sought his. He was watching her and another tremor shook her. His cloudy-gray eyes were unblinking, his eyebrows knitted together with an unspoken question. What did his scrutiny mean?
" Sí , I'm hungry too."
"Then pass the paper plates and fried chicken."
"How about the potato salad and deviled eggs?"
"Sure, I'll have some of those, too."
She filled his plate with food and handed it to him.
He put his full plate on the blanket and waited until she'd served herself before attacking a chicken leg. With his mouth half-full, he said, "Pretty good for supermarket deli food."
With her mouth full, she nodded. She was famished, too, hadn't felt this hungry in a long time. The chicken was good, crisp on the outside and juicy on the inside.
"Haven't you wondered why this place has remained the same, Natalia?" He asked. "How we can come here year after year and no irate owner complains?"
His question took her by surprise. But when she searched her memory, she remembered something Pura had told her long ago. "My grandmother said your father owned this mountain. Isn't that true?"
" Sí , he did own it," Esteban replied. "But I own it now." Inclining his head, he indicated the meandering valley below. "And the pass to the other side of the mountain."
"Oh, I didn't know."
"My father gave it to me after I straightened out and graduated high school. He said it would be my only legacy. He plans on leaving the rest of his land to my stepmother---for her security in retirement."
Natalia thought about what he was telling her. Esteban's relationship with his father and stepmother had been rocky for as long as she could remember. But she detected no note of rancor in his voice, only a recital of the facts.
"Do you plan on doing anything with your land?" She asked.
"Not really. I might retire here." He lifted his head and snared her gaze. "I don't want anyone to touch this mountain. I want my grandchildren to enjoy it as we have, pure and untouched."
His hawk-like gaze pierced her, suggesting more than his simple words. What was he really trying to say? She lowered her head and took a bite of the potato salad. But the mention of his grandchildren taunted her. She'd never considered Esteban in that light, as a family man. Instead, she'd pictured him as a famous ballplayer with a gorgeous blonde on each arm. How silly was that? He would, like most people, even major league athletes, eventually settle down and have a family. It was just a matter of time.
The thought of him with another woman, having children and establishing a future, left her with an empty feeling inside. Not that she was jealous of him. No, it was more like envy. Would she ever find love and a stable marriage? Damn, but it was so easy for a man. They did the pursuing and the asking. But for a woman, it wasn't that simple.
Not simple at all.
She wished she hadn't asked what he planned to do. She swallowed a bite of potato salad past the lump in her throat. "I think that's lovely, Esteban. To keep the land unchanged for future generations. I hope you'll let my grandchildren come too."
"Depend on it," he said with conviction. Then almost as an after-thought, he added, "There's talk of a new ski resort on the other side of the mountain. I hope it doesn't change things too much."
" Sí , I know about that," she said. "Remember when Hector visited last summer? He thought the basin and mountains over there would be perfect for a resort. He got some investors together and ..."
Heat flushed her cheeks as she realized what she'd just done. Brought up her ex-fiancé and confessed he was the one who might ruin Esteban's perfect mountain. How could she be so unfeeling and crass?
Glancing at Esteban, she saw that his features had hardened, as if chiseled from the granite of his beloved mountain. He pushed his plate off his lap, rose to his feet and walked to the pond. At the water's edge, he bent down, picked up a stone, and skipped it across the
" Sí , I'm hungry too."
"Then pass the paper plates and fried chicken."
"How about the potato salad and deviled eggs?"
"Sure, I'll have some of those, too."
She filled his plate with food and handed it to him.
He put his full plate on the blanket and waited until she'd served herself before attacking a chicken leg. With his mouth half-full, he said, "Pretty good for supermarket deli food."
With her mouth full, she nodded. She was famished, too, hadn't felt this hungry in a long time. The chicken was good, crisp on the outside and juicy on the inside.
"Haven't you wondered why this place has remained the same, Natalia?" He asked. "How we can come here year after year and no irate owner complains?"
His question took her by surprise. But when she searched her memory, she remembered something Pura had told her long ago. "My grandmother said your father owned this mountain. Isn't that true?"
" Sí , he did own it," Esteban replied. "But I own it now." Inclining his head, he indicated the meandering valley below. "And the pass to the other side of the mountain."
"Oh, I didn't know."
"My father gave it to me after I straightened out and graduated high school. He said it would be my only legacy. He plans on leaving the rest of his land to my stepmother---for her security in retirement."
Natalia thought about what he was telling her. Esteban's relationship with his father and stepmother had been rocky for as long as she could remember. But she detected no note of rancor in his voice, only a recital of the facts.
"Do you plan on doing anything with your land?" She asked.
"Not really. I might retire here." He lifted his head and snared her gaze. "I don't want anyone to touch this mountain. I want my grandchildren to enjoy it as we have, pure and untouched."
His hawk-like gaze pierced her, suggesting more than his simple words. What was he really trying to say? She lowered her head and took a bite of the potato salad. But the mention of his grandchildren taunted her. She'd never considered Esteban in that light, as a family man. Instead, she'd pictured him as a famous ballplayer with a gorgeous blonde on each arm. How silly was that? He would, like most people, even major league athletes, eventually settle down and have a family. It was just a matter of time.
The thought of him with another woman, having children and establishing a future, left her with an empty feeling inside. Not that she was jealous of him. No, it was more like envy. Would she ever find love and a stable marriage? Damn, but it was so easy for a man. They did the pursuing and the asking. But for a woman, it wasn't that simple.
Not simple at all.
She wished she hadn't asked what he planned to do. She swallowed a bite of potato salad past the lump in her throat. "I think that's lovely, Esteban. To keep the land unchanged for future generations. I hope you'll let my grandchildren come too."
"Depend on it," he said with conviction. Then almost as an after-thought, he added, "There's talk of a new ski resort on the other side of the mountain. I hope it doesn't change things too much."
" Sí , I know about that," she said. "Remember when Hector visited last summer? He thought the basin and mountains over there would be perfect for a resort. He got some investors together and ..."
Heat flushed her cheeks as she realized what she'd just done. Brought up her ex-fiancé and confessed he was the one who might ruin Esteban's perfect mountain. How could she be so unfeeling and crass?
Glancing at Esteban, she saw that his features had hardened, as if chiseled from the granite of his beloved mountain. He pushed his plate off his lap, rose to his feet and walked to the pond. At the water's edge, he bent down, picked up a stone, and skipped it across the
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