Page 38 of Till The Cows Come Home

Chapter Thirty-Five

Miles

T he next few weeks were a blur, and although grateful, I was exhausted.

Sage insisted on manual labor alongside the rest of us, and while I expected nothing less, I could tell the fatigue settled deep in her bones.

I watched her where she stood, leaning against the bed of my truck as the crane lowered another truss and before she could push off to help secure it, I approached her, snaking my hands around her waist.

“Go on a date with me.”

“I would love to,” she hummed. “As soon as this barn is finished.”

“Not when it’s finished. Tonight.”

She spun to face me, her eyebrow cocked as if my words were foreign.

“As soon as I leave here, I’m going to shower and sink deep into bed. I’d fall asleep before our appetizer made it to the table.”

“Unless you went home and took a nap right now,” I suggested, ignoring the hustle and bustle unfolding as the crew erected more of the exterior behind us.

They’d tried to send us away countless times, assuring us we weren’t needed, but if they were here, we were going to be too.

That being said, Sage had already worked most of the morning, and I knew for a fact the only one that would care if she left would be herself.

“I can’t just leave,” she said.

“It sounded like a suggestion when I said it, and for that I apologize, but it wasn’t. This isn’t optional. Go home. Take a nap. Belle’s Bells are playing down at Rusty’s. Live music, greasy food, cheap drinks…”

“I can’t.”

“Sage, if you don’t leave I’ll call the sheriff and tell him you’re trespassing.”

“You wouldn’t.” She glared, her eyes narrowing as she attempted to dissect my threat.

“Try me.” I shrugged.

“Fine,” she huffed.

“I’ll pick you up at six, be ready to have the time of your life.”

“Thanks,” she mumbled, kissing my cheek before heading to her car.

“You’re more than welcome, pretty girl.”

I’d snuck away around 1:00 p.m. myself, showering a day’s worth of sweat off my body before allowing my own bed to consume me. I wasn’t naive enough to think I could stay away past nine without some rest, and the three hour slumber I’d settled into had me feeling more rested than I had in weeks.

I did manual labor on the farm, but not this kind, and my body was taking its sweet time adjusting.

Climbing up and down a ladder with a tool belt strapped to my waist all day drained me in a way I’d never experienced, and when my body slowed at the end of the day, nothing could restart it.

I didn’t even dare sit at the table in fear I wouldn’t make it to my bed at the end of the night, which is why tonight was so important.

We needed a break.

After hopping into the shower for a second time, I got ready and headed to Sage’s, and when I arrived I could see her sitting on her balcony, her face tilted up as she absorbed the setting sun.

“Good evening, Sage Baker. How’d you sleep?”

“I slept for five hours straight,” she said, pausing for a moment. “It was glorious.”

“Almost like I was right,” I teased.

“I don’t know about that, but what I do know is that now that I’ve awoken, I’m absolutely famished. If we don’t get food soon, I will begin to get hangry.”

“Our chariot awaits,” I announced, gesturing to my truck.

It didn’t take long for us to arrive at Rusty’s and when we pulled in, the parking lot was already almost full. There was a band that went on before Belle’s Bells and evidently they were popular enough to draw a crowd, which I hadn’t accounted for in my timing.

“Ready?” I asked as I opened Sage’s door.

“You know, I think this is our first public outing,” she said, her eyes rolling up as if she was searching her memories to confirm.

“I know, I was beginning to get a complex,” I joked.

“We need to make more time for us,” she hummed, her body pressed against mine as she closed the truck door behind her.

“I agree, we got off on a bit of a dramatic start.”

“From now on, let’s do at least biweekly dates. When the barn is done, we’ll move it to weekly.”

“Deal,” I agreed, pulling her in until my arm rested around her shoulder. “Now let’s go.”

I guided us into the bar, pausing at the counter to place a food order while Sage found a table amongst the crowd.

She’d given me the freedom to order whatever sounded good, which took me a moment longer than I’d like to admit as I scoured the menu.

We ate a lot of sandwiches and pasta, opting for easy after our long days, and our lack of proper dating meant I didn’t know what she’d usually get.

I celebrated when I saw poutine, immediately ordering it along with a small spread of some of not only my favorites, but things I thought she may enjoy.

While I waited I glanced up, seeing that Sage had found a table in the back corner, and as my eyes found hers, she smiled back at me, giving me a little wave.

I waved back, chuckling as I turned back to the food counter, pretending as best I could that her grin from across the bar didn’t ignite a fire inside me.

She was gorgeous, and seeing her hop in my truck with another one of her tantalizing sundresses reminded me how much we’d been working lately.

Pride swelled inside me as I watched Sage work day in and day out, covered in grease and dirt, sweating as she put in everything she had, but I planned to take our new deal seriously.

She deserved a break, and it was a disservice to Lox, Virginia to allow this perfect woman to be hidden under an inch of grime.

The bartender called my name, and as I took the tray of food from her hands, I spun to catch a man approaching Sage.

She was blissfully immersed in the opening band, swaying in her chair to the music, and as the stranger slid his hand to rest right above her ass, I watched the playful smile that danced across her face turn to confusion as she realized it wasn’t me.

She recoiled, leaning out of reach, and I crossed the barn in a matter of seconds.

“Can I help you?” I asked, setting the tray on the table with one hand while gripping his shoulder with the other, tugging him back to give Sage another foot of space.

“Get your hands off me,” he grumbled, jerking forward in an attempt to free himself from my hold, but my grasp was strong, fueled by the innate instinct to protect Sage.

I pulled him down until my mouth hovered next to his ear.

“It’s not polite to touch women without their consent. Do it again and I’ll break your hands.”

I shoved him forward away from the table, and he spun around, hovering as if he was deciding whether or not to challenge my threat. Luckily for him he scoffed and walked away, muttering choice words under his breath, which I ignored, sliding into the chair opposite Sage.

“What did you say?”

“I told him this seat was taken.”

“I’m sure.” She laughed. “Thank you. I forgot wandering hands were a side effect of the night life.”

“Not when you’re with me.”

“I’ve never seen you like this, all broody and bothered, it’s kind of hot.” She giggled, sliding her leg along mine under the table.

“I’m glad you find it amusing. Also, we definitely need to get out more. I have no idea what you drink or what you’d order. I chanced it with the food, but we’ll have to make another trip to the bar.”

“Well, you did pretty good. Poutine was a solid educated guess, and a fan favorite. I loathe mozzarella sticks, so those are all you, I don’t eat food that’s actively attempting to murder me.

Fried pickles are a yes. I like blue cheese and ranch, and I’ll eat just about any wing flavor.

I love a dirty Shirley, or rum and pineapple juice, but I hate beer.

It tastes like you mowed the lawn and ate the clippings. You?”

I laughed, enamored by the big blue eyes staring up at me as she waited for my response.

“Uhhh, I agree with all of that. Except mozzarella sticks obviously, I think they’re great. And beer. Nothing beats a cold beer after a long day, but I’ll happily provide you with whatever spiked juice you desire without judgment.”

“How do you like your steak cooked?” she asked, popping a pickle slice in her mouth.

“Medium.”

“What’s your stance on olives?”

“I hate them.”

“Perfect,” she muttered under her breath.

“Why is my hatred of olives perfect?”

“It’s the olive phenomenon. Both people can’t like olives in a relationship, it’s too much on the balance of the universe, and I like them.”

“Noted.” I chuckled, and as we sat picking at our food I fielded about a hundred more questions.

Up until the minute Belle’s Bells took the stage, we went back and forth, trading questions and stealing glances like highschool kids on a first date.

And when the lights dimmed, her hands reached across the table, settling perfectly into my own.

As the set continued, the music slowed, and I rose from my seat, extending a hand to Sage.

“Care for a dance?”

“I thought you’d never ask.” She grinned, and for the rest of the night we acted blissfully unaware that anything else in the world existed.