Her Latin Lover (Contemporary Romance) by Katheryn Lane Read Free Book Online

a farmer had started a fight with another man over a gambling debt. The fight had ended with the man shooting the farmer. He died two days later from the gun-shot wounds, leaving a wife and five children. The priest tried to take care of the widow and her children, but they went to La Puesta in search of work. The last time he heard about them, the children were begging on the streets and involved in gangs, while the mother, in desperation, had turned to prostitution. “Such a terrible thing,” the priest said, crossing himself. “I have gone to La Puesta several times looking for them, but it is such a big city and there are so many people. Maybe one day they will return to Corazon. At least you have Don Paulo de Castile to look after you.” His tone lightened.
    “But who is he?” Mary asked, glad that the conversation seemed to be back on track again.
    “He is a very good man. He will take care of you. However, he is not a rich man. He cannot afford to pay for an expensive hotel.”
    Mary hadn’t thought about this. From the way he dressed and from the way that everyone kept on saying that Don Paulo would pay for everything, she assumed that he was wealthy. “What should I do? Is there a cheaper hotel? I could change rooms,” she suggested. Nick had booked them into the hotel’s best room. She dreaded to think what the economy ones were like.
    “May I suggest something?” The priest placed his hand gently on her arm. “The hotel of Señor Marcos is not very, how can I say this?” The priest looked around the church as if searching for some kind of divine wisdom. After a long pause, he said, “It is not very comfortable, whereas Don Paulo has a very comfortable home. Why don’t you stay there, as his guest, until it is time for you to leave Corazon? There is plenty of room in his house and it would be more pleasant for you.”
    Mary looked surprised. This was an option that she hadn’t considered. She would certainly appreciate the opportunity to get away from the creepy Señor Marcos, despite his more civil attitude this morning. Plus, the idea of being in closer proximity to Paulo was not unappealing. “Are you sure it would be ok?”
    “Yes. It would be good for both of you.” He gave her arm a slight squeeze.
    Mary was confused. It almost sounded as if the priest was trying to pair her up with Paulo.
    “Don’t worry. You can trust Don Paulo. He is a gentleman, even if he does gamble, though I believe he does so for only a very tiny bit, just a few pesos here and there, no more than the cost of a small meal. Though we pray and strive for perfection, God bestows sainthood upon only a few and the rest of us are guilty of a multitude of sins. Even the saints had their own vices. I am not a saint and I will admit to you that I have several vices; the principal one is watching American football on Saturday afternoons. It is a habit that I picked up in California and one which I find very difficult to break, even after all these years.”
    Mary didn’t think that watching soccer was much of a sin. She could think of a million worse things that the priest could do and a lot worse habits that he could have picked up in the USA, but she did not confront him about it. Instead she went back to what he said about Paulo’s gambling.
    “When Paulo was gambling the other night,”
    “Don Paulo de Castile,” the priest corrected her.
    “When he was playing cards, it was more than just a little bit of gambling. Nick lost $1500 and more.” Mary did not say what the “and more” was, but she was thinking of the fact that Nick had gambled her away, if that really was possible.
    “As I said, I was not there, but I understand that it was El Leon who raised the stakes.” At the mention of El Leon, the priest scowled. “El Leon is a terrible man. You were very lucky that Don Paulo de Castile was there and won the game instead of him. I dread to think what might have happened if things had been otherwise. You