by Gayle Eden
The air crackled. Heat spread over her skin.
“Let’s eat.”
She nodded and followed him to the dining room. Platters and bowls on the table, the salad already there, setting her glass by the plate, Sage noticed Michel had a soda. Seated opposite Kane, Michael between them, Sage complimented him on the meal when her plate was filled.
“Do you cook?”
“Not in a long time.” She glanced at him. He was cutting his steak. “I was taught how to cook traditional meals.”
“I’m a fair hand at it. Nothing fancy,” Kane said.
“I’ve probably forgotten how. I miss it.”
Michael was busy eating, though he was obviously listening.
“So, you’re going to work for Skye?”
“Yes. It pays better and waiting tables is not exactly challenging.”
He sipped his wine, and then asked, “Did you want to do something after graduation?”
“I probably did.” She watched her fingers tear the bread. “But my mother wanted me to marry. My father too. Most of what I learned was how to entertain.” She laughed dryly. “I did work a few jobs before the café. A boutique, and a jewelry store. Nothing thrilling.”
He met her gaze when she looked up. “You’ll like working with Jesse and Skye.”
“I think so.” She nodded.
Michael said, “It’s going to be strange, going to school here.”
Since that was obviously on his mind, they attended the conversation, mostly Kane telling about the schools, since he attended them.
She listened as he told Mike, “You’ll learn more and more about the ranch, so you’ll have something in common with those kids. You’ve lived in another state, done other things, so you’ll get on with the ones who aren’t into it. You want to do sports?”
“I think it might be cool.” Michael looked at Sage.
“We’ll see.” She grinned.
“Yeah. Guess it’s too late in the year this year anyway.”
Conversation was filled after that, with Michael asking about Kane’s school years. Sage listened. She learned a lot by doing that. He talked about his Grandfather, and then answered questions about an array of things that Michael asked about.
After dinner, Kane made coffee. She was surprised when Michael asked him if they were doing dishes. She could hardly get him to pick up a towel in the bathroom.
“They’ll keep. You want to go feed the horses at the barn while we talk?”
“Sure.” Michel looked at her.
“It’s fine.” Sage realized her son was a little nervous, and she supposed that was normal, considering the situation. “We’re not going to argue, Mike.”
“I didn’t think so.” He gave her a sheepish grin. “I was just seeing if you were okay.”
“Having a great time.” She grinned back.
He left.
She glanced at Kane who handed her mug of coffee.
Green eyes pinning hers, he drawled quietly, “I told him the truth when he asked me. Told him, I wasn’t very nice to you. That I hurt you—broke your heart.”
She breathed out unsteadily. Her fingers felt his when she wrapped them round the mug.
“I’m sorry for that.” Kane’s free hand touched her cheek while he stared down at her. “It doesn’t sound like enough when I say it.” His gaze searched hers. “I know it was a long time ago. But I want you to believe me. I hate that I made you cry. That you had to go through all that alone, and didn’t know you could come to me. That I’d help you. I hate that I lied to you—even for the right reason.”
Oh. God. She couldn’t take it. She couldn’t take him, like this.
Sage reached up and moved his hand down, her smile wobbly, her eyes starting to burn. Gruffly, she said, while stepping back from him, “Thank you. It’s fine. Really. I don’t want you to apologize every time we see each other.”
She headed for the front porch, blinking back the tears and feeling him behind her. Sage blew several breaths and kept her back to him, staring toward the barn and the direction Michael had gone.
Kane came to lean beside her, his eyes still on her face. “Mike tells me you’ve been saving up, to buy a house?”
“Yes.”
“How’s it going?”
She was glad to be talking about something else. “No great.” She took a sip of coffee and then glanced at him, wryly. “I had a fixer upper in mind. Made an offer, but they want more than I can afford right now.”
“Can’t be easy saving on a waitress pay.”
“It wasn’t.” She looked out at the yard.
“Not with the hotel expense too…”
“Yeah. It was one of the reasons I didn’t bring Michel right away. I wanted—a house to bring him to. I’ll do it. Eventually.”
“I have a proposition.”
She glanced at him.
He held her gaze with his light green one for several heartbeats. “You’ve seen how big this house is, how many rooms are unused. Why don’t you move in here? It will save more, no hotel, and your things in storage can be moved out here.”
“No.” It came out in a breath of harsh air.
“Michael already moved in, Sage. We need to have a relationship for his sake. Because we’ll both be raising him. I work around here all the time, so it’s not as if we’d be falling over each other. You’d be here to help him with homework, or whatever. And for us to talk over whatever comes up. It’s closer to where you’ll be working.”
“We can’t—” She could feel her skin flushing. Her heart was beating too hard. “It wouldn’t be a good idea.”
“He wants to take the name Croft. It’s his name.”
“Fine. But—”
“Sage.” Kane stared at her, his voice dipping a notch. “What’s the down side of both of us being here for him?”
“I told you, Kane. I don’t want someone taking over my life.”
“That’s not what I’m offering,” he insisted. “It’s practical for him, and for us, if we’re going to parent him.”
“The town will assume—”
“Fuck the town.”
She looked away at that growl.
Kane sighed and muttered a curse.
Michael was headed back. Before he reached the porch, Kane said, “I’m up early. I can take him to school. We’ll both want to be involved. I want to support him.”
“Fine, support him. I don’t need you taking care of me.”
“You’re deliberately taking it wrong,” Kane muttered, clearly frustrated.
She glanced at him before turning and heading back toward the rockers on the other side of the porch. Sage muttered back, “It would give Michael the wrong impression. False hopes. And given your reputation with women, confuse the hell out of him.”
She walked to the rocker and sat down; her legs were shaking and her insides in a riot.
That—had come out of nowhere.
She could hear Kane and Mike talking about the horses. Taking several sips of the coffee, wishing it was spiked, Sage felt her pulse beating way too fast. All those rushes in her body. Temptation. Denial. Defensiveness— because she didn’t want to take the easy way, or give up her independence again. Anger at herself—for even bringing up his sleeping around. Something she shouldn’t care about.
Hell. Damn. She couldn’t find the right word to express everything she felt. Shit!
Michael came and sat himself on the banisters.
Kane had a chair next to hers.
Sage gathered herself to partake of the conversation—though she felt Kane’s tension too.
Michael fell silent eventually.
She glanced aside at Kane.
He was looking at her.
~*~
Kane could see all her signs of discomfort. The flush on her cheeks and emotions in her eyes. He had planned how he’d put the offer while he was in the shower earlier and had said it pretty much like that. He didn’t think she would agree easily, because he knew
she wanted to have her own life.
There wasn’t a lot time for him to convince her it would work out okay, because Michael was there.
Even having that unsettled, wanting it settled, knowing he wanted to try and do everything right for Mike, be a father, be responsible, take part in his life—he admitted he wanted more.
He’d reacted to her from the time she came up those steps. He was aware of everything; the way she did her hair. That her eyes were shiny. That the simple dress she wore fit her full curves wonderfully, and enhanced the shape of them. Sage smelled wonderful. Her lips were dark naturally. Her legs were sexy, shapely. She had mauve toenail polish on.
Kane searched her face, remembering touching that creamy cheek. How tempted he was to kiss her. He was ultra-attracted to her. In addition, because he remembered and had replayed their past intimacy many times lately, he was aroused—blood, skin, his heart beating a little deeper.
Pulling his eyes away, he glanced at Michael, who was watching the sun lowering in the distance. He hoped she really did forgive him for past mistakes.
He wanted Sage. He wanted her so bad his whole body was tight with it.
“I asked your mom if she wanted to move in here,” Kane said to Mike, knowing he wasn’t being fair. But what the hell. “I figured it would be better than her paying rent on the hotel. Storage for all your stuff. And, she’s going to be working right down the road.”
When Mike turned his head, he looked at his mother, not Kane, who went on to say, “The house is big and there are all those rooms. You’d have both of us here, to help with whatever. I could run you to school. We could work out who picked you up. What do you think?”
Michael’s eyes slid to his. “I think that’s cool.” He looked at his mother, and murmured, “That would be great, Mom.”
Kane looked at her as she was regarding her son, and said tightly, “It’s really generous of him. But it would be a little odd, don’t you think?”
“No. You’re my mom. He’s my dad.”
Kane chuckled at that blunt answer.
She shot him a stiff smile. “But you know—” She looked back at Michael. “It’s not the same thing as a—”
Michael cut her off, “Reno has Willow, and she lived here. She has other parents. You know, Jesse’s brother is building a house with his wife and he’s got a son that lives with the mom. People have all kinds of complicated families. Kane said so. Even he, Carter, and Rio didn’t live here like brothers—”
“I know all of that, honey.” Sage said, “It just would cause talk, okay?”
He frowned, and looked between her and Kane, before muttering, “What do I care what a bunch of strangers thinks?”
“Oh. God.” She groaned and rubbed her temple.
“She’s mad,” he said to Kane.
Kane said, “Nah. She’s just thinking it over.”
Sage glared at him. “Thanks.”
He grinned slightly. “Welcome.”
“You hate that old hotel. You won’t have to drive all the way in town. Besides, if I stay, then I have to live apart from one of you. And if you moved in, that would be better.”
Kane watched her get to her feet.
He winked at Michel. “Why don’t you go have some dessert, and let us talk for a little bit?”
Michael nodded and got to his feet. As he went inside, he called back, “It’s perfect, Mom. You know it is.”
She fetched her purse and went down three steps, sitting and digging out a cigarette.
“Give me one of those.” Kane begged. “Let’s go over here, where he can’t see the smoke. I gotta pay five bucks, if he catches me.”
“I do too.” She followed him to the side, and down around the oak, the trunk hiding them well enough. She tossed the pack and lighter she brought on the ground, and then sat on the rope and board swing. He sat on the ground, near it, but against the tree. The emerald grass was sweet and spongy around them.
Taking a drag, Kane’s head tilted back against the trunk. He watched her let the sandals slide off so her bare feet touched the ground. His wrist on his updrawn knee as he smoked, Kane saw the breeze tease her raven hair and flutter her dress hem.
One hand held to the rope, the other with the cigarette slightly behind her, she was staring pensively up at the massive branches, not aware the hem fluttered almost to her upper thigh. Her full breasts were aroused, the nipples imprinted against the ultra-thin fabric. The bodice was heart-shaped, shoulder straps about four inches wide. Plenty of exposed skin and cleavage for him to admire...
She blew a stream of smoke before her eyes turned downward, toward him, beautiful violet eyes. Strands of tight inky curls fluttering against her face.
“You’re beautiful, Sage,” he murmured huskily.
She let her gaze sweep him. Though she said nothing in response, he knew she felt something. Kane knew she was attracted to him, at least.
He took another drag, releasing the smoke slowly.
She did too. Their eyes held for moments in an orange and lavender spray of sundown that filtered through the lowest branches.
“Do you remember, the way it was?” he husked softly.
“Of course.” She looked away. “You were my first.”
“Nothing compared.”
She swallowed, gazing now at the cherry on the cigarette. “No. Although, I don’t have your experience.” She spoke quietly, and strained, “And I wasn’t married long.”
“No lovers—”
“No. Kane.” She glanced at him, her eyes were so full of emotion it was all he could do not to get up and go to her, kiss her, lay her in the grass.
She finished, “I could never trust anyone. I didn’t trust myself either. “
“I’m sorry.” He was. Damned sorry.
Kane put out the cigarette, and fished gum from his back pocket. He opened a stick, stuffed the paper back, and then got up. Walking over to her, seeing her tense, he merely took hers and put it out. Afterwards he sat on his haunches in front of her. As much as he wanted to touch her, he put his hands on the swing ropes. Her legs brushed against him while they were face to face. He said, “Look at me, and hear me, okay? I’m not great at this. I’ve never been good at emotions. I hide them. I deny them. But I want you to see, and believe me.”
“Kane.”
“No.” He shook his head, his eyes locking with hers. “I knew you loved me. I knew it when I made love to you. I knew it was wrong. It couldn’t be—You and me. Because of who you were, and who I was. I tried to do the right thing before then. I talked myself into it. But when I was with you, I couldn’t not make love to you.”
Her eyes were filled with tears.
He admitted, “I loved you, Sage. I thought that breaking our hearts was the right thing to do. The only thing I could do.”
The tears spilled down her cheeks. He lifted his hand, cupping her jaw. A drop rolled over his thumb. “None of that was your fault. Or you’re doing anything wrong. Everything you thought I felt. I did. The only lying I did—was that last day.”
She sniffed in shakily and nodded, though more tears came rolling out.
Kane leaned in and kissed her lips softly, supple, barely pressing, but enough so their breaths stirred. Enough so his whole body felt the jolt of it.
Kane leaned back and watched her spiked lashes open. “Forgive me?”
“Yes.” She said thickly and laved her lips.
He arose, kissing her brow before he dropped his hand.
Walking back to the tree trunk, Kane watched her wipe her face, and run a finger under her lid to remove any smudged make up.
She stared at the ground when she said, “We can’t go back to who we were, or the way it was.”
“I know.”
Sage glanced up at him, and then got to her feet, self-consciously folding her arms, an action he had observed her do before.
He offered, “We can be friends, Sage.”
She nodded hesitantly.
“I know yo
u’re capable, strong enough to be on your own, and work for what you want. I’m not trying to take that away from you. I’ll even help fix up the house, if you save enough to get it. But for now, for all the reasons it’s a good thing, will you move out here?”
He could see she struggled; even when she eventually nodded, there was tension in her body.
“I’ll help you move everything. You can pick the room furthest from mine.” He laughed softly.
She grinned, and then released a long tense sigh.
Holding out his hand, Kane waited.
When she took it, to shake, but he held on long enough to skim her face, meet her gaze, and add, “It’s not all sunshine and roses. Don’t worry. Carter and I butt heads. Rio comes over and the three of us go a few verbal rounds. You and Michael are going to have your normal arguments. Eventually, he’s going to get on my nerves, as quiet as he is. And some of my rules won’t go over well with him.” Grinning, Kane finished. “I can be an ass hole on occasion. “
“No kidding.” She eased her hand free.
“Um.” He nodded for them to head back to the house, scooping up the smokes and handing them to her, arching his brow when she tucked them in her bra.
He told her, “We’re an odd family, but a real one. There’s no one perfect here. Skye and Carter are on a perpetual honeymoon. Since Mike’s been in the house, I’ve kept the TV or stereo going to drown out the wall banging.”
“Oh-my-God.” She laughed. “I didn’t think of that.”
He stared at that smile. Yeah, he thought. Oh-my-God. I’m going to be in perpetual arousal myself with her here every day. He didn’t’ care. Kane wanted her. He felt a million things around her. Kane knew he’d won a big concession. He had to do everything right this time.
~*~
It didn’t take long to move Sage out of the hotel, with his brothers helping. She’d packed everything up, ahead of time, and was on her second day of work with Skye and Jesse when they moved her things to the ranch. Same with storage. Those things he took to the lower floor bedroom, figuring she might want to go through it, and they could put what she didn’t need in the basement or attic.
Despite what he told her about choice of rooms, he picked the one closest to his for her. It had a smaller bath, but was lighter and more airy, according to Skye, who suggested it.
