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I chuckle and let myself slip into a peaceful sleep, content to have Camila by my side.
“Boss Man, where are we?” A sleepy Ava asks, lifting her head from my shoulder.
She fell asleep the moment we landed, and I held her the entire ride from the airport to the farm.
“We just arrived at the farm, duckling. Are you ready to explore?”
Ava looks around, confused. “Isn’t it supposed to be almost bedtime?”
I chuckle at her smart remark. “No, duckling. It’s only noon here.”
Her eyes widen as she scans the area. It’s a beautiful place, with fruit trees everywhere. Chickens roam around, while cows and goats graze in a fenced area not too far from the main house. I even spot some stables in the distance—I bet we can get Ava to go on a horseback ride adventure.
“Where’s Mummy?” she asks.
I turn around so she can see Camila ahead of us. “Mummy decided to go ahead with Mrs. Evans. Do you think you can run to catch her?”
Ava wiggles out of my arms almost instantly and bolts forward.
“Race you!” she yells over shoulder as she takes off, giggling.
I give her a couple of seconds before I dart off in the same direction. When she’s about to grab Camila’s leg, I scoop her up and toss her in the air.
“Boss Man, that’s not fair!” she whines as she tries to break free from my hold, but Camila comes our way, and we melt into a family hug.
“Why don’t we go check out the bedrooms and freshen up for lunch?” Camila asks Ava.
My girls go inside the house as I stop at the entrance, where Mr. Durán is already waiting.
“Vicente, what a pleasure to have you here. I didn’t want to get my hopes up until I actually saw you with my own eyes in Colombia.”
I offer a small smile. “I’m a man of my word. I told you I was coming.”
He nods as he motions for me to follow him. “That’s good, Vicente. There are very few honorable business men left in this world.”
I frown, but I don’t have time to ask for a clarification because I’m in awe of the beauty of this house. The farmhouse is a huge brick building, entirely painted in white. Inside, the open-concept design offers excellent views of the kitchen and the living area, with huge windows framing the surrounding landscape as if it’s part of the decor.
“This house is stunning, Mr. Durán,” I say as I do a 360 scan of the first floor.
“Please, call me Gustavo.”
I nod at him and excuse myself to go look for Camila and Ava.
“Yes, go freshen up,” he says before I walk off. “Lunch will be served whenever you are ready. You can explore the farm today, and tomorrow we can talk business.”
“You don’t live here?” I ask, wondering where his family is.
He starts toward the door, but my question stops him. He turns to face me before saying, “No, we live in Medellín. We come on the weekends or when the kids are on break. You’ve got the house all to yourselves. I’ll be back in the morning.”
I nod, and we shake hands before I head in the direction where Ava and Camila disappeared.
Once on the second floor, I find two closed doors. Knocking on the closest one to the stairs, I’m surprised when Mrs. Evans opens it instead of Camila.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I’m looking for my wife. Carry on,” I say, trying to move on, but Mrs. Evans holds my arm.
“Mr. Godoy,” she begins, her tone soft. “I just wanted to thank you for taking a chance on Camila. That girl has suffered enough to last her a few lives, and I know you care about her. And Ava.”
I try to return her smile, but a lump forms in my throat, making it difficult.