Love in Country (De La Fuente Family #4)(12)

“I noticed.” My heart sinks when I hear it out loud because she isn’t the only one to have lost weight.

I’ve been worried about Sarah and her lack of communication this past week that I walked out on the end of my European contract and brought Rae back to Montana with me.

She doesn’t have a permanent home and as we’re shooting a commercial together soon, I figured coming here with me was for the best. Plus she can visit her daughter, Andie, who isn’t too far away in school.

“I told you this was a bad idea without talking to Sarah first,” Rae offers.

“I would have spoken to her first if she’d have been talking to me,” I growl, feeling so damn helpless.

“Come inside.” Lucia, my stepmother steps out on the back deck. “Let Sarah calm down and talk to her when she comes out here tomorrow morning. But, Aiden, you better make sure you know what you’re going to say to her because that girl is hurting.” She stares at me pointedly before continuing in a hushed tone meant for my ears only, “It’s about time you both stop living a lie, especially that husband of hers.”

I watch dumbfounded as she goes back inside. Her reaction really shouldn’t surprise me. Lucia adores Sarah and considers her family. And truthfully neither Sarah nor I have been that great at concealing our feelings for each other. But to know my stepmother accepts me being with Sarah takes a weight that I hadn’t known was there from my shoulders. Her last words though make me think that perhaps she knows the truth about Greg. But how?

Putting some of Lucia’s words to the back of my mind for now, I hold my hand out and pull Rae inside and to the guest bedroom. “I’ll go and grab your things.”

I quickly leave the room before she can say a word and avoiding the kitchen, I step outside and breathe.

What the hell was I thinking bringing Rae back with me before I’d explained about her to Sarah?

My brain needs to start working because I’m suddenly seeing how my relationship with Rae looks. I just thought Sarah would trust me.

“You’re thinking too hard,” Mateo drawls and pulls me into a hug.

I offer him a wry smile and watch as he leans against the porch.

“How’s my niece and her gorgeous mom?” I ask, itching to visit them so that I can cuddle with tiny Francesca. At least she’s one female who wouldn’t be unhappy with me.

“They’re good, but you look like shit.”

Laughing, I drop my ass into a chair. “I tell you. When I screw up, I screw up big time.”

“So I heard,” he comments.

I raise a brow wondering who he’s been talking to.

“Diego was attacking the feed like he wanted to kill it, so I eventually got it out of him.” Mateo shakes his head. “I can’t believe you brought Rae here when you’ve been after Sarah for a long time.”

“Fuck.” I jump out of my seat and pace in agitation. “I’m so use to Rae that I don’t take notice of the shit that gets out there about us anymore.” I run my hands through my hair. “You and the others know about her. I haven’t exactly hidden her…Hell, we’ve been friends for years and she always kept me grounded when I was on the circuit. She’s like a sister, Mateo.”

Mateo reaches out and squeezes my shoulder. “I’m not the one you have to convince.”





7


SARAH


“What are you up to today?” Greg asks.

What I really want to tell him is that I intend to hide away from the De La Fuentes all day…at least one in particular, instead I admit, “There are a couple of horses that need checking out up at the De La Fuente farm so I’ll be there awhile.” My heart isn’t in it today but I refuse to let anyone down.

I quickly glance at Greg and then continue with washing the breakfast dishes. I can hear Greg moving around behind me but I really don’t want conversation today, I just want to be left alone so I don’t burst into tears, which are threatening to fall. Keeping my head down, I pray that Greg won’t start with the questions, but with a heavy sigh, Greg says, “You need to talk to Aiden so you can either forgive him or start to get over him.”

Hearing his words, I fumble with the dishcloth and give up in the end. My fists grip the edge of the basin while I blink rapidly to stop the flow of tears.

“He brought her home with him,” I whisper and stare unseeing through the back window.

“Who?”

I turn and glare at him because I’m convinced that he knows who I’m talking about. “The woman he’s been snapped around Europe with.”

The guilty look on his face is fleeting, but it was there. I narrow my eyes. “I knew it! That’s why you suddenly stopped leaving the newspapers lying around. He was in them.”

“Hey, don’t get mad at me.” Greg holds his hands out in front of him. “I’ve seen how he is with you, Sarah. The man loves you and once I told him that I’m gay he was so damn relieved.”

“You told him?” I find that hard to believe.

“I did. He loves you and he needed to know. I asked him to not say anything to anyone or you.”

My expression must worry him because he adds, “I’ve spoken to him, Sarah. There is no way that man doesn’t love you. There will be a perfectly good reason…Give him the benefit of the doubt, ask him.”