FAITH IN YOU

the sequel to NOW AND ALWAYS

by Charity Pineiro

Paul Stone accepts Connie Gonzalezs invitation to join her for a
traditional and fun-filled Cuban Christmas Eve dinner. Paul is instantly
captivated by her intriguing kid sister. Carmen Gonzalez is leery
of the self-assured FBI agent whose upscale upbringing provided
him with all he ever needed. . .except love. After a fast-paced
courtship, Paul and Carmen are ready to walk down the aisle, blissfully
unaware that fate and their own secret fears will test
their fragile commitment long before they make it to the altar . . . .











Paul Stone glanced at the check with the five zeroes before the decimal point, folded it,
and then calmly tore it into tiny little pieces.
"Stone," he heard from behind him as he swept up the bits of paper into the palm of his
hand and dusted them off into the trash can. He turned and smiled as Connie Gonzalez
approached, a bright red, Santa hat sitting slightly askew on her head.
"Merry Christmas, Speedy," Paul replied and leaned back in his chair. He laced his
fingers together, rested his hands across his stomach, and stretched his legs out.
Connie returned his smile and sat on the edge of his desk. Her hands were hidden behind
her back. "They're saying you're a Scrooge and won't join the festivities." She inclined her head
in the direction of one of the interrogation rooms where an impromptu Christmas party was
underway.
He looked away and sat back up at his desk. He absentmindedly began to turn over and
over the deep burgundy envelope on his desk. "I'm not a holiday kind of guy," he answered
bluntly.
Connie tried to surreptitiously examine the envelope, but Paul shifted it away. She
shrugged and leaned over, dropped a long, rectangular box on his desk. "Regardless. Merry
Christmas, Stone."
He stared at the gaily wrapped box, but didn't touch it. "What's this?"
Connie gave him an exasperated sigh and nudged the box closer. "A Mercedes. Now get
it over with. Open it."
Paul looked at her and realized she didn't know just how possible a gift like that would be
for him. The check his parents had sent him would alone be most of the purchase price. That is,
if he cashed it. He never did, but every year they did the same thing and he wondered if one day
they would notice. Unlikely, he thought, fingering the curling ribbons adorning the present.
"Come on," Connie urged at his hesitation.
He glanced at her again. "I didn't get you anything."
Connie tossed her hands up in resignation. "That's not a prerequisite. Now open the
damn gift," she urged, although it was clear to him from the playful tone of her voice that she
wasn't angry.
Paul examined the box, turning it over and over in his hands. She had taken time with the
wrapping. The edges were neatly folded and sealed. A sticker of reindeers pulling a sled held
down the ribbon and had his name scrawled on it in her carefree script. "It's real pretty,
Speedy," he teased in his mock good ol' boy drawl.
She grew exasperated. "Haven't you ever seen a Christmas present before?" she shot
back, but seemed to regret it instantly when his face hardened.
Paul fought the tightness in his chest and replied, "My parents aren't big on presents. Just
checks. They're usually away for most holidays." Something, he didn't know what, made him
open up to her and it helped ease some of the tension. He pointed to the envelope on his desk and
Connie picked it up, examining the postmark.
"Switzerland?" she asked, clearly sorry she had caused him this discomfort.
He nodded tightly, brought his hands together and made a zigzagging motion with his
hands. "As we speak, my parents are schussing down the Alps somewhere."
"Do you have any siblings?"
"An older brother who is currently involved in a very nasty divorce battle. He's spending
his holidays trying to get his soon-to-be ex-wife to let him see his kids," Paul said, thinking that
even if Simon wasn't busy, it was unlikely they would have gotten together.
"I'm sorry, Paul." She laid a hand on his shoulder, but he shrugged it off. He didn't
need her sympathy.
"Don't be," he said harshly. "I'm not."
Despite his words, Connie seemed to sense it bothered him deeply. "I'm heading to my
parents' for Noche Buena."
Paul shook his head, not understanding. "What's Noche"
"Buena," she finished for him. "Christmas Eve. It's our big holiday along with Los
Reyes."
He didn't understand that one either. "What's whatever that second one was?"
"The Three Wise Men," Connie answered. "The Epiphany. In January."
"Oh," he responded, although he still didn't really understand. His family had never been
into religion. Well, except maybe the religion of money.
Connie went on. "Anyway, Christmas Eve we get together and have our big meal and
everything. If you don't have any plans for tonight, I thought you might want to stop by."
"I wouldn't know what to do," he said uneasily, but grabbed the present again, tracing the
curling red ribbon with his finger.
Connie laughed. "That's easy, Stone. We eat and we talk. Take a break and eat some
more. Open a few small presents. The big ones wait for Santa. After the presents, we talk, eat
even more."
"I don't know, Connie. Really, I appreciate the offer, but I'd probably feel out of place."
Connie hesitated, then drew a business card out of her pocket, turned it over, and jotted
something down. "If you change your mind, here's my parents' address and phone number.
Please reconsider it, Paul. You'll have a nice time."
He smiled, appreciating her thoughtfulness. "Thanks, Connie. You don't know how
much this means."
She leaned over and dropped a quick kiss on his cheek before walking away.
Watching her go, Paul thought of how lucky her new husband was to have a lady like her
to love. He looked at the box again, hesitantly slipped off the bright ribbon, and carefully pulled
apart the taped edges of the paper. Slowly he took the lid off the box, smiling when he saw the
tie inside. Looney Tunes characters chased each other in a Keystone Cops kind of thing along the
length of the fabric. She was always teasing him about his ties and how stodgy they were. It had
become a running joke with them.
Chuckling, he closed the box, carefully rewrapped it, and resolved to wear the tie to work
on Monday after the holidays.
What holidays? the niggling voice inside his head snipped. He had no plans for the long
weekend ahead. No one to visit. No one with whom to share the Christmas spirit. Paul
wondered why? Even Scrooge had had family who cared.
He put the box into his briefcase, sat back up, and fingered the business card she had left
on his desk. He imagined Connie and her family around the table, doing just what she had said.
Eating, talking, laughing. He imagined himself at home, watching television, and eating another
microwave dinner.
No way, he thought, and tucked the card into his pocket. He rose, took a deep breath, and
walked toward the interrogation room where the party was underway.
#
Paul stood before the door, hesitant, juggling the two boxes in his hands. For a moment
he considered turning around and going back to his house, but that held little appeal for him. The
prospect of entering this world, however, was just as daunting.
He looked around the neighborhood, one he had not been in before. His haunts were
upscale, not these blocks of decidedly working class homes in the Cuban part of town. Still, the
bulk of the homes on this street were clean and well-kept and boasted festive decorations for the
upcoming holidays.
Fortifying himself with a deep breath and smelling something so delicious his stomach
growled, he knocked on the door, hoping that someone would hear him over the noise of the
music and conversation that came from behind the weathered wood. He waited for a few minutes
and considered leaving again, but as he was about to knock once more, the door flew open.
The rather tall elf standing before him couldn't be real, he thought and checked the
address again. It was the right one and he shrugged and asked, "Is this the Gonzalez residence?"
Carmen Gonzalez stared right back at him, thinking that this was one Anglo who was
clearly in the wrong part of town. He had, however, asked for the Gonzalez residence although
Gonzalez was kind of like Smith and it was still possible he was in the wrong place. "It is, but if
you don't mind my asking, who are you?"
"Paul Stone," he replied.
Carmen bit back her immediate thought. This very handsome, seemingly polite man
could not be the same Paul Stone who had broken her sister's arm and been the bane of Connie's
existence throughout the FBI academy. That Paul Stone would have been staring down his nose
at her and her family's very simple home.
"Is Connie around?" Paul asked, and as the young woman turned to call out to someone in
the mass of people in the house, he took his time enjoying the sight of her and realized she must
be Connie's younger sister.
She was taller than Connie, at least 5'6" or so. Sexy in a way that Connie couldn't be
with her slight stature. This girl, for she was young as well, had all the right curves. All of them,
he thought again, admiring how the red sweater clung to her breasts and her dress slacks hugged
her ample hips and small waist.
She looked at him once more and he smiled, appreciating her elfin face. Connie had
recently been bemoaning her sister's decision to get what she had called a "Marine buzz cut", but
it was anything but that. Her dark brown-black hair was closely cropped to her head, which only
helped to show off a face that wasn't classically beautiful. It was the face of a sprite, sassy and
inviting. Her lips were full, glossed with something shiny in a warm red. The nose was straight
and small. Her brows and eyes, dark like sinfully rich chocolate, were her most attractive
feature. They were expressive, giving away all that she was thinking. Like in this case, the fact
that she clearly didn't believe who he was and what he was doing there on her doorstep.
She blushed as she noticed his perusal. "Why don't you come on in?" She held the door
open wider and motioned for him to enter.
"Can I assume that you're Carmen?" he asked and stood awkwardly in the foyer of her
house, waiting for Connie to appear.
She nodded. "You assumed right." Her eyes challenged him, seemingly saying, "Yeah
and you want to make something out of it?" For some reason, and Paul actually could think of
quite a few reasons if he took the time, this lady clearly seemed to dislike him.
He was spared from further conversation as Connie entered, walked up, and gave him a
quick hug. "I'm glad you decided to take me up on my offer."
Connie turned, inclining her head in the direction of her sister. "I'm assuming you've
already met my baby sister, Carmen."
Paul relished seeing Carmen squirm. "Actually, no. We haven't been formally
introduced." He held out his hand, daring her to take it. "Paul Stone. I work with your sister."
Carmen glared at him and the hand he was offering as if he was an alien being. She
glanced at her sister, who nodded and said, "Paul and I have become friends over the past few
months."
Carmen considered what her sister had just said and found it hard to believe. Still, it had
to be true if Connie had invited this man to her family's celebration. Only friends and family
qualified for invites to Christmas Eve. Carmen shrugged, took hold of Paul's hand and found
herself totally unprepared for the tingle as he shook her hand and continued to hold it long after it
was necessary.
She stared up into his eyes, a deep blue with flecks of green like a tropical jungle pool,
and fought the warmth his gaze created inside her. "It's nice to meet you, I guess."
He smiled, leaned close to her, and whispered, "Is it some special skill that I have, or are
all Gonzalez women so prickly?"
The heat of his breath fanned her cheek, tempting her to turn her face the small distance it
would be necessary for that warmth to be against her. Instead she pulled away. "Maybe it's just
that the Gonzalez sisters are smart enough to shy away from a pretty-boy Anglo like you."
Paul straightened and chuckled. "Well, at least you think I'm pretty," he said and handed
Connie the boxes. "I couldn't come empty-handed. The big one's for your parents. The other
one's for you." He grinned, shrugged, and motioned to Carmen. "I guess you've been a bad girl
'cause Santa left you off his list."
Carmen glared at him and walked away into the other room.
He faced Connie, shaking his head. "I just don't get it."
Connie considered him for a second before she responded. "Make sure you don't get it,"
she stressed, coming close, and poking a manicured finger into his chest. "She's my little sister
and I want you to treat her right."
Paul grabbed her finger and gave it a playful shake. "Now, Speedy. I can assure you that
I am a perfect gentleman. If I ask your sister out, I assure you I will behave." Naughtily, he
thought to himself certain that the 'if' was more likely a 'when' despite her sister's less than
cordial greeting.
"Remember, Stone. I know where you live and I've got a gun."

Copyright Notice
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product
of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales,
or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
Copyright 1999 by Caridad Pieiro Scordato
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this
work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now
known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any
information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of Caridad
Pieiro Scordato.
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By
payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right
to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced,
transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any
information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or
mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of
publisher.

Visit Charity/Caridads websites at www.caridad.com and www.charitypineiro.com.
Cover design by Caridad Pieiro Scordato
Manufactured in the United States of America
About the Author
Charity Pineiro is the pseudonym for New York Times and USA Today
bestselling author and RITA Finalist Caridad Pineiro. Charity/Caridad wrote
her first novel in the fifth grade when her teacher assigned a project to write a
book for a class lending library. Bitten by the writing bug, Caridad continued
with her passion for the written word and in 1999, Caridads first novel was released. Over a
decade later, Caridad is the author of nearly 40 published novels and novellas. When not
writing, Caridad is a wife, and mother to an aspiring writer and fashionista. For more
information, please visit www.caridad.com or www.charitypineiro.com.
Additional Books by Charity Pineiro
NOW AND ALWAYS June 2013 ISBN B00DIGN3B6, Print ISBN 1490362770
Additional Books by the Author Writing as Caridad Pineiro
Books in The Sin Hunter Series
THE CLAIMED May 2012 ISBN 978-0446584609 Forever Grand Central Publishing
THE LOST August 2011 ISBN 978-0446584616 Forever Grand Central Publishing

Books in The Sins Series
STRONGER THAN SIN November 2010 ISBN 0446543845 Forever Grand Central
Publishing
SINS OF THE FLESH November 2009 ISBN 0446543837 Forever Grand Central
Publishing

Other Novels by Caridad
THE PRINCES GAMBLE November 2012 ISBN 978-1-62266-800-7 Entangled
Publishing
THE FIFTH KINDOM July 2011 ISBN 9781426891885 Carina Press
SOLDIERS SECRET CHILD Dec 2008 ISBN 0373276109 Silhouette Romantic
Suspense

Novellas
GHOST OF A CHANCE, paranormal short story November 2012 ISBN
B00AUGV89G Caridad Pineiro Publishing
HER VAMPIRE LOVER October 2012 ISBN 9781459242289 Nocturne Cravings
Novella
NIGHT OF THE COUGAR June 2012 ISBN 9781459231153 Nocturne Cravings
Novella
THE VAMPIRES CONSORT April 2012 ISBN 9781459222731 Harlequin Nocturne
Cravings Novella
NOCTURNAL WHISPERS February 2012 ISBN 9781459221437 Harlequin Nocturne
Cravings Novella
AMAZON AWAKENING December 2011 ISBN 9781459282766 Available Harlequin
Nocturne Cravings Novella
WHEN HERALD ANGELS SING novella in A VAMPIRE FOR CHRISTMAS
October 2011 ISBN 0373776446 HQN
AZTEC GOLD January 2011 ISBN 9781426891045 Carina Press Novella
Crazy for the Cat in MOON FEVER Oct 2007 ISBN 1416514902 Pocket Books

Books in THE CALLING/THE REBORN Vampire Novel Series
BORN TO SERVE, October 2013, ISBN Not Available Entangled Publishing
BORN TO LOVE, November 2013, ISBN Not Available Entangled Publishing
BORN TO DIE, December 2013, ISBN Not Available Entangled Publishing
BORN TO VENGEANCE (formerly VENGEANCE CALLS) August 2013 ISBN Not
Available Entangled Publishing
KISSED BY A VAMPIRE (formerly ARDOR CALLS) October 2012 ISBN
9780373885589 Harlequin Nocturne
AWAKENING THE BEAST Collection featuring HONOR CALLS October 2009
ISBN 0373250940 Silhouette Nocturne
FURY CALLS March 2009 ISBN 0373618077 Silhouette Nocturne
HONOR CALLS February 2009 ISBN 9781426828362 Nocturne Bite
HOLIDAY WITH A VAMPIRE December 2007 ISBN 0373617763 Silhouette
Nocturne
THE CALLING COMPLETE COLLECTION October 2008 ISBN 9781426807657
Silhouette Includes Darkness Calls, Danger Calls, Temptation Calls, Death Calls,
Devotion Calls, and Blood Callsas well as a the online read Desire Calls.
BLOOD CALLS May 2007 ISBN 0373617631 Silhouette Nocturne
DEVOTION CALLS January 2007 ISBN 0373617550 Silhouette Nocturne
DEATH CALLS Dec 2006 ISBN 0373617534 Silhouette Nocturne
TEMPTATION CALLS Oct 2005 ISBN 0373274602 Silhouette Intimate Moments
DANGER CALLS June 2005 ISBN 0373274416 Silhouette Intimate Moments
DARKNESS CALLS Mar 2004 ISBN 0373273533 Silhouette Intimate Moments

Romantic Suspense Series
SECRET AGENT REUNION Aug 2007 ISBN 0373275463 Silhouette Romantic
Suspense
MORE THAN A MISSION Aug 2006 ISBN 037327498X Silhouette Intimate Moments