A Flower for Angela (23 page)

"How did it go with Lupe and Cathy?" he asked after they were seated.

"They denied everything at first,” Angela informed him. The look of distress that clouded her expression showed him how painful the confrontation had been to her sensitive nature. "But I insisted I knew about their part in the scandal."

"So it
was
Lupe and Cathy who overheard us in the lounge?" Maria interrupted.

"Yes, and they admitted to writing the letters." Angela reached for a breadstick.

"Did they say why?" Maria asked. "Were they worried about the R.I.F.?"

Angela nodded.

"I knew there was more involved than professional spite,” Maria broke off a piece of garlic bread.

While salads smelling of olive oil and balsamic vinegar were served, Angela told Maria what the two women had said.

"What are you going to do about it?" Maria asked. "Are you going to tell the board what they've done?"

"That won't do any good," Ricardo interjected, sounding calm and sure; but inside, his gut churned with impotent anger.

"Why not?" Maria brought him out of his dark reverie.

"We have other plans for them."

"And they're going along with them?" Maria's expression was disbelieving.

"I warned them that one wrong move—and I'll expose them." He couldn't help the ripple of pleasure at the thought.

"Ricardo,” Angela set down her fork. "What did you do?"

Their strategy had been subtle and manipulative. "Don't worry,
querida
,” he assured her. "It's what we planned."

"Which was?" Maria reminded them of her ignorance in the matter.

"If the R.I.F. is enforced, they'll have jobs with
La
Causa
por
La
Libertad
."

Maria choked on her wine.

Ricardo empathized. He'd felt the same way when Angela had insisted that they try to find the women jobs in the local organization that conducted programs to teach adults English and provided job training and counseling for dropouts.

"Ricardo volunteers for the group and knows the director," Angela explained.

"Why don't you expose them now and get rid of them?"

"Because we need bilingual employees for the local organizations in the
barrio
that fight for important issues."

"Cathy's good at organizing. She'd be great at setting up programs,” Angela finished her salad and sat back.

"And I have a feeling Lupe can handle the businessmen in Phoenix.
La
Causa
needs a contact to solicit donations."

He directed his words to Maria but his eyes locked with Angela's.
¡Madre
mio!
He would become a saint to keep receiving those kinds of looks from her.

Maria shook her head in disbelief. "And you're sure they'll follow through?"

"I'll be watching them like a hawk." Ricardo chuckled. “If they don't dedicate themselves to the job, they'll lose it."

"What if there's no R.I.F.? Surely they get better salaries teaching?"

Angela turned to answer her friend. Ricardo enjoyed watching her animated movements as she spoke; her lips so moist and inviting; her fingers waving in the air with suppleness; her hair shining in the chignon, begging to be released as she nodded her head. He forced himself to focus on her words while he willed his aroused body to relax.

"I offered to work with them and show them my methods." Angela shrugged.

"You what?" Maria sputtered. "They deserve revenge—that's punishing yourself."

"I was tempted to seek vengeance,” Angela admitted, and Ricardo smiled to himself. He had wanted to punish the women for what they’d put her through, at first, but Angela, with her sensitive nature, insisted they change their tactics. Conceding to her wishes had been difficult, but he admired her for her stubborn reasoning. In the long run, their plan would benefit the
barrio
.

"How do you know they’ll comply?" Maria's skepticism resurfaced.

"If they don't,” Angela shrugged with a smug look on her face, "Ricardo and I will turn in the evidence of their attempts to discredit me."

As Maria’s eyes widened on Angela, Ricardo watched his
amor
squirm in a slight bout of guilt for her blackmail. "Remember the alternative,” he reminded her, knowing it helped her to rationalize.

"The fact is," Angela asserted, "I think they're going to resign and take the jobs at
La
Causa
, anyway. You know they aren't that crazy about teaching. They'll probably enjoy working there, instead."

"If they resign, then your job is secure."

"Exactly." Ricardo grinned. That hadn't been part of the plan, but as far as he was concerned, it was the best part of it now. Angela belonged at the school.

"And the board? How will you get them off your back?"

"Lupe typed another letter stating they'd been misinformed, and they apologized for causing a disturbance."

"They signed it?"

"No. But the type matches. I plan to tell the board that we dealt with the matter and it's taken care of." Ricardo smiled. He also had other plans of his own, but they were a surprise.

"You both sound optimistic to me." Maria cast them a rueful glance.

Ricardo and Angela shared a secret smile. Yes, optimistic and positive—that's what he loved about her. He needed a woman with the insight to brighten his life. Someone who would remind him of the positive things when he came home discouraged and depressed.

Heaping plates of spaghetti arrived and the conversation waned while they feasted upon the savory food. In spite of the tempting flavors and famous recipe, none of them did justice to the meal. As the hour approached for the board meeting, all three grew tense and quiet.

“I'M SO NERVOUS,” Angela admitted as the Ferrari approached the district office.

Ricardo reached out and patted her knee.

She knew what Ricardo planned to say in her defense, but would the board accept the rationale? Had too much damage already been done by the suggestion of scandal?

When they pulled into the parking lot, Angela glanced around in surprise. The place was packed with cars. Oh no! Word must have gone out as to the subject of the closed session and the contents of the letter.

"Ricardo." Angela hesitated as panic set in. She tugged at the hand that he had extended to help her out of the car, trying to get free. "I can't go in there."

"I'll be right by your side,” he promised.

"Great. Then they'll really have something to talk about." She moaned as apprehension tightened her throat.

"What are you afraid of?" Maria admonished. "You have everything under control."

Angela took a deep breath to calm her nerves. If only they realized how much she dreaded public rejection. Calling upon all of her inner resources, she walked with seeming composure between Ricardo and Maria. In the lobby of the district office, a crowd milled about. When Ricardo opened the door for her and she entered, a dead silence fell over the room.

"
Señorita
Stuart!” a voice thick with a Spanish accent shouted.

Angela cringed against Ricardo as a cacophony erupted. Her first instinct was to flee until she saw the familiar faces of the parents of her students both past and present.
En masse
, they surged around her.

"We came to help you."

"We tell them, you good teacher."

"They no fire you,
Maestra
."

Words of support and encouragement deluged her. A lump formed in her throat and tears ran down her cheeks as the impact of what these people were doing for her hit full force.

Touched beyond words, she turned to Ricardo and saw his admiration for her in his eyes. Her heart swelled with love for this man and these people.

"Did you do this?" she queried. He shook his head in denial.

A shuffle at her side brought her attention to Maria. She saw her evasive smile and realized her friend had alerted the parents.

"Maria, thank you!" She reached out and gave the teacher a gigantic hug then sent the parents a grateful smile and thanked them for their support.

"Come, let's go in. The meeting is about to begin," Ricardo said. They still had to convince the board that there was no basis for scandal.

Angela sat, numbed by emotion as each parent testified about her teaching, her loving
carina
for the students and the generous assistance she offered their families. Mrs. Edwards spoke on her behalf and so did several of her colleagues. But the most important witness, the one whose point of view mattered most to her, waited until last to speak.

Ricardo's eloquence impressed the audience as much as it did her. It embarrassed her, though, when he made her sound like a heroine. But the crowd seemed to enjoy it, clapping and shouting their agreement.

Thinking back to his skeptical views of her teaching methods, she realized he had come a long way toward understanding them. She was once again filled with respect and admiration for the man.

Watching him as he spoke—seeing the long fingers that could soothe her tension and the broad shoulders that were so strong to lean on—she was overcome with longing. He planned to take her home tonight—he had promised. But what would happen next? And did he love her enough to commit himself to her for a lifetime?

Suddenly, he stopped speaking and directed his gaze to her alone. She held her breath, sensing that this moment was important.

"I have one more point I'd like to clear up with this board." He spoke in deep tones to the members, but his eyes locked with hers. "With regard to the relationship between Miss Stuart and myself."

He paused and Angela continued to hold her breath. She couldn't believe her ears. He was bringing this up in open session? The slight creak of a chair echoed in the silence of the room. Every pair of eyes was trained on him.

"I haven't asked her yet—” his voice was low and sincere “—but if she accepts, I plan to marry her."

Angela was thoroughly dazed as pandemonium broke loose around her. Her heart surged with overwhelming joy as she struggled to refrain from running to the podium and throwing herself into his arms.

She managed to nod in the affirmative, creating another wave of reaction from the crowd. But from that moment on, she had no idea how the rest of the meeting had progressed.

Not until later, after accepting congratulations from her friends, calling her parents and finally escaping to the privacy of his patio, did they manage to say a word to each other.

"Come sit with me." He pulled her down on a double chaise lounge. "I want to tell you about your wedding present."

His arms felt safe and his body warm and familiar as she curled up next to him on the comfortable recliner. She leaned back to look up at the stars, so far away, yet so near, in the black night sky. A peace settled over her, the peace of being cherished.

"Remember the tape we made of your classroom?"

She nodded but didn't really want to think about school anymore.

"I sent it to a friend of mine in Los Angeles. He produces documentaries for PBS. He's interested in making one on the whole language approach."

"That's wonderful!" She sat up in excitement.

He pulled her back into his arms and settled her head on his shoulder as he discussed the implications such a report would have on education. She listened—but more to the tone of his voice than to his words.

"He wants my input and he wants to use some of the material we've already taped."

"So that's why you want to marry me. You want to make sure I do this."

"Of course," he laughed as he nuzzled her neck.

She stilled his teasing with a kiss.

"Why do you really want to marry me?" she asked, wanting desperately to hear the words he hadn't yet uttered.

"Don't you know?"

"Ricardo," she huffed.

"Did you mind that I put you on the spot like that in front of everyone?" he stalled as he caressed the smooth line of her jaw with his forefinger.

"I could hardly refuse with all those people there," she gently chided him.

"That was my purpose."

She sat up and searched his eyes. "Did you honestly doubt I would accept?"

"I wasn't sure you'd want a man who gets called out at all hours for a story." He eased his fingers up her arms. "I'm out on assignment so much of the time."

"Hmm." She decided a little rebuttal wouldn't hurt. "You have a point. Maybe I should reconsider."

"Don't joke about this."

"I love you," she told him, but she wasn't through with him yet. "Compromises are in order."

"Oh?"

"I can handle your absences if you can take the students I’ll have visiting
at
our house when you return."