Nina hissed out a breath. “Bastard.”
“That he is,” I agreed. “It didn’t matter that there wasn’t any money in her accounts. Beau figured he’d finally landed on a way to get even with me for divorcing him. The last thing he’d ever expected was that the woman he’d thought of as a trophy wife was smarter than he’d realized. Anyway, while I scrambled to do damage control and keep the creditors at bay, the probate lawyer discovered that my mother had given most of her money away to some shyster who claimed to be a ‘natural healer.’ Seems she’d blown whatever money she did have on sage sticks, chakra alignments and more bogus spells.”
Nina reached out for my hand. “I’m so sorry, Maggie.”
“And then Thomas contacted me.” I blew out a long breath. “He’d hired an investigator to find his Uncle Phillip’s descendants—my mother and me. I honestly couldn’t believe it…not at first. All those wild stories Mama had told me, were based on real people.”
“No one could blame you for being suspicious, not after everything you’d gone through.”
“That I was, but I was also desperate at the time for any sort of help, and the next thing I knew Thomas showed up at my apartment. He was so kind, and in a matter of days, he managed to work miracles.”
“Julian told me that Mr. Drake hired you a lawyer and a realtor.”
“He sure as hell did.” I took another sip of wine. “That new realtor managed to sell my mother’s house within a week. And I still don’t know what Thomas did or said to make Beau back off, but he absolutely terrified him, and the custody suit was dropped.”
Nina got up and went to go pick up a fussy Isabel. “No wonder you decided to make a fresh start for yourself.”
I couldn’t believe I’d told her all of that. Mortified, I tried to apologize. “I beg your pardon, Nina,” I said, twisting the sapphire ring. “I shouldn’t have dumped everything on you.”
Nina simply sat again and reached over to give my hand a squeeze. “Don’t be silly, Maggie. What are friends for?”
“I can’t imagine what you must think of me. I’m truly sorry.”
“I think you are a strong woman who made her own way. And considering everything you’ve told me, that’s truly remarkable.”
We sat in companionable silence for a few moments while Willow raced around the yard counting daffodils. I desperately tried to come up with a different topic of conversation, and asked Nina how she had met Diego.
Nina explained they had met at the restaurant she was working at to pay her way through culinary school. Diego had taken a second job at night, as a dishwasher trying to make extra money to pay for his mechanic classes. I giggled as Nina recounted that they had hated each other at first. He’d thought she was a pampered princess, and she though he was a smart-mouthed jerk with too many tattoos and a superiority complex.
“So how’d y’all end up together?” I couldn’t resist asking.
Nina bounced Isabel on her knee. “One night when I was closing up the restaurant I was mugged—at gunpoint.”
“That sounds terrifying.”
“It was,” Nina admitted, “but then Diego came from out of nowhere and saved me. He wrestled the gun away from the mugger and proceeded to beat the hell out of him for threatening me.”
“Wow,” I said as Nina smiled over the memory.
“After he dealt with that, we called the police and Diego stayed with me the entire time. He took me out for a coffee afterward. We ended up talking until dawn. That was when I realized although he looked like a thug, he was in fact, a gentleman.”
“His mama raised him right, clearly.”
“No actually, he’d been in the foster care system his entire childhood. He even did a stint in rehab, but he’s worked hard to improve himself, and has taken the opportunities he’s been given to build a better life.”
I was impressed. “That takes a lot of courage.”
“That’s how he and Julian met,” Nina said.
“I’m sorry.” I shook my head, not following her. “How did they meet?”
“In rehab. That’s how they became friends.”
Rehab? I did a double take. “I had no idea.”
“It was Julian who pulled some strings and arranged for Diego to get a scholarship to the auto-mechanics school,” Nina said.
“He did?”
“Julian has walked his own dark path, but he came out of his experience a better man.” Nina smiled. “I’m so happy that now he has someone who loves him, and accepts him for who he is. Julian deserves some happiness in his life.”
My mind was reeling at the revelations, but I zeroed in on the last bit. “Speaking of that…” I checked to make sure Willow was still out of earshot. “I got an eyeful of Julian and his lady friend the other night in the gardens.”
Nina lifted her eyebrows. “Oh?”
“It was an accident, I assure you,” I rushed to explain. “I’m not into voyeurism.”
“Oh shit,” Nina chuckled a bit.
“I have to say, I was surprised…she’s a might younger than he is.”
Nina sent me a bland stare. “You don’t approve?”
“It’s not for me to approve or disapprove,” I said. “They seem to be crazy about each other.”
Nina said nothing, she simply sat and studied me carefully.
“Why do I have the feeling that their relationship is a secret?” I asked.
Nina shifted the baby on her lap. “Because it is.”
“Why on earth would it be?”
“You should probably ask Julian about that. Discreetly.” Nina suggested.
“I see.” I nodded. “And I will. Be discreet, that is. Nina, I’ve seen too little kindness or generosity in my own life to betray Julian and Thomas. They’ve both been wonderful to me.”
Isabel started to fuss, and Nina stood. “I better take her back to the house.”
“Oh, alright.” I stood too.
“Thanks for the wine, and the company,” Nina
