Chapter Eleven #2
“Of course it is. If she hadn’t written her memoir, there wouldn’t have been a reporter out there hunting Aaron down.”
“You’re right, and I understand how it must feel thinking about that time of your life being splashed across tabloids and on the big screen.
But it’s in the past. The very distant past. And Cami’s right.
It’s not like Aaron is suddenly going to show up in Sunshine Bay.
Besides, if he did, there is a gorgeous six-foot-four man who would happily beat him up for you. ”
“As much as I’d appreciate your husband’s willingness to go all macho man for me, I can take care of myself.”
“My husband is a beautiful, protective beast of a man, but James wasn’t who I was talking about, so let’s try this again. And remember, while you are my sister, you are also my best friend, and best friends don’t lie to each other. So, what is really going on between you and the fabulous Flynn?”
Her sister was her person. She shared everything with her—the good, the bad, and the ugly—and Eva did the same. It hadn’t felt right keeping her relationship with Flynn from her sister, and Gia could use a sounding board.
She glanced around for any family members who might have come in search of her and Eva. When she didn’t see anyone, she raised her hand. “Pinkie swear you won’t tell a single soul.”
“In case you hadn’t noticed, we’re not kids anymore. I promise I’ll take your secret to my grave.”
Gia wiggled her baby finger.
Eva rolled her eyes but then latched on to Gia’s pinkie with hers. “I swear I will not tell a single soul that you are in love with Flynn Monroe.”
“Eva!” Gia squeezed her sister’s pinkie with her own while once again looking around the cafeteria.
Thankfully, her family and Flynn were still in the waiting room on Sage’s floor.
She had a feeling the nurses weren’t as grateful as she was.
Carmen had been standing at the nurses’ station, grilling them about her granddaughter’s condition when Eva and Gia had sneaked away. “I’m not in love with him.”
Her sister tilted her head to the side, her eyes narrowed on Gia’s face. Then she straightened her head and nodded. “Yes, you are. You just don’t want to admit it to yourself.”
“We’ve only been dating for two weeks.”
“You’re dating!”
“Why don’t you tell the entire hospital while you’re at it?”
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to yell. You took me by surprise, that’s all.”
“How? You just told me I’m in love with him.”
“Never mind that.” Eva waggled her dark eyebrows. “Tell me everything, and I mean everything. Is he good in bed? Because he looks liked he’d be amazing.”
“What does that even mean?” She waved her hand. “Never mind. I don’t want to know, and no, we haven’t slept together.”
“I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. You rarely broke your no-sex-until-nine-dates rule, but you’ve had such a long dry spell, I thought you might have skipped the waiting period. Especially because it’s Flynn Monroe .”
“You better not let your husband hear you talking about Flynn that way. You sound like you have a crush on him.”
Eva held up her thumb and forefinger. “I might have a teensy one.” She nudged her. “You have to admit the man is off-the-charts gorgeous and just an all-around great guy.”
She sighed. “He is. But come on. He’s six years younger than me, he was in love with our baby sister for at least two years, and he’s the father of my daughter.”
“Don’t worry, I’ve seen how this played out, and it’s epic. You’ll get your happily-ever-after and then some.”
Gia rolled her eyes. “Yeah, and I can guess where you saw it play out. The Young and the Restless. ”
“No. Days of Our Lives .” Eva laughed and paid the cashier, who was staring at her.
“Has anyone ever told you you look like JLo?” they asked.
“No, but thank you,” Eva said, looking anything but grateful. She got told that all the time.
“It’s a compliment, you know,” Gia said after paying and walking back to the elevator.
“No, people telling you you look like Eva Mendes is a compliment. She’s five years younger than you are. But JLo is five years older than me.”
Gia laughed “Eva, you do know time didn’t stop the day you turned fifty?” She hip-checked her sister as the elevator doors slid open and they walked on. “You’re fifty-two.”
They went back and forth teasing each other. After months of arguing over Cami, it was a nice change. But the reprieve ended as soon as the elevator doors slid open on Sage’s floor.
“Is that Ma?” Eva asked.
“If you’re referring to the woman yelling in Italian, I think we can safely assume it’s our mother,” Gia said as she fast-walked to her daughter’s room. “Ma, what’s going on?”
Jake inched his way around the far side of the room as if hoping Carmen wouldn’t notice him trying to make his escape. Gia could have told him it wouldn’t work.
“This is your fault.” Carmen stabbed her finger at him. “You tell her that she has to stay with her mother.”
He held up his hands. “I’m sorry, Ms. Rosetti, but this has nothing to do with me.”
“Ha! Are you staying at the farm or not?”
“I am,” he said, looking at Sage as if seeking support.
Sage smiled as if enjoying a little payback.
“You tell her she can’t stay with you. You tell her to come home with her family.
” Carmen waved her hand at Sage. “Look at her. She looks…” She shuddered, and Sage scowled.
“She needs us to look after her, to make sure she sleeps and eats. And you, all you’ll want is to keep her up all night having sex. ”
“Nonna!”
Jake rubbed the back of his head. “Ms. Rosetti, you know as well as I do that no one tells your granddaughter what to do.”
“Si, but that’s—”
“Ma, stop,” Gia said, walking to the hospital bed and putting her cafeteria purchases on Sage’s tray. Her daughter wrinkled her nose but smiled when Eva unloaded her contribution.
“You talk to him then. He’s convinced our Sage to stay with him at the farm instead of coming home with her family.”
“You’re not coming home with us?” Gia asked, trying to hide her disappointment but obviously failing. She’d been positive Carmen had misunderstood.
“Mom, it’s not a big deal. I’m just a few miles from you. I’ll see you all the time.”
“You’d see us all the time if you stayed at the apartment.” She tucked the blankets around Sage’s legs. “We want to look after you.”
“I’m not sick. I’m just… tired.” She patted the side of the hospital bed. “Sit. We have something we need to talk about.”
Out of the corner of her eye, Gia saw her mother sneaking out of the room. “I’m going to strangle her.”
Jake looked relieved that she’d leveled the threat against her mother and not him. He headed out the door, with Eva following close behind.
“Don’t be mad at Nonna. She was using the situation with my, uh, Aaron, to convince me to stay at the apartment in your time of need.”
“She’s too much. I’m fine, honey. Am I thrilled that your aunt wrote a book airing our family’s dirty laundry, a lot of it sadly mine?
No, I’m not. To be honest, I’m mad as hell about it, but there’s nothing I can do.
What’s done is done. And as both your aunts pointed out to me, it’s not like he’s going to show up in Sunshine Bay.
” She caught Sage’s wince before she could hide it and took her hand.
“I’m sorry. That was thoughtless of me. We’ve never really talked about your father. Would you like to see him?”
“No, of course not. It’s just…” She shook her head. “No. I’m good, and I know you’re probably hurt about me staying with Jake at the farm, but we’ve got a lot to do to settle Alice’s estate.”
“And that’s what worries me. You won’t take the time you need to heal your body and your mind.”
“Pot, kettle.”
“What do you mean?”
“How’s your body and mind, Mom?”
“They’re fine, thank you very much.” Heat climbed from her chest to her cheeks at the thought Sage had somehow found out about her and Flynn.
“Uh, Mom. You’re looking flushed, and I know for a fact that you’ve gone through menopause, so would you like to share what’s got you all worked up?”
Her daughter was an exceptional lawyer, and Gia didn’t feel like being on this side of the witness stand. She leaned over, stroking Sage’s hair from her forehead. “I love you, and I want you to get better.” She stood up and turned off the overhead light. “Get some sleep.”