4. Sage #2
His head tilts to one side, and I can’t tell whether I’m imagining the corners of his mouth twitching. “Yep.”
“I should introduce myself to Sterling first. Will he be here?”
“Should be. Morning chores’ll be done by now.”
His mood seems to have lightened, though I’m not sure why. Maybe he’s just looking forward to handing me over to Sterling so he can disappear.
Works for me.
“Great.” I flash him that bright smile again. “I can’t wait to meet him.”
His eyes narrow. I hope he’s not catching on to my new tactic.
When I don’t let my expression fall, he jerks his chin. “Come on.”
More pleased with myself than I probably should be, I follow him into the house.
I’m greeted by the irresistible aroma of bacon and coffee, making my mouth water and my stomach growl. Ahead, Holden sweeps his hat off his head as he steps through a doorway into what turns out to be a spacious country-style kitchen.
Stone countertops and stainless-steel appliances sit alongside warm hardwood floors and exposed beams spanning the ceiling.
The wide windows I noticed outside flood the space with light and frame the mountain views beyond.
Wooden cabinets, an island bench, and a large range fill one end of the room.
The other is dominated by a long table where three men are eating breakfast.
They all shift their attention to us as we enter. More specifically, to me.
I give a little wave. “Hi.”
The man at the head of the table grins. He looks to be in his late fifties or early sixties, with a full head of salt-and-pepper hair. “This must be Sage,” he says. “Don’t be rude, Holden. Bring her over.”
With a twist to his mouth, Holden motions me toward the table with one hand.
As I approach, I scan the men, trying to figure out whether one of them is Sterling.
It can’t be the man who greeted us. I didn’t recognize his voice.
Of the other two, one looks maybe a few years older than Holden, and one a few years younger.
They both share an unmistakable family resemblance, with striking light-colored eyes and strong jawlines.
The older one, with a laptop in front of him, has short, dark hair, while the other has longer, dark curls.
Even the man at the head of the table shares the resemblance.
In fact, all three of them look like—
My brain trips over itself as the realization hits me.
I don’t need to look back at Holden to know. Of course the universe decided the grumpy cowboy I’m living next door to couldn’t just be a ranch hand. Of course he had to be part of the family that just hired me.
“Make yourself comfortable,” the older man, who must be Holden’s father, says as we reach the table. “Shove over, Quinn.”
I hold up my hands. “Oh no, that’s okay.”
It’s too late. Quinn, the younger-looking one with curlier hair, slides into the next chair, leaving his seat empty.
“Thank you.” I shift my camera bag off my shoulder, ease it to the floor, then sit.
“You too, Holden,” he says. “Have some breakfast. There’s plenty left.”
Holden rubs the back of his neck. “I was just dropping Sage off.”
“Nice try.” Quinn smirks at him, then gives me a wink when he catches me watching.
If I had any doubt before, it’s gone now. I may not have siblings, but that doesn’t mean I can’t spot the dynamic.
“I guess I can stay for a coffee,” Holden says.
As he rounds the table and heads for the sideboard, where an industrial-sized coffeepot sits, I try not to glare at him. He knew I didn’t have a clue who he was, and he didn’t bother to tell me.
My annoyance is cut short when the older man offers me a warm smile and extends his hand for me to shake.
“I’m Harrison McBride,” he tells me. “The bottomless pit shoving bacon into his mouth next to you is my youngest son, Quinn.” He then nods toward the other end of the table. “And I believe you’ve already met my eldest, so to speak.”
Sterling pushes his laptop to the side and lifts his mug of coffee in greeting. “Nice to talk to you in person at last.”
“You too. And I’m sorry about having to call for help last night.”
His lips tilt up. “It was no problem. I would have collected you myself, but we had a generator emergency.”
“That’s okay. Your brother was the perfect knight in shining armor.” I hope my smile hides my gritted teeth.
“That true, Holden?” Quinn asks, humor lacing his tone.
“You know me. I’m a gentleman.” His voice comes from behind my shoulder, startling me.
I meet his gaze, eyes narrowing, and a hint of what might almost be amusement flickers across his face. But my thoughts scatter when he sets a mug of coffee in front of me.
“There’s cream and sugar on the table if you need it,” he says. “Taryn likes her coffee weak and sweet.”
Before I can gather the wherewithal to respond, he returns to the other side of the room to fix his own coffee. Not that I’m sure how to respond. This guy is giving me whiplash. He’s an asshole one minute, thoughtful the next.
I tear my attention away before he catches me staring. Without bothering to add anything to my mug, I take a sip. It’s strong but good.
Harrison tips his chin toward the sideboard. “There’s almost always fresh coffee on. I keep a pot going most of the day for anyone who needs a cup.”
A smile tugs at my lips. “That might be the best thing anyone’s said to me in days.”
As I savor another sip, Quinn pushes back his chair and stands. “I’m gonna head back out.”
Sterling looks up from the laptop he’s pulled close again. “Are you planning to check the water lines in the east pasture?”
“Yep, want to join me?”
“Yeah. I want to see if we can move the herd back over there.” He stands, picking up his plate. “It was nice to meet you, Sage. Get settled in, and we’ll catch up in a bit.”
I give him a nod.
While he and Quinn take their plates and mugs to the sink, Harrison gets up to refill the coffeepot. After the two younger men leave, he sits back down and nudges the platter in the middle of the table toward me. “Help yourself to whatever Quinn didn’t inhale.”
The large serving dish was obviously once piled high with breakfast foods. Now, it’s been reduced to three pieces of toast, a few scraps of egg, a couple of sausages and some bacon rashers. I’ve just taken a piece of toast when a teenage girl bounces into the room.
Her inky-black hair swirls around her shoulders, and her eyes are almost the exact shade of blue as Holden’s. When they land on me, she beams.
“You must be Sage. I’m Taryn. Sterling told me you’d be coming today.” She plonks herself down in the seat Quinn just vacated. “I’m so excited you’re here. There’s way too much testosterone around this place. We need to even it out.”
I can’t help but laugh at her exuberance. “I think I can help with that.”
She snags a strip of bacon off the platter and takes a bite, surveying me. “I hope Holden’s been treating you well. Sterling said he had to put you in the cabin next to his.”
“The cabin’s lovely. And Holden’s been very, uh… helpful.”
She laughs. “Don’t let his grumpy exterior fool you. He’s a marshmallow inside.”
My brows wing up and I shoot a look at Holden. “Marshmallow, huh?”
His only response is a flare of his nostrils, but I take it as a win.
When I turn back to his sister, there’s a small line between her brows that wasn’t there before.
Her attention flicks briefly over my outfit before returning to my face.
I look her over in return. Faded denim shorts, a soft-looking flannel shirt left open over a tank top, and worn cowboy boots.
At first glance, her clothes don’t seem all that different from mine.
I’m compelled to ask. “Is what I’m wearing okay? ”
“Oh, um…” She bites her lip. “It’s awfully cute. Did you get it in the city?”
I scrunch my nose. “Yes. Why does that sound like a bad thing?”
“It’s cute. Just… more fashionable than practical. Too nice to get dirty and not comfortable enough for riding, you know?”
A laugh escapes me. “I wasn’t planning to go riding. Sterling said I should be able to get most of the photos by walking or driving around.”
Holden, who’s still leaning against the sideboard, snorts. “You don’t think you need to experience the whole ranch to photograph it properly?”
I force a professional smile to my lips. “I’ll do whatever I need to do to get the best shots for the project.”
His brows rise. “Then you fancy learning to ride while you’re here, do you?”
I shouldn’t let him provoke me, but the challenge in his tone is unmistakable. “If that’s what needs to be done.”
Our eyes lock, and neither of us seems prepared to look away.
“We have ATVs too, don’t forget,” Taryn breaks in, her gaze bouncing between us. “Sage doesn’t have to get on a horse if she doesn’t want to.”
Thank god for small mercies. Although I don’t know if an ATV is any better than a horse. I’ve never been on either.
Holden crosses his arms over his chest, his expression unreadable once more.
Taryn touches me lightly on the wrist. “I can take you into town after Holden gives you the grand tour, and you can pick up some more comfortable clothes if you’d like. Ones that won’t matter if they get dirty.”
Holden straightens. “What tour? I’ve got work to do.”
“Nonsense. We can spare you for an hour or two,” Harrison says mildly. “We’ve managed for the last few years, after all.”
An emotion I can’t identify flashes across Holden’s face. His jaw tightens, but instead of arguing, he merely nods.
So much for him handing me over and disappearing, I guess.
“What do you say?” Taryn asks me. “Want to come into town with me?”
I give her a warm smile. “Thank you, that would be lovely.”
Her eyes light up. “Great. Holden will drop you off here when he’s done showing you around, and we’ll drive in.”
“Let’s get this done then.” Holden’s tone is clipped as he pours the last of his coffee into the sink.
I choose to down the rest of mine. Something tells me I’ll need all the caffeine I can get to make it through the next few hours.