was last year to be more than your friend and how uninterested you
were. It really broke my heart when I realized you only thought of me
as your buddy."
"Your heart sure mended fast enough after you met Holly,"
Juliet countered with a grin. "You never gave me another romantic
thought."
Benny smiled sheepishly. "I guess the two of us were
destined to be just friends. But I'm a little confused about Raul. Why
should it matter to him what we are to each other? He's not still
trying to arrange something between you and Pablo, is he?"
Juliet lifted her face to look up at the cool blue sky,
and shook her head. "Oh, I don't know what he has in mind. Maybe he
just wants to boss me around for a while. After all, I probably
insulted the entire Valaquez family by refusing to marry Pablo, then
running off with you."
"And you're going to go on letting him believe that?
You're not going to try to convince him I am married to Holly?"
"Why should I?" Juliet countered rather resentfully. "He
doesn't want to believe anything I say. And if I did convince him, he'd
probably try to rush me down the aisle with Pablo and I certainly
wouldn't appreciate that."
"But he can't force you to marry anybody so why do you
care if he tries? Unless it bothers you that he's not romantically
interested in you himself?"
Blushing slightly under Benny's too perceptive gaze,
Juliet muttered evasively, "I don't want to talk about Raul anymore.
Tell me, is Holly allowed visitors? Could I go see her?"
"Sure and she wants to see you; she told me to tell you to
come as soon as you could." Suddenly, Benny hopped up from the bench.
"Well, I'd better go. I want to stop by the hospital before I go see if
I can beg my old job back at the coffee house."
"Try not to worry too much," Juliet said softly, standing
also. "I'm sure both Holly and the baby will be all right and if you
need money, just call me. Okay?"
Benny nodded, then surprisingly grasped her shoulders and
gave her a gentle kiss on her lips. "You know you're a great kid," he
muttered, then rushed away before she could respond.
As Juliet watched him walk beneath an archway into the
shadows then disappear through the door to the King's Salon, she shook
her head sadly. He and Holly didn't deserve trouble like this and, in
actuality, she did feel rather guilty that the accident had happened on
their way to see her. when they had called her yesterday, she should
have made a concerted effort to sound more cheerful. Then they wouldn't
have felt the need to come to Granada to rescue her and this entire
mess would never have occurred. But it had and she released her breath
in a long shuddering sigh of regret.
"Parting is such sweet sorrow," a deep sarcastic voice
spoke from behind her. When she spun around, eyes wide with surprise
and dismay, Raul shook his head. "I must say, Juliet, your Benny
doesn't look like the Romeo type. He looks more like a reject from the
hippie generation."
Juliet closed her eyes, trying to control the tumultuous
beating of her heart. A tightening constriction in her throat prevented
her from speaking but, really, there wasn't much she could say anyway.
Raul was right. Benny had looked disreputable today, his jeans and
faded shirt wrinkled, as if he had slept in them, and his hair, which
was overdue for a trim anyhow, had stood up on end because he had
repeatedly raked his fingers through it. And he had also been rather
blearly-eyed due to the cold he was catching. This had been the worst
possible time for Raul to see him but she had no intention of
apologizing for her friend's appearance. If Raul wanted to think she
had poor taste in companions, then let him.
"Are you going to stand there with your eyes closed all
day?" Raul prompted at last, his tone grim. "Or are you going to face
me and admit you lied last night. Your Benny is no more married than I
am."
Juliet came alive, her head jerking up, her eyes opening,
fury flaring in them. "He most certainly is married. And I'm
were. It really broke my heart when I realized you only thought of me
as your buddy."
"Your heart sure mended fast enough after you met Holly,"
Juliet countered with a grin. "You never gave me another romantic
thought."
Benny smiled sheepishly. "I guess the two of us were
destined to be just friends. But I'm a little confused about Raul. Why
should it matter to him what we are to each other? He's not still
trying to arrange something between you and Pablo, is he?"
Juliet lifted her face to look up at the cool blue sky,
and shook her head. "Oh, I don't know what he has in mind. Maybe he
just wants to boss me around for a while. After all, I probably
insulted the entire Valaquez family by refusing to marry Pablo, then
running off with you."
"And you're going to go on letting him believe that?
You're not going to try to convince him I am married to Holly?"
"Why should I?" Juliet countered rather resentfully. "He
doesn't want to believe anything I say. And if I did convince him, he'd
probably try to rush me down the aisle with Pablo and I certainly
wouldn't appreciate that."
"But he can't force you to marry anybody so why do you
care if he tries? Unless it bothers you that he's not romantically
interested in you himself?"
Blushing slightly under Benny's too perceptive gaze,
Juliet muttered evasively, "I don't want to talk about Raul anymore.
Tell me, is Holly allowed visitors? Could I go see her?"
"Sure and she wants to see you; she told me to tell you to
come as soon as you could." Suddenly, Benny hopped up from the bench.
"Well, I'd better go. I want to stop by the hospital before I go see if
I can beg my old job back at the coffee house."
"Try not to worry too much," Juliet said softly, standing
also. "I'm sure both Holly and the baby will be all right and if you
need money, just call me. Okay?"
Benny nodded, then surprisingly grasped her shoulders and
gave her a gentle kiss on her lips. "You know you're a great kid," he
muttered, then rushed away before she could respond.
As Juliet watched him walk beneath an archway into the
shadows then disappear through the door to the King's Salon, she shook
her head sadly. He and Holly didn't deserve trouble like this and, in
actuality, she did feel rather guilty that the accident had happened on
their way to see her. when they had called her yesterday, she should
have made a concerted effort to sound more cheerful. Then they wouldn't
have felt the need to come to Granada to rescue her and this entire
mess would never have occurred. But it had and she released her breath
in a long shuddering sigh of regret.
"Parting is such sweet sorrow," a deep sarcastic voice
spoke from behind her. When she spun around, eyes wide with surprise
and dismay, Raul shook his head. "I must say, Juliet, your Benny
doesn't look like the Romeo type. He looks more like a reject from the
hippie generation."
Juliet closed her eyes, trying to control the tumultuous
beating of her heart. A tightening constriction in her throat prevented
her from speaking but, really, there wasn't much she could say anyway.
Raul was right. Benny had looked disreputable today, his jeans and
faded shirt wrinkled, as if he had slept in them, and his hair, which
was overdue for a trim anyhow, had stood up on end because he had
repeatedly raked his fingers through it. And he had also been rather
blearly-eyed due to the cold he was catching. This had been the worst
possible time for Raul to see him but she had no intention of
apologizing for her friend's appearance. If Raul wanted to think she
had poor taste in companions, then let him.
"Are you going to stand there with your eyes closed all
day?" Raul prompted at last, his tone grim. "Or are you going to face
me and admit you lied last night. Your Benny is no more married than I
am."
Juliet came alive, her head jerking up, her eyes opening,
fury flaring in them. "He most certainly is married. And I'm
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