California Sunrise Read Free Page B

seen her across campus that was the end.
    He shook off the memory, but a sense of unease remained. Would her prophecy prove true? Maybe he should reconsider and have dinner with Laura and the neighbors.
    Somehow a casual gathering seemed frivolous. He needed to take some action—do something productive. His thoughts drifted back to the young woman he’d met that morning. What if he helped her develop a full plan of treatment? Even if it was too early to diagnose, it was obvious she needed help.
    How could the boy’s father have left her and her son?
    Some men were simply jerks. He wanted to find Luis’s father and wring his neck—or maybe some other part of his disloyal anatomy so the man would never be able to get another woman pregnant and abandon her.
    Raúl glared at an imaginary deadbeat. It was easy for strutting young bucks to seduce or shame girls into having sex.
    And when he finished with the young man who’d knocked up Alicia, he’d start on the men who’d deported his family when he was fourteen.
    He’d end with his Uncle Santino, the man who’d made his life a living hell for the four years after that.
    • • •
    The bell jangled when Alicia pushed open the door to the Elizabeth’s shop and day spa. “Sorry I’m late! Couldn’t find a parking place.”
    “No problem.” Elizabeth emerged from the back. “As you can see, it’s been a slow day. I’ve been reduced to straightening up the stock room.”
    In spite of doing physical work moving merchandise, Elizabeth looked like she’d come out of a meeting at a high-end advertising firm. A quick glance in the mirror next to the jewelry stand told Alicia she couldn’t say the same.
    “All registered?” Elizabeth asked.
    “Yes. I’ve got classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays starting at four.” Alicia frowned. “Is it still okay I leave early then? I mean it’s summer—the busy season. Maybe I should cancel and start in the fall.”
    “Nonsense.”
    “But what if you go on a trip with Marcos? Who will mind the store then?”
    “My husband is firmly planted in the Santa Cruz vineyard for now, so nothing to worry about. But I think we do need to make some changes. Let’s sit and talk.” She gestured toward the Victorian couch against the back wall.
    “A young woman dropped off a résumé today,” Elizabeth continued. “I’d like to hire her on part-time. Like you were, she’s still in high school and interested in cosmetology.”
    Alicia’s breath shortened. “I’ll quit my classes for now. You don’t need to hire anyone.”
    Elizabeth put her hand on Alicia’s. “Stop. Your job is safe. I don’t know what I would have done without you over the last few years. But I see the toll Luis is taking on you.”
    “I can handle it.”
    “Alicia, I’m not trying to replace you. I’m helping you. With another person, there’s more flexibility if you need to go to the doctor or study for mid-terms. Can you understand that?”
    The tightness reluctantly left Alicia’s chest. Elizabeth had never lied to her and had always done what she’d said she would. Another employee would give both of them a chance to attend to other things in their lives.
    Replacing the income wouldn’t be easy, though.
    “Oh, I’ve been meaning to ask," Elizabeth said. “Did the new guy—Dr. Patel’s partner—have anything helpful to say? My OB/GYN has lots of good things to say about him.”
    “He says he can’t tell for sure until Luis is older, but he may have Asperger’s, which is a type of autism from what I’ve read.”
    “Sounds hard.”
    “It is.” More time at home would give her more chances to work with Dr. Mendez’s techniques, but less money would delay her chance to move out on her own. Of course, if she could get Luis to behave better, she’d be able to find more care for him.
    Her life wasn’t going to go in a straight path. As long as she put one foot in front of the other, she’d make it. But it was so very hard to