Her convoluted love life was another matter altogether. She thought she’d met the love of her life in Jake. In no time, she’d shunned her cautious reservations and passionately succumbed as he swept her off her feet. What she hated most was that she’d caved in so fast to an irresistible, heartless player whom she should have avoided from the start.
“Why are you so quiet, Pili?” Erica studied Pilar’s face. “You haven’t said much since I picked you up at the airport. We’ve barely talked.”
“Yes, we have. I asked you about the family and how things are going for you,” Pilar said looking away from Erica’s scrutinizing eyes.
“Yes, but I wanna know about your trip.”
Pilar’s eyes reluctantly met Erica’s. “Sorry I’m not too talkative. I didn’t sleep last night,” she said, trying to keep her tone light.
Erica edged closer, a trace of a smile on her lips. She raised a brow. “Did Jake keep you up?”
“Yes, but not how you think.” Pilar tried really hard to keep the despair out of her voice, but she couldn’t shake the doomsday feeling taking hold of her. Two emotional weeks of indescribable highs had spiraled down to heartrending lows in New York, leaving her feeling broken inside. “I thought I finally met a decent man in Jake. Someone I could love freely and deeply without fearing that he’d break my heart.”
A worried tug pulled Erica’s brows together as she searched Pilar’s eyes. “Oh, no. What happened?”
Pilar felt like she was unraveling inside. She’d felt restless the past three hours on the airplane, unable to ease her despair. She ran her hands through her tangled hair and wondered where to begin, or how to tell her without giving into the tears burning behind her eyelids.
“Please tell me. I want to help.” Erica squeezed Pilar’s hand soothingly. “You know I’ll always have your back,”
“I know, and I’ll have yours,” Pilar said shakily. She swallowed against the knot in her throat and struggled to harness her emotions before speaking. “I’m disappointed in Jake, and I’m furious with him.”
“You’re furious? You’ve always been the peacemaker. I’m the hothead in the family,” Erica said. “What did Jake do to make you so angry?” Her anxious eyes urged Pilar to tell her.
She gave a tremulous sigh and proceeded to tell Erica everything that had transpired last night, ending with her leaving in the middle of the night to escape having to deal with Jake.
“I don’t blame you for leaving him in the dust,” Erica huffed, black eyes blazing. “Those were bad surprises to get on New Year’s Eve, and at a party no less. Especially after the kind of romance you two were having.”
“The romance is over,” Pilar said in a flat tone. “I don’t trust him anymore, and evidently he never trusted me.”
“Why do you think he was so secretive about the sale? And why would he slow dance with Jessica if he knew you’d be there? None of it makes sense,” Erica said indignantly.
Pilar threw her hands up. “I don’t know why he did those hurtful things. I feel like he just wanted a hot fling with me, nothing else. No strings attached and no complications.” She clutched her head and squeezed her eyes. “I hate that I fell into his trap so easily. I don’t do casual sex. Never have.”
“Neither do I. I want a real relationship, not an impersonal hook-up.”
“Exactly. It crushes my spirit to be intimate and trust him only to be dumped like yesterday’s toy. That’s what Ben did to me, and I didn’t learn my lesson.”
“Don’t say that. You’re not yesterday’s toy,” Erica huffed.
“I hope not,” Pilar said wearily.
“And Jake didn’t dump you,” Erica said. “I’m not defending him or anything, but he has been texting and calling you since you got here.”
“He’s probably doing it so his mother won’t kill him for hurting me. Emily and I grew close in New York. She was hoping Jake would fall for me. It was obvious from the start.”
Erica grabbed Pilar’s cell phone from the coffee table and handed it to her. “If you and Emily are that close, maybe you should respond to his text or answer his call. Out of respect for her. He is her son. Her only son,” she added persuasively.
“I know I have to respond eventually. I’m not putting him off forever. I just couldn’t talk to him right after everything happened.” Pilar bit her lower lip to keep it from trembling. “We had grown so close. You don’t understand, Rica. I spent every single day with him there, and he was the best company. Fun, romantic…and incredibly tender.” She swallowed a sob as vivid memories of the blissful nights she’d spent in his arms made her heart clench. “I feel blindsided.”
“I’m so sorry, Pili.” Erica put her arm around her and gave her a comforting hug. “I feel like kicking him.”
Pilar gave her a wobbly smile. “You and me both.” Her iPhone rang in her hand, startling her.
“Is that him again?” Erica grumbled, peering at the screen.
“Yes.” Pilar’s heart tripped up. “I’m going to talk to him, otherwise he won’t stop calling.” She made a shooing motion to Erica. “Might as well get it over with.”
“OK, stay strong,” Erica said on her way out.
Pilar nodded and answered the call. “Jake, what’s up?” she said evenly.
“Happy New Year. Did you get in OK?”
She couldn’t believe he’d just wished her a Happy New Year, but she noted the hesitation in his normally confident tone. “Yes, I’m home now.”
“I’m glad you got home safely. Why did you take off like that in the middle of the night? I was worried sick,” he groused.
“Is this why you called? To chastise me?”
He blew out a frustrated breath. “No, of course not. I’m just shocked you left without even leaving a note for me. Especially after how close we got.”
“Close people don’t keep secrets,” she muttered.
“If you’re referring to Jessica’s and her parents’ interest in buying The Sweet Spot, I can assure you that’s not going to happen,” he said, sidestepping her accusation.
“I know Emily wouldn’t agree to it. But I have reservations about you,” she said deliberately. He might not owe her information about the candy shop sale, but knowing he’d kept that bit of news from her made her feel insignificant in his life, and it cut her deeply that Jessica had had the upper hand all along.
“Is all this because I was dancing with Jess? I regret it, I really do, but I had no choice. Her parents were talking to me when she asked me to dance.” His tone deepened. “I’ve told you several times, there is nothing between us,” he said forcefully. “Why won’t you believe me?”
“Actions speak louder than words, Jake.”
“It was just one dance, for God’s sake.”
“One dance too many,” she said flatly.
“You’re acting like you don’t trust me.”
“Well, I don’t anymore.”
“This is getting nowhere,” he said heatedly. “We need to talk in person. I’m coming down as soon as I can. The flights are sold out today, but I’ll drive down if I have to.”
“Please don’t. If you can’t understand why I’m upset and why I don’t trust you anymore, there’s no point,” she said.
“I’m going to keep calling and texting you until you agree to see me.”
“Don’t bully me. I’m short on sleep.” She hadn’t slept a wink all night fretting over his actions and getting progressively angrier at him.
“I haven’t slept either, and I am not bullying you,” he said sternly. “Don’t be childish, Pilar.”
“Why is it childish if I don’t want you to call me?” she snapped.
“I’m trying to make things right, but you’re being unreasonable.” His voice vibrated with impatience.
Well, that’s just too bad. Jake was a high-powered millionaire used to having everything his way. It was time for him to consider how his actions affected others—especially her.
“When I’m ready to talk to
you, I’ll call you,” she said firmly.
“When will that be?” he pressed. “I need to settle this before I leave for Asia.”
“I don’t know. All I know is that I don’t want you to contact me again. You can figure out what you want while you’re in Shanghai.”
“I know what I want,” he retorted tersely. “I want you.”
If only it were true. She didn’t respond and silence stretched between them like saltwater taffy, thick and cloying.
“Do you know what you want?” he countered, breaking the awkward impasse.
“I do, and it’s not this,” she said, aching inside. “I’m looking for a committed relationship, not just fun and games with someone who doesn’t have a plan.”
“How do you know I don’t have a plan?” he challenged.
“It’s not just that, Jake. You don’t respect my issues with Jessica, and you conveniently kept the information about the sale from me. I felt humiliated having to hear it from her. I can still see her smug smile.”
“Damn it,” he ground out. “I wish she hadn’t done that.”
The doorbell rang signaling her family had arrived. “I have to go. My parents and Abuelita just got here. Goodbye.”
“Pilar, wait, I’m sorry, but—”
She hung up on him, her heart breaking at the finality of their call.
Chapter 20
The first week of February was biting Jake’s ass. He’d spent an aggravating January working in Shanghai with myriad setbacks, and just when he was at the brink of closing the deal, one of the principal investors in San Francisco pulled out.
He’d taken a flight to San Francisco the next day to salvage it. Decompressing in his hotel suite after the long flight, he leaned back on the sofa, kicked off his shoes and propped his feet on the coffee table. He slowly rotated a glass of scotch in his hand. It was early afternoon here, but already nighttime in Asia.
The professional challenges of the past month were nothing compared to the nosedive his personal life had taken. He hadn’t heard from Pilar since their depressing phone call on New Year’s Day when they’d argued. He hated the way she’d hung up on him at the end with no resolution.
He was bone tired, out of sorts and horny as hell. A stiff drink could only assuage so much. He missed his beautiful Pilar—those dark, liquid eyes, so exotic and expressive, her soft, rosy mouth, the blinding smile that gave him a glimpse of her beautiful soul. Her loving nature drew him like nothing else. She was a much-needed balm in his work centric life. Spending time with her made him want to set aside work demands and concentrate on giving her pleasure.
He squeezed his eyes as his body tensed with hard arousal recalling her heady floral scent, the exquisite softness of her skin, the lush hills and valleys of her curves. Pilar’s wild, sweet response to his lovemaking slayed him, and he wanted her now. He wanted her in his heart and in his bed forever.
He finished his drink in two gulps and set the glass down with a thump. He rubbed a hand over his tired face. He was a mess without her. Empty inside, not sleeping well, short-tempered and impatient. He was losing ground with her, damn it. He should have heard from her by now. There were so many things he should have told her…
The last time they’d spoken, she’d said, “When I’m ready to talk to you, I’ll call you.” That was five vexing weeks ago. Why was she waiting so long, and why had he agreed to her mandate? He was used to calling the shots in all things, and her refusal to take his calls irked him no end. He would find a way to remedy that soon—even if it killed him.
At least, he didn’t have to worry anymore about his mom. Since she had moved down to Naples for the winter months, she seemed to be happy and thriving in the sunny clime. Choco Bear had visited her twice already.
Jake had been in touch with Emily via WhatsApp over the past weeks, but their communication had been sporadic with Shanghai being 13 hours ahead of the US east coast. Now that he was in San Francisco, it was a good time to check in on her.
He walked to the expansive window and observed the skyline view of downtown San Francisco. It was a cold, gloomy day, with purplish clouds that matched his turbulent mood. He normally loved visiting this high-powered tech city, but today he was impatient to leave.
A wave of loneliness engulfed him as he gazed at the Golden Gate Bridge in the horizon and wished Pilar was with him. Turning from the sweeping view, he made a crucial decision. It was time to get things rolling, but first a call to Mom was in order.
Hopefully, she’d been in touch with Pilar. Every time he’d asked her about Pilar, she’d given him a vague answer and changed the subject. Texting with Mom was a frustrating endeavor as she was old school and much preferred to talk on the phone.
“You have such a lovely place here,” Julia Falcon said to Emily as they enjoyed a late afternoon tea in the condo she was renting for the next three months.
Pilar’s mother sat across from Emily at the bistro table on the balcony overlooking the Gulf. Suzette, dressed for teatime with little turquoise bows above her ears and a matching turquoise and rhinestone collar, was snuggled on Emily’s lap with one eye open, waiting for a treat.
“I have Pilar to thank for this condo. Your daughter helped me find it in no time,” Emily said, petting Suzette’s downy head. “I thought it would be near impossible to find something on the beach, especially since it’s high season here, but she somehow found it.”
“I’m so glad.” Julia’s warm smile radiated maternal pride. “Pilar is calm on the outside, but she is a mover and a shaker and gets things done.”
Emily nodded. “She sure does. I was very impressed by her work ethic in New York. My team loved working with her, and she took a personal interest in each one.”
“It’s the same here. Whether she’s running one of the food trucks or in the restaurant making her desserts, she gets along with most everyone. It’s because of her sensitive nature,” Julia said. “She even gets along with her older sister Erica who has a heart of gold but is a real spitfire.” She released a resigned sigh. “Erica takes after my mother-in-law, Elenita.”
Emily nodded. “Every family has one. I was the spitfire in mine, but I’ve mellowed with age. Life has a way of doing that sometimes.”
“It does. In my case though, I was a born peacemaker like Pilar, the middle child of four children.”
“It’s too bad your mother-in-law couldn’t join us today, but I understand that she’s babysitting your grandson,” Emily said.
“Yes, we fight over taking care of little Xavier. This time it was her turn,” Julia said, smiling indulgently. Her gaze scanned the Vanderbilt Beach seashore. The sun was beginning to set, and the entire sky had turned varying shades of salmon pink. “Look at that glorious sunset. You must enjoy this view very much.”
“I do. Every single evening, even if it’s raining. I love watching the waves roll onto the shoreline.” Emily leaned back in her chair, enjoying the balmy breeze on her face. “I feel rejuvenated here. It was the best decision to move down for the winter months. I can’t believe it’s in the 80s today. That’s very warm for February.”
“Naples has mild winters. Do you think you will retire here?” Julia said, her chocolate eyes exotically beautiful as she regarded Emily.
“I’d like to, but I’m not ready to give up my candy shop in New York. It’s my life’s work. I’ve got too many loose ends to be able to retire just yet.” Choco Bear still lived in New York. After all their years working together, she couldn’t imagine living in another city without her best friend. She’d miss him too much.
“I understand,” Julia commiserated. “It was very difficult when my husband and I had to sell our restaurant back home and move here. We’re grateful that our oldest son Gabe opened Tequila Sunset. The restaurant has been a blessing. Our family is united in making it a success, and we get to spend lots of time together.”
Emily sighed. “I envy you that. I wish my traveling son would finally put down some roots.”
<
br /> “I’m sure you do.” Julia’s shoulders rose and fell as she exhaled profoundly. “So does Pilar. It’s hard with him living clear across the world. Everything ended so abruptly.”
“How is Pilar doing? She tries to be upbeat when I’ve seen her, but I can feel her underlying sadness. When I asked what had happened with Jake, she didn’t want to talk about it,” Emily said, remembering Pilar’s reaction that day. She’d looked totally undone.
It had taken superhuman effort for Emily not to call Jake and ask what had happened. But this time, she listened to Choco Bear’s advice to let the young folks figure things out.
“She hasn’t said much since she got back from New York. She’s been working hard and staying busy, but many mornings her eyes look pink and puffy like she’s been crying.” Julia stared at her hands. “She is brokenhearted over Jake. The light has left her eyes.”
Emily had noticed the bleak emptiness in Pilar’s once sparkling eyes too, and it pained her deeply. She gently touched Julia’s hands, and when Julia met her gaze, she said, “I’m brokenhearted too. Nothing would make me happier than to see them married.”
Julia’s eyes widened at Emily’s bold statement. “I would like that too, but how does Jake feel about it? Is he ready to settle down?”
Emily drummed her fingertips on the table. “I hope so. He’s 36, and he loves children. It would be nice for him to get started soon, don’t you think?”
“Absolutely.”
“One thing is for sure—he loves Pilar. There’s no doubt about it.” She looked heavenward and shook her head. “But you know how difficult men can be sometimes when it comes to making a personal commitment.”
Julia nodded vigorously. “Oh, yes. Gabe was that way until he met Lily. Then he couldn’t marry her fast enough.”
“Unfortunately, Jake isn’t very intuitive.” Emily massaged the back of her neck. All he needed to do was let Pilar know that he loved her and wanted a future with her. What was holding him back?
“Fascinating,” Julia murmured. “There is truth to the saying, opposites attract. Pilar is an empath, if you hadn’t noticed.”
The Holiday Sweet Spot: An opposites attract, gorgeous, feel-good romantic comedy (Falcons in Love Book 2) Page 15
