44. Holden #2
Mia’s eyes widen, her lips parting. She shakes her head as if she’s about to dismiss the offer, but Ruby tugs on her again.
“Please, Mommy?” she pleads.
“I’ll take her down there.” My brother points toward one of the corrals where a few of the new guest riding ponies have been turned out. “You can see us from here.”
A softness flickers across Mia’s face, quickly disappearing as she deliberates. “Okay. But not for long, all right?”
Ruby jumps up and down. “Yay.”
River takes her by the hand, and as they wander toward the corral, she bursts into excited chatter.
“Can I ride one?” she asks him, her eyes wide.
River casts a glance over his shoulder, his lips ticked up. “Not sure your mom’s ready for that just yet.”
Their voices fade as they get farther away. And halfway there, River swings Ruby up onto his shoulders.
“Guess she’s getting a ride after all,” I say.
“Mmm.” Mia watches them closely, a little crease between her brows.
“River will look after her,” I assure her. “He might act like nothing fazes him, but he’d never let anything bad happen.”
She nods, but the little crease doesn’t completely disappear.
“Okay,” Dad calls out, clapping once. “Who’s hungry?”
Responses go up all around, and the whole crew—minus River and Ruby—troops toward the house.
As the space clears out, I go to the back seat of Mia’s truck and grab Sage’s bag.
When I turn, I find her still outside, watching me.
I approach, gripping the strap of her bag tight to stop myself from dropping it and pulling her into my chest. “Are you hungry?” The question comes out more gruffly than I intend. “Dad’s got a full spread set up out back.”
She wets her lips and tilts her head to the side. “I lost my appetite for a bit, but it seems to be coming back.”
I’m not sure if I’m reading more into her words than is actually there.
And it hits me then. I told Sage I loved her. She told me she loved me back. And now I’m acting like she’s made of glass.
I set her bag down and reach for her slowly, holding her gaze, giving her plenty of time to pull away. When she doesn’t, I trail my thumb down her cheek.
Her lashes drift closed, and she lets out a sigh. When they flutter open again, the same need I’ve been struggling with shimmers in her eyes.
It’s all the permission I need.
With one arm around her waist, I tug her against me. “Sage.” I skim my other hand up the side of her throat. “Tell me if it’s too much. Too soon.”
She wets her lips. “It’s not. It isn’t.”
I slant my mouth over hers, soft at first, waiting for her reaction. When she loops her arms around me and arches up, I let go, pushing my tongue into her mouth. Every nerve ending in my body goes on full alert, and all I can see and feel and think about is her.
Too long. It’s been too fucking long since I’ve tasted her, felt her, inhaled her. I smooth my hand down over the curve of her ass, and she responds by pressing herself against me and letting out a low moan. My damn dick doesn’t seem to care that she’s been hurt. It strains against my zipper.
I trail my thumb over her jaw and down the column of her throat and consider blowing off lunch. Blowing off the celebration. I want to drag her into my truck and drive her back to my cabin, lay her out on my bed and show her just how happy I am to have her back in my arms.
But I can’t for more than one reason.
Reluctantly, I pull back.
Her hands are still fisted in the front of my shirt, her cheeks flushed, lips pink and swollen.
Unable to resist, I bend my head and press a kiss to her forehead. “Thank you.”
She blinks, one corner of her mouth turning up. “For what?”
“Letting me kiss you.” I scrub my hand over my face. “You have no idea how much I needed that.”
A breath shudders out of her. “We both did.”
Her eyes are soft as she studies my face. “Taryn told me.”
I frown. “About what?”
“About your mom. About what happened.”
I swallow and look away for a moment. Then I take a deep breath. “I never knew how to talk about it.”
She rests her fingertips against my forearm. “You don’t have to, but if you ever want to, I’m here.”
I smile down at her. She isn’t asking me to explain. She’s simply here with me.
Hefting her bag over my shoulder, I rest my hand on her lower back and guide her toward the porch. “Better get to lunch before they think I’ve run off with you.”
Inside, I drop the bag at the door. Then we head out back where the tables are loaded with everything Dad put together. My heart twists at the sight. This is his way of showing Sage he cares.
For one sharp-edged moment, guilt and regret tangle in my chest. How many meals like this have I missed over the years?
But I take a deep breath, then let it out, feeling the knot inside me loosen. I’ve spent far too long letting the pain I carry over things I can’t change steal the happiness right in front of me.
It’s about time I try something new.
Leaning back in my seat with a beer in my hand, I watch as my family and friends talk and laugh and eat together. Even Knox and Riley are here—Knox horsing around with Chance, and Riley engaged in conversation with the other women, while Quinn hovers over her like he has since they were kids.
For a while I just sit there, drinking my beer and listening to everyone around me. I never imagined it would be possible to be back here at Wild Ember and feel so at peace.
Now and then, I catch Sage looking over at me, her green-gold eyes bright, and my pulse kicks for reasons that have nothing to do with attraction. Or at least, not entirely.
Sterling drops into the seat next to me with a sigh. “Funny how things work out.”
I nod. “Yeah.”
He takes a sip of his beer. “I’m glad you came back.”
I glance at him, a little surprised.
He meets my gaze, then grimaces and looks away. “I know you left for a reason. But I’m not gonna lie. We need you here. I need you here.”
Angling forward, I brace my elbows on the table. “Finances still an issue?”
He gives a slow nod. “It’s not disastrous. There’s a lot riding on this expansion, and I’m still looking at other options. But this…” He nods at the full table. “Makes it worth it, right?”
I take it all in for a moment before answering. “Yeah. It does.”
Lunch passes in the kind of happy summertime haze of my childhood, though when Sage starts to flag, I catch Dad’s eye and tip my head at her.
He smiles and gives me a nod.
I head over to where she’s sitting and talking with Mia, who’s relaxing after chasing Ruby around. At the moment, the little girl is sitting at the table between Taryn and River with a coloring book, her tongue stuck between her teeth and her brow furrowed in concentration.
“Sorry to interrupt, but I was hoping to steal Sage away for a little while.”
Mia arches a brow at me but gives Sage an easy smile. “You don’t have a problem being stolen, do you?”
Sage rolls her lips together, her cheeks flushing in a way that makes me wonder if the two of them were talking about me.
She shakes her head. “Nope. No problem.”
I extend my hand, and she slips hers into it so I can help her to her feet. Then, without bothering with goodbyes, I lead her back through the house.
“Where are we going?” she asks.
I open my truck door and step back. “I want to show you something.”
Climbing in, she squints at me. “You’re being suspicious.”
I round the hood, chuckling. Then I slide in myself.
It only takes a few minutes to reach my destination beside one of the lower meadows. The ranch house is still visible in the distance. We could have walked here, but I didn’t want to push her too hard.
She looks out the window, then at me. “Okay. Why are we here?”