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She’d frozen, and not from the biting cold or the falling snow. More than nine years had passed since she’d seen Carlos. She’d let herself believe she would never see him again.
What a fool.
“Come, mi dulce.” He’d beckoned her forward with his old nickname for her. “We have much to discuss.”
Mateo climbed off the snowmobile and offered his hand. His voice was soft. “Don’t make it harder than it has to be.”
She took his hand, squeezed, and whispered, “Help me.”
He responded just as quietly. “I tried.”
She slid off the snowmobile, and Mateo led her gently to the man in the door. They climbed the steps and stopped one level below Carlos. He towered over them. When he stepped back into the house and the light hit him, his features became clear.
Creases had set in around his eyes. His dark brown hair hung almost to his shoulders. He looked as if he hadn’t shaved in days. “You are just as beautiful as I remember.” He held out his hand.
Mateo squeezed hers, and for a moment, it was almost as if she had a friend beside her. But Mateo had been and always would be Carlos’s man.
Mateo let go of her, and her hand hung between them awkwardly.
She didn’t want to reach for Carlos. Didn’t want to willingly walk to him. But Eric... She had to do what she could for him. Maybe Carlos would let her see him one last time.
She took Carlos’s hand, swallowed a sob, and stepped into the house.
Innocent Lies: Releasing Winter, 2018. For updates, join my newsletter list.