“Can you tell me where the interior design books are?” Sage asks.
“I’ll do you one better,” Claire replies, rounding the counter and waving us to follow. “How are you liking the farm?”
I fall back a step, letting Sage and Claire walk together as they chat.
“It’s amazing,” Sage gushes. “I’ve never seen so many flowers before, and it smells so fresh and calming all the time.”
“And you fit right in. It’s almost like you were meant to be there,” Claire says with a grin that Sage shyly returns.
“I was thinking about checking out the community garden again.”
“Oh you totally should. Join us on Sunday! We meet at 11am, we’d love to have you,” Claire says, not realizing how big of a deal that is for Sage as she bites her lip to hold in an eager smile.
“Here we are,” Claire points to the top shelf in front of us. “Everything on that shelf there. Good thing you brought some height with ya.” Claire nods her chin at me standing behind Sage and winks at her.
“Let me know if there’s anything else I can help you find! I’m glad you stopped by, Sage.”
“She’s so nice,” Sage whispers after Claire saunters back to the front. “Can you read the titles to me? Tell me what they have?”
“How about a boost instead?” I offer.
“Okay,” Sage says with a grin, and I step behind her so her back is to me. Then I bend down, set her cute little ass on my shoulder, and stand with my arm banded around her legs for support.
“Whoa!” Sage whisper-yells, then covers her mouth, trying to muffle a delighted laugh. The fingers of one hand twist in my hair, a delicious pull on my scalp as her scent invades my lungs.
I’ll carry her around like this every day, if this is the reaction I get.
“Can you take this?” Sage says.
She passes me a book, then another, and I start a pile on a lower shelf. Before long, we’re checking out half the interior design books as well as two magazines that Claire recommends, and I could not be more happy or proud of how far Sage has come.
Chapter Forty-Two
Riley
I’m excited to show Sage the new clothes that came for her after work today, so I hustle up the driveway with the boxes in my arms, juggling them in my attempt to get the door open. When I walk inside, they tumble straight out of my arms and my mouth falls open.
Her heightened scent all but punches me in the throat. It’s sweetened to overpowering vanilla with lavender undertones, making my mouth water like a faucet.
“Sage?” I call, glancing in the kitchen and living room, but not finding her in either.
I jog up the stairs, my heartbeat racing my feet, and I head straight for the nest. Sure enough, when I open the door, she’s tucked into a pile of blankets with her stack of library books next to her, one propped open on her lap.
“Hey,” I say, pausing in the threshold. “Are you okay? Can I come in?”
She looks up at me with a nod, cheeks flushed and eyes bleary.
“A little warm. Good. Why?”
Uhhh. I glance around, like the pillows might have some input on what’s going on, then I kneel down and put a hand to her forehead. She’s definitely got a fever. It’s then I notice she’s not wearing any clothes beneath the blankets.
“I think your heat might be starting.”
“No,” she says with a decisive shake of her head. “Still got a day. Maybe two?”
“Sage,” I say, pulling out my phone to text the group chat. “You’re burning up, your cheeks are flushed, and your scent is so sweet it’s making my mouth water.”
She looks back up at me with a frown. “I know. But it’s not here yet. Not ’til I can’t have anything touching me, and the cramps get real bad. Now is just… just pre-heat.”
