The Senator's Hispanic Bride Read Online Free PDF Page A

you fit into the family, so we thought we better explain to you how it works.”
    “We’re going to help you.” Pablo smiled at him. Michael felt his stomach drop to the floor as Ricky put another shot of rum in his hand. His nerves were on high alert.
    “Help me? Thank you. That’s…” He stopped again and looked around himself at them.
    Orlando leaned close to him and clapped his hand down on Michael’s other shoulder. “Here’s how it works. You’re marrying our cousin, and that means that you’re going to be one of us. You’re going to be our primo, our cousin, but you’re coming from the outside, so there are some rules.”
    Michael focused intently on Orlando’s dark eyes. “Rules?”
    “You’re our primo now, so no one messes with you. They mess with you, they mess with all of us. We always have each other’s backs. Always. You got that?” Orlando said with a serious tone.
    Michael had been on sports teams in college and he knew about brotherhoods. This felt like a brotherhood, but not like one he had ever been a part of before. “I think I got it,” Michael answered with a smile.
    “We’re always going to look out for you,” Pablo said with a genuine tone.
    The men all nodded in agreement. Orlando, who was the oldest of all of them, looked directly into Michael’s eyes. “But primo, we’re going to warn you right now, you better never do anything to hurt Isabella.”
    Michael shook his head. “No, of course not. I’d never do anything to hurt her!”
    Then men around him laughed and smiled. “That’s good, cousin!” Reynaldo said, tossing back a shot of rum and laughing softly. “You better keep to that word, Michael.”
    A shout came from the table where the family was all gathered. “Boys! What are you all doing at the bar? Come back over here.” Ramon was standing at the head of the table, waving at them. They finished their shots and headed back to the table. Michael wondered if it was the rum or the nerves that were making him nauseated.
    “I want to propose a toast!” Ramon said, pulling his younger daughter close to him and wrapping his arm around her shoulder. “To my beautiful baby girl and my new son-in-law to be!” The family stood and lifted their glasses. Michael was guided over to stand beside Ramon, and Ramon smiled warmly at him.
    “Congratulations to you both! I wish that the road that you follow will be one of happiness, deep love, honesty, prosperity and good health, all of your lives.” He raised his glass and the family toasted, then he drew them both into a hug against his broad chest. “Congratulations to you two.”
    He kissed the tops of their heads and when he did, Michael felt tears sting his eyes. It had been many long years since a man had acted as a father toward him, and he hadn’t realized how much he had missed it. He closed his eyes for a moment and let the feel of it soak into him, and then he opened his eyes again and looked at the faces around him. They were filled with love and happiness, and it cocooned around him.
    They sat and ate some more, and Isabella gave him tastes of all the different dishes of food on the table, explaining what each one was and how it was significant to her culture. He found it fascinating, but not as fascinating as watching the light and joy in her eyes as she told him about all of it.
    When lunch was finally finished, he stood up and looked at Isabella with disappointment in his face. “I have to go to the office. I’ll talk to you later, okay?” he leaned over and kissed her, and she nodded.
    “Thank you so much for all that you did in Washington and for coming with me to tell my family. That was really important to me.”
    He nodded and hugged her close. “This was wonderful. I loved being here. Thank you.” He kissed her cheek and let her go, and then hugged through her family on his way out.
    When he had gone, Isabella looked at the boys and scowled at them suspiciously. “What did all of you talk