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He waved off her mother’s impending death like it was nothing. Nothing. Every molecule of oxygen escaped her body and she wobbled, light-headed.
“The Fitzgeralds have bent over backward for you. And you do this.” His eyes were so, so cold. “You need to give it back.”
“I can’t. It’s my family’s. The seizures will start again.” She sank to the wet floor. “It’s what stopped them in the first place.”
He shook his head, his lips white with anger.
She couldn’t look at his unforgiving face. She stared at the floor. “It’s true.”
“Can you imagine what you and your mother have put the Fitzgerald family through and now you do this?” He headed to the door.
“Sage—” she crawled to her feet and hurried after him “—try and understand.”
“I can’t do this anymore.” He held up his hand. “Honor is everything to me. And you don’t have any.”
She sagged against the wall. “What?”
He didn’t turn around, just pulled the door behind him. The porch screen slammed shut.
She was alone.
* * *
SAGE WAS DONE with Carolina. His chest ached. He couldn’t be around her and not think about his mom and dad. How his mother and brothers would feel if this had happened to them.
The rain and wind slashed at his truck. The world was as angry as he was. Headlights came on him too fast and he corrected his path on the causeway, ensuring he was on his side of the highway.
At least the bright lights weren’t aggravating the headache that had hit when he’d seen the globe. Of course, that ache still stabbed his heart.
How could she? And how could he have loved a woman who didn’t live with honor? Didn’t she see the dishonor in lying and stealing?
The storm pushed and buffeted his car, matching his battered heart. His chest ached, an echo of the pain from his cracked ribs. But this time Carolina had broken something in him that the doctors couldn’t fix.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
“WHERE’S SAGE?” MAMÁ pushed around her breakfast. “He’s usually working by now.”
“He has a doctor’s appointment.” It was the easiest answer. Carolina couldn’t admit that Sage had pushed her away. Broken her heart. She wasn’t worth loving.
Sage didn’t understand. He hadn’t been born to a single mom from an affair. He’d never had to keep his mother stress-free while she was having seizures.
He’d accused her of having no honor. She couldn’t afford honor.
Carolina relaxed her fists. There were calls to make. Sage had volunteered to stay with Mamá tonight. That wouldn’t happen now. She needed to find someone.
There was so much to do and she could barely lift her coffee mug. But she had to keep moving, because she was all Mamá had.
Ella would do what she could, but she was staying at Fitzgerald House. And next week, Ella was heading to Hilton Head for a few days to find a place to stay.
Sage’s betrayal hammered home that she needed a wider support group. He’d said he would be there for her. Always. The ache in her chest deepened. He’d lied.
She’d relied on Sage. That wouldn’t happen again. There’d been a few visitors at the hospital who’d offered to help. It was time to find their phone numbers.
And she had to talk to Abby. Tonight. Otherwise, Sage might say something about the globe.
If the globe was a Castillo family heirloom, was it really stealing?
Carolina didn’t have the luxury of arguing the ethics of what she’d done. She’d needed to stop Mamá’s seizures and taking the globe had worked.
She pushed her hair over her shoulder and every muscle ached. She was exhausted, but there were calls to make.
She had to stand on her own. Alone. And that was all that mattered.
* * *
SAGE DRAGGED HIMSELF into the doctor’s office. With a headache hangover and his wounded heart, he assumed the news from the doc would be bad. Dr. Shaw would push off his returning to work for another two weeks. Without being able to help Carolina and Rosa, he would go mad.
He couldn’t think about that. He couldn’t be around Carolina. He worried he would ignore his morals and want to hold her. Help her.
“Agent Cornell, come on back.” The nurse took his pressure, drew blood and led him to an exam room.
“How are you doing?” Dr. Shaw asked.
“I want to get back on the job.” He tried to keep the growl out of his voice. And failed.
“I know.” The doc checked his records, then ran him through the tests and eye charts. This time Sage had to read the newspaper. Even two weeks ago, that wouldn’t have been possible. Now? The headache was—survivable.
