28. Sage
SAGE
“Are you excited to see River?” I ask Holden as we carry heaped salad bowls to the tables set up behind the ranch house.
In the week since we stopped fighting this thing between us, his smiles have come more easily, and the one that spreads across his face now makes warmth bloom in my chest.
“Don’t know if ‘excited’ is the word I’d use, but the place is certainly livelier when River’s around.”
The ranch already feels different, louder somehow, as if in anticipation of the second-youngest brother’s return. Harrison insisted I invite Mia, Ruby, and Greta to today’s celebration as well, though they haven’t arrived yet. Neither has the guest of honor.
“What’s he like?” I ask as we place the bowls down.
“Young, cocky. Thinks his duty is to flirt with every woman who crosses his path.”
“Oh yeah?” I laugh. “Will he try to flirt with me?”
He surprises me by nudging me behind a bush, blocking any view from the ranch house windows.
“Holden…” My protest doesn’t carry much weight. Part of me—who am I kidding, most of me—doesn’t really want it to.
His big hand cradles the back of my head while his other hand gathers up the hem of my skirt. “I can guarantee none of my brothers could make you feel as good as I can.”
He brushes his knuckles over the front of my panties, and my breath stutters.
“We should probably keep helping.” Eyes closed, I clutch his biceps.
With a hum, he slips one finger inside me. “There are plenty of people to help.”
He silences any other protest my brain was trying to form by pressing his mouth to mine.
Before we get any further, Taryn’s voice comes from the other side of the bush. “Where did Sage and Holden go?”
Catching my lip between my teeth, I stare up at Holden, wide-eyed. There’s a lightness in his expression that I can’t help but smile at. He’s enjoying this way too much.
“Don’t know,” Harrison replies. “Maybe they went around the front. I thought I heard River’s truck coming.”
“Really?” Taryn squeals. “I’ll go see.”
Her footsteps fade, and Harrison clears his throat. “If you two are out here, you might want to reappear before everyone shows up.”
Oh god. Cheeks blazing, I drop my head against Holden’s chest, which vibrates as he chuckles.
He withdraws his finger and smooths my skirt before pressing a kiss to my forehead. “Come on,” he says, leading me out of our hiding place.
Thankfully, Harrison’s already gone back inside, so I don’t have to face him.
“Do you think he was telling the truth about hearing River’s truck?” I ask.
He presses his lips together. “Let’s go see.”
We head back through the house and out the front door, where we find the whole family, along with Riley and Knox, gathered beside a dusty blue truck.
McBride cookouts might be a more-the-merrier affair, but this feels different. I hang back as Holden heads toward the group. The last thing I want is to intrude on the moment.
The truck door swings open, and when a grinning cowboy climbs out, Taryn launches herself at him hard enough to send him stumbling backward.
He laughs, catching her against his chest, but when he hugs her back, his eyes squeeze closed for a brief moment, as if he’d missed her just as much.
As soon as he lets her go, he’s engulfed in backslaps from his brothers, then his dad.
Harrison catches the back of River’s neck, giving it a rough squeeze before letting him go again.
“Sage!” Taryn waves at me. “Come meet my favorite brother.”
The other four McBride brothers break into a chorus of complaints as I make my way over.
River’s grin widens as I approach, and he presses his hand to his chest theatrically. “Well, damn. I’ve heard a lot about you, but nobody thought to warn me you were beautiful too.”
I laugh despite myself, making sure not to look at Holden. I very much doubt he was the one talking about me. If I had to guess, I’d blame Taryn. But Holden was right about his brother being a flirt.
River’s not quite as tall as Holden, but he shares his family’s good looks, with high cheekbones, pale, crystal-blue eyes, and hair that’s a little lighter and longer than his brothers’.
Despite the resemblance, the sparkle in his eyes and the dimples framing his smile give him a more lighthearted appearance than the rest of the guys.
“It’s nice to finally meet the last McBride brother.” I hold out my hand.
Rather than shake it, he draws me into a quick hug.
The way Holden’s eyes narrow over River’s shoulder shouldn’t make my insides flutter, but it’s hard not to enjoy the possessiveness in his gaze. Feeling bold, I give him a little wink.
In response, a muscle jumps in his jaw. But it’s followed by the slightest lift of his lips before he ducks his head.
I pull back from River, unable to resist returning his smile.
Harrison claps once, then gestures for us all to head back toward the house. “Let’s get the guest of honor inside so he can clean up. Then we can all eat.”
Holden keeps his strides a little slower than the others, and I take my time too, so as the last brother ducks inside, we have a moment alone in front of the porch steps. “Enjoy that, did you?” he grumbles, but there’s humor threading his words.
I press my lips together to suppress a smile. “You’re the one who warned me he would flirt. Besides, he’s nowhere near as attractive as you.”
He snorts, but as our hands brush, he curls his fingers around mine for a moment before we pass through the doorway. My heart does a flip at the tiny but too-sweet gesture.
Just as I’m about to close the door, the crunch of tires on the driveway announces another arrival. I catch sight of a familiar truck. “It’s Mia,” I tell Holden.
He nods. “I’ll help the others get the rest of the food outside. You go and bring them through.”
I bounce back down the stairs to greet them as the truck pulls to a stop.
Greta hops out first. Mia’s aunt is a spry older woman with a schoolmarm hairdo and a colorful sense of style. Today she’s wearing a turquoise cardigan over a sunflower-print dress. With a wave at me, she opens the back door and smiles at Ruby.
Mia is next out, stopping to help her daughter climb out, then the three of them approach.
“Don’t you all look gorgeous,” I say.
Mia’s blond hair is down, and she’s wearing a pale green sundress that complements her eyes. Ruby is dressed in what looks like a long tutu with miniature cowboy boots on her feet.
Mia looks down at her daughter with a wry smile. “She can’t decide if she wants to be a ballerina or a cowgirl today, so she’s hedging her bets.”
Laughing, I crouch and give the little girl a hug. “Why not be both?”
She nods, her eyes bright. “Maybe I can dance on top of a horse.”
“Maybe not,” Mia murmurs.
I hide my smile as I straighten. “Come through. Everyone’s out back.”
As we walk through the house, Mia elbows me and moves in close. “Look at you fitting in with the family.”
I widen my eyes at her. “They’ve been very welcoming.”
“Uh-huh.”
Guilt sits heavily in my stomach. I haven’t told her about Holden and me. I can only hope that when I finally do, she’ll understand it’s because I don’t have answers to the questions I know she’ll ask.
We exit onto the rear lawn, where everybody but River has gathered.
They all greet my friends with the relaxed enthusiasm they seem to give most people.
And the family is more familiar with Greta than I realized.
It turns out that she taught all the McBride brothers, as well as Knox and Riley, though she retired before Taryn came through.
Every time one of these big men calls her Mrs. Nelson, I bite back a smile. I guess some habits are hard to break.
“Drinks, ladies?” Harrison waves us over to a makeshift bar set up with an assortment of beer, a couple of bottles of wine, and what looks like a pitcher of lemonade.
Mia peruses the choices with a hum. “I’ll just have a lemonade, since I’m driving.”
“Nope.” Greta plants her hands on her hips. “I can drive home. You deserve to relax and have a drink for once. Ruby and I can take care of the lemonade, can’t we?”
“We’ll look after it,” the little girl says earnestly.
“Are you sure?” Mia nibbles her lower lip.
“Of course,” Greta says firmly. “Besides, I had a glass of whiskey last night at my book club. I don’t want anyone accusing me of being a lush.” She gives her niece a wink.
Shaking her head, Mia smiles at Harrison. “A glass of white would be lovely, thank you. Just a small one.”
Ruby tugs on Mia’s dress. “What’s a lush, Mommy?”
“It’s someone who knows how to have fun,” a deep voice breaks in from behind us.
I turn, finding River standing a couple of feet away. He’s changed his shirt and either had a quick shower or at least washed his face, his hair wet where it curls around his ears and at his nape.
“River McBride.” Greta shakes her head, her tone affectionate despite her words. “Something tells me you’re still a troublemaker.”
“Mrs. Nelson, don’t you go spreading stories about me in front of these ladies. You know I’ve always been a perfect angel.”
She clicks her tongue. “So impertinent.”
Mia watches the exchange with a bemused tilt to her lips, her brows shooting up when River drops to his haunches in front of Ruby.
“You must be the new vet I’ve heard so much about,” he says.
Ruby giggles, her attention darting up to her mother, then returning to River. “That’s Mommy, silly. I’m not old enough to be a vet.”
River cocks his head, squinting at her. “Really? How old are you?”
“Almost five.”
He rubs his jaw, nodding. “You’re right. I think you have to be at least six to be a vet.”
She breaks out in a bright laugh.
With a dimpled grin, River holds out his hand. “I’m River. What’s your name?”
“Ruby.”
“That’s a very pretty name.”
She blushes, suddenly shy, and turns, burying her face in Mia’s dress.
River straightens to his full height in front of my friend, and I swear there’s a hint of pink on her cheeks as well. “If Ruby isn’t the one here taking care of our animals, that must make you our new vet.” The dimples return, and they’re deeper this time, if possible.
She holds out her hand. “That’s me. Mia Bennett.”
I hide a smile. Looks like Mia’s going to bear the full brunt of his charm tonight.
As the sun sinks lower on the horizon, the cookout officially begins.
The air fills with conversation and laughter, and the scent of grilling meat makes my mouth water.
Music drifts from the porch speakers as the family and a few of the ranch hands who’ve joined in pull extra chairs around the tables.
I can’t help but duck inside and retrieve my camera.
I’m not working, not searching for shots the way I usually do.
Instead, I focus on capturing the moments unfolding around me.
Quinn laughing so hard at River that beer nearly comes out his nose.
Sterling refilling his dad’s glass as Harrison smiles his thanks up at him.
River and Chance leaning against the fence while Ruby explains something to them with flamboyant gestures.
As happens so often these days, my gaze finds Holden.
He’s standing by the grill, sleeves pushed up, smoke curling around him in the fading light.
I instinctively raise my camera, but I stop myself before I take the shot.
I may not be working, but he made it clear from the start that he didn’t want me to photograph him, and I don’t want to break his trust now.
Somehow, he notices anyway, eyes meeting mine across the yard. As if he’s as aware of me as I am of him, despite all the other people around.
Lowering my camera to my lap, I offer him an apologetic smile, but he gives a swift shake of his head. I hesitate, unsure if I’m reading him right. He keeps his attention on me, a half smile curving his mouth. As if he knows what I wanted to do. As if he’s letting me.
When I raise the camera again and look through the viewfinder, his eyes are still on me, his expression still relaxed. Warmth spreads through me as the shutter clicks. I capture another shot just as he picks up his beer, subtly tilts it toward me, and takes a sip.
He refocuses on his grilling duty as Chance approaches him, and I lower my camera again.
The interaction was small, subtle, yet my heart beats at a ridiculous rate. He was happy for me to photograph him here on the ranch, surrounded by his family. It shouldn’t matter so much, but it does.
My phone vibrates beside me on the table.
I almost ignore it, too caught up in the moment, until I recognize the mechanic’s number on the screen.
Right. My car.
A strange feeling grows in my stomach as I answer.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Sage, it’s Jim from the garage. Sorry for calling late. Just wanted to let you know your car’s ready to go. Sorry again about the delay getting the parts in.”
“Oh.” I glance at Holden, who’s still standing beside the grill. “That’s… great. Thank you.”
“We’ll be open until five tomorrow if you want to pick it up then.”
“Perfect,” I answer a little weakly. “I appreciate it.”
When the call ends, I lower the phone slowly.
My car’s fixed.
A month ago, that would’ve felt like freedom. Now all I can think about is my cute little cabin, morning drives into the ranch with Holden, and nights spent curled up next to him. With my car now running, I don’t have an excuse to keep staying out here.
Suddenly, our expiration date looms all too close.