More Than Cookies (The Maple Leaf Series) (9 page)

Back inside the house, the bouquet of red roses Scott had sent caught her attention and a little pang of guilt unfolded inside her.

“Awfully nice for a fellow to send you such pretty flowers,” her mother said as she hauled a laundry basket past Sage and into the laundry room. Joy Stannard was a sucker for pretty flowers.

“Scott was nice.” Sage followed her mother, turned on the washing machine, and added detergent while her mother loaded.

“So what happened?”

Sage chewed on her bottom lip. She hadn’t mentioned Orion to her mother yet. She wasn’t sure she had the right words to explain him or her fascination with him.

“Come on, sugar. Out with it.” Joy closed the lid of the washing machine and put her hands on her hips. “You’ll feel better if you toss it out there.” She motioned to the air around them.

“Well, at the house—”

“The one you’re abandoning me for? That house?” Her mother had not been at all pleased by Sage’s moving plans. In fact, it had taken Rick promising to check on her weekly to get Joy to stop lecturing about how dangerous it was for a single, attractive girl to live on her own. Sage understood her mother’s rebellion against the notion. It had been the three of them—Sage, Hope, and Joy—living in the same house for what seemed like forever. After Sage’s father died, the three Stannard females had bonded way deeper than the average mother-daughter connection. Sage believed that bond would keep them close no matter who lived where.

“Yes, that house, Mother.” She rolled her eyes, while Joy pursed her lips and dove into some dirty dishes at the sink in the kitchen. Sage picked up a dishtowel and dried what Joy washed.

“I still don’t see what’s so horrible about living here… with me.” Her mother paused a moment to give Sage a good stare down.

Sage slid her arms around her mother and squeezed lightly. “Mom, you know moving has nothing to do with you. I love you. It’s about me. Time to act like an adult and all that.”

Joy paused in her dishwashing to lean her head back slightly and kiss Sage’s cheek. “You’ll always be my baby. You, Hope, and Rick are my reasons for getting up in the morning.”

The corners of Sage’s eyes stung. “I promise to spring for the expensive old folks’ home when the time comes.”

Joy shrugged free of Sage’s hold. “You beast of a child.”

Sage picked up the dishtowel again. “So the deal with Scott is, he was perfectly… acceptable.”

“Oh. That sounds very beige, dear.”

“Exactly.” Sage traced the maple leaf pattern on the dishtowel. “And the thing is, I may have met someone very
not
beige.”

“Oh, really?” Joy shut off the water now and dried her hands. “This requires my full attention I think.” She nudged Sage over to the kitchen table. “Sit and spill, kid.”

Sage obeyed and said, “When Danielle showed me Cressen’s place, it wasn’t… well, it wasn’t empty.”

“So you got some bonus furniture? What does that have to do with anything?” Joy’s blonde brows drew together.

“Bonus furniture and a man.” Now that sounded ridiculous.

“I’m afraid I’m not following, Sage. Maybe the time for the old folks’ home is closer than I thought.”

“No. I’m not explaining it well.” She finger-combed the ends of her hair and sifted out a breath. “You know that carved moose we love at the rest stop?”

“Sure.”

“The guy who carved that was in Cressen’s place looking for help after being shot in the leg by a hunter. He’d crashed on one of the bonus pieces of furniture. Bled all over it actually. I found him. Danielle called 911. We got him help and he’s home now. He’s my neighbor and I made his father cookies and had dinner with them last night.” She realized she’d dumped a lot of information on her mother at once, but she’d needed to get it all out in one fell swoop.

Joy sat across from her, blinking as she processed. “Okay. Not beige. For sure.”

“Rick built a barn workshop for this guy and it’s a beauty.” When she’d wandered around Orion’s shop before the dinner invitation—before The Kiss—she’d sensed Rick’s craftsmanship throughout that workspace.

“So does this guy… what’s his name?”

“Orion Finley.”

“Nice.” Joy winked. “Does Orion Finley have Rick’s seal of approval then?”

“Does anyone ever get Rick’s seal of approval?”

“No.” Joy shook her head.

“But I’m thinking of filing the necessary paperwork to get it.”

“Sage Stannard,” Joy said, “might you be smitten?”

Sage thought of that kiss and the way Orion had looked at her all through dinner last night as if he wasn’t sure she was real or something. It had been rather adorable. And Ian. Oh, he was a sweetheart. He’d thanked her a million times for the cookies, but he’d also warned her about not hitting Orion. Had he meant not
hurting
Orion? From what Sage had witnessed, Witchy Ex-wife had done a number on the poor chainsaw artist. She imagined women in general scared the shit out of him after being married to—and even worse being divorced from—a woman who would use one’s daughter as a chess piece in a fucked-up game.

A game Witchy Ex-wife didn’t think Orion could win.

We’ll see about that.

“I may be slightly smitten and that’s all I’ll admit to at this point,” Sage said.

“It’s a start. I hope to meet him soon.” Joy pointed a finger at Sage in warning as she stood. “Want me to call Rick to help with the last of your furniture?”

“Yes, please.” Sage stood too. “I’m going to run this load of boxes over to the house right now.”

Joy nodded and reached for the phone as the doorbell rang.

“I’ll get it,” Sage said.

She opened the front door to an enormous bouquet of sunflowers and a pair of legs.

“Sage Stannard?” a voice asked from behind the sunny yellow blooms.

“Yes?” For a moment, her heart sped up thinking perhaps Orion had sent them.

“Delivery for you from…” the pair of legs paused, “from Scott Henrison.”

Ah, of course.

Orion didn’t seem like the sending flowers type. He also didn’t seem like the type to grab a woman in his workshop and kiss her senseless, but he had. Good God, he had.

“Can I set these down for you somewhere?” Legs lowered the vase to peek at her. “They’re kinda heavy.”

“Oh, sure. Right. Sorry. Come in.” Sage stepped aside and motioned toward the kitchen. “You can put them on the table there.”

Legs obliged, bid her a good day, and left.

Sage studied the bouquet from all angles. Under any other circumstances, she’d be applauding Scott’s efforts. This bouquet was exceptional. Not a limp stem in the bunch and the yellow petals were electric.

Today, though? Today she had an urge for something a little more unique. Something carved in wood perhaps. Something that could turn her temperature up with a single kiss.

Something that, once she’d finished moving into Cressen’s place today, would be conveniently close by.

Chapter Eight

“What if we switch the couch to that side and bring the chairs over here?” Sage angled her head at the current arrangement of furniture and something didn’t feel right about it.

“You’re killing me, Sage.” Rick straightened and rubbed his back until Lily came up behind him and took over. “On second thought…”

“Gag,” Sage said. “Let’s go. Everybody grab something.”

“Sounds like a good idea to me.” Lily threw her arms around Rick’s waist and he turned around in her grasp to hug her.

“I’m warning you two. I only have so much tolerance and you’re both pushing it.” Sage motioned to Hope to help her carry an armchair to the other side of the room.

“You’re thorny today, dear sister. More than usual. Sexually frustrated perhaps?” Hope set her side of the armchair down.

Now there was a question. Was she? It’d been a little while. Longer than usual in fact. If she’d given Scott another chance, she would probably have ended that dry spell already. But would she be satisfied? Or would she still be searching for more?

Was more through the woods next door?

“Hello? Sage?” Hope clapped her hands. “What’s with the faraway look?”

“Huh?”

“You checked out on me.”

“Did not.” Sage adjusted the armchair a little to the left then back to the right. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of Rick and Lily whispering about something. They were standing close enough that Rick’s forehead almost touched Lily’s. The way they were looking at each other did make her want to gag. Or cry. Or want what they had for herself.

She wasn’t normally such a mess.     

Damn Orion and The Kiss.

He was certainly to blame. No doubt about it. He’d gotten her all mixed up inside. She’d agreed—no, volunteered—to go with him to the attorney appointment later today. She hated that part of her scrambled brain kept settling on the word
date
when she thought about going to that appointment. If she allowed herself to think it actually was a date, what did that say about her?

It says I’m a lunatic.

“I don’t like the chair here either,” she announced.

“For the love of Christ,” Rick mumbled though he hadn’t moved the couch yet. The only thing he’d moved was the shoulder strap of Lily’s tank top, his index finger tracing circles on her bare skin.

Stop noticing what Rick’s doing,
Sage warned herself.
It’s creepy.

“All right. Leave everything where it is. I’ll figure it out later.” She plugged in a tall lamp whose base looked like a tree.

“Amen,” Rick said. “That was the last load of your shit, right?”

Sage nodded. “I’m officially moved out of Mom’s house.”

Everyone grew quiet for a moment then Sage sank to the couch, which for sure wasn’t where she wanted it, and burst into tears.

“Oh, honey.” Lily was at her side in under two seconds. She slid her arm around Sage and squeezed.

“I’m being stupid,” Sage managed between sobs.

“Not at all,” Lily said. “Moving here is a big deal. I remember when I first moved out of my dad’s place. I thought I was this important big shot. ‘Look at me, world, I’m on my way.’ Then the first night I had to sleep all alone in the new place, I freaked.” Lily glared at Rick when he snickered from his position, sitting on the hearthstone in front of the living room’s fireplace.

“Sorry.” He held up his hands. “It’s just that I can picture you all sassy and on your own during the light of day and like a spooked squirrel under the covers at night. It’s cute.”

“Nothing cute about me showing up at my dad’s house at one o’clock in the morning and half-pleading for him to let me sleep in the guest room for one more night.” Lily rolled her eyes. “Moving out is a life-changing event, Sage. You’re allowed to be a little unsure about it, though everything’s going to work out. You’ll see.”

“You’re right. My brain knows this is the right thing for me to do right now.” She wiped her eyes with the tissues Hope had pulled out of her purse and dropped in her lap. “I got overwhelmed for a minute. I’m okay now.”

“Funny thing is,” Rick started, “I’ll bet Aunt Joy is at home crying too.”

“No.” Sage shook her head. “She still has Hope. She’s not alone.”

“And if Sam doesn’t hurry the heck up with med school, Mom won’t ever be alone.” Hope sighed. “I’m depressed now. We need ice cream.”

“I’m in,” Rick said.

“Me too.” Lily stood. “What about you, Sage? We can celebrate this next phase in your life.”

Sage looked at the bear-shaped clock she’d put on the mantel of the fireplace earlier and popped up out of her seat. “How did it get to be so late? I have to be somewhere.” She spun in a circle. “Where’s my purse? Do I need to change? I do, don’t I? Do I have time?”

Rick and Lily blinked at Sage, then Hope said, “You guys go. I got this.”

Lily hesitated for a minute, but Rick nudged her toward the door. “Hope is a master at
handling
Sage.”

“I heard that,” Sage said. “I don’t need handling. What I need is my purse? And a whole new wardrobe, probably a haircut too.”

“She’s all yours,” Rick said, dropping a light kiss on Hope’s cheek.

“Thanks.” Hope walked Rick and Lily out.    

Were they talking about her?

Probably. Definitely. It didn’t matter. She had to go meet Orion.

Meet Orion.

Those two words together were… exciting.

Hope returned carrying a gargantuan bouquet of bright orange lilies. “When we got outside, a delivery guy was about to ring the doorbell with these.”

Sage plucked the card out from the blooms. “Scott strikes again.” She reached for the vase and went to put it on the coffee table, but stopped abruptly. “Wait a minute. How did he know I moved?”

“You didn’t tell him?” Hope asked.

“That would have been second date conversation. We never made it to that point.”

“Well, he is a cop, right? He probably has access to all sorts of ways to find people.”

That was logical, but still, Sage didn’t like it. “How do I make him stop?”

“Probably going to take an in-person visit to the St. Jamesbury PD. Take Rick.”

“I don’t need a scene, and Rick will definitely create a scene.” She glanced at the clock again. “Look, I have to go help a man get his daughter back.” She grabbed Hope’s purse and set it on her sister’s shoulder. “You probably have some clients waiting for you to design their snazzy websites. Thanks for helping me. We’ll do a girls night here later in the week. See you.” She edged Hope to the front door.

“Are you kicking me out?” Hope stepped onto the front porch.

“Yes.” Sage shut the door.

“Did you say ‘help a man get his daughter back’? What does that mean?” Hope’s silhouette showed through the frosted glass window on the front door.

“I’ll explain later.”

“It has to do with the guy you found bleeding in here, doesn’t it?” Hope yelled. “I don’t like this. Let me go with you, Sage.”

“I don’t need a chaperone, Hope. Go home. I’ll call you when I get back.”

If I don’t end up spending the night next door, that is.