He turned and left the room without saying another word. As far as he was concerned, the matter was settled. Like Alex, he was most comfortable when he was in complete control.
Alex stood and helped Alondra to her feet. She hugged him and then Carmen.
"Thank you."
She left the room, sniffing, but with determination in her stride. She still had a lot to settle with her father, and hopefully she wouldn't feel the need to hide in shame. She would have family to support her through this.
Alex watched her walk out and then turned to Carmen. His brows lifted.
"Touché" he said.
Carmen smiled. "It was a kind and courageous thing to do. If you hadn't done something, she would have walked out of his life and they would both have been very unhappy."
He let out a long breath of relief. "It is so," he said, mocking his father's accent.
They walked around the table and Alex guided her through the door with a hand on her waist. Had he said something to his father about their issue, or had Senor Medena merely picked up on the tension between them? It seemed unlikely that Alex would tell his father his intent. More likely he would do as he wished and then tell his father how things stood.
She glanced up to find Alex watching her. He gave her waist a squeeze.
"Thanks for your help. I stumbled into a quagmire of my own making."
He paused, looking down at her, his hand still on her waist. Was that regret she saw in his eyes? His features were dark and his lips smooth. The feel of his warm hand on her waist increased her pulse. Oh, how she would love to be taken in his arms. But that would simply complicate things for him. She tore her gaze from his and moved away from him.
"I think I'll go to our room now. My shoulder is hurting and I'd like to put the sling on for a while."
Without waiting for a response, she turned and headed to their room. The funeral wasn't until Tuesday, so it would be Wednesday before they flew back home. It was going to be another tense stay at the hacienda. When they returned home, Alex would start making arrangements for the divorce. It wasn't something she wanted to think about, but she'd best get used to it.