Love Remains (4 OAKS)

by Gayle Eden

  “No doubt.”

  She sighed. “Jesse and I were talking. It seems so terrible that Kane and Sage can’t—well—I know it was years ago, and they were young. But, this seems like fate, that she came back. At the least a second chance.”

  Carter turned and looked down at her.

  She peeked up at him.

  He smiled lovingly and winked. “Like you, and me.”

  “Yeah. That fate. Only, we don’t have as many bridges to cross, and wounds from each other. Do you think it’s possible?”

  He kissed her, saying when he finished, “I think it’s up to Kane. He’s got to have the love, and want her love in return…”

  “Yeah.” Skye watched father and son again, seeing how well Michael sat a horse.

  Watching the two ride off toward the nearest pasture, she whispered, “I hope he does.”

  ~*~

  Sage was at the end of her shift when Jesse Vaughn and Skye Croft walked in to the cafe. They ordered a coffee and pie. When she stepped out from the back, having put up her apron, they hailed her.

  She went to their table.

  “We’ve fallen in love with your son,” Jesse began, inviting her to sit.

  Sage smiled. “Thank you. I haven’t seen him much. But it’s good that he and Kane have a relationship.”

  Sage reflected that both women had a unique kind of beauty, Jesse was blonder, healthy, tawny, and Skye, was all that was hip—but in an exceptional way.

  “Skye has been around him more than, me. Living out at the ranch. I go sometimes and hang with Kane. We’ve always been good friends.”

  Looking between them, Sage murmured, “That’s nice.”

  Laughing, Skye assured her, “This is not a way-lay, to dig into your past with Kane. I promise.”

  “That’s good.” Sage knew more about them via talk, than knowing them personally. She didn’t want to come off as cold, but she wasn’t going to rehash that Kane past with her tonight.

  Skye tilted her head for a moment. Sage was under her scrutiny when she murmured, “It makes so much sense….”

  “What does?”

  “Why he never really dated any woman. Why he wouldn’t talk about what was wrong in his personal life. I know he didn’t know about Michael… but you—you’re beautiful.”

  “Hardly.” Sage felt even less so at the moment, needing her after work shower, smelling like the daily special.

  “Kane really is one of the good guys,” Jesse told her, swallowing a bite of pie. “We call him a hard ass. Not real talkative, and open. Works too much. Stays on the ranch. But he’s really one of the best guys I know.”

  “If I didn’t think so, I wouldn’t let Michel around him.” Sage met her gaze. “But their relationship is not about me and Kane per se. We weren’t in one.”

  “He told me.”

  She stared at Jesse.

  The woman searched her face. “He also said he regrets the way he ended it, or even that he did end it.”

  “Yeah. Well. History.” Sage looked around. “Nice talking to you guys.” She said when she faced them again, “I’m for a shower, and getting off my feet.”

  Skye touched her hand. “Wait. Seriously. We didn’t stop in to talk about all that. Actually, I was going to ask you if you liked doing this…” She looked around, “Waiting tables?”

  “I like running my own life,” Sage answered. “I like earning my own money, and making my own choices.”

  “I really understand that.” Skye nodded. “I wanted to talk to you about job offer. Jesse and I—you know our theme wedding business?”

  “Yes.”

  “Well, we’ve expanded the space, to do receptions too. And frankly, we’re in over our heads.” Skye pushed the pie away and leaned her elbows on the table, her eyes locking with Sage’s. “My past, hell—everything about me, and my brother, is common knowledge in this town. I’m sure you know it all. However, I do a good business. With the expansion, it will grow even more. It’s hard work, but fun as hell on the good days. I don’t know many people intimately—nor would feel comfortable hiring just anyone. And I would pay twice what you make here.”

  “You don’t know much about me either.” Sage arched her brow.

  Skye grinned dryly. “I think I recognize some of myself in you. I think, Jesse, me, even Dani— you’d be surprised what we hid, or protected in our past, to make a better future. Hell, to make our life in this town. Maybe you could use a friend, a few of them?” Skye smiled softly. “Nonjudgmental, flawed, but we’d have your back…”

  “I don’t know that much about weddings…”

  “Oh, you went to private schools, you had a different background. You’ll be fine. Most of our bookings are different themes. It can be a blast. You could help do everything, just like we do whatever is needed. Lot of it is props, finding them. We have contacts. With the receptions, it’s theme too, and place settings, making stuff authentic. Please?”

  She was hard to resist. Particularly since Sage did know about her pas, and secretly, admire her moxie. “I’ll think about it.”

  “Great.” Skye handed her a card. “Call me. You won’t regret it.”

  When Sage stood, Jesse told her, “Rio asked me to marry him. I’m thinking late summer. I’d feel better if Skye had you working there with her too.” She smiled. “And since we’ll be Crofts and Kane’s sister in laws, and your son’s Aunts. It will be cool getting to know each other, and being friends.”

  Sage had never had them, not really. She got on okay with the women she worked with. But, her life, her past, it just didn’t work out. She’d never been able to confide and share.

  It made for distance. Yeah loneliness sometimes.

  “Thanks.” Sage smiled. “I’ll call you.” She left afterwards.

  It was dark when she got in her car. All the way to the hotel, parking, showering later— she weighed the more money, more interesting job—against the— that’s close to 4 oaks, they were all family really, and would she see Kane more than she could handle?

  Michael called her.

  He hadn’t stayed but 2 nights in the hotel after he’d been out to the ranch. She knew he needed male attrition. Craved it. Her Uncle was older, and a busy man. She was glad he liked the ranch—and apparently all the Croft men, including Kane. It made her feel better about telling them both the truth.

  She had been half-afraid something would go wrong, because that’s what her life was, mostly….wrong.

  Kane had called her several times too, usually later, she supposed when Michael was watching TV, or was in his rooms there. Those were hard for Sage— awkward—although she sensed he was not as at ease as he seemed either. He filled her in on what they did. Always saying how good a job she’d done with Michael, how smart he was. But, there were those silences, when the tension and emotions had little to do with Michael, and more to do with them, talking, listening to each other’s voices, after all these years.

  Too tired to think, she hit the bed early. She hated the hotel. Seriously hated it. She dreamed of having her own house, with a big soft bed to sleep in.

  ~*~

  Sage gave her two weeks’ notice at the Café, the same day she called and accepted Skye’s offer. She wasn’t worried about leaving the staff short, because there were always more applicants than wait shifts available.

  She had that day off, so she did errands, and checked on things in storage. She had her hair trimmed, bought a few things, then did laundry at the local matt— admitting her frustration with the owners of the fixer upper.

  One reason she took Skye’s offer was because they wanted more than she’d offered on the place. The house wasn’t even worth that, but they felt the land had more value. An acre set back from the road. It was depressing, instead of exciting, knowing how long it would take her now, to come up with the money. Tips in a small town weren’t great and the hotel expenses, gas. It sucked.

  As she washed and folded, Sage ignored the people staring at her. She’d
answered the blunt questions from coworkers at the diner, about Michael, and his obviously being Kane Croft’s son with, “It’s complicated.” And, a cool smile, for why no one knew it before—and why she had worked there so long without mentioning it. She’d used that cool smile for a number of other nosey enquiries.

  In a way, she was glad to leave the job. Everyone would be gossiping. People coming in the diner would be whispering, and probing.

  She’d gone to the middle school yesterday. They were going to enroll Michael as soon as his records came in. Likely a few days from now. Her son was probably nervous about public school, but he was absorbed right now with his newfound father and relatives, so that served as a good distraction.

  Her laundry finished, she walked out into the sunny day, opening her trunk to put the basket and storage tub inside. She had just closed it, and looked around—when she spotted Kane.

  He backed in. Arm along the window, he waited until she got close to her driver side door.

  Kane pulled off his sunglasses. His hat brim shaded his handsome face. It looked like he wore a white T-shirt, doubtless denims. Those green eyes swept over her denim shorts and blue shirt, down to her sandals. She had her hair clipped off her neck, and not much make up on.

  Sage leaned against the door, self-consciously crossing her arms. “Something wrong?”

  “No.” He grinned slightly, eyes meeting hers. “I dropped Michael off at the hotel to get a few things. I wanted to talk to you…”

  “Yeah?”

  “Can you come out to the ranch, for dinner maybe?”

  She looked away from him. “I don’t know.”

  “I figured we needed to talk, about his school and everything.”

  She met his gaze. “He wants to live with you?”

  “Don’t you think it would be good, if all three of us talked?”

  “Yeah, all right.” She uncrossed her arms. “What time?”

  “Six-seven?”

  “Fine.”

  She turned to get in the car.

  “Sage?”

  Hand on the latch; she half turned to regard him. Dammit. He looked too good, scruffy jaw or not. His deep-set green eyes were devastating. His mouth—

  Don’t look at his mouth.

  “What?”

  Kane raked his teeth over his lip, staring at her before drawling softly, “Nothing. You look pretty. We’ll talk.”

  She swallowed, holding his stare only a second before she was getting in the car and pulling out.

  It didn’t get any easier, fighting everything that shouldn’t still be there, but still was. It didn’t keep Kane from invading her thoughts, her dreams.

  She never wanted to feel again, what the she had with him. But he was hard to resist. Even accepting his explanation of the past, didn’t mean any future romance was possible. She couldn’t feel anything mild or calm with Kane, though. It was all intense and chaotic.

  That was the problem.

  Sage had to fight what she knew of him now, and what she wanted to know, because he was that compelling to her still. She had to fight it, in order to hang onto her dreams of making life her own.

  Sometimes—she ached to have a lover.

  Most of the time—her first love’s face filled that fantasy.

  “You’re coming out to supper?”

  “Yes,” she answered Michael’s enquiry, at the hotel, while watching him grab up clean underwear and a shirt she’d just washed, along with jeans. “You like it out there, after all?”

  “Sure. It’s a big place. Lots of animals. The house is cool. I got a big bedroom. There’s internet and satellite. Stuff to do. I learned to ride.”

  He was heading into the bath to shower, so she asked, “And you and Kane—ah—your father, get along well?”

  He paused and regarded her a moment. “He can do a lot of stuff. Just like you’d think a rancher would. He cooks too. Works on things. He works a lot. He knows a lot of stuff.”

  She smiled. “That’s cool.”

  He nodded. “You wanted me to like him. Right?”

  “Of course.”

  “I like him.”

  “That’s—wonderful.” She grinned and came over to him. He was her height and growing more every day. Touching his hair, smoothing the curls, she murmured, “The Uncles and the rest, you like them too?”

  “Yeah. Carter is the easygoing one. He jokes around a lot. Rio—he took me with him you know, showed me a lot about animals. His daughter Willow called when we were driving around. I talked to her. She’s really cool and funny.”

  Eyeing that smile, Sage smiled too. “Great. You know I’m going to work at the Barn, with Skye and Jesse?”

  “It’s more money, right?”

  “Yeah. Like twice more.”

  “Cool.”

  She dropped her hand. She wanted to hug him tightly, but he was at that age where he wasn’t crazy about hugs.

  “I need a shower, Mom.”

  She kissed his forehead, before he could protest. While he went to the shower, and she would need one next, she snuck outside and lit up. Sitting on the bench, smoking, trying to prepare herself for dinner at the ranch-with Kane.

  Chapter 6

  There was plenty of daylight hours left when Sage pulled up at the ranch house. Everything seemed bright and green Nature sounds were all vibrant, and the air fresh.

  She closed her car door, Michael having already gotten out. She’d worn a summer dress, casual, and to her knees, light blue with little violets on it, along with her flat sandals. The front of her hair was clipped back, and her violet eyes were subtly made up.

  Taking a few deep breaths, she finally headed toward the porch, Michael was ahead of her. Midway up the steps, the screen door opened and Kane stepped out.

  Oh, wow.

  His hair was still damp. He wore low-slung Levis that were molding his muscled legs and lean hips. He was buttoning a short-sleeved white linen shirt—it gaped enough for her to see his hard pecs, bronze and smooth. The thin shirt didn’t mask his hard abs.

  “Hey. Welcome.” He left off the buttoning and ran a hand through his wet hair. “Got started a little late. I grilled steaks. Hope that’s okay.”

  “Sounds great.” She tried to focus only on his face—though that too was sexy. She reached the porch. He was saying something, joking with Michael for a moment, and she wanted to shake her head at his rugged profile.

  Sage did let her gaze slide down and noticed that he was barefoot.

  Shit. Great. This was going to be an exercise in keeping her focus.

  “Michael will show you around inside.” Kane drawled quietly.

  She jerked her gaze up.

  He’d caught her checking him out.

  Sage’s cheeks flushed.

  Kane’s gaze was—almost seductive for a moment, before he waved her toward the door.

  “I’ll be in the kitchen, fixing salad.” She watched his lips say.

  “Come on, Mom.”

  She mentally shook herself and followed Mike inside, laying her purse aside as they first viewed the great room. She had seen it only briefly, years ago. It now had a TV and a little mini office in the corner, behind the leather sofa. They proceeded to other rooms, everywhere lovely antiques, and warm wood floors, everything so unpretentious and comforting.

  On the way up the stairs, Sage caught the scent of cologne. She knew it was Kane’s.

  “My room. It used to be Rio’s.”

  She stepped in Michael’s room. Great room, big windows, and full bed, shelves, a wardrobe. It was really nice. Her son’s IPod and other clutter were on a dresser. A lot of his things already rested on the shelf.

  “Fantastic.”

  “Yeah. It’s like huge.” He chuckled.

  They stepped out and she saw Willow’s room. It didn’t have a lot in it, but enough so she grinned at the Twilight poster, and black and purple comforter on the bed. There were several unused rooms. He didn’t do more than wave at Skye and Carters, wh
ich had an adjoining bathroom.

  “This is Kane’s.”

  He pushed open the door before she could stop him. The cologne and soap, and very sexy male scents teased her nose.

  “We shouldn’t invade his privacy.” She swept the room in a glance before closing the door, having taken in the big scrolled bed, bronze and mellow colors in the quilts. There’d been a comfy chair, small TV, laptop, his scrolled wardrobe, and two pair of boots— yeah okay, she’d taken in a lot.

  “I’m going to refresh,” she told Michael.

  “Guest bath, up here.” He waved. “I’ll go help do dinner.”

  She went in the restroom, standing in front of a mirror a moment, staring into her eyes, observing her flushed face, and mentally summoning up her courage for the rest of the evening. Washing her hands, Sage thought, he’s older, even tougher, sexy in a way that words were just… insufficient. She fought the images of their intimacy—so, so long ago. If she replayed that now, no way would she make it through the evening in his presence without him readying her thoughts. He watched her too closely not to.

  Sage had to leave the restroom—no matter how much she wanted to hide out. She went down the stairs, passing through an open dining room, seeing them in the kitchen. It was good sized and warm colors—and Kane stood barefoot, shirt half-done, at the sink.

  Well, hell.

  “I’ll set the table.” Michel scooped plates off the counter and headed to the dining room.

  Kane turned, drying his tanned hands on a dishcloth.

  Sage leaned against the counter...

  “Glass of wine?”

  “Yes. Thanks.”

  Kane went to the cabinet and got two glasses then removed chilled wine from a drawer in the fridge. After he’d poured, he brought both glasses and the bottle to the counter. Settling the bottle down, he handed her the glass and murmured, “A toast.”

  She raised her glass.

  “To the damn great kid we made. Beautiful, smart. A lot like his mother.”

  She toasted, and murmured before sipping, “Thanks.”

  His eyes watched her lips when she lowered the glass.

  Hers touched his mouth before rising to meet his gaze.