Chapter 9
Sage
Ichew on my bottom lip, emotions scattered all over like the fine sawdust that sticks to everything in here as I dress quickly. With practiced hands, I button up the flannel shirt and whip my hair into a messy topknot.
Then I take three calming breaths and listen to the low rumble of voices outside. I can’t make out what they’re saying, but I need to figure out what I’m doing.
Staying sheltered inside the sweaty, sweltering workshop while Griffin—what, tries to cover?
Am I a secret?
My face burns as I recount the last six weeks.
We’ve kept busy and kept to ourselves, yes. But I never once got the feeling that I was being kept hidden or that what we’ve been doing was something to be ashamed of.
What I thought—no. What I know in my heart is that we’ve been building something together.
A life.
One that’s strong, real, and undeniably ours. A little messy, a lot handcrafted, and filled with the steady, quiet kind of love that could last a lifetime.
The kind of love I’m willing to fight for.
I stride forward and wrench open the workshop door. When I step out into the light, I catch sight of my dad standing along the property line, hand up to block the sun as he surveys the state of the house.
“I think I like the green over the gray.” He stares at the patches of paint I’d slapped on, a test swatch to see which color best suited me.
“Sage is leaning toward the blue.” Griffin keeps his voice quiet and careful when he hands my dad a beer.
“Yeah? Reminds her of the ocean or something?”
From this distance, I can’t tell if he’s said anything, or if he’s panicking or keeping his cool. Hell, I can’t even work out if my dad has picked up on any awkward vibes.
But I won’t be kept a secret. I told Griffin I love him, and that means I’ll fight for him.
Whether he’ll fight for me? Well, I guess we’ll see.
I take a breath, throw my shoulders back and plaster a smile on my face. I don’t know how this will play out, but I do know I need to stand firm and exude confidence I don’t feel.
Showtime!
“Actually, I like the blue because they remind me of the color of his eyes.”
Both men turn around at the sound of my voice. Griffin’s sparkling blue eyes meet mine, and crinkle in the corners. There’s a gentle upward twist to his lips as I pass through the gate and reach for the beer in his hand.
“His who?” Dad asks, confusion snapping his brows together.
I slip my hand into Griffin’s and take a long swig of his drink before handing it back. He gives my hand a reassuring squeeze and the smile that stretches across his face lights me up from the inside.
And I know then and there that everything’s going to be alright.
“His—Griffin’s?” My dad’s eyes bug out of his head as he bends forward at the waist. His mouth hangs open as he looks back and forth between us, then stares hard at our linked hands. “You gotta shi—ah, seriously?”
“Seriously,” Griffin says, those crystal blue eyes still locked on mine. “I love her, Andy.”
My heart soars as I rise up on my tiptoes, lay a hand over his heart and plant a kiss on his cheek.
No shame. No secrets. No hiding.
“I—this is—I mean, what the hell, Griff.” Dad rakes a hand through his hair, and turns his back on us for a moment.
“Didn’t plan it, Andy. Tried to keep my distance.”
“Actually, I kind of pursued—”
Dad’s hand flies up, palm out. “Shh! Just shush a minute. I don’t need or want any… details. Not yet, anyway.”
I press my lips together, trying not to make this harder or more awkward than it has to be.
But after a few minutes, Dad turns around and squints at us both. He takes another swig and points the bottle in my direction. “So, is this… serious? Is it for real?”
“Why are you pointing at me?” I gape.
Dad tips the beer in Griffin’s direction. “Because I know this guy. He lives like a monk.”
“Hey, easy.”
“What I mean is he doesn’t get himself into romantic entanglements.
Not without putting his whole ass heart on the line, and I’ve seen it get smashed.
Just like I’ve seen you get your heart broken, so I guess I don’t know how to feel right now.
” He shakes his head once, like he’s trying to make it make sense.
“It’s different this time.”
He raises an eyebrow at me. “Different how?”
“I love him back, Dad. For the first time in my life, I feel settled and safe. I feel like I can trust him and be my whole self with him.”
For a long moment, Dad and Griffin just stare at one another. Some kind of silent communication passes between them before Dad breaks the contact and turns to me.
“My oldest friend and my eldest kid. Damn.”
“Don’t make it weird, Dad.”
“Who’s making it weird?” He recoils and points at his chest. “I’m not making it weird.
Griff’s the best fucking man I know. The only man who’d drive two hours to Los Angeles to pick me up from the airport and drive me and your mom to Vegas so we can tie the knot when your Gran flat out refused to support us.
He’s the only man I’d trust to take care of you.
And if it’d been anyone else, well, shit. I might have had more to object to.”
“She doesn’t need me to take care of her, Andy.
She just needed my support, but I needed her.
” Griffin slips an arm around my waist and holds me close.
“Turns out you were right. I’d let myself get too used to being alone and hadn’t noticed how damn lonely my existence was until she came along and added that special spark to my life. ”
“You sure that wasn’t the electrical fire?” I joke.
Then, we all laugh and Griffin presses a soft kiss to my temple.
“No, sweetheart, that was all you.”
Dad’s eyes go soft and a little misty as he shrugs. “Well, you know what they say. Love’s love. Who am I stand in the way of that?”