Love Redesigned (Lakefront Billionaires #1) by Lauren Asher

His memory makes my heart heavy with sorrow. Losing a parent is never easy, but being present at the young age of sixteen when mine flat-lined in an ambulance was devastating.

Luckily, I had a school counselor who cared enough to help me through the grieving process, and I poured the rest of my energy into getting a full ride to college like my dad and I always talked about.

I bend down and place the bouquet in front of his tombstone.

Hector Muñoz. Devoted husband. Proud father. Beloved friend.

“Hola, Papi.” My chin trembles. “Ha pasado un tiempo desde la última vez que hablamos.”

Birds chirp in the distance as a gust of wind hits me. I zip my jacket all the way to the top before taking a seat on the ground. “I wish you were here more than ever.”

Ha pasado un tiempo desde la última vez que hablamos: Some time has passed since the last time we spoke



I pluck a blade of grass and wrap it around my finger. “Although maybe it’s for the best that you’re not around. I would’ve hated for you to overreact about the broken engagement and get thrown into jail for assault charges because of Oliver.” My laugh comes out all wrong thanks to the tightness in my throat.

A few leaves in the distance get picked up by another breeze.

“I made a big mistake.” My voice cracks. “I was so stupid, Papi.” Tears flood my eyes, although I fight to make sure they don’t fall. “I knew it too, but I still kept trying to make things work porque un Muñoz nunca se rinde.”

My father raised us to follow his motto of ser fiel a ti mismo—stay true to yourself—and I tried my hardest to stick to his values.

Yet you failed anyway.

“But the problem was that while trying to keep my relationship intact, I forgot myself. I gave up all the things that made me special because I thought it was the right thing to do to make the person who supposedly loved me happy.” The tightness in my chest becomes unbearable.

“I realize now that the only person I was letting down was myself. I stopped trusting myself and the gut instinct that told me I deserved better.” My head hangs.

Porque un Muñoz nunca se rinde: A Muñoz never quits.



“I’m sorry I haven’t been around much in the last few years. Between us, I was kind of lost.” I tear the blade of glass to shreds before ripping another off the ground. “I’m going to find myself, though. Because Muñozes never quit—not even on ourselves.”

And by the time I leave Lake Wisteria after the holidays, I hope my soul will be fully healed.





CHAPTER TEN


Dahlia


I try my best to ignore my phone pinging, but after the eighth time, I give up. The Lopez-Muñoz family group chat continues to go off before I have a chance to read the first message.

I scroll to the start of the new messages.

JOSEFINA

Why am I finding out from someone who isn’t my son that he and Dahlia are renovating a house together?



MAMI

What? OUR Julian and Dahlia?



Not difficult to conclude, seeing as we’re the only two people in town with those names—for now at least. Lake Wisteria’s census last year reported record-breaking numbers, given our lakeside beach, massive sand dunes, and the rising demand for Julian’s services and his frequent media exposure.

No wonder he wants to maximize opportunities and rezone properties to account for more houses, seeing as he turned our town into his own Monopoly game.

JOSEFINA

Yes. Everyone in town is talking about how they’re buying a house together.



I send a mental thumbs-up emoji.

RAFA

Was Julian held at gunpoint?



LILY

Or was it blackmail?



SECOND BEST

…



Julian’s name on my phone has my lips curling.

JOSEFINA

To think I spent twenty-seven hours in labor for this kind of disrespect.



RAFA

This is why I’m the favorite son.



Rafa dropping a joke? Maybe I should buy a lottery ticket today.

LILY

Debatable since Julian bought your mom a house.



RAFA

Only because he beat me to it after saying we could split the cost.



LILY

You’re telling me Julian was caught being shady as shit again? Consider me shocked.



MAMI

LILIANA!



All of us grew up without much money, so to go from struggling to pay the mortgage some months to paying it off with a single check has me reeling.

It’s still hard to wrap my head around the fact that Rafa and Julian are billionaires. While I have enough money to buy whatever my family and I want without feeling guilty, I’ll never achieve their level of success.

I pick up my phone and think of a reply.

ME

Josefina is right. Julian and I are teaming up.



JOSEFINA

Yay!



MAMI

Power couple!



I let my mom’s last text slide because I don’t think she understands the label. She said the same thing about my sister and me when we redecorated her flower shop together a few years ago.

LILY

Am I the only one who’s scared at the idea of those two putting down the sharp objects and working together?