Love in Country (De La Fuente Family #4)(22)

“Then why haven’t you been following Sarah around? You’d be out of the house like a shot the minute she’d pull up before. Now that Rae is here I haven’t seen you looking for Sarah for a week or two.”

Six days since I last saw her.

I frown. “Sarah’s still been here?”

Lucia gives me a funny sort of look. “Of course she has. She’s the only vet in town and a damn good one. Your father won’t have anyone but Sarah look after the animals. You know that.”

“I haven’t seen her around.”

“Probably because she’s tried to stay invisible, and you’ve been too busy or distracted to notice.” I hear censorship in her words.

I drop my head into my hands. “I haven’t seen her in six days. She hasn’t messaged me or replied to my message asking if she’s okay. I’ve been busy with filming and working around here. Most nights I’ve had the intention of going to see her.” I run my hands through my hair. “I guess I’ve also been putting it off because I’m tired of her not trusting me.” I look at Lucia and let her see how much I’m really hurting because I want and need Sarah’s trust.

“How can she trust you when the gossip about you and Rae is hot and you’ve stayed away from her?”

“She knows I’m only friends with Rae,” I mumble. “I’m exhausted, Lucia.”

“Well, get some rest while Sarah isn’t around. Your father told me she’s left town with Greg for a time.”

My head snaps to Lucia who suddenly seems more interested in the dough than the news she just dropped.

Gone where with Greg?

“Oh,” is the only response that I can muster.

“I’m worried about you, Aiden. I always am.”

I walk to Lucia and place a kiss to her forehead, my arm wrapping around her shoulders. “I love you…please don’t worry about me.”

Needing five minutes to get my emotions under control, I make it to my room and stare out of the window.

Hearing that she’s left town with Greg froze my heart and sent my head spinning with confusion. Why would she do that when their marriage isn’t real? Did he lie to me about being gay?

I hate feeling jealous and I realize Sarah must feel the same when she thinks of Rae and me, and the feeling isn’t nice.





11


SARAH


It’s been three weeks, two days, and four hours since my last encounter with Aiden when we’d had our hands all over each other in the barn.

I was out of town for a week during that time ironing out the terms of the divorce with Greg’s lawyer.

Where at one time I would have felt excited about the prospect of being single and free, now I’m just going along with it knowing that it’s something that needs to happen. There isn’t much for me to celebrate when the man that’s inside of my heart has been very elusive.

Not one word from him.

I’ve been so tempted to message him, but part of me wants him to be the one to get in touch first so that I know his attention isn’t purely on Rae, except I guess that’s where it is.

I’ve tried not to let the lack of contact distract me or ruin the joy of buying my first real home. The one with Greg doesn’t really count as we were only roommates, because we didn’t have a real marriage, and the house was leased.

Regardless of my gloom, I smile as I watch Greg and Matthew maneuver my refrigerator so it fits just right with the counters. It’s cream colored with a large fridge on the top and the freezer on the bottom. It matches the stove and the cheap wooden table and chairs that I bought from the secondhand store in town.

I’m not sure what I would have done if I’d fallen out with Greg because both he and Matthew have been no end of help in getting me moved into my new home.

I don’t have that many personal things to move in. In fact, I have more books than anything else, which the men complained about while they carried box after box inside.

After working most of the day, my cabin is looking more like a home and I couldn’t be happier. The smell of fresh paint lingers from last week when we painted throughout to give the place a renewed, welcoming look, but it’s nothing bad now.

Tonight will be my first night spent inside these walls, and my belly has a nervous flutter. Greg and Matthew offered to buy me dinner to celebrate, but I declined. I just want to be alone and sit in the peace and quiet of my new home.

“How’s that look?” Matthew asks, stepping back from the fridge. “Look’s good I think.”

I smile and bring my attention back to the kitchen. “Perfect.” And it is.

Greg wraps an arm around my shoulders and holds me close. “Are you going to be okay, Sarah?”

“Yeah.”

Matthew chuckles. “That didn’t sound very convincing.” He raises a brow. “You’re more than welcome to stay out at the farm with us.”

I’ve gotten to know Matthew in these past few weeks and he is a genuinely nice guy. The distraction of having Greg move in with him has helped keep my own overthinking at bay.

“I know that,” I answer in reply to Matthew’s invitation. “I also appreciate it, but I’ll be just fine here. Please don’t worry about me.”

“Um,” Greg clears his throat, “you’ve heard the rumors going around about Aiden, right?”