After the Fire: An Enemies to Lovers Small Town Romance by Maria Rigou

Author:Maria Rigou [Rigou, Maria]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Maria Rigou
Published: 2023-06-05T16:00:00+00:00

My mind was racing, and I was out of breath by the time I reached Santiago’s clearing. It was still early afternoon; the town was sleepy and quiet, all activity stopped so townies could take their two-hour siestas, like every single day. No doubt, this town was quirky. I wondered if my grandfather really liked it or if he was just trying to pass the time until he could go back home and be with his family.

It was clear to me at this point that I needed to talk to Susana. I wanted to talk to Carlos a little bit more, and I wanted to do more research locally. Catalina was still looking into things back in the city and in constant conversation with her contact up here in Córdoba. So far, she hadn’t been able to find much, but we were sure we weren’t looking in the right place. I wasn’t ready just yet to speak to my grandmother, but I did need to clear some things up with Pedro, my grandfather’s business partner.

He answered on the third ring.

“Hola,” I said. This man had been like a grandfather to us. When Susana’s husband disappeared, he helped her out as much as he could. He was unmarried, had no kids, and devoted himself to our family. I specifically remembered him as the person that taught me how to ride a bike. Not only that, he also took over for my grandfather at their firm, and I worked closely with him early in my career.

“Hi, honey. Goodness, are you okay?” This was the first time someone from my family had asked me how I was. Cata didn’t count. “Did something happen to you? Your grandmother is furious.”

“Oh, I know. I’m fine. How are you?”

“Where are you? Do you need me to come get you?” He was in his late eighties, but it wasn’t noticeable at all. He still had a full head of hair—albeit white—and didn’t need reading glasses.

“I need to talk to you about something, and you need to tell me the truth,” I said quickly. I knew that I needed to get him talking, otherwise I would lose my nerve. “What happened to my grandfather?”

A sigh. “Wha—where is this coming from, mi amor?”

“I’ve been realizing these past few weeks that I’ve never asked many questions. I’ve always accepted what was given to me. I’m lucky, I’ve never lacked anything in my life, but I’m slowly understanding that I never made choices for me. I’ve consistently made choices based on what was better for others.”

“Is this about Manuel, Victoria? If you didn’t want to marry him or weren’t ready, I’m sure Susana would understand,” he said, although I wasn’t at all sure that he was convinced of what he was saying. “Marriage is a commitment that shouldn’t be taken lightly.”

“This has nothing to do with Manuel, Pedro, and you know it.” I closed my eyes, willing all of this to disappear. “Please, tell me what happened.”

“You need to talk to your abuela, Victoria.

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