Page 71 of The Agent
“Sheisbrave.”
Whether it was the calming motions of putting together the tamales, the comfort of being in a kitchen after such a long absence, or the fact that he just plain had something that deserved to be said out loud, Roman couldn’t tell. But he didn’t hesitate.
“As a matter of fact, Camila is one of the bravest people I know. She’s not afraid to be exactly who she is, no matter what anyone thinks. That takes more courage than most people have.”
“She’s brash,” Valeria said, and Roman’s pulse kicked faster in his veins.
“I think she’s perfect, just as she is.”
Okay, sothathad just flown right out. But even though he hadn’t meant to be confrontational or disrespectful, especially within the first ten minutes of being here, Roman was nevernotgoing to be in Camila’s corner.
To his absolute shock, Valeria laughed. “Of course she’s perfect! She’s my daughter.” After a beat of silence, she continued. “You will quickly learn that this family is full of stubborn women. But Camila”—she sent her gaze heavenward—“is by far the most obstinate. Doing her own thing. Always changing her mind.”
“That’s not a bad thing,” Roman said, and again, Valeria laughed.
“Not at all. But she always wants to do things her way, without help. I know she thinks we baby her, and sometimes, maybe we do. In this family, being in each other’s business is our love language. Annoying, yes.” She looked at her family, her smile growing warmer and wider. “But we love her. We want her to be happy. And so far…”
Valeria lifted her hands and shoulders in unison, and the puzzle pieces slid into place in Roman’s head with a snap.
“You think she’s not happy.”
“I think my daughter is content,” Valeria said. “She’s making a living and she has good friends. A family that loves her, even when we get on her nerves. But her job at the middle school? All the others that came before it? No. I don’t think she’shappywith that. And so, yes, I worry. I just want her to find her way.”
“I want her to be happy, too,” Roman said.
“Then I suppose youareboth lucky, after all.”
Roman placed his completed tamale on the tray, finally (sort of) getting the hang of putting them together. “How’s that?”
Valeria’s smile was warm and wide, reminding him of his own mother’s as she looked at Camila, then him. “You found each other, didn’t you?”
24
Camila caught up with Delia, listened to her sisters talk about flower arrangements, hors d’oeuvres,andbridesmaid’s dresses, and colored four pictures with her nephews, all while watching her mother and Roman out of the corner of her eye. Nothing about the conversation appeared outwardly alarming—other than the fact that her mother had sideswiped him and was potentially grilling him about any number of highly personal topics, anyway. But Camila was so preoccupied keeping watch over Roman and hermamithat she didn’t see her brother approaching until it was too late.
“Hey,” Matteo said, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his jeans as he approached the chair where she’d camped out on the outskirts of the group, feeding the baby a bottle so Marianna could take a breather. “Can I talk to you for a second?”
Delia, who was sitting in the chair next to Camila and also blessedly intuitive, reached out for the baby. “I’ll take this little sweet pea. It’s never too early for a lunch and learn about mathematical theory, now is it? No, it’s not. No, it’s not,” she cooed to the baby, who let out a giggle around his bottle.
“You do know he’s only three months old, right?” Camila asked, well aware that Delia knew exactly how old her soon-to-be-nephew was.
“I know, we’re a little late, but it’s fine. He’s a smart cookie.TíaDelia will get you all set, buddy. Come on. And you”—she looked at Matteo, arching a brow—“have a good talk. Love you.”
“Love you, too,” Matteo said, kissing Delia’s cheek before watching her join the rest of their family on the sectional. He sat down in the chair she’d just vacated, the pair of them just far enough outside of the boisterous cluster of Garzas to keep their conversation private.
“If you came over to give me shit about bringing Roman to dinner, you can save your breath,” Camila said. Okay, so she might be a teeny bit defensive right out of the gate, but with how Matteo had greeted them earlier, a little pushback wasn’t entirely unwarranted.
“I’m not giving you shit,” Matteo said, holding up his hands when she snorted in response. “I’m concerned about your well-being. Come on,mija. You’ve been through a hell of a lot lately. The robbery, the shooting.” He paused for a breath, keeping his voice low. “The protective custody. And now you’re living with the guy?” Of course, he knew this from all the check-ins and the fact that Capelli had installed panic buttons at Roman’s house, not Camila’s. “I’m not trying to be a dick. I just want to be sure you’re okay.”
Frustration fizzed in Camila’s veins, sending her arms over the front of her sweater in a knot. “First of all, I’m living with Roman partly for safety purposes, and both your boss and his are well aware of the situation and had no objections. Secondly, I really don’t know how many times I need to say this, but I can take care of myself, Matteo.”
“For Chrissake, Camila. I’m not saying you can’t take care of yourself. You saved a woman’s life in a bank robbery and made a game-changing ID in what’s shaping up to be Remington’s biggest bank robbery case in over a decade. Of course you can take care of yourself. But you’re my sister, and I love you, so what I’m asking is if you’reokay.”
Camila blinked, processing her brother’s words once…twice…yeah, she had nothing. “What?”
Matteo ran a hand through his hair, bracing both forearms over his thighs as he leaned toward her. “Look, I know I don’t always have the best way of showing it. I’m working on, you know, what Delia calls ‘that grumpy overprotective thing’.”
The laugh that flew past Camila’s lips was entirely unexpected, but it took a whack at the tension that had been building in her chest upon exit. “You can get a little grumpy and overprotective. It’s annoying”—she raised a brow—“but it’s not the worst thing in the world.”