Love in Country: De La Fuente Family #4

by Lexi Buchanan

  It wasn’t just of the same night either. Paris. Rome. Milan. Berlin. The list goes on.

  “Dammit, Sarah. I don’t know what’s going on with you, but I’m going to bed. Next time Aiden calls, please answer.”

  I don’t respond because I don’t want to lie to him when I have no intention of answering another of Aiden’s calls or messages again.

  AIDEN

  “Something has to be wrong.” I work out the time back home in Montana, knowing that it isn’t too late at night.

  “There could be something wrong with her phone. Lots of reasons as to why she isn’t answering,” Rae, my best friend for the past ten years tries to reassure me.

  “No.” I shake my head. “Greg said he’d check on her and he must have done so by now, but I still haven’t heard from her.”

  Rae shakes her head and the messy ponytail she has in tumbles down. “I can’t handle you pacing back and forth any longer, I’m going for a nap before we have to do that party thing tonight.” She stares at me pointedly. “You do realize that you owe me big time for doing this for you, right? I mean, big, huge…no escaping.”

  I roll my eyes. “I owe you big time.” I smile and walk over to her, wrapping my arm around her shoulders and dropping a kiss the top of her head. “Go get some rest.” I shove her into her bedroom and close the door so that I don’t disturb her.

  As beautiful as Rae is, I’ve never seen her as more than like a sister to me. I feel protective of her. She’s always been there for me over the years that I was on the European circuit, and I’ve always been there as someone to lean on.

  Most people don’t understand our friendship and it’s always been misconstrued in the media. Articles have often reported us as a couple. After a while we’d learned to let it roll off our backs. I guess part of me gets where they’re coming from, but to Rae and me, it’s just natural.

  Which is why I asked her to accompany me on this trip. I knew if I didn’t they’d shove a woman onto my arm in each city we stopped, and that was the last thing I wanted.

  Of course the woman I really want here with me is back home in Montana currently avoiding me and I don’t know why. At first I put it down to her being busy, but after five days of not talking to her or even receiving one message I’m worried.

  Every time my cell beeps I’ve been jumping for it, and each time I’m always disappointed. Hearing it going off now, I’m afraid of it being someone else. With Rae taking a cap, I grab it anyway as not to disturb her.

  Greg: She’s okay. Won’t answer her phone. Won’t say why. Just sat outside in the dark.

  Me: She must have said something???

  Greg: She said she was tired. Got the feeling she’s pissed with you about something. Good night.

  I have no idea what the hell is going on with her but I sure as hell am going to find out.

  6

  Sarah

  “You’ve lost weight,” Diego comments as I drink coffee with him on the back porch.

  I pause with the mug halfway to my mouth and look at him, a frown on my brow.

  Have I really lost weight?

  “You’re missing Aiden?”

  Shaking my head, I place the coffee back on the table and look out toward the mountains, a sigh on my lips. “Not really.”

  Diego laughs. “You don’t lie very well, Sarah.”

  “I’m not lying.”

  Diego gently reaches out and touches my shoulder. “Look at me.”

  I turn and meet his gaze. “Tell me.”

  Diego and Kasey are the youngest two brothers and they’re nearly always teasing and joking around. However, easygoing Diego is now serious and although I don’t know him that well, I just want to open up to him and get it out.

  “Hey, don’t cry.”

  “Aiden doesn’t want me anymore,” I blurt out as the tears fall down my face. “He’s been touring around Europe with another woman. They’re all over the Internet and, I’m guessing the newspapers.”

  Diego curses and tugs me into his chest. “I know you’re upset at having seen him with someone else, but I know from Kasey that sometimes women are shoved on their arms for publicity and not for the reason that you’re imagining…You need to talk to him.”

  I shake my head and pull away. “It’s the same woman in each picture, no matter which country he’s in.”

  Diego frowns at my words.

  “Let’s just leave it alone. My life is complicated enough as it is.”

  Diego looks over my shoulder and glances back to me. I have no interest as to who is behind me because I have no intention of staying around anymore. “I have to go.”

  “Sarah…” Diego tries to stop me.

  I turn to leave and freeze when I find Aiden at the bottom of the steps.

  He looks me over as I do the same with him before my brain starts working again, and that’s when I spot the woman from the photographs moving around the corner of the house toward Aiden.

  “Aiden, why aren’t we going inside?”

  My eyes widen and behind me Diego curses a blue streak before he steps beside me, his arm going around my waist. I’m sure that’s the only reason why I stay on my feet.

  Aiden glances between Diego and me, a frown forming on his handsome face.

  “Aiden?” the woman questions impatiently.

  “That the woman from the pictures?” Diego whispers the question.

  I nod.

  “In a minute,” Aiden answers her but his eyes stay on me.

  “You’re home?” I shake my head at stating the obvious. Of course he’s home, and he’s brought her... “I need to leave.”

  Turning, I dash around to the front of the house and climb into my car. I take off down the drive like a bat out of hell with tears running down my face blurring my vision.

  As soon as I know the house is out of sight, I pull over sharply, wiping at my tear stained face. It won’t take me long to get home and when I do I really hope that Greg isn’t around to witness my complete breakdown, and all because I trusted Aiden De La Fuente.

  AIDEN

  I move to chase after Sarah, but Diego steps in my way. “You’re an asshole.” I brace myself for his fist, which looks ready to fly at my face.

  “Diego, I don’t have time for this shit. I need to stop her from leaving.” I go to step around him, but he grabs my arm in a tight hold.

  “You’ll let her go and stop hurting her.”

  His words penetrate my brain and I pause to look at him. “I haven’t done anything?”

  Diego narrows his eyes and looks over my shoulder. “Not only has Sarah seen you on the Internet with her, but you had to bring her home with you.” He shakes his head. “Why’d you tell Sarah that you loved her? When it’s obvious to her and me that you don’t. You’re my brother but right now I want to hit you.” He glares and everything starts to sink into my thick skull.

  “That’s Rae,” I whisper, feeling defeated.

  “Rae? As in your best friend, Rae?” Diego stares behind me.

  “Yes.”

  “Fuck me!” He scowls. “Then why the fuck did you let Sarah believe otherwise?”

  “I didn’t…dammit. I never said anything.” I run my hands through my short hair. “I’m not even sure that I’ve ever mentioned Rae to her and it didn’t occur to me that she’d see pictures of me with her in Europe.”

  “I’ve got better shit than this to do.” Diego steps around me, and jumping down the steps, he glares at Rae. He turns with his hands in his pockets. “You’ve got major explaining to do to Sarah if you ever want to be with her again. She’s upset and not just a little bit. She’s lost weight, bro, and that’s all down to you.”

  “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.”

  * * *

  “Sarah, have you been crying?” Emelia blurts the question out and startles me into laughter.

  “I’m fine.” I offer a smile and turn back to loading my gear into the SUV so that I can leave even though I should really be looking for Aiden. The sooner I get it over with the better, but I guess part of me is afraid of what he’ll say.

  “Emelia, I promise I’m fine,” I add when Aiden’s stepsister looks doubtful.

  “Okay, I’ll leave you alone. I actually came outside to see if I could tempt you into having a cup of coffee and a homemade blueberry muffin.”

  My mouth waters and usually I would accept. “I’m sorry, it’s a busy day today.”

  “Maybe next time.” Emelia jogs back to the house but not before giving me one last glance over her shoulder.

  Sighing in relief, I realize my reprieve is short lived as I catch sight of Aiden striding toward me from the house.

  Aiden always makes my heart pitter patter in my chest whenever I spot him. His forest green eyes keep me enthralled. His sensuous lips are soft and needy whenever they connect with mine...and I might be angry and upset with him, but I can’t lie about my feelings for the man as tears hover on my lashes.

  And now as he gets closer, I panic and slam the door closed. Dashing around the side of the vehicle, I’m just about to climb in when Aiden’s arm wraps around my stomach to pull me backward into him.

  “Where are you going in such a rush?” he whispers into my ear. “We need to talk…Clear the air, but God, I’ve missed you.” He buries his face in the curve of my neck, sending goose bumps down my spine, and breathes heavily as though he’s inhaling me.

  My body betrays me at his touch and pleasure pools at the juncture of my thighs while I try to think of a verbal response because I’m still angry with him.

  “Sarah…my Sarah,” he whispers, his voice breaking. “I’ll explain about Rae, but please tell me I haven’t lost you? Not after waiting so long to have you.”

  “I want to believe that there is an us,” I admit. “The images can’t be unseen, Aiden.” I try to step away but Aiden steps with me, his hand flexing on my stomach.

  “Let me explain.” Aiden lets go of me but takes my hand and intertwines his fingers with mine.

  He tugs me into the barn, ignoring his brother Diego, and shoves me into the small office. The door closes behind us.

  I open my mouth to speak but Aiden silences me when he stands so close. He cups my face in his hands and gazes into my eyes. “Don’t be upset. I hate that you saw them without knowing anything about her, and I guess me…She’s only a friend, Sarah.”

  Aiden drops his forehead to mine and I feel him tremble when my hands touch his sides.

  “I’ve been friends with Rae for around ten years. She’s like another sister to me. That’s all she’s ever been and all she will ever be. She’s an attractive woman, but I’ve never been sexually attracted to her.” He smiles. “And since I’ve met you my eyes have most definitely been only on you.”

  He k
isses my nose and slowly kisses my lips. “I should have told you about her, but I’m just so used to her being with me at these parties as a warning to other women to stay clear. It didn’t even dawn on me to tell you…I’m sorry for that.”

  My body melts into liquid fire when Aiden takes control and kisses me. His lips are soft yet demanding, and when he kisses down my neck and nuzzles a breast through my shirt I’m about to come on the spot…but we can’t do this. “Aiden,” I moan as his lips caress back over mine.

  “I know.” He sighs heavily. “God, I’ve missed you so much, Sarah.” His hand strokes down through my hair to land on my bottom. “So damn much. It killed me when you stopped talking to me.”

  Pulling back, Aiden cups my face again, and his forehead drops to mine. His beautiful eyes blaze with love.

  “You’re the only one I want, Sarah, and I’m so damn sorry that I hurt you.” He exhales. “There is so much shit out there about Rae and me that I’ve learned over the years to ignore it. It’s all speculation and it’s never interfered with my life before now. I should have realized and I’m sorry that I’m an idiot and didn’t think.”

  His body surrounds me, his hips gently rock against mine. “I love you.” He breathes seconds before his lips claim mine.

  His taste is so familiar, and I want nothing more than to get lost in him and trust in what he has just told me, but there are questions niggling at me.

  Aiden slowly raises his head when he realizes that I’ve stopped participating in the kiss, and as he watches closely his eyes fill with sadness.

  His hands drop away and he steps back, but I follow and bring his face close to mine. “I still love you, Aiden...I just don’t understand how she can be your friend for so long and yet Diego doesn’t know who she is, or why you brought her home with you. Please help me to understand your connection to her.”