“Can I ask you something?” Magda asked.
“Of course.”
“Are you okay with Bianca staying here?”
No. Simply, no. But what difference did it make that she wasn’t okay with it? She was only a casual, passing fling for Jeff. Bianca was the one whom he’d loved—and now she was back in his life.
“Magda,” she said softly, “You know that if you need me I will always be here. But you’re much, much better now, and Bec would be here from tomorrow. She’d be happy to look after you.”
“Oh Sarah. You should wait for Jeffrey. I know my grandson. He’s not usually inconsiderate. I’m sure he has his reasons that he’d want to discuss with you.”
“It’s his birthday tomorrow,” she answered. “Lots of people would be around and Jeff would be busy entertaining them. I’m sure he’d appreciate not having to deal with me this weekend. We can talk some other time.”
*****
“You don’t need to leave with me, Amanda. Stay here. Bec, Bren and Gemma would be arriving tomorrow,” Sarah pleaded as she packed her bags.
“No way I’m going to let you go home by yourself,” Amanda said stubbornly.
“But I’ll be back next weekend for the engagement party. I wouldn’t miss that for the world.” Not even if her heart was shrivelling and dying.
“Don’t forget that’s your birthday too,” Amanda said gently.
Sarah shrugged. She didn’t feel like celebrating anything.
“Are you sure you don’t want to wait another day and talk to Jeff? I’m with Magda on this. I’m sure he has a good reason why he hasn’t told you about Bianca.”
“Maybe,” Sarah responded, not slowing down on her packing. “But this weekend’s not the time for that kind of conversation. And I simply can’t stay, Amanda.”
“Okay,” Amanda said, zipping her packed suitcase closed.
“I just don’t trust myself anymore,” Sarah added tremulously.
“Oh Sarah, what do you mean?”
Sarah sat on the side of the bed, willing for the tears to stop falling. “Remember Aaron? He even proposed to me. When he called me by another woman’s name in the middle of sex, I believed his explanations even though my head was screaming at me to kick him out. Then a month later, he broke up with me to get back with the woman who’d been on his mind whenever he’d slept with me. I’ve been too trusting. I don’t want to make that same mistake.”
“You told us before that your intuition had told you to leave Aaron, and that your mistake was that you didn’t listen to it. What’s your intuition telling you now?”
Sarah huffed. Her stupid intuition was telling her to talk to Jeff. But could she really trust herself when she’d made such a foolish, idiotic mistake in the past?
“Jeff went to see Bianca on Sunday night, Amanda. They’d been having lunches and dinners for two weeks and he hadn’t breathed a word about her to me. I even brought her up in our conversation at one point and he hadn’t said a thing. My logical mind is telling me to run away as fast and as far as I can, as soon as I can.”
“Or maybe that’s your fear talking,” Amanda said. “Thing is, Sarah, even if you’re right with your assumptions, you know you won’t get closure until you get the truth from out of Jeff’s mouth. Running away will not resolve things for you.”
“I’m not running away. This weekend’s just not the right time to talk. I don’t want to be around crying in a corner when everyone else is partying. What’s worse is that most of Jeff’s guests are probably also Bianca’s friends. I know I’d just feel more awful if I stay.”
Amanda put an arm around her shoulder. “Okay, honey. I get you. Let’s go home.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Jeff parked at his reserved space, his mouth agape as he stared in surprise at the red sports car a few spots down. What on earth was Bianca doing here a day early? He hurried to the hotel, frowning.
“Jeff!” Bianca came bounding out the front door, wearing a tight-fitting top, denim shorts and a big hat.
“Bee. I wasn’t expecting you here until tomorrow,” he said, not attempting to hide the big scowl on his face.
Bianca seemed oblivious to his expression and reached up to give him a kiss on the cheek. “I came to visit Aunt Lynn this morning and dropped by here afterwards to say hello to your gran. Since I was already in the area, I thought it was a good idea to stay from tonight and check out all the renovations that had been done. Gran said it was okay,” Bianca said, giving him an engaging smile.
“What time did you get here?”
“Oh, about three hours ago. I’ve already been hard at work. I’ve finished having a look around the hotel. The place is impressive, Jeff—ultra luxurious yet keeping that homey and inviting country feel. Now I’m going to the winery. Gran already called your manager there to show me around. I’ll walk through the vineyard and get some exercise. I’ll see you later.”
“Okay,” he said, anxiety enveloping him as he walked into the building.
*****
“Hi Gran,” Jeff said as he stepped into the library.
Magda looked up from the book she was reading. “Jeffrey! You’re here! I wasn’t expecting you until tomorrow.”
“I don’t have any meetings for this afternoon so I thought I’d come early,” he replied, kissing Magda on the forehead.
“Have a seat, Jeff,” Magda said quietly.
Jeff frowned at his grandmother’s tone. “Is everything okay?” he asked as he sat on a couch adjacent to her.
“Why didn’t you tell us about Bianca?”
Jeff ran his hand on his face. Why indeed? “I was going to today, that’s why I came a day early. I wasn’t expecting Bianca here until tomorrow. What’s she said so far?”
“That she’s working for us again as our ad manager for the Magda’s Place campaign.”
He nodded. “We would probably go ahead and give her the whole account. She’s doing an excellent job, just like she’s done in the past.”
“I see,” Magda said. “Well, if you and your brothers don’t have a problem with that, then I don’t either. But what does this mean for you personally, dear?”
He lifted his shoulders. “Nothing, actually. I was worried at first that it would be awkward to be working with Bianca again, but it seems to be going well so far.”
“So are you two interested in getting back together again?”
He snorted. “No, Gran. Not at all.”
Magda frowned. “Are you sure? You know you don’t need to keep anything from me. All I want is for you to be happy.”
“I’m sure, Gran.”
“That’s certainly not how it looks to me,” Magda said.
“What do you mean?”
“I got the impression you and Bee have been going out a lot—having dinners together and all that.”
“Well, we have been meeting up outside business hours, but only because she needed to get up to speed with where we’re at. The person she replaced didn’t get the chance to fill her in before he had to go overseas for personal reasons.”
“Okay,” Magda said, still looking perturbed.
“Anyway, Gran, can we talk about this later? I need to see Sarah.”
“She’s gone, Jeff.”
A cold hand clutched his heart. “What do you mean gone?”
“She left about an hour ago.”
“Where did she go?” he asked, his voice sounding strangled.
“Home. Amanda went with her.”
“Why?”
Magda sighed, shaking her head in censure. “You should have told her about Bee earlier, Jeff.”
He inhaled sharply, his heart constricting in fear. It squeezed tighter when something occurred to him. “Have you been calling Bianca ‘Bee’ around Sarah?”
“Yes. That’s what I’ve called her for years. Why?”
“Damn,” he muttered to himself.
“What?” Magda demanded.
“Sarah was really upset, wasn’t she?” he asked q
uietly.
“Yes. Very,” Magda answered gravely.
He fisted his hands, wanting to punch himself in the face. Sarah probably thought he was cheating on her—with his ex! Why, oh why, didn’t he tell Sarah who Bee really was last Sunday?
He fished his phone out of his pocket and dialled.
“Hello?” came an answer.
Jeff frowned and double-checked to see that it was Sarah’s phone he’d rung. “Amanda?”
“Yes.”
“Hi, it’s Jeff. May I speak with Sarah please?”
“She’s not ready to talk to you right now, Jeff. And I’m driving, so if you don’t mind I’d rather not talk to you right now either.”
“Please, Amanda.”
“She’s not ready, Jeff. Call back some other day. Bye.”
“Argh!” he groaned, covering his face with his hand. Sarah wasn’t going to talk to him—but he had to make her. “What am I going to do, Gran?”
“Tell her the truth.”
“How can I even tell her anything if she wouldn’t talk to me?”
“What is the truth, Jeffrey? Before you go and start spouting declarations, make sure you know what the truth is.”
“I just... I just want to be with Sarah, Gran.”
“What if she doesn’t want to be with you anymore?”
“But this is just a misunderstanding! Surely, we can talk about this!”
“Two years ago, you were in love with Bee. Bee’s back, and you seemed to have forgotten all your hurt feelings since you’re happy to be working with her again.”
“What are you saying, Gran?”
“There are three hearts on the line here. Whether you’ve chosen to notice it or not, Bee still has feelings for you. It’s quite obvious to me. In fact, I think she’s hoping that I’ll help get the two of you back together. But all I’m interested in is for you to be with the right woman, Jeffrey. And the right woman is the one you love. Have you given yourself time to figure out what you truly feel for both Sarah and Bianca?”
He rubbed the back of his neck. “All I know right now is I want to be with Sarah, Gran.”
“And do you know the reason for that? Is it love or is it lust? When the passion is gone, would you regret throwing away your second chance with the woman you once wanted to marry?”
“You’re not suggesting I should go for Bianca, are you?”
“No. I’m not saying that at all. I love Sarah just as much. And if it’s really her you want, then I’ll be very happy.”
“I think I’m in love with Sarah,” he admitted.
Magda smiled. “Well, then go and tell her that.”
He paced the floor. “I want to but...”
“But what?”
“We haven’t been together for that long. I’m scared of how quickly this has developed. What if it is just lust?”
Magda paused, her lips pursed in thought. “Then maybe you should try dating Bianca, or someone else.”
“What? No! I don’t want to!” Everything about him rebelled at the suggestion.
Magda smiled widely. “Are you afraid of love, Jeffrey?”
“Could love happen this fast, Gran? I’m saying to myself it couldn’t possibly be love yet, but all I could think about is Sarah. And I’m damned scared that I just lost her,” he said hoarsely, tears close to the surface.
Magda sighed. “Did you know that I first met your grandfather at a party? We were introduced by a mutual friend and from the very first minute we didn’t want to talk to anyone else but each other. By the time I went home, I already knew that I’d found the man I wanted to be with for the rest of my life. I couldn’t explain why or how, it just was. Three months later, we were married. Love is not dependent on time or space, Jeffrey. It’s timeless and boundless. When something just is, time is not a factor.”
Jeff smiled and wrapped his arms around his wonderful grandmother.
*****
Jeff’s jaws hurt from trying to keep the smile from leaving his face. He wanted his friends and family to have fun, even if he weren’t exactly having fun himself. Besides, the last thing he wanted was for his friends to keep hounding him about what was wrong. It depressed him that Sarah didn’t want to talk to him, and he couldn’t go to her because he had to be at his own damned birthday party.
“Hey, dude, another drink?” his friend Connor asked, offering him another bottle of beer.
“Thanks,” he said, immediately taking a swig.
“So Bianca’s back, hey?”
“Uh-huh.”
“So are you guys dating again?”
“No. We’re just working together.”
“I see. She’s still as stunning as ever.”
Jeff smirked. “So why haven’t you chatted her up yet?”
“Who says I want to?” Connor asked with indignation. “I’m not that kind of a friend, thank you very much.”
He sighed, patting Connor on the back. “Bro, if you do want to make a move on Bianca, don’t hold yourself back because of me.”
Connor stared at him. “You know she’s still interested in you, right? She’s practically telling everyone how happy she is that she’s working again with you. It’s quite obvious that work is not the only thing on her mind.”
“I don’t feel the same way.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
“For real?”
“Yes. You see, I’ve been paying attention to my feelings all night.”
Connor snorted. “Paying attention to your feelings? I haven’t heard you say anything like that before.”
He chuckled mirthlessly. “I mean I’ve been trying to confirm how I feel.”
“Right. And?”
“And Bianca’s definitely not doing it for me anymore.”
“Not even a tiny zing?”
“Nope. Nothing. Zero. Nada. Apart from professional respect and admiration, that is.”
“Wow. Okay. Well, many men would be happy to hear that. I’m sure there’s a bunch of them already lined up to ask her out.”
“Like I said, dude, you can join that queue. You have nothing to worry about with me.”
Connor laughed. “Thanks, bro. But I’d rather ask out your gran’s nurse.”
Jeff narrowed his eyes. “Sarah?”
“Yeah. I’m surprised she’s not here today. I thought she was staying with Granny Mags for another week or so.”
“Sarah’s off-limits, Connor,” he growled with clear warning.
Connor’s brows rose. “Ohh. I see the reason why Bianca doesn’t interest you anymore. So where is Sarah?”
Jeff sighed and looked down at his bottle.
“You had a fight?” Connor guessed.
He smirked. “No. We didn’t even get to the fighting stage because she’s not even talking to me.”
“What did you do that you’re in the doghouse?”
“I didn’t tell her about Bianca—and Bianca turned up here before I could talk to her.”
“Ugh, not good, dude.”
“No. To make matters worse, she probably thinks I’m cheating on her.”
“With Bianca?”
“Yup. Bianca rang me last Sunday afternoon. My phone showed ‘Bee’. I said to Sarah it was someone from work—which was true—but I didn’t tell her it was my ex. Now she knows who the Bee is that I saw last Sunday night. It was all work-related mind you, but I can see why Sarah would have gotten suspicious.”
“Hell, I can see why you’re in big trouble with her.”
Jeff took another long swig of his beer. Getting drunk tonight wasn’t such a bad idea.
“Hey boys,” Greg said.
“Hey.”
“You okay, bro?”
“No,” Jeff answered.
“Well, if it makes you feel any better, Sarah’s best friends aren’t mad at you.”
Hope sparked in Jeff’s heart. “They’re not? How do you know?”
“I was just talking to Gemma—that hottie good enough t
o eat in a cream-coloured dress. Do you know she can play the piano really well?”
“Can she?” he asked wryly.
“Yeah. She’s a piano teacher. I suggested to her she should play something for us since we have a grand piano sitting right there, but she’s too shy. I think if you ask her as the birthday boy, she’d agree.”
“So did you come to ask if I’m okay or you just want to tell us that you think Gemma’s good enough to eat?”
Greg reddened. “Hey, don’t let anyone hear you say that. My reputation as a decent, respectable guy would go down the drain.”
“Isn’t it already down the drain, bro?” Connor teased, and they all chuckled.
“Seriously, Greg. What did the girls say?” Jeff said.
“After watching you tonight—yes, they’ve been watching you—Gemma said they all think Sarah should give you a chance to explain.”
“That’s good. So they’re going to talk Sarah into giving me that chance, right?”
“That I don’t know. Sorry.”
“Zach must know something,” Jeff said, spotting his brother getting a drink at the bar. He attracted Zach’s attention with a wave and motioned for him to come over. He was desperate for answers.
“What’s up, bros?” Zach asked.
“Hey, has Rebecca said something about getting Sarah to talk to me?”
Zach shook his head. “Sarah will be back here next weekend with Amanda for our parties. So if you don’t manage to convince her to speak with you this week, you’ll get your chance next weekend.”
Jeff nodded. It wasn’t ideal, but it was something. “Thanks. That’s good to know.”
“You’re not leading Bianca on, are you?” Zach asked with a frown.
“No. What makes you think that?”
“Just the way she’s been gushing about you all night.”
“That’s what I was saying earlier,” Connor said. “Everyone’s assuming you’re getting back together.”
“We are not getting back together,” Jeff snapped in irritation.
“Okay,” Connor said, raising his arms in a gesture of surrender, then turning to Zach. “Hey, can you introduce me to your fiancée’s friends, Zach?” he asked.
“You’re not the first one to ask to be set up with one of those girls,” Zach said with a smirk. “I think I’ll have to play fair and let you do all the work yourself.”
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