Today, Sage was set to come over, and I couldn’t deny I was excited. Hopefully, I could finagle dinner out of it. When Ellis pinged me to say they were on their way, my stomach was in knots.
The van appeared on the gate camera almost ten minutes later, with Sage leaning out of the van to reach the call button, but instead I hit the gates. I could see her give a little chuckle and settle back into the driver’s seat before she put the vehicle into gear.
I’d been getting my daily dose of her, but I was still a starving man. Somehow, every time I saw her, I wanted more. Her smile was cautious, her eyes guarded, but she was here. That meant something.
“You said that the greenhouses were ready for planting, so I brought a few things with me.”
Ellis was already opening the van’s back doors, revealing flats of plants.
The greenhouses were neutral ground, so I’d been hopeful that she’d come. That ‘maybe’ that she kept sending me had been a lifeline for me, and the relief I felt when she drove up suddenly washed over me as I moved forward to help.
“Let’s see what you have.”
“Just some more ferns, and I did bring you a nice Monstera cutting from Vera,” she said, handing over the flat. Our fingers brushed, a spark igniting despite the distance we’d had betweenus. “I figured I’d get a look at the work you’ve had done and go from there.”
“Hey man, you got this covered, or do you want me to hang here?” Ellis asked, already noticing that I might want some space with Sage.
“I’ve got it.”
Sage didn’t say anything but watched Ellis leave, biting her lip. “He’s been very nice. He and Ryatt.” They’d switched off shifts, so Ellis could get some shut-eye. I’d wanted twenty-four-hour eyes on her, and they’d better be nice. “I feel safer having them around. God, why is this so awkward?”
We both took a flat and headed towards the nearest greenhouse. “It doesn’t have to be awkward. I know my past with Catherine threw you off. We should have talked about everything beforehand. Everyone carries baggage.”
I could practically hear her thinking as she walked beside me, and I wanted so badly to prompt her, but I didn’t.
“I had a really bad relationship,” she finally said.
“I’m sorry.” Relationships really sucked sometimes. We all had big hopes for them, and sometimes reality didn’t live up to the hype.
“The guy I was seeing ended up going back to his ex.” She snuck a glance at me. “I have a hang-up about it. That’s why I freaked out a little with Catherine, but that wasn’t fair to you.” Her eyes slid toward me again, as if gauging my reaction. “I want us to be honest if we’re going to date. If that’s what you’re interested in.” She took a little breath. “My baggage is kind of a lot right now with the stalker drama.”
Stopping in the middle of the lawn, I set my plants down and took her face in my hands, tilting it so she was looking at me.
“It isn’t a lot. I’ll carry all your baggage. I just want you with me.” Pressing my lips to hers, I tried to infuse all those feelings into the kiss, keeping it brief, then brushing my thumbs over her cheeks afterward. Her eyes had filled with feeling, and it felt like maybe that was what we had needed to do. Share the load. “I’m glad you told me about your other relationship. It helps me understand.”
Picking up the plants again, she took another breath and shot me a big smile. A real one this time.
“Well, you’ve done it now, I guess. You’re not getting rid of me, whether you’re carrying stuff physically or metaphorically. I’m a lot.”
“That’s okay, sweetheart. I’m here for it.” I sent her a wide smile, meaning every word.
Inside the greenhouse, she took in all the upgrades. It looked amazing, with the beds cleaned up and the glass newly sparkling. Underneath everything, there were new plumbing systems and even a new boiler, so it could be heated in the winter.
“Wow. You’ve had some serious work done, and it’s only been a few days. It’s amazing. I can’t wait to plant here.”
“I gave specific instructions about the plants that you wanted left alone, and followed the plan you sent. No pressure, but I’m hoping that you’ll want to be involved in the project with me.”
“I’d like that.” Her eyes lit with pleasure as if I had given her the best and most expensive gift in the world. I wanted to tell her I wanted her involved everywhere. I wanted her living herewith me, Oppie, and Cheese, but I kept those thoughts to myself. There was no need to scare her right off the bat.
The greenhouse had some spectacular specimens, but they still needed care. Sage had labeled them in her plan, but all the Latin names were beyond me. They were green and leafy, with lots of ferns. When I’d bought the property, the greenhouses were part of it, and I hadn’t expected anything alive inside. The fact that any plants had survived had blown me away. Resilience took many forms, I suppose.
Within a half-hour, we had only gotten three of the plants in the ground while we chatted and caught up about the last few days. She asked me all the questions about Opal and her friends she was making at school, and what I was doing with work. I surprised her by being able to talk with her about the book they were reading at Chapter & Crumb. East had told me that Lila loved talking books with him. It was his one big piece of relationship advice that was worth listening to, and the way Sage’s eyes lit up meant he had been spot on.
Finally, when she seemed relaxed enough, I broached the topic I’d been avoiding. “Did you want to ask me any questions about Catherine? Or my marriage?” We were elbow-deep in the dirt, and we’d settled into a natural, easy working rhythm. “I just want you to know that it is an open-book for you.”
She paused on her heels for a moment, and I could see she was considering it. She stood, then paced back and forth for a moment. After brushing my palms off before I removed the gloves she insisted I wear, I rose to my feet, stuffed my hands in my pockets, and watched her warily.
“You said that she didn’t want you?” Sage finally asked, biting her lip as she flicked her eyes up at me.
