Luke
I scrubbed my hands long past the time the water from the sink had turned pink with that piece of shit’s blood.
Outside the door, I knew the rehearsal was wrapping up. Mike was handling the guests and making sure no one was wondering where Rose and Sage, or for that matter, Sean, had gone. Meanwhile, I was in the staff bathroom of the brewery, trying to clean my hands like it would wash away the memory of what I’d just witnessed—what I’d just done.
Angry air grated through my lungs, my muscles still burning with exertion.
I’d been gone for two fucking minutes.
Two minutes.
Back to my office to make a phone call to my real estate agent because while I’d been at the bar checking with Kenny to make sure everything was running smoothly, I got an email with the signed Purchase of Sale agreement for the next step in the brewery’s and my future.
I was too fucking excited. And Sage… I thought she’d be busy with Rose, that I had a couple of minutes to call my real estate agent and let him know.
But when I came back, she was gone.
Kenny said he told her to look for me on the back deck—a reasonable and quiet place for me to take a phone call. Except I hadn’t wanted to run the risk of Sage walking out and hearing what was going on; I wanted to surprise her.
Instead, I’d walked out to Sean, who lay on the ground with a fucking pumpkin smashed on the side of his head. There was pride buried somewhere deep in my chest, but the many various layers of rage obscured it.
All it took was a split second to know that this time, Sean hadn’t used his words to get to my woman; he’d used his hands.
Her hair was a mess. Her dress askew. And the beautiful necklace she’d made to complete her outfit, gone. In its place, the subtle bruising already starting to color her skin from where he’d held her.
Later, I’d found the remnants of the beads crunching under my feet.
Huffing, I gripped the edge of the sink, trying to calm the anger that swelled once more.
My head snapped up at the knock on the door.
Reaching with one hand, I opened it to see Mike on the other side.
“Done?” I clipped, struggling to find anything more for the man who was the reason Sean was here, though rationally, I knew it wasn’t his fault.
“Everyone’s heading home,” he confirmed, not backing down from my hard gaze. “Luke, I just want to say I’m sorry—want to tell Sage I’m sorry. I had no idea he would do something…”
“Like try and rape her?” I finished harshly.
He sighed and shook his head, folding his arms across his chest, obviously feeling the pressure of the position he’d been put in.
“I should’ve kicked him out of the wedding weeks ago,” he admitted. “But Sage kept insisting it was fine. I haven’t seen him much over the last few years. I had no idea—” He groaned. “It doesn’t matter. He won’t be anywhere near the wedding or their family ever again.”
A small measure of relief cooled the fire in my blood.
“Where is he?” I asked in a low voice, hoping I’d get one of the circles of hell for an answer.
“I had Dan take him back to his hotel, pack his bag, and leave a note that if he comes anywhere near Sage, the wedding, the house, or anyone, we’ll press charges.”
“Good.” I peeled my fingers from the porcelain and stood straight.
What I really wanted to do was press my fingers around his throat just like he’d done to Sage.
Mike stared at me for a long second.
“What is it?” I checked the mirror, worrying I had blood or pumpkin guts on me somewhere.
“I want you to be in my wedding tomorrow,” he replied bluntly. “Not as my best man, but I want you to walk Sage down the aisle.”
I started, a little shocked by the question.
“But… we just met a couple weeks ago,” I said dumbly.
I had nothing against Mike. He loved Rose. He was great to hang out with when we’d all had dinner with Sage’s parents, and seemed like an all-around good guy. But we were still hardly more than acquaintances.
“True. But I know you’re close with the Walkers and more importantly, I see the way you look at Sage… the way you treat her. I recognize when a good man’s got his heart on the line, and she deserves to walk down the aisle tomorrow with someone who loves her.”
That obvious, huh?
“You clear it with Rose?” I rasped.
He smiled briefly. “No, but I have a feeling that deciding this on my own is going to get me some serious brownie points with the future missus.”
I chuckled. Couldn’t argue with him there. And if I was being honest, I wouldn’t have been okay with anyone else doing it. Except maybe Callan.
“Yeah.” My chin dipped. “I’ll walk her down the aisle.”
“Good.” He extended his hand, and I took it, shaking it firmly, though I couldn’t feel much the way my fist still tingled from pummeling Sean. “I’m going to head out. Call me if you need anything.”
I didn’t need anything except to go make sure Sage was okay.
And tell her that I loved her.
I didn’t know why I’d been holding off. Maybe I thought it was too soon. Maybe I thought she would find it hard to believe I could know something after a few weeks.
But one look at her beautiful, fractured gaze tonight, and I couldn’t wait any longer.
She needed to know I’d do anything for her because I was in love with her.
Once Mike was gone, I checked in the mirror again, confirming that I was blood-free and calm enough to go over to the Walkers’ house. The last thing I wanted was to remind Sage of what had just happened—or how I’d lost a little bit of my mind.
“Luke.”
I turned. Callan stood where Mike had just been.
“Still here?” I asked.
“Just wanted to make sure you were okay,” he said tightly, a very similar kind of rage flickering in his eyes.
The way we cared about Sage was like two different sides of the same intense coin and had Callan been the one to come out on the deck instead of Mike, I had a feeling that Sean would be in the ICU right now rather than cleaned up and warned away in his hotel room.
“I’ll be okay once I know Sage is okay. And once I know that fucker has left town.”
He nodded in agreement.
“Thank you,” he said hoarsely.
I held up my hand and shook my head. “Don’t thank me,” I told my best friend, walking right up to him so we stood face-to-face with the truth hanging between us. “I’m in love with her, Cal. I’m in love with Sage.”
Callan looked me up and down, regarding me with scrutiny I expected and welcomed. And then his shoulders sagged and he pulled me in for a hug, patting me firmly on the back.
“Of all the people in the world who could give my sister her happy ending, I’m glad it’s you.”
My jaw tightened. “Me too.”
Now, I just had to make sure she’d let me.
I knocked quietly on Sage’s door.
By the time I reached the house, everyone was in their rooms and getting ready for a good night’s rest before the events of the following day. Everyone except the bride and her sister.
The door peeled open, Rose standing in the entrance looking relieved to see me.
“She’s half asleep and exhausted,” she told me, though my eyes immediately went to Sage curled up on her childhood bed in a T-shirt and pajama pants. “But she’ll be okay.”
My lips pulled into a tight line. I’d make that assessment for myself once I could hold her.
“She just wishes the pumpkin she hit him with hadn’t been mostly hollow,” Rose added, her mouth quirking in a small smile.
That was my woman.
“Go get some sleep. I’ve got it from here,” I told her.
She looked over her shoulder at her sister, who’d just peeled her eyes open, and seeing me, nodded.
With that silent permission, Rose walked back over and kissed Sage on the head, murmuring good night to the both of us before leaving us alone.
And then I was sliding onto the bed next to Sage, groaning with relief when she curled into my arms and burrowed against my chest.
“Are you okay?” Her small voice carried up to me.
I balked. I should be the one asking her that, not the other way around.
“I am now that I have you.” My hold firm around her.
Her small sigh made my chest swell.
“I’m okay, too,” she went on, answering my unspoken question.
My throat tightened. Of course, she was okay.
My Potter-loving, pumpkin-wielding, deliciously wicked, and beautiful strong Sage.
“You’re incredible,” I said, running my fingers down her arm and along her side.
“Because I smashed his head with a pumpkin?”
A ghost of a smile crossed my lips. “That. And so many other reasons.”
She let out a low hum. “Who knew a pumpkin could stick to someone’s head like that…”
“A real-life jackass-o’-lantern.”
I felt her small laugh vibrate through her before she settled back into silence.
Gently tracking my hand over her shoulder, my fingers trembled as they crossed the darkening bruise around her neck before reverently lifting her chin.
“What can I do, Sage?” I asked, needing to make sure I was taking care of her before I addressed the burning need to tell her how I felt.
“Just hold me,” she murmured.
“I can do that—I can do more than that,” I promised with a quaking voice, my heart slamming against my chest like it was desperate to get out and get to this woman. And I couldn’t hold it back any longer. “I love you, Sage.”
It was a lot for this moment.
It was a lot after tonight.
But it was everything. She was everything.
And I couldn’t let her go another single second without her knowing it.
Her breath caught on a small sob and then, like the sun bursting through a knot of clouds, she murmured softly but steel-like, “I love you, too.”
I hadn’t realized my breath had been locked as a prisoner in my chest until her words burrowed into my heart like a key, releasing the tension and worry and anger from me and replacing it with an emotion too powerful to overcome.
I smiled, cupping my hand over her blushing cheek and swiping away the emotion leaking from her eyes.
“Thank god,” I rasped. “Because I love you so damn much, it’s insane.”
She dragged her tongue across her lips. “Or maybe magic.”
“Definitely magic,” I promised.
Her gaze dropped lower, regarding my mouth for a long second before she declared, “You can kiss me, too.”
I chuckled deep, not needing an excuse to send my lips chasing after hers.