Chapter Twenty-Two
Whoa.
Carolina was breathless and more satisfied than she’d ever imagined.
That had been incredible. Why on earth had she waited twenty-three years to give in to pleasure? Was it because she hadn’t met the right man? Or some deeply internalized Catholic guilt that made her think she was going to hell?
Instead, she had experienced a little slice of heaven. And she wanted more. Now that she had a taste of sin, her mind raced. What would it be like to be in an actual relationship with Enrique? To see him daily, kiss him every morning, make love to him every night? And though they were both so different, they did have a lot of things in common. They both loved their family and were interested in farming. And clearly their sexual chemistry was off the charts.
Enrique retrieved them both towels and led Carolina back inside. She quickly changed into some lounge clothes she had purchased earlier in the day.
The night had become cooler. He turned on the fireplace and they curled up on the sofa. Carolina couldn’t remember ever being so happy.
A slow pitter-patter of rain began on the roof. The sound grew louder, and it reminded Carolina of the ticking of a clock.
Or maybe that was her heart beating.
Carolina checked her phone, but there were still no calls or messages from Papá. She had to tell him the truth about Enrique—that he hadn’t been her boyfriend, though now he actually was her boyfriend. And more importantly, that her goals had changed. She was ready to stand on her own.
One decision became clear to her—she wanted to get her own place, away from his watchful eye. Well, at this point, technically, she was kicked out of her home, so she had no choice, but even if he hadn’t forbidden her from coming home, she was certain that she wanted some privacy, not just because of Enrique, but because she really wanted to live alone.
But standing up to her father could cost her everything. Her reputation, her honor, her family, her farm.
Ay, Dios mío. The farm.
Her farm meant everything to her. She had fought so hard to buy it, worked ceaselessly in and after school to raise the funds. And she had done good, meaningful work. She was proud of how all the farmworkers were treated there.
But was it enough? Just to have one ethical farm when so many people around the state were being treated horribly?
What if she could expand her reach? Invest in a new farm? Change the lives of others? A real impact on the lives of farmworkers.
She closed her eyes and said a quick prayer for guidance. She needed to think about her career aspirations long and hard when she wasn’t so overwhelmed with her personal issues.
She opened her eyes back up and caught Enrique’s gaze. As much as she just wanted to relax and watch a movie with him, she needed to confront her father.
Her belly ached. “I’m going to call my dad.”
“Good luck. I’ll be in the other room if you need me.” Enrique kissed her on the cheek, then grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze before he walked into the bedroom and shut the door.
Carolina dialed. The phone rang and rang; Carolina’s nerves jumped each time. Papá didn’t answer, so she left yet another message, this one with a profuse apology, in Spanish for extra points. “Papá. Call me. We need to talk.”
Carolina was shocked when a few minutes later, he called back. Maybe the groveling had done the trick.
“Papá. I’m sorry I didn’t make it home last night, but I did try. It was not intentional. It was a flash storm.”
“Not intentional? You went on a road trip with a man alone. No chaperone. You disgraced us in front of Tiburón. There are rumors that you ran off with this man because you are pregnant!”
She stifled a laugh. How ridiculous. She was still a virgin. Well, technically. But maybe she wouldn’t be for that much longer. Would that truly be so bad?
Not to mention, she’d only met him a little over a week ago. Even if they’d slept together on that first night, it would be too early to tell where things were headed between them.
“That’s crazy. People can talk all they want. I’m a good woman. I have not disgraced you or the family. But I need some freedom. I want to live my life on my terms.”
Her father let out a loud huff and a wheeze. Carolina’s heart dropped—was this stress exacerbating his medical condition? “Your terms, mija? You meet this man, this pendejo, and suddenly you ruin your life? Our lives?”
“He’s not an idiot. He’s kind and handsome and loving.” She stopped herself before she revealed to her father how much she was infatuated with Enrique.
“Loving! He has no respect or honor. And neither do you! You spent the night with him! And you are still with him now. ¿Verdad?”
