48. Christian
christian
The gallery was lit up tonight, local art showcased along every wall.
Practically the whole town had shown up for the event.
Flutes of champagne were being passed around.
And then there was Sage, standing in her silky high-slit dress that drove me wild, surrounded by people who loved and supported her.
It had been four weeks since Clayton tried to take her away from me.
Four weeks of recovering and trying to find a new normal.
But she kept showing up. Showing up for herself.
For me. For the people she cared about. For the art gallery that meant so much to her.
I was so impressed by her strength. Watching her pick up the pieces, resume therapy, and then step out of the shadow she’d been living under.
Standing here, watching her show everyone how brightly she could shine made my chest swell with pride. I never once doubted she could do this.
“That’s my wife right there,” I announced, lifting my champagne glass from the flute like an uncouth cowboy instead of the stem.
She raised her glass to me, a smile on her face, before she excused herself from the conversation with Lina and Romy to join me where I leaned against the wall.
“I have something to show you. Come on.” She beckoned me.
I followed her through the gallery and the studio beyond. We nodded to people as we passed. My folks were here. Our friends. Tessa. The same ladies who were in attendance for the nude model paint and sip. I grinned when Mrs. Campbell winked at me.
When we reached the workroom, she closed the door behind us and started taking off her left high heeled boot.
“What are you doing?”
“I got something earlier today.”
My brows rose. “You did?”
She kicked the boot off the rest of the way, lowering her sock. There, by her ankle scar, were three starbursts. “One for you, one for Arlo, and one for me.”
“Baby.” I sighed, taking her into my embrace, my heart overwhelmed with love. “It’s our little family! I love it! It’s perfect. Just like you.”
Her hands rested on my arms as she pressed herself up on her toes to kiss me. “And there is one more thing.”
“What’s that?”
“Those rings you’ve been carrying around in your pocket the last few weeks …” she began.
My brows rose. “How did you know that?”
She smiled. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but your Wranglers are kind of tight. It’s hard to miss that box shape in your pocket.”
I laughed. “You like my Wranglers?”
She grinned, reaching around to grab my ass.
I gasped. “Oh my God! Sage Pardy just grabbed my ass and I think she liked it.”
She laughed. “It’s Sage Riggs now.”
She nearly took my breath away. “Yeah?”
“Yeah. I just filed the paperwork for a name change.”
“Well, then, I think you need your rings back.” I stepped back, pulling the box out of my pocket and getting down on my knee just like I’d done in my childhood bedroom all those months ago. Holding out the open box, I asked: “Star fire, will you marry me … again?”
Her grin widened, the starbursts in her eyes sparkling. “Yes, Christian, I’ll marry you. Just promise me, we’ll remember it this time?”
I laughed as I slid the rings back onto her finger. “I promise we’ll remember it this time and we’ll make sure everyone’s there to see it.”
She leaned down, taking my face in her hands as she dropped a soft kiss to my lips. “As soon as we get home, I have something else to show you.”
“Yeah?” The thought of our home together made my chest tight.
Her lips tipped in a grin against mine. “I plugged it in to charge before we left tonight.”