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“Have you prepared a bedroom for Sarita?”
“That was my first project. Come this way.” She stuck her hand behind her back and waved Chaz off. Then she held out that same hand to Sarita. His daughter spared him a brief, wistful glance, before slipping her fingers into Shayne’s and trotting down the hall with the two women.
To his dismay, that single look squeezed something he thought long dead. Chaz closed his eyes. He really needed to do something about opening up that cussin’ bar. Right now, he had the overwhelming urge to cuss up a storm while swigging down a gulp or two of rotgut. Anything to ease the unexpected pain centered in a forgotten place deep in his chest.
“Keep in mind that we can change the colors of the walls if you don't care for them,” Shayne offered as she led the way deeper into the far recesses of the house. “And the furniture can be replaced, too.”
“You are very accommodating,” Doña Isabella murmured.
Something in the woman’s tone caught Shayne’s attention and a small frown etched a path across her brow. “You make that sound like it’s a bad thing.”
“It could be, if it’s not sincere.”
Shayne pushed open the door to the room she’d prepared for Sarita and waited until the little girl was preoccupied exploring her surrounds before turning to the Doña.
“I’ll make you a promise, Isabella,” she stated with quiet conviction. “I’ll never lie to you. And I’ll never pretend to feel something I don’t. I’ll also treat that little girl as if I’d brought her into this world myself. She’ll never have a moment’s doubt that she’s both loved and wanted. And she’ll never, ever be made to think she’s a burden.”
“A burden?” Doña Isabella’s eyebrows drew together over her hooked nose. “What an odd suggestion. Explain where it comes from.”
Shayne didn’t want to answer, but gaining this woman’s trust and understanding was paramount. Reluctantly, she opened a small part of her soul that she’d rather have kept far from prying eyes. “I lost my parents when I was three. My aunt raised me.”
“It was not a successful relationship?” Doña Isabella asked delicately.
It took a full minute before Shayne could reply. “My brother, Rafe, rescued me when I was thirteen.”
“I see.” No doubt she did, too. Doña Isabella hadn’t lived so many years without witnessing what life had to offer, both for good and ill. “And you will see to it that my Sarita does not share your fate?”
“You have my word.”
For a long moment, hard black eyes held her, boring straight through to her heart. And then the Doña inclined her head. “I believe you.” Turning her attention to the bedroom, she sighed with pleasure. “This is quite lovely.”
Shayne had worked hard on the room, trying to turn it into a safe retreat for a little girl. Feeling safe when torn from the only family a child had ever known was vital. Even after all these years, she still rememberedthat.
She’d chosen creamy white furniture to match the soft wool carpet. The walls were a sunny yellow with the bedding in yellow and white pinstripes trimmed in Swiss lace. She’d also gone out of her way to provide lidded boxes in bright colors and secret cubbyholes for storing private treasures. But what had instantly captured Sarita’s attention was the doll propped up on the window seat. She’d not dared to touch, but instead had knelt beside the box, staring with great dark, hungryeyes.
Shayne joined her on the window seat. “Your daddy bought that for you. Would you like to open it?”
With an excited nod, Sarita picked up the box and carefully pried open the lid. The packaging defeated her, so Shayne gave her a hand. From that point on, the doll never left Sarita’s arms, the object of periodic hugs and whispered conversations.
Shayne indicated a door on the far side of the room. “There’s a bathroom that opens onto an adjoining bedroom,” she explained to the Doña, before pointing out the huge walk-in closet to Sarita. “If you go in there, you’ll find a secret tunnel hidden in the far back.
Doña Isabella lifted an eyebrow in question. “We will take another route, Itrust?”
“We’ll go through the bathroom,” Shayne reassured with an understanding smile. “You can make sure the fixtures are acceptable.”
The Doña’s keen gaze didn’t miss a thing about the way the plumbing had been set up. And though she lifted an eyebrow in question at some of the features Shayne had chosen, she contained her curiosity. Tapping her way into the second bedroom, she looked around, wordless.
Facing south, the room embraced the sunlight, glowing with vibrant gemstone colors. Although Shayne had wanted to use a thick, luxurious carpet that could be difficult for people with canes, so she’d settled for a short, tight weave that wouldn’t catch at unwary feet. But she’d compensated for the loss with the accessories, making them rich in texture and restful to the eye. The bed and dresser only took up a small portion of the room. Against one wall, she’d set a cozy love seat, perfect for snuggling with a little girl and in another section, aroomy play area with comfortable chairs, an inlaid wooden card table, and a generous entertainment center.
Shayne shot Doña Isabella a quick, nervous glance, before erupting into speech. “There’s a private landline and your own TV with a satellite hookup so you can watch American shows or one of the Spanish channels.”
“Indeed.”
She couldn’t quite read the Doñas reaction. “Since this room is larger than Sarita’s, I’ve put an itty-bitty kitchenette in one corner, in case you don’t care for Mojo’s cooking. Though, my goodness, he's quite a wonder with a skillet. Just don't let his face scare you the first time you see it. He's a little sensitive.”
Isabella continued to remained silent, so Shayne pointed to a long, blank wall, begging for some pictures and chattered on. “Maybe this spring I can convince Chaz to poke a whole in the wall over there for a door and build you a small outdoor patio. He's sort of funny about poking holes in the walls, but don't let that worry you. We can also add on a private bath, if you'd rather not share. Now, there is a third spare bedroom which has its own, but it's further away from Sarita and right next to our bedroom. It's more of a nursery, if you catch my drift. So, Ithought...” Her words finally trailed off and she finished in a rush. “I thought this room would be best.”
Doña Isabella waited another endless moment before asking, “You designed this for me?”
