#carlworth

What Peter did next happened too fast for Trevor to do anything but watch in horror.

He lurched toward Citlali and Carl. The two dancers broke apart to face him with looks of mild alarm.

" ‘m cutting in." He glowered at Carl, then turned beseechingly to Citlali. "Ci'lali. It's me. You shoul’ be with me."

Citlali gaped at him.

"I know it's me you wan'," he continued, "an' I'm here. Jus' say it. Say it's me."

"Careful," Carl said, placing himself between Peter and Citlali. His face was neutral, but his eyes bored into Peter's. "I don't think you know quite what you're saying. You might want to sit down. Or go home. Sleep it off.”

“Y’know she belongs with me,” Peter insisted recklessly, louder. A hush fell over the room. “Y’know she doesn’ feel the same ‘bout you. I’d know. I’d know. You don’ fake tha’. I re'mber how she kissed me. . .”

Carl’s face twisted into a snarl.

“I’m choosing to believe you have no idea what you’re saying right now.”

“Peter,” Phoebe hissed. “What the hell are you doing?”

“He doesn’t,” Citlali said, reaching for Carl’s arm. “Carl, he’s drunk.”

“Not too drunk to remember this, I hope,” Carl said in the same ominous soft tone. “Stay away. She’s given you her answer. Don’t make her—or me—tell you again.”

“I can’t believe you,” Trevor broke in. “Do you ever think about everything you’re about to ruin before you go and do something stupid and selfish? Do you even care?”

Trevor’s furious rebuke pulled Peter away from his confrontation with Carl.

“Son . . .” he said.

“Don’t. You should leave,” Trevor said.

Peter swiveled, looking blearily around for support. Trevor, turned from him contemptuously. Phoebe glaring. Carl assessing, lips pressed tight. Citlali staring at the floor.

“I— I— sorry,” he mumbled, and bolted for the door.

"Uhh . . . cake time!" Leonor chirped nervously as Peter made his stumbling retreat. "Who wants a slice? I made it myself! Al, here, try the rose frosting!"

"Are you all right?"

"Yes. Fine." Citlali let out a shuddering breath. "Do you think . . . should someone go after him?"

Carl's jaw clenched. Then, looking into her eyes, his expression softened.

"I'm not worried about Peter," he said. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine," Citlali said again, but her voice trembled. "It's just . . . I feel so sad for him."

Citlali was no longer listening to her sisters squabble.

"Carl's here!"

"You made it."

"Told ya I'd do everything in my power not to miss the wedding. I only just got back into town. I stopped off at mine to change into something more presentable than my road clothes, then came straight here."

"I'm glad you're here."

He smiled at her. "I'm glad to hear it."

"They're cute, aren't they?" Citlali asked.

"Hmm?"

"Phoebe and Hannah." Citlali nodded toward the two women, who'd been swaying in place, oblivious to anyone else, since Domingo had picked up his violin. "They've been together nearly thirty years by now, but they're still head-over-heels."

Something about the way Carl cleared his throat made Citlali forget about Phoebe and Hannah. She looked up at him.

He looked nervous. She was surprised. She'd only seen him nervous once before.

"I'd like to have something like that myself," he said. "With you. Could you see that?"

She swallowed a lump in her throat, her pulse fluttering.

"Carl, are you--proposing?"

"I don't want to steal any of Leonor and Alvin's thunder, so I'm not getting down on one knee. Not here. But, ah, yes. I am. If you'll have me. I'd like to marry you. Be a real father to Miguel. Have a family. I'd like all of it."

"Oh."

"Well?" There was a quaver in his voice she'd never heard there before.

A wave of tenderness washed over her, almost like pain.

She pressed closer, feeling the thumping of his heart against her own chest.

"Yes."

Panorama's second-ever election day arrived, and Nadya won easily. She had been running unopposed again, so it was no surprise. Yet turnout was lower than it had been for the first election. It was a trend Nadya wanted to reverse.

It was time for the big announcement.

She knew it wouldn't be popular with everyone--at least not right away. Meda Coulson, in particular, had made it clear that she expected the building of a clinic to be the town's next big project, and she had her supporters. But Nadya also knew they would fall in line once they saw the results. It just had to work, and go passably smoothly.

Not too tall an order, is it?

Here goes nothing.

"Thank you, everyone, for joining me here today. I'm honored to be entering my second term as your mayor, and I wanted to begin my term with an announcement.

"I'm proud to have seen Panorama make several great strides during my first term. We opened a school, where many of our children have received their education--mine included. And we installed a town-wide water treatment and plumbing system, allowing clean water to be pumped directly to our homes.

"Now is the time for another bold step toward making Panorama the most advanced, desirable place to live since the Before times. As my next project, I will be overseeing the building of an electrical grid and power plant, with the assistance of Carl Worth and his team of builders and engineers."

There was muttering in her audience at that, and a smattering of applause. Nadya ignored both.

"It's my promise to all of you that before we gather here again for our next election, Panorama will be powered by electricity, leading the way for more growth for our businesses, more opportunities for our children, more safety for our families, and more prosperity for everyone.

"This is my goal, and it's what I'll be working toward every day of my next term. To make Panorama the thriving heart of this region, as we all know it can be.

"Thank you."

The living room was crowded with so many people gathered, and some guests soon spilled into the kitchen.

Sam hovered at the edge of an animated conversation Nadya Fuentes-Haddad was having with the mother of the bride, trying to look interested and not as if she was hiding from anyone.

Meanwhile, out in the living room, Domingo uncased his violin and took up a spot in the corner of the room.

Domingo: "Who feels like dancing? I think I know a romantic song or two."

It was only fitting that the bride and groom had the first dance.

Al: "This is the first time I've had you to myself since we said our vows."

Leonor: "I'm all yours now."

She rested her chin on his shoulder, and they swayed together in contented silence.

Carl: "I wonder, would the beautiful lady do me the honor?"

Citlali: "I'd love to."

Phoebe: "Woah! Took me by surprise, there."

Hannah: "Just showing the kids how it's done."

Trevor: "So you and Leonor made up?"

Austin: "Jealousy looks rather fetching on you."

Trevor: "Ha."

Austin: "We're on track to become the best of friends. Though I'm not sure I can forgive her for not mentioning me in her vows. I'm more or less to thank for bringing the happy couple together in the first place, you know."

Trevor: "You're completely full of it."

Guests mingled, grabbed drinks from the bar, reminisced about old times. Nancy gave her sister a hug and a congratulations, then made her way over to the out-of-the-way corner where Sam had installed herself.

Nancy: "Hey. I'm glad you were able to make it."

Sam shrugged without meeting her eyes.

Sam: "I figured since I'm right next door I could at least make an appearance."

Nancy: "Oh."

Sam: "I think I heard my name--excuse me."

Citlali had promised Peter a chance to catch up, but it was proving impossible to get another moment with her. If her attention wasn't being taken up by Miguel or her parents or one of her sisters, it was by Carl.

Carl.

If it had been almost anyone else, someone younger, someone better looking, Peter might have been able to accept it. But Carl. What could the balding messenger offer her that he couldn't? Why him?

The question roiled in the pit of his stomach.

And the man's voice carried. Peter wished he could block it out.

"You should definitely find an excuse to wear that dress more often," he was saying to her now, the smarmy creep.

Her family members threw Citlali a few quizzical looks when she re-entered the house with Peter, but reserved their questions for later.

A frown flitted across Carl’s face at Peter’s entrance, but just as quickly passed.

"The two of you are too cute," she said to Carl and Miguel, adding a playful swoon.

It’s OK, she hoped it communicated. Nothing to worry about.

Caroming with Miguel around the room, he certainly didn’t seem threatened.

Just look at them together. This is what I want.

Peter quickly melted into the background as more guests filtered in.

First was Trevor, who made a beeline for the blond trader Austin.

"One guess who invited you," he said wryly.

"Yes. I suppose you could say I'm Nancy's date for the evening," Austin replied archly. "I saw no harm in accepting since, of course, the two of us aren't in a relationship."

"Sorry to break it to you, but I don't think you're Nancy's only date for the evening," Trevor said, throwing a glance over his shoulder at Sam Tipton, who'd just quietly entered on her own. "You might not get much attention from her tonight."

"Par for the course at a Morales family party." Austin sighed dramatically. "I suppose I'll have to find someone else to entertain me for the evening."

Next to arrive were Phoebe and Hannah, and Jeremy and heavily pregnant Meda, who quickly took a seat on one of the couches that had been pushed aside to make more space in the center of the room.

"Let me be the first to welcome you to the club," Jeremy said to Al.

"What club is that?"

"Handsome redheads who had the good sense to settle down with a stunning Panoraman woman, of course! You're a man of good taste, Al."

"Ah, thanks."

"Glad you could make it," Domingo said to Meda, taking a seat next to her.

"I wouldn't miss Leonor's wedding. I'm not sure how much mingling I have in me tonight, though."

"You're due soon?"

"First thing in spring. And believe me, it can't get here soon enough."

"It's a beautiful thing, a new baby," Domingo said wistfully. "But they don't stay babies for long. I can't believe how fast the years went."

Meda patted his shoulder. "You did a wonderful job."

Finally, with the arrival of Nadya and Walter Fuentes-Haddad, the guests were all gathered. They milled about, chatting easily, a current of expectation buzzing in the air.

"I know what you're trying to do," Trevor said, pulling Nancy aside.

"Like you mind."

"Maybe I do."

"Then why are you grinning? Relax, Trev. You'll thank me at your own wedding some day."

Trevor snorted. "You always know best, huh?"

"Yep," Nancy answered.

Miguel: "Whee! You're a good dancer, grandpa."

Nancy: "So how long do you think this whole thing is going to take? A few hours? This dress is starting to itch. Shouldn't people be arriving by now?"

Carl: "Afternoon, everybody! Am I early?"

Miguel: "Carl! Carl, you're back!"

Domingo: "So you made it! Welcome back."

Cintia: "Isn't that sweet. Good to see you again, Carl."

Miguel: "So! Did you see anything cool on the road this time? How far did you go? Did you bring me anything?"