Chapter Twenty-Two
I t was surreal standing with the man who Sage had spent her entire life believing had abandoned her only to discover it hadn’t been intentional. He hadn’t left them because he hadn’t loved them enough. He hadn’t left them because she’d done something wrong.
It didn’t matter that she was thirty and well aware that a child blaming herself was a common psychological effect of divorce. Somehow the belief that it was her fault her father had left had lingered in her subconscious, feeding on the lies she’d told herself. She could finally let it go.
It hadn’t been anyone’s fault—not hers, his, or her mother’s. Sage glanced at Cami. Did her aunt bear some responsibility, as her father seemed to imply? As if she knew what Sage was thinking, Cami’s eyes widened, and she slowly shook her head.
Willow, who sat at Cami’s side, frowned but then seemed to understand what was going on and made a disbelieving sound.
Despite Willow’s fiancé trying to convince her to stay out of it, she jumped to her feet, said something to Cami, and then the two of them were headed her way.
Make that four, Sage thought, when her grandmother and Aunt Eva got up to follow them.
She wasn’t the only one who had noticed. Behind her, Jake swore softly, and her mother groaned. In front of her, Aaron moved nervously from one foot to the other, fidgeting with the collar of his colorful dress shirt.
Sage didn’t blame him. Finding yourself in the crosshairs of one Rosetti was bad enough; four of them was terrifying. “Why don’t we talk tomorrow?” Sage suggested.
“Yeah, that’d be good.” He leaned toward her, then leaned back, raised an arm, then a hand, unsure, it seemed, whether he should kiss her or hug her or shake her hand.
She sympathized with his dilemma. “I’ll walk you to your car.” She moved to his side, noting Jake taking a step toward her. “Alone,” she said, unhappy with how he’d acted toward her father.
Jake was bossy and protective. She didn’t need bossy and protective. She needed supportive and understanding.
“I’ll join you,” her mother said, giving Sage a look that said she wouldn’t take no for an answer. Her mother also sent a back off look to her own intimidating six-foot-four male but softened it with a smile.
Sage’s father caught the exchange and didn’t look pleased. Sage ignored the ping of a warning alert going off inside her. It was an understandable reaction from a man who was obviously still very much in love with his wife.
“Your boyfriend?” he asked her mother.
“Yes, it is,” Gia said, glancing back at Flynn.
Sage wondered how she felt about him comforting Cami. Apparently, her father wondered the same thing. “You sure? He looks pretty chummy with your sister.” His brow furrowed, and he stopped walking, reaching for Gia’s arm. “Willow, your sister’s kid—”
“Willow is my sister’s biological child, but she is my daughter. What about her?”
“She called that guy Dad .” He jerked his thumb in Flynn’s direction. “Is he your boyfriend or your husband?”
“My boyfriend, but my love life is none of your business, Aaron. You gave up a right to have a say in it a long time ago. In fact, I gave you too much say over me when were together. So why don’t you tell me why you’re really here?”
Sage filed away the first hint she’d ever had that all hadn’t been right in her parents’ marriage. It was something they needed to talk about.
Aaron wasn’t listening to her mother. His gaze and mind were back with Flynn and Cami and Willow, and Sage knew the moment he’d put it together.
He laughed. “Are you shitting me right now? You’re dating your sister’s ex and your daughter’s father?
Holy shit, Gia, what the hell are you thinking?
” He shook his head. “It’s like history repeating itself.
You really are a glutton for punishment. I—”
Sage held up her hand. “Enough. You do not get to come to my home and speak to my mother like that.” She rubbed Gia’s arm. “I’ve got this, Mom.”
“I, uh, I’m sorry. I was out of line.” He lifted a shoulder. “It’s just, you know, hard seeing you with another man.”
“It was hard seeing you fawning all over my sister. It was really hard when you followed her to LA and left me with two babies and no income, but that’s in the past, and honestly, I should probably thank you for leaving us.
We have a great life, and I don’t need you coming here and stirring things up.
So I’ll repeat, what are you doing here? ”
Sage smiled, relieved to see her mother’s fiery spirit emerge. It didn’t show itself often, but when it did, Sage would bet on her mom every time.
“You sure you’ve got a great life? I mean, I’m not one to judge, but I caught you and your sister going at it on Instagram.
Didn’t look like the happy little family you’re pretending to be, especially with her cozying up to your boyfriend.
” He made a face and then held up a hand.
“Ignore me. I haven’t had my memory back for long.
It’s been a lot. I don’t want to make trouble.
I really don’t. I understand why you don’t want anything to do with me, Gia.
I’m sorry for the past. Sorry for how much I hurt you.
I’d just like to spend some time with my daughter.
” He glanced at Sage. “If you’d like to spend some time with me. ”
She didn’t need her mother’s permission, but she wouldn’t do anything to make things worse for her. “Mom?”
“It’s up to you, honey.” She gave Sage a hug and whispered in her ear, “I know how much you’ve wanted to meet your father, but for me, keep your guard up. Don’t let him in too quick.” She stepped away from Sage, reaching for her hand and giving it a squeeze. “I love you.”
“I love you too, Mom.” She returned her hand squeeze.
“You don’t have to worry about me. I’m very good at my job,” she said, reminding her mom that she dealt with men who used, abused, and manipulated women all the time.
There wasn’t anything her father could pull on Sage that she hadn’t seen pulled a hundred times before.
Her mother patted Sage’s cheek, her eyes sad. “It’s different when it’s your father.” She gave Aaron a warning glare before walking away.
“It looks like I’ve got a way to go before your mother forgives me.”
“Don’t waste your time. Rosettis rarely forgive, and they never forget. My mom’s moved on. You should too.”
He nodded, glancing at her as they walked side by side. “You’re tough, a hard-ass like your grandmother. She always hated me, you know.”
“I know.” He looked taken aback, and she shrugged. “What did you expect? I’m thirty years old. I don’t play games, and I don’t like them either. So why are you really here? And please, don’t say it’s because of me. I saw the way you looked at my mother.”
“You’re a straight shooter. I respect that. And you’re right, I’m still in love with your mother.” He held her gaze. “I’m dying, Sage. I want to make amends before I do.”
“I can’t believe you fell for that. It’s the oldest con in the book,” Jake said, placing the squat jars of body butter in a box.
“I didn’t fall for anything, and be careful with the jars.” She glanced at her family. Everyone had left but her mother, sister, aunts, and grandmother, who were boxing up product too. “And would you mind keeping it down?”
“You gave him your car!”
Her family stopped what they were doing to stare at her.
She scowled at Jake. “What part of keep it down didn’t you understand?”
“Honey, you gave him your car?” her mother asked.
“Okay, guys. Everyone is upset, but come on, I don’t care if he is her father, Sage is too smart to fall for a con. If she gave him her car, she had her reasons.”
“Thanks, Will.” She sent her sister a grateful smile. She appreciated her support. Her sister was always there for her, but lately it hadn’t felt that way. She was relieved they were back to normal.
“Look, I know you’re worried about me, but Willow’s right.
Aaron didn’t manipulate me,” she said as she placed a jar of lavender oil in the box, thinking back to how she’d ended up handing over the keys of her car to a man she didn’t know and wondering if maybe he had played on her sympathies.
Not that she’d admit that to her family…
or Jake. “You saw his rental. It’s a piece of crap and doesn’t have air-conditioning.
But more to the point, it wouldn’t start. ”
“Was that before or after he checked under the hood?” Jake asked.
Dammit, she hadn’t thought about that. Aaron said he’d been having issues with the starter and checked under the hood before he even tried starting the car. “You’re a very suspicious person, you know.”
“I am, and you know why I am.”
She sat down and rubbed her face. “I’m tired. I don’t want to do this now.” She lowered her hands. “I don’t ask you guys for much, but it’s been a lot with losing Alice, and the stuff with the firm, and then the burnout, and now with my father showing up out of the blue.”
Her mother set her box on the table and walked over to Sage, wrapping her arms around her neck from behind. “It’s been too much. Tell us what you need from us.”
Her sister walked over, pulling out the chair beside her. “Anything you need from us, you’ve got.”
“Willow is right,” Carmen said, sitting on the chair on the other side of Sage. “Whatever you need, cara. You only have to ask.” She widened her eyes at Eva and Cami, who joined them.
Sage glanced at Jake, who continued packing the product away. He met her gaze, his eyes glinting with amusement. He saw through her, the ass.
“We’re here for you, Sage. Always,” her aunt Eva said, before glancing at Cami, who’d stayed conspicuously silent.
“Camilla?” Carmen said, an irritated snap in her voice.
“Of course, I’m here for Sage too.” She wrung her hands. “I’m worried, that’s all. You don’t know Aaron like I do. I lived with him.”
“Madonna santa! I was married to the man. You don’t know him any better than I do, Cami,” Gia said.