Just as well. Victoria doubted Rafael’s family would appreciate Missy’s style of micromanagement. “That’s fine. Once we’re done, I’ll send you pictures so you can make sure everything meets your standards.”
“Can you send them tonight? I’m doing a full day of wellness and pampering tomorrow at Glen Ivy Hot Springs, and I won’t have access to my phone.”
A full day of pampering sounded heavenly.If only. “Sure. It might be late, but I’ll do it before we leave.”
“Okay. Thank you.”
A “thank you”? Was Missy turning into a decent human being? Victoria responded with genuine warmth. “You’re very welcome. I can’t wait to see how the room looks once the trees are decorated.”
* * *
Rafael walkedinto the grand ballroom and stopped short.Madre de Dios, he felt like a kid stepping into an enchanted forest. Twenty perfect fir trees, decorated with strings of white lights, encircled the ballroom. And these weren’t the raggedy-ass trees his family had purchased when he was a kid—lopsided, scruffy, missing branches in the back. These beauties were easily ten feet tall and perfectly symmetrical, with dark green needles. They gave off the powerful aroma of pine woods.
Victoria bounded over to him, clipboard in hand, dressed in a dark green sweater and a pair of snug-fitting jeans that hugged the curve of her ass. Was she wearing one of those sexy bra-and-panty sets underneath? He would have given anything for a half hour alone with her just to find out.
“What do you think?” she asked. “Don’t the trees look unbelievable?”
“They’re the most perfect trees I’ve ever seen.”
“I know, right? I talked to fifteen vendors and looked through a ton of websites. They didn’t come cheap.” She gestured to a group of standing ladders in one corner of the room. “I had to get these from the grounds crew because the trees are so tall. I hope no one in your family is averse to heights.”
He rolled up his sleeves. “They’ll be fine. What do you need me to do?”
“The others should be here soon. For now, can you help me drag these storage bins over to the trees so they’re all distributed?”
He couldn’t get over how excited she seemed. “You’re into this, aren’t you?”
She grinned. “Shh. Don’t let Missy know. I love a good challenge. Especially when I have a sexy chef as my accomplice.”
He was tempted to take her in his arms, kiss her soundly, and run his hands along her sweet little ass, but he resisted the urge. Someone could walk in at any minute.
Sure enough, he’d only set out two bins when Araceli strolled in, trailed by Ernesto and Nena. The other cousins showed up a few minutes later, followed by Connor and his girlfriend, Jess.
Radiating enthusiasm, Victoria gathered everyone around. “Thanks so much for coming. The trees are all in place, ready to be decorated. As you’ve probably guessed, Missy’s very particular about her design scheme. Fortunately, she sent over sketches and photos.” She handed everyone a copy of the three-page handout. “The finished trees should look identical. Please don’t deviate from the plan, even if you’re feeling creative. I’d suggest working two people to a tree since we only have five standing ladders. Any questions?”
“Is there going to be food?” Ernesto asked. “’Celi said we’d be fed.”
Victoria responded with an apologetic smile. “Yes, I should have mentioned that. There’s beer, wine, and soda in the back room. Once I get everyone’s preferences, I’ll order pizzas. I figured we could break around seven thirty for dinner.”
As the group split up, Rafael dragged a ladder over to the furthest tree, then stared at the design sheet for clarification. Since all the ornaments were either silver or gold, he could barely distinguish one from another. He was in over his head.
Araceli joined him, carrying one of the bins. “Want to work together?”
“Sounds good. I don’t want to screw up.”
She leaned in closer, as if disclosing a secret. “Before we start, we need to talk. I have a bone to pick.”
His stomach clenched up. The last thing he needed was to get on Araceli’s bad side. She held a grudge like no one else. “What’d I do?”
“Ernesto told me you hooked up with an old girlfriend on Sunday night. Why are you pulling that shit?”
Jesus.Why was everyone so keen on monitoring his love life?
She opened the bin and set the design sheet beside it. “I think if we figure out the layout first, then we can hang the ornaments in the correct order.”
“Works for me. And I was trying to keep things discreet. Ernesto found out by accident.”
Araceli lined up the golden pinecones. “We’re supposed to have twenty, but I only count fifteen. The last five must be in one of the extra bins. Go check and see.”
