

“We’ll go easy on him, Sar-bear. Don’t worry,” her father promised, sending her mom a satisfied smile. Ruth patted his hand on the edge of the table, punctuating some secret between the two of them.

Sara wasn’t sure whether to be relieved they’d fallen for her ruse with Luis. Or worried about what they might be scheming themselves.

“Oh, I can hold my own,” Luis assured them. “I’m not easily intimidated. Though what I’ve got in front of me should scare you two.” He pointed at Edward and her dad, seated to his left and right.

“That’s what I like to hear,” her mom crowed.

Sara rolled her eyes. Apparently, no one was holding back when it came to trash talk. Not even Luis.

“Do you have a good . . . is it called a hand in dominoes?” she asked him.

“Yeah, ‘hand’ is the right terminology. Same as with cards.” Luis rearranged his dominoes matching ones with the same numbers of black dots on one half or the other. “Does anyone want me to talk us through this first game, provide some options they could choose from based on their or their partner’s dominoes?”

“I’m already Googling domino strategy,” Robin said, tapping away at her cell phone screen. She dragged another chair closer to Edward, her serious game face already in place. “No need for a practice round. We’ll pick this up quickly.”

Jonathan snagged the sixth dining table chair and set it between their parents. As soon as he sat down, Carolyn sank onto his lap, one arm casually draped over his shoulder.

“We’ll watch and learn,” he said, before taking a swig of his beer.

“Here, join me.” Luis scooted his chair back a little, opening his arms for Sara to sit with him.

It all seemed so cozy. A little surreal. An average family snapshot she’d always dreamed of. Her