Page 6 of The Sweet Life

Before Sage could say anything, not that it would do her any good, her grandmother raised her chin at Sage’s mother. “Do you see what I mean about your mother? She’s not herself.”

Sage glanced at Gia, who didn’t look happy about whatever her sister and her daughter were discussing, but otherthan that, Sage didn’t have a clue what her grandmother was talking about.

She whispered as much to Carmen, who threw up her hands. “Look at her face, her hair. Look what she’s wearing. Did you see her new car?”

“She got a new car?” Sage asked under her breath as she checked out what her mother had on. It wasn’t her usual casual boho chic, but she looked fantastic in a pink T-shirt and tight white capri jeans, paired with cute pink high-tops that might be a little young for a fifty-five-year-old woman, but who cared. Her mother was gorgeous and rocked whatever she wore.

Sage casually leaned forward to check out her mother’s face. Umm, okay, so her usually makeup-free mother had quite the smoky eye going on, but she totally rocked it, which Sage had planned to share with her grandmother until Gia stepped forward, turning her head in the direction Cami and Willow were waving. Sage got a better look at her mother’s long dark hair.

Sage turned to her grandmother and lowered her voice. “Are the purple streaks in Mom’s hair permanent or do they wash out?”

“I think they fade but she’ll just get them again. She says they’recool.” Carmen rolled her eyes.

“It’s not something I’d do, but hey, it’s her hair.”

“Bah, she’s acting like a teenager. Look at her car.” Carmen pointed at a line of vehicles parked on the side of the road. At the front of them was a red muscle car.

“Uh, Nonna, you’re not pointing at the red car with the racing stripes, are you?”

Her grandmother got a smug look on her face. “Pazza, si?”

Sage and her sister only knew a few words in Italian—the menu at La Dolce Vita and swear words—but since Carmen had been insinuating that Sage’s mother was going crazy, Sage assumed that’s whatpazzameant. “I wouldn’t call it a crazy choice. More like… an interesting one.”

As interesting as a forty-year-old man buying a candy-apple-red convertible. Clearly, her grandmother hadn’t been exaggerating, as she was prone to do. Something was definitely going on with Sage’s mother.

“Interesting, my culo. You’re here now. You talk to her.”

Movement on the hill caught Sage’s eye, and she looked toward the woods. She’d used the conversation with her grandmother to distract herself, but that would no longer work. Nothing would. “Not now, Nonna. I can’t talk to her now.”

Her grandmother followed her gaze. “Aw, bella.” She took Sage’s hand in hers and gave it a squeeze. “Sometimes life is unfair, but you have your family. Even if some of them are pazza. We’re here for you.”

Gia glanced from her mother to her daughter and then looked up the hill. “Oh, baby.” She wrapped an arm around Sage.

The rest of her family formed a tight-knit circle, trying to protect her from the sight of the men carrying Alice’s body from the woods. One of the men carrying her on the stretcher down the steep path was Jake.

It wasn’t his job. But it didn’t surprise Sage that he would take this last walk with Alice. He loved her as much as Sage did, maybe more. Alice was the only real family he had. The only one who’d cared enough to extend a helping hand. The twowomen gossiping about Alice didn’t have a clue who she really was, or all the good that she’d quietly done for the people in Sunshine Bay.

Later, Sage would wonder what she’d been thinking. But in that moment, she needed to be with someone who loved Alice as much as she did.

“I’m okay,” she assured her family, giving them each a hug before leaving them to watch her walk to where Jake helped the paramedics load the stretcher into the waiting ambulance.

She couldn’t look at the body bag that held the woman she’d loved. Instead, she focused on Jake. He turned as if sensing the weight of her stare, and his gaze met hers, her sorrow reflected in his light-blue eyes.

“Sorry for your loss, man,” one of the paramedics said to Jake, while another first responder patted his broad shoulder. Jake nodded. “Thanks. Thanks to everyone for coming out. We appreciate it,” he said, speaking for both him and Sage.

Those women didn’t think Alice had family, but she did. She had them.

Jake’s gaze roamed her face as he walked toward her and opened his arms. She walked into his waiting arms and buried her face in his chest, taking comfort in their shared grief, in the strong arms that he wrapped around her, and the soothing murmur of his deep voice.

Chapter Three

Gia watched Jake gather her daughter into his arms and pressed the tips of her fingers to her lips, holding back a sob. Her heart ached for Sage. Her powerful, self-reliant daughter who rarely showed her soft, vulnerable side had let her guard down to find comfort from a man who’d been her nemesis growing up.

Sage had shouted more angry words and shed more angry tears over Jake Walker than any boy or man Gia could remember. At the time, she’d suspected that her teenage daughter had a crush on him. She hadn’t shared her opinion with Sage. Gia had had enough experience with volatile teen emotions by then to know when to keep her opinions to herself.

She’d gotten through her daughters’ teen years by fostering strong, trusting relationships with her girls—listening and comforting instead of punishing. She’d also swallowed angry words, gritted her teeth to keep in hard truths, and spent many a sleepless night wondering if she was doing anything right. She’d survived her daughters’ teen years with thesupport and wisdom of her mother and her sister Eva. Wine, yoga, and prayer had helped too.

A heavy hand gave her shoulder a comforting squeeze. “How are you holding up?”

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