Chapter 33 Sadie
Sadie
Something's different.
I notice it the moment Axel picks me up for our evening at the lake. It's in the way his hands drum against the steering wheel, the slight tension in his jaw, the extra care he takes helping me with Poppy's car seat.
"You look beautiful," he says, his gaze lingering on my face longer than usual. I'm wearing nothing special, just jeans and a simple blue top, but the warmth in his eyes makes me feel like I'm draped in silk.
"You okay?" I ask as he starts the truck, noticing how he keeps checking his pocket, like he's making sure something's still there.
"Never better." His smile seems different too, softer around the edges, more vulnerable somehow. "Just excited about tonight."
Poppy babbles happily from her car seat, reaching toward Axel with grabby hands. "Ah! Ah!" It's her version of his name, and it never fails to make him beam.
"That's right, princess," he says, glancing at her in the rearview mirror. "We're going on an adventure."
I study his profile as he drives, trying to pinpoint what feels off. Not bad off, just different. He's showered recently; I can smell his soap. His hair is carefully styled. And he's wearing the blue button-down I mentioned once brought out his eyes.
"You're staring," he says without looking away from the road, a small smile playing at his lips.
"You're being weird," I counter, but I'm smiling too.
He reaches for my hand, bringing it to his lips for a quick kiss. "Weird good or weird bad?"
"Just… weird."
My phone buzzes, and I check it to find a text from Rowan.
Rowan: Have fun tonight! Don't do anything I wouldn't do (which leaves plenty of options)
I shake my head, typing back a quick response.
Me: What do you know that I don't?
Her reply is immediate.
Rowan: Nothing! Just being a supportive sister. Love you both
Now I'm really suspicious. Rowan and Axel have gotten close over the past two months, forming an alliance that's equal parts touching and terrifying. They text each other memes. They have inside jokes. Last week, I caught them huddled over coffee, conversation stopping abruptly when I approached.
"Did you talk to Rowan today?" I ask casually.
Axel's eyes flick to me, then back to the road. "Nope. Why?"
"No reason." I turn to look out the window as we leave the main road, heading toward the lake where we had our first real date. The late afternoon sun filters through the trees, casting dappled shadows across the dashboard.
"I thought we could have a picnic," Axel says, his voice just a touch higher than normal. "Watch the sunset. Just us."
"Sounds perfect," I reply, though a strange flutter of nerves has taken up residence in my stomach. There's an energy coming off him that I can't quite place, anticipation mixed with something that feels almost like fear.
We pull into the small clearing by the lake, and my breath catches.
Someone, Axel, obviously, has transformed the space.
Tiny lights hang from the trees, waiting for dusk to be switched on.
A blanket is spread on the ground, a wicker picnic basket sitting in the center.
Wildflowers, the same kind he brought me the night after we first said I love you, are arranged in a small vase.
"Axel," I breathe, taking it all in. "What is all this?"
He comes around to my door, opening it with a flourish. "Just wanted to do something special."
As I step out, Poppy starts fussing in her car seat, arms reaching toward us.
"I'll get her," says a voice, and I whirl around to see a man approaching from a nearby truck, tall, dark-haired, with the same strong jaw as Axel but a more serious set to his mouth.
"Sadie, this is my brother Aiden," Axel says, his hand finding the small of my back. "He just moved back from Texas."
"The famous Sadie," Aiden says with a warm smile, shaking my hand. "It's great to finally meet you."
"You too," I manage, surprised. Axel's mentioned his brother often, but always with the qualifier that he was settled in Texas for good. "I didn't know you were visiting."
"Not visiting," Aiden corrects, already moving toward Poppy, who's watching him with curious eyes. "I'm back for good."
He unstraps her with surprising expertise, lifting her into his arms. "Hey there, beautiful. I'm your uncle Aiden."
Poppy, usually wary of strangers, studies him for a long moment before reaching out to pat his face. It's the same thing she does with Axel, some instinct telling her this man is safe.
"She likes you," I say, surprised.
"Of course she does," Aiden replies, bouncing her gently. "It's the Slade charm. Irresistible to women of all ages."
I glance at Axel, who's watching us with a soft expression I can't quite read. "Did you know he was coming back?"
"Found out today," he says, his eyes never leaving mine. "Surprised me at the ranch."
"And now I'm going to take this little lady for a walk," Aiden announces, settling Poppy on his hip. "Show her the ducks. Give you two some privacy."
"Wait, what?" I look between the brothers, confused. "You don't have to—"
"Yes, he does," Axel interrupts gently. "Just for a little while. I promise he's great with kids."
I hesitate, maternal instinct warring with the knowledge that this is Axel's brother, the man he's told me countless stories about, the one who taught him to fish, who covered for him when he snuck out as a teenager, who has always been his closest confidant.
"It's okay," Aiden says, understanding in his eyes. "We'll stay within sight of the picnic. Just far enough to give you two some space."
I nod, watching as he grabs the diaper bag from the truck before heading toward the lake's edge, already pointing out birds to Poppy, who's watching with rapt attention.
"He really did just show up today?" I ask, turning back to Axel.
"Completely out of the blue." Axel takes my hand, leading me toward the picnic blanket. "But his timing couldn't be better."
There's something in his tone that makes my pulse quicken. That strange energy is still coming off him in waves, nervousness, anticipation, something else I can't name.
As we settle on the blanket, I realize what's bothering me. Axel is never nervous. He's always been the calm one, the steady presence who grounds me when I'm spiraling. Seeing him like this, slightly off-balance, almost jittery, is unsettling.
"Okay, what's going on?" I ask as he pours wine into actual glass stemware, not the plastic cups we usually use for picnics. "You're being weird, Aiden just happens to show up and offer to babysit—and there are fairy lights in the trees."
Axel sets down the wine bottle, taking a deep breath. "Can't a guy just plan a nice evening for the woman he loves?"
"A guy, sure. You? You're the king of spontaneous. Your idea of planning ahead is checking if there's gas in the truck before a road trip." I take a sip of wine, watching him over the rim of my glass. "So yeah, all of this"—I gesture to the elaborate setup—"is setting off my radar."
He laughs, the sound slightly breathless. "Your radar is too good. It's annoying."
"Spill it, Slade."
He reaches across the blanket, taking my hands in his. The sudden seriousness in his expression makes my stomach drop.
"Are you breaking up with me?" I blurt out, the fear that's always lurking beneath the surface suddenly roaring to life. "Is that what this is? A nice setting to soften the blow?"
His eyes widen in genuine shock. "What? God, no. The exact opposite."
"The opposite of breaking up?" I echo, my brain struggling to process.
And then it hits me. The special setting. The nervous energy. His brother's convenient appearance to watch Poppy. The way he keeps checking his pocket.
Oh.
Oh.
My heart does a somersault, then starts racing so fast I can hear it pounding in my ears. This is a moment. The moment.
Axel looks at me, his eyes so tender it makes my breath catch.
"Sadie," he says, his voice husky with emotion. "From the moment you walked into my brewery with flour in your hair and that don't-mess-with-me expression, I knew you were different. Special."
My hands are trembling in his, and I can't seem to make them stop. I watch, heart hammering, as he shifts his position, moving to one knee on the blanket in front of me.
"I've spent my whole life being the fun guy, the easygoing one, never taking anything too seriously." He pauses, swallowing hard. "Until you. Until Poppy. You two changed everything for me."
He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small velvet box. My vision blurs as tears fill my eyes.
"I don't just want to be the guy who loves you, Sadie. I want to be your partner, your safe place. I want to be Poppy's dad in every way that matters." His voice breaks slightly on the word "dad.”
"I want to build a life with both of you, a real family, a forever family."
He opens the box, revealing a ring that catches the evening light, delicate, vintage-inspired, with sapphires that match the color of my eyes. It's perfect. It's exactly what I would have chosen.
"Sadie Calloway, will you marry me? Will you and Poppy be my family, officially and forever?"
The tears spill over now, tracking down my cheeks. My throat is tight, my heart so full it feels like it might burst from my chest.
"Yes," I manage, the word coming out clear and certain despite my tears. "Yes, Axel. Yes to all of it."
His face transforms, relief and joy washing over his features. His hands shake slightly as he takes the ring from its box and slides it onto my finger. It fits perfectly, like it was always meant to be there.
"You're sure?" he whispers, his eyes searching mine. "You and Poppy, you're everything to me. I need you to be sure."
I cradle his face in my hands, feeling the slight stubble against my palms. "I've never been more sure of anything in my life."
He surges forward, capturing my mouth in a kiss that steals my breath. It's not just passion, though there's plenty of that, it's a promise, a vow, a declaration of everything we're committing to.