Dancing in the Moonlight - Harlequin.com

190 DANCING IN THE MOONLIGHT
think people will talk if I…if I were to marry the other
Cruz brother?”
“Who cares? Let them talk. You’re Viviana Cruz of
Rancho de la Luna. They should envy you! You have
nothing to be ashamed about for loving a good, honorable
man.”
Her mother let out a laugh that sounded like a half
sob, then she stood and rushed to Maggie, hugging her
hard. “How did a foolish woman like me raise such a
smart daughter?”
She almost snorted. Wrong, Mama. If I were smart,
I would have hobbled as fast as my gimpy leg would take
me away from Jake Dalton that first night he showed up
to change my flat tire.
“What are you waiting for?” she asked, to distract
herself from pointless thoughts of Jake. “Don’t you
think you should go after Guillermo and put the poor
man out of his misery?”
“I will but not now, during my daughter’s party. I will
find him later.” Her mother’s gaze sharpened suddenly.
“Now, why are you out here with me instead of talking
to all the people who have come to see you?”
“I was looking for you. And I needed a little break.”
“It is too much for you, then? I worried you would
be angry. Jacob said you might not want a big crowd.”
How had he possibly come to know her so well in
such a short time? She wasn’t sure she wanted him to
have the ability of seeing so deeply into her psyche.
She shook her head. “I wasn’t angry. A little uncomfortable
but not mad.”
“Everyone wanted to come, to show you of their