A Delicious Dilemma Read online

  “Puerto Rican hot chocolate,” she said, taking her seat again.

  “Maybe the sugar will perk you up.”

  “You’re worried about me falling asleep at the wheel. No one’s worried about me in a very long time.”

  “In my family, worrying is an Olympic sport, so if you ever need someone to worry about you, feel free to borrow any of us.”

  He smiled into his cup. “I appreciate the offer.”

  If the chocolate had been bliss, the cake was pure decadence. “This tres leches is wrecking me.”

  Her proud smile nearly provoked a desire to cast the cake aside and kiss her. “It’s my Saturday Special. I offer it together with flan and crème brûlée. Do you want to try them, also?”

  “No, it’s too much. Save it for next time.” He paused, steeling himself. “That is, if next time is okay with you.”

  “I wasn’t really looking for anything tonight.”

  “Neither was I. But here we are.”

  Dear Reader,

  When I found out that I had been awarded Harlequin’s 2020 Romance Includes You Mentorship, the news left me speechless. And for a person who loves to talk as much as I do, that’s saying something.

  I got to work with a wonderful editor, Charles Griemsman, who guided me through all the steps of bringing a book from manuscript to publication. That singular access has made all the difference in developing me as a writer and I am forever grateful to Charles and to Harlequin for the opportunity.

  The journey from sneaking Harlequin romances from my mother’s collection as a young girl to publishing my debut novel with the Harlequin Special Edition line is one I could never have predicted. Sometimes I still can’t believe it, though the book in your hands is proof that it must have happened, right?

  Thank you for choosing to read A Delicious Dilemma. I can’t wait for you to meet Val Navarro. Val defines herself in relation to her family, her business and her connection to the fictional working-class community of East Ward, New Jersey. Just like most of us, she wears multiple hats—business owner, community leader, chef, daughter, sister—and manages to juggle them all without dropping anything. And just like us, she’s not afraid to take on anyone who threatens the things that she loves.

  I’d love to hear from you! Head over to www.serataino.com and sign up for my newsletter. While you’re at it, follow me on social media. Instagram, Twitter and Facebook are where I share the most information about my writing and upcoming events. Can’t wait to chat it up with you!

  Sera

  A Delicious Dilemma

  Sera Taíno

  Sera Taíno writes Latinx romances exploring love in the context of family and community. She is the 2019–2020 recipient of the Harlequin Romance Includes You Mentorship, resulting in the publication of her debut contemporary romance, A Delicious Dilemma. When she’s not writing, she can be found teaching her high school literature class, crafting, and wrangling her husband and two children.

  Books by Sera Taíno

  Harlequin Special Edition

  A Delicious Dilemma

  Visit the Author Profile page at Harlequin.com.

  To my husband,

  who has always encouraged me to chase my dreams.

  And to my mother.

  I think she would have liked this one.

  Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Epilogue

  Excerpt from Last-Chance Marriage Rescue by Catherine Mann

  Chapter One

  “I hold you personally responsible for my discomfort,” Val complained as she scrambled out of her cousin Olivia’s Jeep. The relentless percussion from Aguardiente Lounge assailed her from across the parking lot, bringing with it a flicker of anxiety that she tried to ignore. “My fingers are still sore from the manicure.”

  Olivia rounded the fender, her weight balanced on the balls of her feet. A balmy, spring breeze from the Hudson blew cool and insistent, ruffling their outfits, which were skimpier than what Val was used to. “Do you know how hard it was to get an appointment at the salon on a Friday night? It wouldn’t have taken so long if you’d kept up with your nails.” She paused, unhooking the heel of her thigh-high boot from where it had become wedged in the pavement. “You’d think Rosario would spend a little money to repave the parking lot.”

  Val made a face. “Jesus, they should award degrees in complaining, because you’d have a PhD.”

  “Look who’s talking, Darth Cupcake,” Olivia retorted, using the nickname she’d christened Val with ever since they’d nearly burned down the family restaurant as kids, trying to make cupcakes from scratch. “Get a little polish on your nails and you act like you got tortured by the Spanish Inquisition.”

  “I’m not used to having my cuticles poked at, okay?” Val walked alongside Olivia, who was watching the ground for more crevices as Val tugged at the too-short, black-and-silver romper Olivia had loaned her. Val would never give her cousin the satisfaction of knowing she found the outfit pretty in a Kardashian sort of way, with its tiny designs woven onto a lace overlay against a satin camisole. A belt of the same satiny material tied into a bow at the waist, followed by shorts that were barely long enough to cover Val’s thighs. The soft ivory accents complemented her deep, olive-brown complexion.

  They entered the foyer of Aguardiente Lounge, where Caio, the host on duty, waved them in.

  “Oye, look who’s here!” He bent his tall, wide frame to allow Val to kiss him on his cheek, the scruff of his dark goatee scraping against her skin. “Olivia,” he said when he straightened. “How’d you get her to come out?”

  “She dragged me kicking and screaming,” Val answered, smiling warmly at him.

  “She’s not even exaggerating.” Olivia jabbed her thumb at Val. “She was still swearing at me as we were coming up from the parking lot.”

  “I don’t swear. That’s all you.”

  “Like hell you don’t,” Olivia retorted.

  Caio laughed at them both. “You two don’t change, like two perritas always barking at each other. You having dinner or just going straight to the back?”

  “No dinner tonight,” Olivia answered.

  “I’ll let you in without the cover. It’s gonna be packed anyway.”

  “Ooh, your stingy cousin isn’t going to pitch a fit?” Olivia asked.

  “You gonna tell her?” He hugged them both, practically lifting Val off the ground. “It’s good to see you, mama. I’m glad you didn’t let that guy keep you down.”

  Val’s stomach knotted at the mention of her ex. Luke had been a roller-coaster ride, with his on-again/off-again commitment to her, his betrayal and public humiliation. It would be a lie to say she didn’t miss the intimacy of having a steady boyfriend. The late Sunday mornings spent in bed, or having a ready partner to dance with when she craved a night out. But the trade-off—her peace of mind for the exhausti
ng vigilance required to keep Luke’s attention from wandering off—was more than she was willing to make again. She’d wasted two years on that man and spent an additional eight months recovering after she’d found out she was nothing more than his side piece. In public. Right here, of all places. Practically in her house. No wonder she’d stayed away until tonight.

  She patted Caio’s shoulder. “He did for a little while, but it’s all good now.”

  “Hope so. You didn’t deserve the way he did you.” He stepped aside. “Have a good time tonight.”

  They bypassed the restaurant, heading toward the club proper. The outdoor patio area looked out over a promontory, yielding a view of Riverside Park across the river in Manhattan. Here, the music was a rhythmic backdrop that still permitted conversation. Wooden beams crisscrossed overhead, while the glass walls opened to allow the river air to float in on warmer nights like tonight.

  Val and Olivia glided through different groups of people. Val recognized almost everyone in the club, either because she’d gone to school with them, hosted them at the community meetings or served them at Navarro’s Family Restaurant, which she owned together with her father.

  Val slowed her approach to the dance floor as her heart rate soared. “I’m so freaked out.”

  Olivia put an arm around Val’s shoulder and squeezed. “You’ll get your groove back. Give yourself a chance.”

  Olivia got on Val’s last nerve most of the time, but Val could count on her cousin to have her back. She always could, ever since they were little kids, running amok in the neighborhood. Val couldn’t say that about many people. She’d trusted Luke, thought he might have her back, as well. But it had been a lie, and she’d learned her lesson too well: you couldn’t let people get that deep under your skin. If you did, you were giving them the power to destroy you.

  Val swallowed her anxiety. She could do this. She could enjoy herself here, even after everything that had happened. Clutching at the rosary she always wore, the one that had belonged to her late mother, she closed her eyes and let the beat of a slow bachata settle into her bones. As she swayed, her heart relented, beating as if in time with the music. She missed this. It had been ages since she danced, and the last time had been with Luke.

  She needed to stop thinking about that faithless jerk. Not tonight. Tonight belonged to her.

  She closed her eyes, immersing herself in the music, until someone tapped her on the shoulder. She opened her eyes to Rosario Villanueva, the owner of Aguardiente Lounge. She was in her late forties, but she wore her short leather skirt, tiny tank top and boots like a rock star.

  She gave both Val and Olivia a kiss on the cheek in greeting, and the three of them made their way to the bar. Olivia leaned into Rosario’s shoulder, whispering loudly, “I’m on a mission.”

  Rosario’s perfectly shaped eyebrows arched all the way to her hairline. “Really? What do you have in mind, traviesa?”

  “Val needs to break her dry spell tonight.”

  Rosario erupted into laughter while Val glared at Olivia. Loyal or not, sometimes it surprised her the amount of time she spent with someone who tempted her to commit murder.

  “Don’t give me that stink eye,” Olivia continued. “I’m meeting Aleysha tonight, so you’re going to have to find your own entertainment.”

  “Traitor,” Val shot back, all the while finding comfort in the familiarity of their verbal sparring. “You’re abandoning me for your girlfriend?”

  “It’s not abandonment.” Olivia shrugged, her straight black bob bouncing in time with the motion. “Think of it as incentivizing you.”

  Rosario was breathless with laugher. “I’ve missed you two. You don’t need nobody but yourselves to have a good time.” She turned to the bartender, who was doing her best to stifle her own giggles. “Give the girls a free round on me. Welcome back, Val,” she said, giving her another kiss before floating away to circulate among the other patrons.

  “Guess she’s not that cheap, after all,” Val admonished Olivia.

  “Oh, please, the markup on these drinks is ridiculous.” Olivia drummed her nails on the bar counter. “Rum punch, please.”

  Val threw up her hands in defeat. “I can’t go anywhere with you.” She pretended to scan the crowd, putting distance between herself and the truth of Olivia’s teasing words. It had been a long time, but she’d needed the break to recover from her torn-up heart and bruised ego.

  Val took a sip of her añejo, listening to the beats of a reggaetón mash-up as it boomed through the room. People made their way to the dance platform, dappled in colors from the strobe lights. Val loved the way the music blasted through her body, the reverberations of the pumping bass through her bones; it had been too long since she’d felt this loose.

  Olivia, who had stopped to talk to people she knew, grabbed Val by the hand and pulled her onto the dance floor.

  “I also forgot how much fun dancing could be,” Val shouted.

  “Yeah, that Luke did a number on you,” Olivia shouted back.

  Val waved her hands, indicating she didn’t want to talk about Luke or anyone else. She just wanted to enjoy the music, let her mind grow empty of everything except the lyrics and the beat. Reggaetón was a gift to someone like her—US born but every bit as Puerto Rican as a transplant could be without having lived on the island. It was the soundtrack of the vaivén, or the back-and-forth movement that characterized the migration of people going from the mainland to the island and back again.

  Val danced until the song changed. Olivia’s face split into an uncharacteristically dazzling smile at her girlfriend’s arrival. Aleysha’s smooth, dark skin contrasted sharply with light brown eyes the color of burnished bronze that were shocking even from a distance.

  Aleysha raced over to them, giving Val a glossy, messy kiss on her cheek before flinging her arms around Olivia. “Why didn’t you text me when you got here?”

  Olivia shrugged. “I figured you’d be late, like always, so why stress you?”

  “You’re one to talk. Let’s go sit with Malena.” She gave Val a wink. “She’s been seeing this one guy and he brought a friend of his.”

  Ugh, not a spontaneous blind date. That was the last thing she needed tonight. But of course, before she could say no, Olivia spoke for her. “Why not?”

  “I’m not really—” Val started but Aleysha put a hand on her shoulder.

  “We’re just hanging out. No pressure, okay?”

  She just wanted to dance, maybe catch a buzz and go home in peace. But Olivia and Aleysha were wrapped up in each other, so Val had no choice but to follow them. At the far end of the patio, she recognized Malena, who often stopped into her family’s restaurant for a late lunch. She sold real estate in one of the smaller boutique agencies in Wagner Financial Place. Malena was leaning into a good-looking man she introduced as Étienne, who said his name with a voluptuous, Creole accent.

  At the end of the table, almost in his own orbit, sat Étienne’s friend.

  “And this is Philip,” Aleysha said.

  He was whispering something to Étienne, initially unaware of her, but when he turned, the overhead lights flashed, illuminating the most striking blue eyes she’d ever seen. They reminded her of the Caribbean lapping at the beaches of Ponce, where her family used to vacation when she was a child. Music skipped through the space between them before passing her by. How long had she been staring at him. A few seconds? Minutes?

  She gave him a cursory wave, determined to cover her dazed reaction before taking the seat next to Olivia. He had the kind of face that was just shy of being too good-looking and it kept dragging at her attention. Through sheer force of will, she fixed her gaze on her cousin to tame her wayward eyes, focusing intensely on her conversation without really processing the meaning of her words. Maybe if she ignored him, he’d forget she was there.

  But she didn’t have tha
t kind of luck. He slid into the chair next to her and cleared his throat.

  “You seem to really enjoy dancing,” he said.

  That meant he’d been watching her. “I wouldn’t do it otherwise,” she snapped. His surprised expression forced her to take a deep breath and calm down. No sense being rude to the guy. “My family,” she began more slowly. “We dance all the time.”

  She tried not to actually look at him, but damn, it was hard. He was a study in symmetry but his eyes were kind and approachable, nullifying the aloofness of his good looks.

  “Festive group.” He recovered, giving her a smile, which improved his already-exceptional features.

  She picked up a coaster, toying with it. “Yep, you name it, we dance to it. Birthdays, holidays, first tooth, first traffic ticket...”

  His laughter prickled at her skin. Val’s eyes slid to where the others in her group conversed, but they were oblivious to the way the air had galvanized around her.

  “My family doesn’t dance. At all.” He said the last part with a cutting sweep of his hand. “I have known my mother to sway a little on her feet at cocktail parties. But that could easily be because of the martinis.”

  A laugh bubbled unbidden from her. She tried to stop herself. Cocktail parties? Did people actually throw those outside of ’80s TV shows? The sound caught Olivia’s attention, and she raised an eyebrow in response. Val bit back her laughter. She was not going to give Olivia a reason to tease her.

  Étienne had already pulled Malena out of her chair, and was dancing a slow grind against her despite the energetic beat. Olivia returned to her conversation with Aleysha, their heads so close, their cheeks were practically smashed together.

  “Drink?” Philip asked as a server approached. She recognized her as Gloria, one of Rosario’s infinite number of cousins, just as she scooped Val into a welcoming hug.

  “Val!” Gloria released her. “Oh, my God, girl, it’s about time you showed your face. It’s been forever.”

  “Yeah, well...”