The Veiled Cage (Lady Lawyer Series Romantic Suspense Novels Book 1) (30 page)

A woman with glowing skin and youthful eyes held her arms wide as she spotted Emilio
.“
Mijo
,”
she exclaimed, and planted lavish kisses on his cheeks.

“
Rubina, meet Gabriell
a—
my mother
.
”

“
Your mother? So nice to meet you, Gabriella
.
”

“
Bienvenido
, Rubina. Welcome, welcome. Please come in. And do call me Gabi
.
”

“
Call me Ruby. Gabi, is it a coincidence you share your name with the program
?
”

“
My son went and named it after me. He did
n’
t tell you
?
”

“
Somehow he missed that part
.
”

“
H
e’
s humble to a fault
.
”

“
And Blanca? Middle name
?
”

“
My mothe
r’
s first
.
”

Ruby shot Emilio a meaningful look
.“
Break the cycle
,”
she muttered
.“
You excel in omissions
.
”

“
Like you, Rubina, my mother has no interest in the glitzy and the fancy. This center is the only thing I could get her to accept. Though I have
n’
t given up trying
.
”

“
Oh hush,
Mijo
.”
She beamed at him
.“I’
m very happy with what I have. With a son like this, how could I not have everything
?
”

“
You might give her the impression
I’
m an affable guy. Sh
e’
s determined to think otherwise
.
”

“
Yet sh
e’
s here tonight
.
”

“
Yes, I am here. May I join the conversation, or would you rather continue without me
?
”

“
My goodness you have spine. Yo
u’
ll need it with this one. H
e’
d talk you into chocolate ice cream when yo
u’
re wearing white gloves
.
”

“
It would
n’
t take much to talk me into old-fashioned chocolate ice cream. Real cream and sugar, no substitutes
.
”

“
My mother is fascinated by the old
,”
Emilio said.

“
I am, yes. I make my food the old wa
y—
none of this zapping with rays. When you make it with your hands, yo
u’
re adding love.
I’
ve always said so.
Verdad, Mijo
?
”

“
Si, Madre
.”
He kissed her crown and gave her a one-arm squeeze before releasing her
.“I’
m going to touch base with Angela and make sure she has everything she needs for the week
.
”

Gabriella guided Ruby into an expansive, gleaming kitchen.

“
This is unlike any kitchen
I’
ve ever seen.
I’
ve seen some of these contraptions in a clien
t’
s kitchen
.
”

“
She enjoyed the old way
?
”

“
She may have, had it been a choice
.
”

Gabriella nodded in understanding
.“
I
t’
s modeled after a late nineteenth-century kitchen. Emilio and I toured a house from the Gilded Age preserved by the historical societ
y—
one of the Vanderbil
t’
s summer cottages. Are you familiar
?
”

“
Fairly. Cornelius Vanderbilt was an early American business magnate. He made his fortune in rail and water transport.
I’
ve always wanted to see the Vanderbilt summer houses, particularly The Breaker
s—
the grandest mansion in Newport. It sounds magnificent
.
”

“
Yo
u’
re standing in a replica of its kitchen. My sneak of a son went and added it when he built this home for me
.
”

“
It must take a lot of work to prepare meals in here by hand
.
”

“
Oh, no, I enjoy this too far much for it to be work. And I have plenty of help. The volunteers also do brilliant work with my girls. W
e’
re a family here, you se
e—
the volunteers, the women who stay here, and their little ones. They find a sense of belonging here, as well as love and acceptance for who they are. It inspires them to figure out who that is, to become their best selves. They feel safe to do so here
.
”

“
Tha
t’
s beautiful. I feel honored to be part of it tonight
.
”

“
I imagine Emilio brought you here because he knows you believe in this work. H
e’
s very involved with this program, and particular about whom he invites in
.
”

She felt her heart space expand, inflated by Gabriell
a’
s warm words. Unsure what to say, she asked
,“
Who designed this place? Is the rest of it inspired by The Breakers? The outside looks more like something yo
u’
d find from the Renaissance period
.
”

“
As a girl in Granada, I saved my pocket money to tour La Alhambra. I
t’
s a beautiful palace on the cit
y’
s outskirts.
Es incr
eí
ble
.”
Her eyes glossed over as she transported to her girlhood in her home country
.“I’
d spend hours sitting in the courtyard looking up at the sky. It was a second home to me, and much safer than my first. As a teenager, I was hired to give tours. By then, I knew it all by heart. It was my favorite place. Emilio first heard about it through bedtime stories. There was
n’
t enough good in his life, or magic. I tried to bring him both. And he has returned it to me a thousandfold
.
”

Comprehension dawned. Ruby touched her hand to her heart before placing it on Gabriell
a’
s arm
.“
He built this for you. I mean, I already knew that. But i
t’
s not for sho
w—
for splendor and extravagance. He brought your favorite part of your home country here
.”
She said with sheer awe in her voice.

“
For me, yes, and for other women who are seeking a safe home. La Alhambra was not just a palace. It was also a fortress
.
”

“
He brought Granada to the center of Minneapolis. Is there nothing he ca
n’
t do
?
”

“
Not if he puts his mind to it
,”
she said with a mothe
r’
s pride, and patted Rub
y’
s hand
.“
Now, how are you with a knife
?
”

“
Rusty. Nothing like my friend Alfred. H
e’
s a history professor turned antiques dealer. He has many talents
.
”

“
Yes, we adore Alfred.
I’
ve known him for years
.
”

“
Yes, of course. It makes sense yo
u’
d know him. Alfred introduced me to your son
.
”

“
Alfred the Matchmaker. That man does wear many hats, no
?
”

“
Those were
n’
t his intentions. I needed an e-man
.
”

“
We both know my son is overqualified for a consulting position. He has a sweet heart. H
e’
d never turn down Alfred. H
e’
s been like a father to him
.
”

“I’
ll have to have a word with dear Freddy
.
”

“I’
m sure he had the best intentions
.
”

Ruby softened
.“
Yes, he always does, and is impossible to stay mad at. Well, I have to tell you
I’
m an amateur at this
.”
She dangled a knife, point down, from her fingertips and examined it.

“
I have a feeling yo
u’
re a quick learner
.
”

Emilio stood in the doorway and watched his mother guide Ruby through chopping vegetables. The tension she carried eased as she laughed with his mother at her own clumsiness. He felt the tu
g—
the same that had compelled him to bring her with him tonight, and walked to her.

“
I hope one of the secret ingredients tonight is
n’
t my finger
,”
Ruby said.

“
Nobody has lost any digits under her watch
.”
He picked up a knife and slid it through carrots before moving on to celery.

Ruby gaped in disbelief
.“
And h
e’
s good with a knife. Unbelievable
.
”

“
I was trained by the best. Sh
e’
ll have you chopping like me in no time
.
”

✧

“I’
d like to walk you back to your office, Rubina, but I have a young audience to prepare for
,”
Emilio said as they left the ruckus of the dining room behind.

“
For what
?
”

“
Their bedtime story. The
y’
re eager to find out if Aragon and Tabitha outwit the evil sorcerer and live happily ever after
,”
he said as they left the ruckus of the dining room behind.

“
Do they
?
”

“I’
m concocting this tale as I go. There will be slaying and valiant escapes to sate the bloodthirsty and adventurous, to be sure. Somehow, it will work out in the end. Every good bedtime story requires a suitably happy ending. Would you like to stay, Rubina
?
”

“
Who would
n’
t? I have to get back though. I want to run through everything again, make sure ther
e’
s nothing I missed. Thanks for dinner
.
”

“
Thank you for your volunteerism. The Center greatly appreciates your service. Rather well done, I must say, for a beginner
.”
He lifted her hand
.“
And with fingers intact
.”
He kissed the inside of her palm before turning her hand to link her fingers with his
.“
Tomorrow, w
e’
re making Thai food, if yo
u’
re interested. The rest of the week my mother plans Spanish fare. The weekends are for adventures in taste
.
”

“
I love Thai foo
d—
straight from the take-out container
.
”

“
I can guarantee i
t’
s better from Gab
i’
s Kitchen. Think about it
.
”