Page 39 of Chris

Chris.

It had been a week since that first meeting, and a few days since the dinner, and Valeria almost forgot about him. Well, that was a lie. She couldn’t forget the devastatingly handsome man who seemed far too interested in her, but she knew it would be better for her if she did. So, she put him out of her mind.

“He’ll be staying a while,” Abril added, “because according to Samuel, they want to know how everything will go down for this deal.”

“Huh.”

“Mamá,” Maria huffed, out of breath as she came to a stop next to the horse Valeria had taken out, “was the water pretty today?”

Instantly, Valeria dropped to her knees. “It was. I’m sorry Papá said you couldn’t come. Later, okay?”

“What?” Abril asked.

“It’s nothing,” Valeria was quick to say, seeing that Carla was fast approaching, and not wanting her to hear, “but I wanted to take her out on a ride, and Jorge wouldn’t let me. You know how he is.”

Abril made a disgusted grunt, her gaze following Carla as the woman came closer. “Then, I will take her out with me.”

“You don’t have—”

“What’s he going to say, Val? Nothing.”

“Maria,” Carla called, “we have to finish your studies.”

Right, Valeria thought, because you know anything about tutoring my daughter.

“Actually,” Abril told the woman, taking Maria’s hand in her own to make her position clear, “she will go out on a ride with me, but thank you.”

Carla scowled as she reached their spot. “Jorge said—”

“You’re not Jorge.”

Abril smiled.

Carla stiffened.

“And I am sure you can find better things to do for two hours,” Abril added. “God knows you find enough to do at night when Valeria is the one putting her child to sleep, yes?”

Carla’s face reddened. “Excuse me?”

“You heard what I said.”

Valeria kept her mouth shut, knowing if she opened it, Carla would take that back to Jorge as this was her doing. She would pay for that later, so she knew better.

“Lunch is at one,” Carla snapped.

“I will have her back before then.”

That was that.

Valeria didn’t know whether to be grateful for her sister-in-law, or terrified that in a lot of ways, Abril was the same as her brother. She was just as volatile, and twice as dangerous when she wanted to be.

Manipulative.

Cunning, and sly.

What would she do with it?

That was the real question.