Chapter 3

WAR

War was declared on Sunday October 7.

Les, El and I talked and we decided to move up our ship date to start basic training. We are already in one war, and it sounds like we are going into Iraq. It seems more important to fight right now, than sit around until next fall. It means not finishing college. We all needed to be very serious about pushing through classes so we would be ready for basic in January. That night I announced my decision at dinner

After grace was said, I stood, 'Madre, Padre, we are already in one war, and it sounds like we are going into Iraq. It seems more important to fight right now, than sit around until next fall. It means not finishing college.'

It was quiet, than Mami, Papi looked at me with tears in their eyes. Papi said, 'Hijo, we understand. This is a serious decision, it will change your life, we understand why you are making it. Look into your heart and be truly sure this is what you want. If your decision is still to go sooner rather than later, we will give you our blessing. These are truly extraordinary times, you are a man now. You are making a very serious commitment.

A week later each of us observed ChiChi's birthday on October 12 differently. I spent it with Lester, he was the same age as Conchita, they had become close while I was in Miami. We got some beer and went to visit her, we drank ourselves stupid. We talked about some of the trouble we had gotten into with her. Chichi, Les and I had stolen that car, I got caught and went to Miami. After I left they became the terrible twosome, Les talked about how they covered for each other while I was gone. They double-dated to prom, they graduated together. He had been more of a brother to her than me and her death hit him hard.

On December 14 we finished finals, then on the 18th Calista graduated from basic, we all flew to see her graduation. She was in her dress uniform she stood straight, her head was held high in her uniform, with her black beret.

We watched her walk across the graduation stage. She is different now, she is a member of the US military, a soldier. Mami and Papi seem so proud of her. I am proud of my sister, our little brother and sister are proud of her.

Then we all flew home in time for Celia's wedding on the 23rd.

Carlos had never been all that good at staying out of trouble. At the rehearsal dinner he saw the blond leaving and she had trouble written all over her. He should just let her go.

Jean Ellen Burrows was tall, willowy, with delectable curves that could make a saint become a sinner. And I'm no saint, and she is Celia's best friend.

At dinner, she'd stood out among the other women, eating, drinking and chatting with her friends, her eyes taking in everything around her. Beautiful and she seemed to know it.

'Wait up.' He'd figured those torture devices on her feet would slow her down. Apparently he'd been wrong. She didn't even look over her shoulder and kept going.

'Sorry, but my granny told me not to talk to strangers.'
'I'm not a stranger.' He finally came even with her and slowed down to match her walk.
She flipped her blond hair over her shoulder. 'You're not?' She snapped her fingers. 'Oh wait,aren't you that guy-'
'You know damn well who I am.' He and the groomsmen had all had drinks in the same damn bar as the bridesmaids last night, and they'd all been at dinner tonight. This woman, of all people, wasn't going to forget a face... He smiled at her, turning on the charm.
She laughed, glanced back at his face, and laughed harder. 'Oh my God.'
What the fuck? Did he have spinach in his teeth? Carlos resisted the urge to cover his mouth, but only barely. He waited as they kept walking, but she didn't stop laughing. Christ, what was the deal with this woman?

'What's so funny?'
She finally managed to contain her mirth, though her dark eyes still laughed. 'You.' She waved her hand at his entire body. 'Turning on the Cuban panty-dropper charm. It's adorable.'
Adorable. He'd been called a lot of things in his life-charming, gorgeous, a fuckup-but never that. Grown men were not adorable. Puppies were adorable.

'I don't know what you're talking about.'
'Sure you do. I bet you practice that smile in the mirror.'
She thought she had his number down. It stung more than it should because he did pride himself on his charm. "Querido I'm all natural, let me walk you to your hotel.'

'That's what they all say. Run along now. I don't have time for you.'

He couldn't remember the last time he'd been blown off.

'That's going to be a problem.'
She didn't look at him. 'How so?'
'I was raised to never let women wander alone at night. It's dangerous. I'll walk you back to the hotel.'
'You don't let women wander alone, huh? 'Alone? With no strong man to protect me? Whatever shall I do?'
'That's not what I meant and you know it.'
'How do I know it? I'm not a mind reader, and I don't need some man to walk me the

hundred yards from here to the hotel when I'm in a damn resort. I live in New
York. There's nothing out here that can compare to that.'
'That makes sense.'

She gave him a suspicious look. 'You're being awfully agreeable all of a sudden.'
He kept his smile in place and went in for the kill. 'Only because you're the scariest thing within twenty miles.'
She flinched, but recovered almost immediately. 'Maybe you're smarter than I thought.'

'You chased my ass out here. I didn't ask for help.'
Yeah, he didn't get the idea that she asked for help all that often-or ever.

'Maybe you should.'
She laughed. 'Because you're going to be the one to save me from myself, right?

For at least as long as it takes to get into my pants.'
Well, hell. He wouldn't mind getting into her pants-or up her skirt. But she wasn't even going to give him a chance. He could trot along, verbally sparring, or he could change tactics.

Carlos slid in front of her, blocking her way. 'Querido', if I didn't know better, I'd say you were thinking about sexing me up.'
Her eyebrows rose, though he didn't miss the way her gaze coasted over his body. 'It's a good thing one of us knows better then, isn't it?'
'It's okay that you're scared. You've never met a man like me.'
It was hard to tell in the dark, but he thought he could see steam coming out her ears.

Then she laughed in his face. 'Please. There are a thousand men like you. But it's cute that you think you're so special

He leaned in and lowered his voice. 'It's okay that you're intimidated by my overwhelming masculinity. I promise to take good care of you.'
'How sweet of you.' She walked her fingers up his chest, inch by slow inch, the briefest contact that sent heat pulsing through his body.

Then she flicked his chin. 'But let's be honest. I'd ruin you for other women, and I'm just too nice to do that to an adorable little thing like you.'
'Yeah, I don't think so.'
She stepped around him and headed for the hotel, trailing her perfume behind her. He closed his eyes and inhaled

'Maybe in another life. You're hot, but pretty is as pretty does.'She stepped around him and headed for the hotel, trailing her perfume behind her. He closed his eyes and inhaled subtle, and intriguing

He turned and followed, catching up to her in two large steps. 'I'm not that easily ruined.'
'You haven't been with me.' She glanced at him and then jerked back to look straight ahead. 'And you aren't going to be.' 'As fun as this has been, I can take it from here. I don't need a white knight and I sure as hell don't need you to try to charm my panties off.' She turned and walked to the door. 'Besides, I'm not wearing any.' Her last comment floated over her shoulder, almost taking him out at the knees.

'I can take care of you better.' He called after her. Holy shit he thought.

Half hour later in the hotel bar, she was sipping a Cuba Libre.

'A Cuba Libre? So you are craving something Cuban, he moved closer, crowding her even though there was still a good twelve inches between them.

It was a good thing she wasn't ruled by such stupid impulses, especially when she knew exactly whom that voice belonged to. Jean Ellen glanced over her shoulder,

'If you're looking for some company, I know just the man for the job.' He leaned forward, his grin widening, that damn smile, the kind of a smile that made women walk into walls, wide and white and bracketed by laugh

'You again? I thought I'd made myself clear when I left you staring after me outside the hotel half an hour ago.

'I can assure you, though, I'm not a man who give up easily.'

Holy shit, arrogant, self-confident asshole. But still Celia's brother.

'You're thinking awfully hard over there.'
Jean Ellen shrugged, hoping he was more concerned with getting up her skirt than inside her head. There was only one reason she was spending any time with Carlos, and it didn't have to do with his
brains. 'Just considering if I'm going to let you get to the bed or take you against the door.'
'You kiss your mama with that mouth?'
'Every time I see her.'

A slow grin spread over his face. And what a face it was. His cafe au lait skin hinted at his Cuban lineage. The almost-too-long dark almost black hair or the chocolate eyes that made her stomach drop. It was his grin, that damn smile, the kind of a smile that made women walk into walls, wide and white and bracketed by laugh lines. Even his eyes lit up, this is a man who knew how to enjoy the pleasures life offered. He probably practiced that grin in the mirror.

God, what was she thinking?

Jean Ellen made a shooing motion with her hand. 'Go on now, I already have a drink.'

Carlos turned to the bartender giving her the opportunity to eyeball the way his button-up white shirt hugged his shoulders and, holy shit, those back muscles were nothing
to sneeze at. He'd gotten rid of the suit jacket he'd been wearing during their walk, and the tucked-in shirt only served to accent his slim hips and an ass that probably had lesser women salivating, which she wasn't.
She'd gotten herself under control by the time he turned around, but it was a close thing. For his part, his grin hadn't slipped. Get a hold of yourself she thought. She took the offered drink.

'I heard you had a reputation with the ladies.' It wasn't exactly true, but Celia had warned him.

'You seem to have heard a lot.'

'You have no idea.'
'I'd like to.'

'I bet you don't hear no a lot.'
'It's a dirty word. I'm not a fan of it.'

Though he sure as hell was charming, he was also the last person she should hook up with. What with Celia's brother and all.

He exerted an almost magnetic pull, so strong it was an effort not to take that a step towards him and see if his muscles felt as good as they looked.

From the way the women around them were staring, she wasn't the only one feeling that urge.
That realization shocked her back to herself. He was working her, plain and simple. This man was used to getting what he wanted, and right now he had his sights set on her. She couldn't get caught up in this. Could she?

Mami and Papi wanted a traditional Christmas with family.

Not so many this year, no one from Miami, ChiChi is gone, so much change, Celia got married, my little brother and sister are growing up.

Everyone is a little sad, thinking about the past year. Cali is in the army now, she made it through basic.

'Ten hellish weeks you can look forward to' she says.

'Hoorah, piece of cake' I say.

'I can't wait till you go through it, talk to me in ten weeks after you finish it. If you finish.' she snarked at me.

'Ooh burn' I said. 'We've been training, it will be a cakewalk.'

Words I would regret latter.

Of course the most important part of dinner is still the roast pig.

Ces and I build la caja china again, we have the same supervisors as last year.

All the men stand around and supervise the roasting. All afternoon and into the evening we smoke cigars, argue sports, gossip and roast a pig, same as last year, this year the conversation includes the war.

Tio Felipe, Lester's papi says 'I heard the rangers were the first ones into Afghanistan.'

I said, 'Rangers lead the way, no matter the mission, that's what they do, that's what I will do.'

After exchanging gifts, it was time for Nochebueno supper.

We had lechon asada (roast pig), Tostones (fried plantains), Yuca, Beans and rice. Arroz con Leche, and Flan with cuban coffee.

Then we all went to midnight mass together.

Christmas day we all sat and relaxed, talking about the past and what the future would hold.

December 28, after Christmas Calista left for sixteen weeks of medic training.

My basic was scheduled to start in January sixth, three kings day.

-Nochebueno is December 24.

It means 'the good night' is the main date in the festive calendar. For Cubans, Nochebuena is a time to get together with your family at home, cook and enjoy an evening meal. The traditional Nochebuena meal includes roast pig, rice cooked with black beans, yucca with garlic dressing, fried plantains and salad, but most people cook with whatever they have!

-Three Kings Day is twelve days later, January 6th.

It is considered especially particular in Cuba. Since the end of the 17th century, it has been the only celebration when the island's African slaves were allowed to wear their traditional African clothes, carry out the rituals of their forefathers, and perform African songs and dances for the Spanish colonial governors.