Free Like No One Else by Maureen Smith

division. I was very impressed with her, which is why we hired her. She was intelligent and dependable, a consummate professional. Ted Colston never had any complaints about her—nor did anyone else, for that matter.”
    Paulo nodded. “I remember meeting her at the fund-raiser dinner two years ago.”
    â€œThat’s right. You were there.” Naomi smiled sadly. “I was secretly hoping that you and Maribel would hit it off that night. She was such a nice young lady, and I thought you two might make a great couple.”
    â€œReally?” Paulo was surprised by the admission. “You made me promise to be on my best behavior.”
    â€œBecause I didn’t want you to be so busy flirting with other women that you’d completely overlook Maribel. She was beautiful, but she didn’t advertise her assets the way some women do. You know the ones I’m talking about.”
    Paulo chuckled dryly. “The ones I’m usually attracted to, you mean.”
    â€œWell, yes, now that you mention it.” Naomi smiled softly. “Maribel wasn’t like that. She was modest, and painfully shy when it came to men.”
    Paulo thought about the way Maribel had flirted boldly with him that evening, and decided not to contradict his cousin’s opinion.
    â€œAnyway, I guess Maribel wasn’t your type,” Naomi continued, a hint of reproach in her voice. “Afterward, when I casually asked her what she’d thought of you, she said you were a hunk, but you didn’t seem particularly interested in her.” She gave an elegant shrug. “I decided not to push the issue.”
    Ignacio shook his head, smiling wryly at Paulo. “She’s conveniently forgetting the part where I told her not to meddle in your love life.”
    Naomi snorted. “Since when has that ever stopped me?”
    Ignacio and Paulo laughed. The Santiago women had been plotting to find the perfect mate for Paulo for as long as he could remember. In the wake of his bitter divorce they’d intensified their efforts, introducing him to a slew of friends, coworkers, clients’ daughters and nieces, even “smart, attractive” women they’d met and chatted up at the hair salon. To date, their matchmaking campaign had been unsuccessful. Paulo wasn’t interested in a relationship, and he was perfectly capable of finding his own bedmates.
    Unbidden, an image of Tommie Purnell flashed through his mind. He wondered what his family would think of her. Would Naomi regard Tommie as one of those women who shamelessly “advertised” her assets? Would Angela, Rebecca, and Daniela have anything in common with her?
    Paulo scowled at the direction of his thoughts. Why the hell should he care what his family thought of Tommie? It wasn’t as if he intended to introduce her to them. Not in this lifetime.
    Giving himself a hard mental shake, Paulo returned to the matter at hand. “I understand Maribel was originally from Brownsville.”
    â€œThat’s right,” Ignacio confirmed. “She left home to attend college in San Antonio. She—”
    â€œMaribel lived in San Antonio?” Paulo interrupted.
    â€œYes. She attended St. Mary’s University. After graduation she went to work for Crandall Thorne. You’ve probably heard of him before—”
    â€œBig-time criminal defense attorney? Yeah, I’ve heard of him. His son, Caleb, is married to a friend of mine’s sister.”
    â€œWhat a small world,” Naomi remarked.
    â€œYou can say that again,” Paulo murmured. “So Maribel worked at Thorne’s law firm?”
    â€œFor two years,” Ignacio replied. “She liked it there, but she was unhappy in San Antonio. She said she wanted a change of pace. When she learned about the vacancy at our firm, she immediately applied for the job.”
    â€œAlthough she’d only been out of college for two years,” Naomi