“I’m so sorry, Fernando. That’s horrible.” It’s taking everything inside me not to rush over to his side and offer him a huge bearhug. “I can’t believe you had to go through something like that. Especially after being together for so long.”
He nods glumly. “It took me a long time to get over her. I eventually tried dating again. I’ve had two short-term relationships, but both times, they ended with me getting dumped. My heart just wasn’t in it. I’ve given up on ever finding love.”
“What if the right woman came along?” My pulse thuds painfully hard against my ribs as I wait to see how he responds.
“It’s not gonna happen. Isabel was the girl of my dreams. I don’t know if I can ever find someone I’ll love more. So it’s better not to even try. I’ve come to terms with being single.”
“But Fernando, you deserve to be happy.”
“But don’t you see, I am happy.” He forces a smile onto his face, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. “I have my health, a great job, friends that are like family, and my cabin. I don’t need anything else.”
I open my mouth to fight him, but I sense it’s not going to get me very far. Change isn’t going to happen overnight. He deserves to get his own happily ever after. Especially after dealing with a relationship like that. He may say he’s happy being single, but he’s not fooling me.
Our conversation shifts back around to our road trip as we eat. We decide to play tomorrow by ear and see how we’re both feeling. I use his heating pad to release the muscles in my back. It helps, but doesn’t alleviate all the aches. My gut tells me tomorrow is going to be rough.
Chapter Seventeen
We decide to leave Toledo late morning to get in a few hours of driving for Valencia. Neither of us is in the mood to return to Madrid.
“How’s the stiffness?” Fernando asks as he returns to the outdoor table I’m sitting at near a gas station market. He’s got some fresh fruit and nuts for our midday snack.
“As long as I don’t move too quickly or try to turn my head, I’m good. The GPS said we only have another hour to go.”
He sighs. “With how much discomfort your neck is in, I don’t think walking around Valencia is such a great idea.”
As annoyed as I am by the situation, he’s right. Getting out of bed this morning to walk to the car was tough. If I take a wrong step, the muscles in my back spasm. I can’t see myself getting very far unless I have Fernando carry me around the city.
That isn’t an option. We can’t risk him throwing out his back. He needs to be able to drive. I blow out air. “This whole situation sucks. I want my body to be back to a hundred percent so I can enjoy Spain.”
“I’m sorry, Ava,” he says in a low tone. “I know how frustrating it is waiting for your body to recover.”
Ugh, why did that have to come out sounding like I was whining? Fernando already feels guilty, and now it’s like I’m rubbing salt into the wound. “I’m sorry I’m being a grump.”
“Don’t worry about it.” He slides the fruit bag toward me. “It’s the pain talking, not you. I’ve been in your shoes many times. I understand.”
“Have you suffered a lot of injuries over the course of your career?” I take a few grapes and pop them into my mouth, chewing slowly.
“No, thankfully. My only major injury was tearing my ACL as a teenager, but since then, I’ve been lucky. Whenever I’m hurt, it’s usually only something minor like a pulled muscle or sprained ankle.” He scratches his chin. “We had a great physical therapist on the Dreams on Ice staff who could work magic when it came to putting our bodies back together.” He takes a small handful of nuts. “Hmm... I bet we could find a massage therapist to help loosen your back.”
“Are you volunteering your services to me?” I tease.
“No. I’m hopeless with it.” He shakes his head, the tips of his ears the same shade of red as the strawberries on the table. “But the good news is, Valencia is a resort town packed full of spas. I’m sure at least one of them will have a masseuse on staff.”
I sit taller. To my ailing body, a spa sounds like heaven. I picture the hot steam room, relaxing on a massage table, and spending the day being pampered by the staff. I’ve never actually been to a spa, but my sister swears they’re worth the splurge. At this point, I’ll do anything to get some relief. “Count me in.”
“I’ll make a call to my tía Yesenia. She’ll know where we should go. She travels to Valencia all the time for work.” He glances at the time on his watch. “Today’s market day in Santa Luz, so she’s probably with Mamá. I’ll do my best to keep the call short, but they’ll both want to say hello to you.”
I shrug, ignoring the painful tug between my neck and shoulder. “You can’t control what they do, but I appreciate it.”
Taking out his phone, he taps the screen and holds it up to his ear. I move on to the nuts and raisins. It’s another perfect blend of salty and sweet. One thing I can’t get over is how different all the food tastes here. It’s packed with flavor. I’ll miss it when I get home.
“Hola, Mamá.” I hear Fernando’s mother reply in Spanish, but he answers back in English for my benefit, which I appreciate. “No, Ava and I decided to head to Valencia instead of Zaragoza... Uh-huh... Uh-huh... Um, two or three more days?”
My attention turns from Fernando to Sequoia Valley. I wonder how my dog is getting on at my sister’s house. We’ve been so busy that I haven’t made the time to check in with anyone except Daphne and the clinic, of course, since the day we arrived. I should call my own parents later.
“What? No! Please don’t!” Fernando’s voice turns panicky. I glance in his direction. His brows are knitted together tightly. “Why? Because that would be too overwhelming for us. Ava and I are still in the early stages of our relationship. We don’t need thewholefamily to come to dinner... No... Yes... I’m sure she’ll agree with me.” We lock eyes. “Hold on, let me put you on speaker.”
He sets the device down on the table. “Go ahead, Mamá, she’s right here.”
