Evenings at the Argentine Club by Julia Amante Page B

been so easy after
     all.
    He shrugged and offered a crooked smile. “Strange how some places can take you back in time.”
    “Strange and sort of wonderful,” she said softly.
    He nodded. Then he leaned on the washer next to her and crossed his arms. “I’m sorry if I was out of line out there. I tend
     to look at all the negatives and see the pitfalls of a project way more than most people, I guess. I know the kind of trouble
     you can get into by rushing into a deal.”
    “My father hasn’t rushed into this.” But was he prepared to operate a business that would grow as rapidly as he planned? And
     would other restaurants that he didn’t personally run do as well as the original?
    “Got it,” he said, then he unfolded his arms and held out a hand. “Friends?”
    She took his warm, slightly callused hand. “Only if you promise to say good-bye the next time you leave town.”
    Eric ran his thumb across her knuckles before he let her hand slip out of his. “I promise.”

Chapter Six

    L ucia peeked out of the kitchen window. “I don’t see them out there anymore.” She let the curtain fall. “You know men will
     do anything for love. And Victoria would be perfect for him.”
    Jaqueline wasn’t so sure that Eric was perfect for Victoria. Of course, her daughter was getting older, and though she was
     pretty enough, she was overweight—and men usually didn’t like that. Plus, she was too unpredictable for most men. One day
     she cooed over babies at the Argentine Club, and the next she was lost in her own world listening to that iPod with who knew
     what kind of crazy music. Then again, maybe Eric
could
be the man for her. If anyone should understand unpredictability, it should be him.
    “You don’t mind if I encourage him a bit, do you?” Lucia sat across from her. “We’d finally be related by marriage.”
    “No, I don’t mind,” Jaqueline sighed. “I suppose she has to get married someday.”
    “Of course,” Lucia looked at her as if she had said something ridiculous. “I thought you
wanted
her to get married. You’re always telling me you’re worried no man will ever be interested in her because of the way she
     dresses and how little she cares about her appearance in general.” She placed a hand over Jaqueline’s. “But I know what she’s
     really like inside, and I love her. Eric can, too.”
    “No, it’s not that I don’t want her to get married. It’s just… didn’t you think being married would be different than… what
     it is?”
    “What do you mean?”
    She felt ridiculous voicing her thoughts. “I mean you start out so in love, and you think there’s nothing you can’t do together,
     and little by little you realize… how wrong you’ve been.”
    Lucia frowned. “Marriage isn’t perfect, Jaqueline, but what’s the alternative?”
    Jaqueline had had plenty of alternatives at one point in her life. She’d been young and beautiful. She’d had tons of friends
     and a loving family. But she’d left all that behind in Argentina to follow Victor and his crazy dreams. Dreams she’d been
     foolish enough to believe in. Dreams that had all fallen apart, one by one. Women should never believe in men. She wouldn’t
     encourage Victoria to take an interest in someone like Eric, who was just as wild as Victor and Antonio. But she could understand
     why Lucia thought it was a good idea. Maybe a permanent relationship
would
calm the boy down. “I know,” she said. “I don’t want Victoria to be alone forever. I’d love for her to have children.”
    Lucia beamed. “Grandkids! Can you imagine what gorgeous kids Eric and Victoria would have?”
    Eric led Victoria into the house to let her parents know she’d arrived. After getting a very strange look from both moms,
     he left Victoria in the kitchen while he took his father and Victor outside to show off his clean-up job.
    “Your mother is going to be ecstatic,” Antonio said. “She’s been after me for years to do