Forever Summer (15 page)

“I thought we’d take a drive, just the two of us.  Before you say anything, I’d like to be back before dark, so I can take Marisol to a festival nearby, so you don’t have to feel as though she’s being left out, and this is
such
a strange conversation.  I’m usually trying to figure out a nice way to break it to my companions that my time is limited or that I need to spend time with my daughter.  With you, I have to assure you that I haven’t forgotten her.  Crazy.”

Summer smiled at him.  “I’m very bossy and not a little hard-headed.  Major character flaws, I’m afraid.”

Gabe just laughed and shook his head.  “That doesn’t sound in the least bit apologetic.”

“A warning, not an apology, I’m afraid.”

“I’m going to say goodbye to Marisol, and then we’ll get started.  I’m bringing a picnic lunch, too.  Will you meet me out front?  I’ll bring the car around.”

“Sure.  Hey, where are we going?  Am I supposed to dress a particular way, or is casual okay?”

“You’re fine as you are.  Just bring a light jacket and maybe put your hair back.”

Before she could get any more details, he was gone.  She ran upstairs and grabbed a hoodie and pulled her hair up into a ponytail, although she had no idea why, and went outside to the courtyard.  Córdoba was such a pretty place.  Gabe’s villa was traditionally built with a large courtyard in front where there was a centrally located fountain surrounded by bright blooms in various colors.  It was two stories with small balconies outside the upstairs bedrooms and climbing flowers and scaling ivy nearly all the way to the top of the house.  There were flower baskets filled with even more colorful plants and the outside was whitewashed. 

September in this part of Spain was warm in the afternoons and cool in the mornings and evenings.  Temperatures were fresh and mild, and she doubted she’d need the jacket, but far be it from her to go against Gabe’s advice.  She was leaning over the side of a trellis and breathing in the wisteria when she heard the purr of a motor pull up behind her.  She turned around and saw Gabe behind the wheels of a light blue BMW convertible, just getting out to open her door.  He guided her to her seat and shut the door behind her.

“Nice car, Gabe.  I don’t think I’ve ever ridden in a convertible, and if I did, I’m sure it wasn’t this nice.”

“Are you okay with the top down?  I can put it up if you like.”

“Only if it rains!  Now I know why you suggested wearing my hair up.  Good thinking.”  Summer turned towards him with a smile so bright it rivaled the sunshine.  He was struck by her beauty and thrilled that he’d been the one to make her smile today.

“It’s the only time I’ll make that suggestion.  I love your hair.  I love how it looks, and I especially love how it feels when my hands are buried in it or it’s spread over the pillow.  Or draped across my body.”  The heat in his gaze burned her, and she felt a blush coloring her cheeks as she looked away.

Gabe reached beneath her chin and lifted so she’d meet his eyes again.  “You’re blushing.”

“I am not blushing.”

“You are,
querida
.  I like that I can make you blush.  It’s proof that you’re not immune to my charm.”

“I doubt Mother Teresa would be immune to your charm, Gabe.”  She smiled again, and he drove the car down the long driveway to the street, returning her smile.

“Business before pleasure.  Tell me what you remember about your family villa, Summer.”

“Oh.  Is that our mission today?”

“Only if it will make you happy.”

“Hmm.  I’m not sure how it will make me feel, but I do want to find it.  It was in Andalucía, and it was up high overlooking the top of a hill or maybe a small mountain.  It had a winding road with very few other houses around it, and it was at the very top of the road.  Oh, and the street it was on was
Avenida Mariposa
.  I remember the street, because I thought it was really neat that I lived on Butterfly Avenue, any little girl’s dream.”

“It’s only about a one to two hour drive to Andalucía from here.  When we get there, I’ll use the GPS and see what we can find.  Even without the address, the street name should be enough to get us there.  If it’s still the last house on the road, it should be easy to find.  When were you last there?”

“Nearly twenty years ago, shortly before I lost my mother.  Looking back, I think she wanted to spend her last days there.  We’d always gone there as a family, and we went at least three or four times a year.  I think the only reason she died in the hospital was because she didn’t want my father to be alone at the end and to have to deal with what happened afterwards.”

“You never went back again?”

“No.  I asked my father to take me there once.  I’m not sure if I thought it would bring me closer to my mother’s memory or if I hoped my father and I could reconnect, but in any case, we never went back.  He said it was my mother’s house, and he would never go there without her.  I assume he sold it.  I wonder if the people living there would allow me to look around.”

“We’ll ask them, Summer.  I just hope returning will not bring back sad memories for you.”

“I guess I won’t know until we get there, but all my memories of being there are good ones.  Even when my mother was ill, she lived up to her name.  She was Sunny until the end, and she never stopped showering me with love.  I can still see her so clearly in my mind, even though I was only eight when she died.  She was a great mother.”

“You are the beautiful legacy she left behind, Summer.  She lives on through you,
cara
.”

“I’d like to think so.  To this day, she influences my choices.  I would never want to do anything that would disappoint her or reflect negatively on her.  I’d like to think she’d like how I turned out.”

“Without a doubt she would.  What’s not to like?  You’re smart, well educated, and you’re a good person.  I can tell just by how you are with Marisol that the love she gave you lives on, because you share it with others who need it like her.  She’s just started asking me about her mother over the last year or so.  It’s hard to know what to say.  I don’t want to lie to her, but I can’t possibly tell her the truth.  Margarita wanted nothing to do with her before or after she was born.  I think the only reason she didn’t end the pregnancy was because she felt it would be a permanent tie to me, or more importantly to what she could get through me.”

“Marisol will feel strange that the other kids all have mothers, and she doesn’t.  I know I did.  Sometimes kids can be cruel and tease about such things.  I don’t pretend to know what would be best to tell her about her mother, but I do suggest that you tell her something.  My father refused to talk about my mother from the day she died until today.  I’m sure it was painful for him.  I know he loved my mother a great deal.  But so did I, and when she died, I wanted – I needed – to talk about her.  The only person who would let me was my grandmother.  She’s my father’s mother, but she loved my mother well.  She’s never said anything bad about my father, but I know she’s unhappy with how he handled the whole situation.  She tried to make it up to me, but it’s hard for anyone to take the place of one parent, much less two, and essentially I lost both parents when my mother died.”

“I’m so sorry, Summer.”

“Please don’t be.  It was a long time ago.”

“It still haunts you today.  You are still hurting,
querida
.”

“Not really.  I’ve just accepted that I’m on my own and have been for a long time.  Most of the time I like it that way.  Until lately, that is.”

Gabe reached over and put his hand on her leg and squeezed lightly.  “I also have been alone for a long time.  Perhaps we will find that being with each other is better.”

“Perhaps.  We’ve got the next two weeks to think about it anyway, and I’m going to try very hard to keep an open mind.”

“Good.  That’s all I can ask.  At least for now.”

Summer eyes him suspiciously.  “What do you mean at least for now?”

“I don’t know.  That’s why we both agreed to reevaluate in two weeks, remember?”

****

The rest of the drive was less serious.  Summer loved the feel of the wind on her face, and Gabe loved watching her, touching her, spending time with her.  When they reached the city, Gabe enabled the GPS and got directions to
Avenida Mariposa
.  He noted that the closer they got to Andalucía, the more quiet and withdrawn Summer became.  He fervently hoped coming here had not been a bad idea.  He reached over and took her hand, and she held on tight.

“There!  That’s the beginning of the street, Gabe.  I remember it!”  Much to his relief she was smiling and became very animated and excited.  “Oh look!  The
Mercado
!  We used to go there to buy groceries.  My mother never wanted anyone but the ladies who looked out for me to come with us here, so she did all the cooking and loved it.  My father barbecued in the back yard and had a really nice set up outside with tile and a large grill and even a sink and chopping block.  Oh Gabe, what if it’s in ruins?  What if whoever bought it changed everything or let it get rundown?  I know it’s bound to have changed over the last twenty years, but I hope I still recognize it.  My mother had such a pretty garden.  She planted the flowers herself, and they’d bloom every year.  My father hired a gardener to take care of it when we weren’t there.”

Gabe pulled over on the side of the road and turned to face her taking both her hands in his.  “Only one or two more turns in the road, baby.  Are you sure you want to go on?”

Summer looked into his eyes and smiled.  “I’m sure.  So far, so good.  Even if it’s unrecognizable for whatever reason, I want to see it.  No matter what, I’ll still have my memories, but I’m so glad you’re here with me.”  She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly.  “Thank you for bringing me.”

“Of course.”  He leaned away from her and held her face in his hands and kissed her gently, just a sharing of their lips, a small sip.  “Ready?”  When she nodded, he put the car in gear and continued up the road.  When they got to the villa at the very top, Summer froze, eyes wide, hands covering her mouth, a sheen of  tears in her eyes.

“Gabe.  It’s … perfect.  It’s exactly how I remember it, from the colors to the garden.  My God, nothing has changed at all.”  She continued to stare as he went around to her door and helped her get out, which was just as well, since she was a little shaky.  Gabe put his arm around her shoulders to steady her and continued to watch her closely for any sign that she was feeling uncomfortable.  His eyes were on her while hers were on the front door, and when it opened she gasped.  The color drained out of her face as she watched two older women come out into the courtyard.

Gabe was about to put her back into the car and leave, thinking it was too much for her when he heard the two ladies speaking.

“Madre de diós.  Es una angel, Luisa.”

“No, Yolanda, es nuestra Verano volvido en casa.  Gracias a diós.”

Gabe was at a complete loss.  One lady thought she was seeing an angel, and the other was talking about the summer returning home.  He couldn’t decipher a thing and looked back at Summer who by now had tears streaming down her face.

“Luisa?  Yolanda?  ¿
Son ustedes?
  Is it really you?”  Summer took a tentative two steps then started running towards the two women who were also crying and rushing towards her.  They all threw their arms around each other, bawling like babies.  When the dust started to settle and Summer finally got a handle on her emotions, she turned back and brought Gabe over to introduce him.