Sage
“Dang it!” I huffed and carefully set the necklace I was making on the small desk in my room. Standing, I scanned for where I’d set my cell phone that was currently buzzing and saw it in the middle of my childhood twin-size bed.
When I saw the incoming number, my stomach launched into my throat, and I practically lunged for the thing, tripping loudly along the way but thankfully making it to the bed without falling.
“Hello, this is Sage Walker,” I answered, hoping my voice didn’t sound as unsteady as the rest of my body felt.
“Hi, Sage. This is Dina Campbell returning your call about the commercial space we have up for lease on Market,” the woman on the line replied with a rushed tone.
My pulse thudded in my ears.
I’d kept my eyes on several potential store spots along Market Street in Portsmouth, tacking the addresses up on my vision board for where I’d hoped to eventually grow my business. Even after everything started to take off, I didn’t want to rush things, so somewhere in the back of my mind, I’d clung to this idea that I’d be ready for my own store space when one of those perfect spots became available.
And then, the week before I was set to come back for Rose’s wedding, the one location emptied out and the For Lease sign went up.
That meant it was meant to be, right?
Before I could think about—or overthink—it, I called the number and left my information in a voice mail, giddy with excitement.
But when there was no return call all last week, I’d started to accept that maybe I’d been wrong. Maybe it wasn’t the right time. And then I’d talked to Luke.
Our shared Jack-O-Lantern wasn’t the only thing spilling its guts that night, and I fully blamed the cider for the way I opened up to him about my business—the thing I was most proud of because it was all mine. And I hadn’t just opened up; I’d asked for his advice. On growth. On risk. On getting a storefront.
‘When you know something is meant to be, that’s the only right time that matters.’
“Yes,” I said, anticipation giving me goose bumps. “Thank you so much for calling me—”
“Of course,” she broke in, obviously having no time for small talk the way she continued to barrel through our conversation with the finesse of a freight train. “We’re looking to have the space leased as soon as possible. Are you still interested?”
“Yes, absolutely.” I nodded like she could see me.
“Great. If you can provide your email, I’ll send you over all the details and a leasing agreement for you to sign, and you can take over the space next month,” she finished with a loud exhale.
I balked.
Details… lease… sign. Today.
I wouldn’t say I was having cold feet, but my feet felt like they should at least walk around the space and make sure it fit my needs before I signed anything.
“Would it be possible for me to come see the space first to make sure it fits my needs?” I asked gingerly at first.
There was a pause, and I wondered if I’d dropped the call because Dina didn’t seem to have a pause button.
“Walk around?” She sounded like no one ever wanted to look at real estate before committing to rent it. “You know, we really have a ton of interest in the space, so if you’re not sure—”
“I’d just like to come see it first before I sign anything.” It was my turn to break in and stand firm.
Her exaggerated huff was noted. “Can you come over now?”
I gulped. “I’m currently out of town for my sister’s wedding—”
“Monday then?” she asked, assuming my reply meant the wedding was either tomorrow or Sunday.
I bit my lip. I would’ve really preferred to have a few days to process all of this because I knew the moment I stepped into that space, Dina would push me to either sign or walk away. And to do all that before Rose’s wedding…
“Miss Walker?”
‘When you know something is meant to be, that’s the only right time that matters.’
“Yes. Monday,” I conceded quickly. “I can be there Monday afternoon to see the space.”
Looked like I was driving back to Portsmouth on Monday after our haunted house adventure planned for this weekend.
“Great. I’ll see you then.”
“By—” The call ended before I even finished.
A small knock drew my attention instantly to my door. “Come in.”
I’d just set my phone down when Rose poked her head through the door with a smile on her face.
“Everything okay?”
“Yeah.” My head tipped. “Why—oh.” My shoulders sagged. “I just tripped trying to get to my phone.”
“Ahh.” She nodded and chuckled. “Call from Luke?”
I tensed. “Actually, a call from a realtor in Portsmouth about a commercial space that just went up for rent.”
“What?” Rose exclaimed with excitement and shut the door behind her. “You found a space? You’re opening your own store?”
Goodness Grindelwald, Rose and Dina would get along.
I held up my hands as I stood from the bed, gesturing that she needed to slow down. “I’m going to look at a space that I’ve been keeping my eye on for a while. But it just came up for lease, and the realtor said I could go walk through on Monday.”
“That’s amazing, Sage.” She rushed over to me and wrapped me in a big hug. “My fearless baby sister.” Her hold tightened briefly. “I’m so proud of you.”
“It’s not for sure,” I repeated. “It’s a big commitment, and I’m not sure I’m ready, but I’m going to go see the place and see how I feel.”
“Is that why you’ve been holed up here for the whole week working?” She pulled back and folded her arms, eyeing me with a questioning stare. “Because I for sure thought it was for a completely different reason…”
I met her gaze, but she didn’t say anything else, waiting for me to make the first move.
“If you want to ask me a question, Rose, you’re going to have to ask it,” I told her.
And give me a minute to figure out exactly how to explain why I’d done my best all week to avoid any unnecessary run-ins with my fake boyfriend.
“Fair enough,” she acquiesced. “What happened last weekend at pumpkin fest between you and Luke?”
Everything.
Nothing.
I groaned. It felt like there was one of those pumpkins lodged in my throat, toothlessly grinning as I tried to swallow.
“Nothing.” I walked back over to my desk and sank into the chair, letting my head tip back in defeat. There was no point in keeping this from her. If I kept it to myself, that meant it was special—that meant it meant something. And I knew better than to think that it did. “No, that’s a lie. We kissed. After everyone got off the hay ride and came inside.”
“You kissed? Like the orchard—”
“No,” I cut her off, wanting to laugh at past-Sage who’d thought the peck from Luke in my parents’ apple orchard had been earth shifting. Silly, silly Sage. She had no idea what a real kiss from him could do. “Like kiss kiss.”
Like flip the world on its axis kiss.
My sister was by my side in an instant, grabbing the arms of my chair and spinning it toward the bed, so she could sit on my mattress and face me.
“It’s not a big deal.” I brushed it off. “I mean, it’s still not something I’m going to mention to Callan because I don’t want him to be weird. But it’s—”
“How was it?” Rose interrupted me, demanding the juicy details. “Was it just a kiss or was there more? You did look pretty flushed when you came inside; I thought it was just because it was chilly out there. But, oh my god, Sage… you and Luke—”
“It doesn’t matter how it was,” I told her succinctly, repeating the words I’d said way too many times to myself over the last week whenever my mind drifted back to those magical minutes.
“What? How can it not matter? Was it not good? I can’t believe that after everything I’ve heard—”
“No.” I shook my head so hard a few strands of hair whipped across my cheeks. “I mean, it doesn’t matter because the kiss was just for show.”
I’d felt like Cinderella—Sagerella—in Luke’s arms. Like maybe I could be the princess that the handsome prince desperately desired.
And then Sean spoke. His words rang like the shrill midnight toll of the clock, reminding me that all that time was just make believe, and I was still just a pumpkin.
And Luke was only my pretend prince.
Rose blinked twice and then asked bluntly, “Was there tongue involved?”
My mouth fell open for a second before I snapped it shut. “I told you—”
“And I’m telling you that if the tongue was involved, there was no way the kiss was for show,” she informed me in the way older sisters did—like she would always have more wisdom about everything.
I felt the heat rise to my cheeks, so I purposely turned back to my desk and the necklace I’d been working on.
“I’ll take that as a yes.”
“Take it however you want, it doesn’t change the truth,” I mumbled, threading a bright blue bead onto the strand. “It was just a kiss, Rose.” One that felt like a dream. “I can’t read into it. Not when Sean was there. And not when Luke looks at me like a little sister,” I told her firmly, tacking on. “Just like Callan.”
“Just like Callan?” she balked and then laughed. “Sage, if you think the way Luke looks at you is the same as how our brother does, then we’ve got bigger problems than Sean. Much bigger.” She made a gagging noise. “Like incest bigger.”
I pursed my lips but didn’t argue—couldn’t argue.
Luke didn’t look at me like a sister—he looked at me in a way no other man had ever done before.
And those charming eyes were far more haunting than any ghost from my past.
“Knock, knock.” We’d hardly turned before Callan cracked open the door to my room. “I think our costumes—whoa.” He stopped and looked between the two of us cautiously. “Did I miss something serious?”
“Just girl stuff,” Rose answered, easily putting him off from wanting to know more.
“Okay then.” His chin dipped. “I just wanted to let you know our costumes came.”
My mood lifted and a smile broke over my face. “Finally!” I clapped and rushed over to the package he held out in his hand.
The three of us always coordinated our Halloween costumes into a theme. When we were younger, our parents made the choice. But as we got older and remained close, we took turns picking out what to dress up as for our annual visit to Laconia’s Mason Haunted House.
“I’m just glad we weren’t suckered into another Harry Potter variation,” he mumbled, and I swatted him.
Of course, for all my turns, I’d picked various casts of characters from the books, but this year, since it was Rose’s wedding, I’d told her to give me two choices of what she wanted, and I’d pick between the two.
Being the kind of sister she was, she’d suggested Harry, Hermoine, and Ron, knowing they were my go-to. But then she also mentioned that if we picked a different classic, Mike could be added to our costume clan.
And I couldn’t turn that plea down—nor the chance to welcome her fiancé into one more of our family traditions.
“You should just be glad that I didn’t decide to make you Toto,” I quipped at my brother, tearing open my package and pulling out the green and black gown.
It might not be Harry Potter, but I was still heading into this Halloween event with magical powers… as the Wicked Witch of the West.
And if I was lucky, maybe Luke would show up dressed as a frog. Maybe then I could stop remembering the way he held me… kissed me… and wondering if what we had could be real.