Kinda seemed like it. She’d booked the hotel beginning the night of the third and signed up for Sunday’s tour of the wild horse sanctuary.
Then she’d had The Dream.
Luis had appeared looking as incredibly handsome as she remembered, his dark eyes glowing with passion. Come to me, querida, he’d murmured in the velvet tones that coaxed horses to behave and women to swoon. We belong together. Then he’d vanished.
After that night, she’d reluctantly admitted to herself he’d been in the back of her mind when she’d adopted those horses. Contributing to a cause he was involved in gave her a tingle of pleasure. She’d love to see him again.
Not to rekindle the flame, of course. He was likely married by now. He could have kids.
Spending the holiday weekend in his hometown would be the ideal venue to reconnect and find out how he was doing. He’d been a bright spot in her life. It would be great to catch up.
She’d emailed him through the H&H website so she wouldn’t catch him by surprise. She’d hoped his response would give her a clue about his status. Not that it mattered, but it would have been good to know in advance.
His cheerful reply had been as informative as a blank highway marker. She’d just have to find out his personal situation the old-fashioned way, face-to-face. That was okay, too.
“Wow! Jordan, look at that!” Harry pointed toward a wagon coming into view behind a troupe of enthusiastic bagpipers.
“Whoa. Incredible!” Mounted in the back of the wagon was a 3-D, life-sized replica of H&H’s running horse logo.
“Bet Xavier did it,” Marv said. “That kid has the touch.” He leaned toward her. “Zay’s part of the Bridger Bunch. Ever hear of that crew?”
“I have, actually. I digitally adopted horses from H&H and I’m taking the tour on Sunday.”
“Good for you. Great cause.”
She admired the matched pair of horses pulling the wagon. “Those are gorgeous palominos.”
“That’s Spence Bridger’s team, Woody and Buzz,” Harry said. “They’ve been in every parade for the last fifteen years, at least. His oldest daughter Mila drives them these days.”
Because Spence was gone. The mention of his name reminded her she hadn’t offered her condolences to Luis during their brief email exchange. Hadn’t felt right. She’d do it in person, though, assuming they’d have any private time to talk.
She recognized Claudette from pictures on the website. The crowd shouted with excitement as she threw caps like frisbees and shot bundled T-shirts out of a hand-held cannon. One sailed over everyone’s head and hit Jordan in the face.
She yelped in surprise but managed to catch it before it hit the pavement.
“Bullseye!” Marv shouted, laughing.
“This is awesome.” She shook it out to admire the black running horse on a white background. “A little big for me, but I don’t care.”
“Hey, quit looking at your T-shirt.” Harry gave her a nudge. “You don’t want to miss what’s coming next.”
The woman driving the flatbed rolling toward them looked familiar. Of course she did. She had Luis’s deep-set eyes and his chiseled cheekbones.
One hand firmly controlled the matched set of bays as she waved to the crowd, her face alight with joy. Had to be his mom, Raquel.
Cheers and applause greeted the flatbed as it glided by the hotel. Jordan draped the T-shirt over her shoulder and clapped until her hands were sore. What a heartfelt tribute to the nation’s female icons, especially portrayed by four women in their seventies or eighties. They must be Luis’s grandma and his three aunties.
He'd talked about them with great love. The suffragette brandished her Give Women the Vote sign and Rosie the Riveter flexed her muscles. Then they showered bystanders with candy. Betsy Ross did her best to throw out candy but was kept busy making sure the huge flag on her lap didn’t drag on the floor.
Whenever Lady Liberty tossed out a handful, her drapery slipped to reveal a star-spangled bikini. The crowd loved it and yelled for more candy. Marv put two fingers in his mouth and gave her a whistle of approval.
Jordan pegged her as Luis’s Aunt Kat. The names of the others hadn’t stuck, but stories about Luis’s irrepressible aunt, a former runway model, had stayed with her.
As the flatbed moved on by, she read their glittering banner. Dazzling Damsels. What a kick. She could see why Luis was so enamored of this place and his family.
She kept her attention on the flatbed as it reached the corner and made the turn on its way around the square. But a feeling of being watched made her look to her right.
Luis. She gulped. Had he seen her? Maybe not. He gave no indication of it.
