Javi arched a brow. I shrugged as Asher pressed the phone to his ear and stepped away. A few minutes later, he returned with a tall, dark-haired man.
“Everyone, this is Rys,” he said.
Rys and Alejandro clasped hands. “Great to see you,” Alejandro said. “I didn’t know you were in Spain.”
“Came for an audit at the hotel. I’ll be flying back in two days,” Rys said.
Asher tucked an arm around my shoulders. “Rys, this is Kaia.”
His smile lit his striking blue eyes. “I figured. Nice to meet you. Asher’s told me a lot. We met here two summers ago,” he added.
Then it clicked—the hotel where Asher had taken me for our first time belonged to Rys’s company. He was the friend Asher had been with at the club.
I bit into my tortilla while the others exchanged greetings and small talk.
“Speaking of friends,” Javi said, “how’s yours? Alba, right?”
“You met her?”
Javi chuckled. “Yeah. When I took Ash to hand her the books for you. She wasn’t impressed. I almost thought she had a thing against footballplayers, but I didn’t tell her I was one. She must’ve recognized me—she’s Spanish.”
I snorted. “Sorry to crush your ego, but she’s indifferent to football. Which is ironic, considering her dad’s a famous coach.”
“For real?” He set the slice of cheese back on his plate. “What’s her last name?”
“Osorio,” I said. “Her dad is Fernando Osorio.”
Javi let out a low laugh. “No me jodas. Guys, did you hear that? Kaia’s friend is Fernando Osorio’s daughter.”
Asher and Alejandro both turned toward me. “Wow, peque,” Asher said. “How come I didn’t know?”
“I don’t know.” I lifted my wine glass. “You never asked about her dad.”
“Her father should consider signing with Sport Union Madrid,” Alejandro said. “I know it’s not up to Fernando, and the offer has to come from the team, but chico”—he sighed, looking Javi’s way—“what the hell is your coach thinking? He can’t keep the best players benched every match.”
Javi grinned. “Yeah, well, you know I can’t badmouth Mister. As long as I get my minutes, it’s fine.”
They drifted deeper into football talk while Asher’s hand rested warm on my thigh under the table. He leaned toward Rys, speaking low enough I couldn’t catch the words even if I tried.
The doorbell chimed through the courtyard.
“I’ll get it,” Maricarmen said, rising.
I focused on my plate, half-listening to conversations until she returned with a package.
“Mi niño, this is for you.” She handed it to Ash.
He frowned. “Who’s it from?”
His closest friends were already here. Who else would know his grandmother’s address?
The frown stayed fixed as he opened the package. Inside was a Lego construction set. My heart lurched. I hadn’t forgotten what he’d told me in Madrid. What were the odds?
He peeled a note from the box, scanned it, and sank his teeth into his lower lip.
“Ash?” I whispered. “Is this from…”
He nodded, then shot to his feet. “I’ll take this inside. Please, keep enjoying the meal, everyone.”
