she’d never felt this hopeless. When she entered the room, the face she saw was familiar, but the eyes that looked back at her held no welcome, no friendship and certainly no love.
“Please sit.” Rogue gestured toward the chair across from him.
Lucia went to the leather armchair, tugging it backwards away from the man a couple of feet. Distance seemed preferable.
Rogue waited patiently while she took a seat. He couldn’t help but notice how worn her clothes appeared. They were clean, meticulously mended, but he could see places that were almost threadbare. It was obvious she’d worn the skirt and blouse many times.
“What can I say that I haven’t already said?” she began in a low desperate voice. “You’ve refused to acknowledge our relationship. Why is this? Did you change your mind? Did you meet this other woman after we promised ourselves to one another?”
Her anguished expression touched something inside of Rogue. “Lucia, I’m so sorry. Whoever you spoke to on the internet or exchanged letters with–it wasn’t me.”
She lowered her head until her chin almost rested on her chest. Lucia was the picture of defeat.
Rogue stood. “Let me see the papers you have.”
Slowly she felt in her pocket and pulled them out. They’d been folded and refolded so many times that the papers wouldn’t lay straight anymore. She soothed them out with trembling hands and gave them to him.
Pulling his chair closer to the desk, he spread out the evidence. “How did you meet this guy? I mean, what was your first communication with him?”
Lucia blushed. “I’ve explained this to you…”
Rogue turned, faced her, leaned over and rested his elbows on his knees. “Listen, Lucia. I don’t know if you’re a religious person…”
“I have shared this also.” She wiped her cheek where a tear rested. “I am a good Catholic girl.” She looked down at the floor. “I have lived a virtuous life.”
Rogue began to feel like he was kicking a puppy. “I believe you. I don’t go to church often, but my mom raised me to have faith. So, you’ll understand when I say that I swear on a stack of Bibles and on my mother’s grave that I am not the man you’ve been talking to.”
Lucia sat up, her spine as stiff and straight as a steel rod. “All right. I still have questions, but I’ll answer yours. I met my Rogue Walker on LatinLove.com, a dating website where men find…women like me.” She wouldn’t meet his eyes. “It might not be the most honorable way to find a husband, but I have no family. My only sister became one of the lost ones a few months ago and I felt desperate to make a new life…elsewhere. It probably goes against your beliefs on the fairness of immigration, but I was hoping to find someone to love in America so I would be safe.”
Putting his own concerns aside, he could sense her hopelessness…her helplessness. Picking up the papers, he began to read the exchanges between them. “Why did you bring these?” His suspicious nature made him wonder at her motivation.
Lucia’s naturally tanned cheeks blazed red. “I saved them so I could reread them.” Almost shamefully she added, “I fancied myself in love.”
“So you had my name, my address…”
“Yes.” She rose, coming to him, going through the papers until she pulled out a note from her ‘admirer’ giving him all of Rogue’s personal information. Next she showed him photographs of Rogue. Some were taken from industry publications, but some–Rogue picked those up and stared–some were candid shots made in Austin and some even in Red Creek.
“What the…” Rogue toned down his language for Lucia. Whoever this was…the bastard was close. Was he being followed?
Lucia still stood next to this man in whom she’d wrapped up all of her hopes and dreams. Now that she knew none of her fantasies would be coming true, she just felt cold. Leaning forward, she pulled a paper from the bottom. “And here is our marriage
“Please sit.” Rogue gestured toward the chair across from him.
Lucia went to the leather armchair, tugging it backwards away from the man a couple of feet. Distance seemed preferable.
Rogue waited patiently while she took a seat. He couldn’t help but notice how worn her clothes appeared. They were clean, meticulously mended, but he could see places that were almost threadbare. It was obvious she’d worn the skirt and blouse many times.
“What can I say that I haven’t already said?” she began in a low desperate voice. “You’ve refused to acknowledge our relationship. Why is this? Did you change your mind? Did you meet this other woman after we promised ourselves to one another?”
Her anguished expression touched something inside of Rogue. “Lucia, I’m so sorry. Whoever you spoke to on the internet or exchanged letters with–it wasn’t me.”
She lowered her head until her chin almost rested on her chest. Lucia was the picture of defeat.
Rogue stood. “Let me see the papers you have.”
Slowly she felt in her pocket and pulled them out. They’d been folded and refolded so many times that the papers wouldn’t lay straight anymore. She soothed them out with trembling hands and gave them to him.
Pulling his chair closer to the desk, he spread out the evidence. “How did you meet this guy? I mean, what was your first communication with him?”
Lucia blushed. “I’ve explained this to you…”
Rogue turned, faced her, leaned over and rested his elbows on his knees. “Listen, Lucia. I don’t know if you’re a religious person…”
“I have shared this also.” She wiped her cheek where a tear rested. “I am a good Catholic girl.” She looked down at the floor. “I have lived a virtuous life.”
Rogue began to feel like he was kicking a puppy. “I believe you. I don’t go to church often, but my mom raised me to have faith. So, you’ll understand when I say that I swear on a stack of Bibles and on my mother’s grave that I am not the man you’ve been talking to.”
Lucia sat up, her spine as stiff and straight as a steel rod. “All right. I still have questions, but I’ll answer yours. I met my Rogue Walker on LatinLove.com, a dating website where men find…women like me.” She wouldn’t meet his eyes. “It might not be the most honorable way to find a husband, but I have no family. My only sister became one of the lost ones a few months ago and I felt desperate to make a new life…elsewhere. It probably goes against your beliefs on the fairness of immigration, but I was hoping to find someone to love in America so I would be safe.”
Putting his own concerns aside, he could sense her hopelessness…her helplessness. Picking up the papers, he began to read the exchanges between them. “Why did you bring these?” His suspicious nature made him wonder at her motivation.
Lucia’s naturally tanned cheeks blazed red. “I saved them so I could reread them.” Almost shamefully she added, “I fancied myself in love.”
“So you had my name, my address…”
“Yes.” She rose, coming to him, going through the papers until she pulled out a note from her ‘admirer’ giving him all of Rogue’s personal information. Next she showed him photographs of Rogue. Some were taken from industry publications, but some–Rogue picked those up and stared–some were candid shots made in Austin and some even in Red Creek.
“What the…” Rogue toned down his language for Lucia. Whoever this was…the bastard was close. Was he being followed?
Lucia still stood next to this man in whom she’d wrapped up all of her hopes and dreams. Now that she knew none of her fantasies would be coming true, she just felt cold. Leaning forward, she pulled a paper from the bottom. “And here is our marriage
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