17. Sarah
Sarah
The next few days pass faster than either of us wants them to.
I spend them showing Luca every corner of the place that shaped me long before we met.
We drive past my old high school, and I laugh when I point out the softball field where I hit two home runs in the same game my senior year.
We wander through town, stopping at all the places that still feel exactly the way they did when I was a kid, and somehow none of it feels strange with him beside me.
If anything, it feels like he’d always been meant to see this part of my life.
One night, I drag him to the old drive-in just outside town.
We buy popcorn we barely touch and spend more time kissing than watching the movie playing on the giant screen in front of us.
Daddy keeps taking Luca riding every morning, and I tag along each time.
By the third ride, he’s sitting comfortably in the saddle instead of looking like he expects the horse to surprise him every few seconds.
Daddy still corrects him whenever he needs it, but I catch the small nods of approval that become more frequent with every ride.
Watching Luca with my parents is my favorite part of the trip.
Mama already loved him before we ever got here, but seeing him fit so naturally into our family somehow makes me love him even more.
Daddy doesn’t say much—he never has—but I don’t need him to.
I see it in the way he asks Luca to help around the ranch, the conversations they have out in the barn, and the quiet respect that’s settled between them.
By the time we’re packing our suitcases, Luca doesn’t feel like the man I brought home to meet my parents anymore. He feels like family.
A few days later, Mama and Daddy drive us to the airport.
None of us says much on the way there. Mama reaches back more than once to squeeze my hand, and Daddy keeps both hands on the steering wheel, his attention fixed on the road ahead.
Once we’re parked, Daddy insists on loading our suitcases onto the curb before Luca has a chance to reach for them.
Mama wraps me in a tight hug first.
“I love you, baby.”
“I love you too, Mama.”
She kisses my forehead before stepping aside so Daddy can pull me into one of his hugs. I bury my face against his chest for a second, breathing in the familiar scent of leather, laundry soap, and the ranch.
“I love you, Sweet Girl.”
“I love you too, Daddy.”
He kisses the top of my head before letting me go. Then he turns to Luca. The two of them shake hands, but after only a second, Daddy pulls him into a quick hug and pats him once on the back.
“You take care of my girl.”
“I will,” Luca says. “You have my word.”
Daddy nods like that’s all he needs to hear.
“We’ll come back soon,” I promise.
Mama smiles through the tears gathering in her eyes.
“You’d better.”
Luca slips his hand into mine as we turn toward the terminal. I glance back one last time to find Mama already waving while Daddy stands beside her with one hand resting on the roof of his truck. I wave until they disappear from sight before tightening my fingers around Luca’s.
When we land back in Los Angeles, my phone buzzes before we’ve even made it to baggage claim.
Katie: I know you come back from Montana today. I need to hear everything!
My stomach drops. Just like that, Montana is behind us. I’m back in Los Angeles. Back to secrets. Back to smiling at my best friend while lying straight to her face.
Instead of answering, I lock my phone and slip it back into my purse.
“Everything okay?” Luca asks.
I look over to find him watching me. I force a small smile.
“Just Katie.”
He nods.
“You can answer her later.”
“Yeah.”
He reaches for my hand as we walk toward the terminal doors.
“Enzo’s already waiting out front,” he says.
My phone buzzes again in the SUV.
Katie: I know I already texted, but we’re having a sleepover before you leave for the Bahamas. You don’t get a vote. You. Me. The estate. No boys allowed. Hoes before Bros.
My chest tightens. Katie has no idea she’s inviting me over to spend the night with the man whose secret I’ve been keeping from her.
I close my eyes and let out a slow breath before opening our text thread.
Me: Hey! Just landed. That sounds great! I’ll call you later to plan.
A beat later, my phone buzzes again.
Katie: Fuck yes!
A laugh slips out before I can stop it.
“What?” Luca asks, leaning closer.
I shake my head.
“Just Katie being Katie.”
Back at the house, I start sorting our clothes into the washing machine, but before I can toss in the detergent, Luca slips an arm around my waist and gently pulls me away.
“That can wait, Baby Girl.”
“Just let me start one load,” I protest. “If I get behind, I’ll never get caught up.”
He releases me and takes a step back, studying me for a moment.
“You know we can hire someone for that.”
I wrinkle my nose.
“No way. I’m not having someone in our house doing our laundry.”
A quiet chuckle escapes him as he shakes his head.
“You’re so stubborn.”
“I’m not stubborn.”
He smiles and pulls me against his chest, making me tilt my head to look up at him.
“You are. We could have someone clean this entire house. You wouldn’t have to lift a finger.”
He brushes a loose strand of hair behind my ear.
“That would be too weird,” I tell him. “I don’t mind taking care of our home.”
“I know you don’t,” he says. “But you don’t have to. You do realize I’m not broke.”
I bite my lip, trying not to laugh.
“How not broke are you?”
A grin tugs at the corner of his mouth.
“Sarah,” he says, glancing around the house. “Look around.”
“I mean, if you had to put it into words.”
A laugh rumbles in his chest. He leans down until his lips are beside my ear.
“Let’s just say Mikey pays me very well.”
I lean back enough to look up at him.
“That’s not a number.”
“No,” he says with a grin. “It’s not.”
“You don’t trust me?”
He narrows his eyes, studying me for a second.
“You really want to know?”
“Yes.”
He lets go of my waist and takes my hand.
“Come on.”
I let him lead me down the hallway.
“Where are we going?”
“You’ll see.”
He guides me into his office before walking around to the other side of his desk. Opening the top drawer, he pulls out a plain white envelope and holds it out to me.
“Open it.”
I take the envelope from him, sliding a finger beneath the flap. Inside is a single check stub. My eyes scan the numbers once. Then again. My mouth falls open.
“Holy shit, Luca.”
A laugh breaks free as he watches my reaction.
“That’s for two weeks.”
I look back down at the stub, convinced I’ve read it wrong.
“One million dollars,” I whisper. Then I look back up at him. “What the fuck?”
Still laughing, he walks around the desk and gently takes the check stub from my hands before slipping it back into the envelope. He tosses it onto the desk and pulls me against him.
“I’m not just some grunt, Baby Girl.”
I stare up at him, still trying to wrap my head around the number I’d just seen.
“You’ve got Michael at the top,” he says. “Marco to his right. Me to his left.”
“Michael really is a billionaire,” I say.
Luca nods.
“Yes. And he pays Marco and me very well.”
“This shit is literally insane,” I say.
I take a step back, running a hand through my hair as I look at Luca.
He watches me for a long moment before licking his lips.
“Sarah, this life is insane.” He pauses. “I can’t help but ask you again. Are you sure you want to be a part of it?”
My face falls.
“Oh, God, Luca.”
I close the distance between us and slip my hands around his middle.
“Yes.” I look up into his eyes. “I want you.”
He smiles.
“You spend so much time taking care of me and this house.” His thumb brushes over my hip. “I never want you to feel like you have to.”
He tips his head toward me.
“If you’d rather have someone else scrub bathrooms or fold laundry, we’ll hire them.”
A grin breaks across his face.
“I promise it’s in the budget.”
I laugh.
“Okay.” I smile. “But I have a counteroffer.”
He crosses his arms.
“I’m listening.”
“Instead of spending money on a housekeeper...”
I pause long enough to make him wait.
“...what if we got a couple of horses and boarded them at a local stable?”
A smile spreads across his face.
“I like your plan a whole lot better.”