Bellamy and Eli arrived back at the barn just in time to help Kai set up the food and light candles before guests starting showing up and Fritz went to fetch Ruby and Joe for the big surprise. Sage was nowhere to be found, but Kai assured them she’d talked to him on the phone and he promised to be there, although he hadn’t said much else.
There were too many cars parked in the field out front for it to be a hide-and-jump-out kind of surprise, but when Fritz rolled his parents up to the wide open doors of the barn, Ruby was still overcome with delight and happy tears.
In spite of Kai requesting guests not bring gifts, packages were mounded up on a side table near the cake. Bellamy had fretted for days over what to get Ruby until she remembered seeing a few pieces of milk glass inside her china hutch the first time she’d eaten dinner with them. It took several trips to various antique shops around the area before she found a pretty cake stand that fit the bill perfectly. As special as Ruby had become to Bellamy, there was no way she wasn’t buying her a gift.
Once the food was devoured, “Happy Birthday” sung and the cake cut, the band started playing and folks began dancing. Laughter and chatter filled the cavernous space of the barn, sometimes overtaking the strains of music. It was obvious the Carter clan was well liked around Serenity because they were constantly caught up in conversation, sometimes all together but oftentimes singularly. No sooner would one end before they were drawn into another.
Bellamy had made lots of new acquaintances, including several of Eli’s relatives, been asked a few strange questions about what it was like to be a large-animal vet, and had one inquiry about declawing someone’s cat. Not her area of expertise, and besides that, she found the practice inhumane. Buy the cat a scratching post and it won’t use your damn furniture as a substitute. She’d almost asked the woman how she’d like having all her nails permanently removed before she remembered that might be seen as impolite.
Sage kept his word to Kai and showed up, a white butterfly bandage stark over his bruised and swollen cheekbone. He moved in measured steps and kept a hand tucked into the front pocket of his jeans to protect his injured side from an accidental jostle or a poke in the ribs, an overly exuberant hug from a relative. He and Eli made eye contact occasionally, but they had yet to find the opportunity, or perhaps the nerve, to approach one another.
While Eli was caught up in a rowdy conversation with two of his cousins from out of town, Bellamy grabbed a slice of birthday cake and found a semi-quiet vacant spot in a corner of the barn to tuck into her dessert.
Grace came to stand beside her, balancing a Solo cup full of red wine and her own chunk of cake on a plate. She sat the cup down on a hay bale and picked up her fork. Once she’d swallowed a mouthful of sugar, she leaned close to Bellamy. “I know this is a weirdly awful thing to say, but the cut and bruise on Sage’s cheek are serious turn-ons for me.”
Bellamy licked frosting from the tines of her plastic fork while she considered Grace’s comment. Naturally, her gaze jumped from face to face until she found Eli in the crowd. His injuries weren’t quite as noticeable as Sage’s. If you didn’t know he’d been in a fight, you might not pick up on them at all, outside of the small cut on his bottom lip that he could’ve gotten in myriad other ways besides a fist. She knew he’d fought his baby brother, and she was intimately familiar with his face by now, so she picked up on the slight darkening in his jaw and the mild swelling in the tissue when he looked directly at her.
And yes, tending to his wounds this afternoon had aroused her too, in a twisted sort of way. Or maybe it was his vulnerability, or the excess adrenaline he needed to expend, the raw openness of his need. Perhaps she liked that she could take care of him for a change in some small way. Whatever it was, the sex had been intense, if not a bit frantic and rough. They hadn’t even shared a kiss during the act, but she still felt the echo of him between her thighs, the slight soreness a subtle reminder of how distracted he’d been by the chaos inside his head over what happened with Sage.
At first, she’d doubted that she would come, and she hadn’t really cared one way or the other, given the circumstances. In that moment, she was willing to freely give him what he needed to take from her. Whatever got him past the turmoil trapped beneath his skin. But then his mood shifted from edgy to intimate, he’d said her name and that was all it took.
“Deep down inside, I suppose women secretly want a man who can physically protect them,” Bellamy said, then winced at the ridiculous babble of nonsense. “Or some stupid crap such as that. Hell if I know. Humans mystify me. Guess that’s why I love animals so much.”
Grace laughed. “At least with animals you know where you stand, right? No games or false pretenses. What you see is what you get.”
“Absolutely.”
Bellamy polished off the rest of her cake, tossed her plate and fork in a nearby trashcan, then asked Grace, “Kai tell you what happened?”
“When I got back with the cake. Have they talked yet?”
“No.”
“Sage has a chip on his shoulder about something,” Grace said. “God knows what it could be.”
“Right after the fight, he said Eli and Fritz never asked him what he wanted to do.”
“But I thought he liked farming?”
“Maybe not entirely,” Bellamy said. “And the cattle were Eli’s idea.”
“It’s funny. I can’t really picture Sage doing anything else. But then again, I always thought the Carter boys got along like peanut butter and jelly. I should know better, having a younger brother myself. We used to scrap all the time over the dumbest stuff. Knock-down-drag-out fights where we both got my daddy’s belt or put on restriction for weeks. You would think we’d learned our lesson, but no. Put us in a house together for more than a few hours and we’re going to find something to argue about.”
“You still love him though.” Bellamy could hear the affection under her words.
“Yep.” Grace sighed. “That’s the thing about family—they’re usually the ones who hurt you the worst yet you tend to forgive them the fastest.”
Someone waved Grace over to join a conversation, leaving Bellamy alone again to mull over what she’d said about family. It was true—she’d forgiven her parents for leaving her to fend for herself with the move to Serenity because what choice did she have? Holding on to the hurt didn’t make much sense, a foolish waste of time and energy. The sting was still there, but it would fade too. Over the years, she’d gotten in plenty of practice at letting go of things, so perhaps that’s why she was clinging so tightly to her grandparents’ house, because of the wonderful memories it held inside its walls. Could be that it helped to supplant the things missing from her relationship with her mom and dad.
She’d lost Eli in the crowd of people, but she caught sight of Sage slipping through the side door of the barn. On impulse, she followed him out. She found him at his truck, gingerly climbing up on the lowered tailgate. He let out an audible stream of breath once he’d settled. Even with the weak light spilling out of the barn, she could see his face go pale with pain.
“Mind if I join you?” she asked him.
Surprise at seeing her there registered briefly in his features. He hesitated for a moment before patting the metal next to him. “Have a seat.”
Bellamy tried not to make the tailgate jerk when she hoisted herself up, but damn these men and their jacked-up trucks. She totally got the necessity in most cases, but a stepladder was needed to climb inside the things.
“How’re the ribs?”
“Bruised and sore,” he said. “Nothin’ time won’t heal.”
Did that apply to the crack in the brotherly bond too?
“Ice, ibuprofen and rest.”
“Got it, Doc. Wanna beer?” Sage asked, while digging through the icy slush in his cooler.
Another thing Southern men always seemed to have on hand—a cooler full of something to drink, be it water, soda, a Mason jar of homemade moonshine or ice-cold beer.
“Sure.”
He produced two bottles of Bud Light, wiping away the excess moisture on the leg of his jeans before twisting off the caps and handing her one. She wasn’t a huge fan of beer, but if drinking one with Sage facilitated a conversation, she’d manage to choke it down without complaint.
“I’ve been meaning to apologize for the way I acted in the diner the other morning, Bellamy. Picking at you about the bacon was rude and childish, and I’m sorry.”
“Apology accepted,” she said. Keeping her head facing forward, she decided to test her theory from that morning. “I figured seeing Grace there with Tucker might’ve put you in a surly mood.” In her periphery, she saw him glance over then refocus on the beer in his hand. “Or am I reading that all wrong?”
His heavy sigh said she wasn’t. “Grace is a grown woman. She can spend the night with whoever she wants.”
“Well, that’s just it.” Bellamy met his gaze. “Tucker’s not who she really wants, he was just there when you weren’t.”
Sage drank his beer and stared off into the night long enough for Bellamy to know she’d said enough about the sensitive topic of Grace.
“What did you get Ruby for her birthday?” she asked to shift the conversation to an easier subject.
“Not sure exactly. All I know is Kai had me, Fritz and Eli posing for her camera one day at the barn. She made us wear specific clothing and sit on my granddaddy Carter’s old tractor just so. Says she was recreating a photo from when we were kids, and she was going to have it enlarged and framed for Mom’s birthday. I just forked over my part of the cost when Kai stuck her hand out.”
Bellamy took a sip of beer and forced it down her throat, trying hard not to grimace at the bitter taste. “Your mention of pictures reminded me of something. I was in Homegrown the other day and Kai has this gorgeous painting hanging on the wall of a horse in an open field. She says it was done by a local artist, but they prefer to remain anonymous. You wouldn’t have any idea who it might be, would you?”
Rolling the cold bottle between her palms, Bellamy looked over at him and grinned slyly. Sage’s smile took longer to form, and it almost looked painful in the making. “How’d you figure out it was me?”
“It wasn’t easy. The first clue was meeting your subject matter behind Eli’s house in the live setting, and I have to say, the painting did the horse a lot more justice than real life, poor guy. But the angle was off…the pond and the trees too far to the left. Then Eli mentioned your property was next to his and that stuck with me like a splinter. He also told me how you could draw anything. Bragged on you, actually.”
“He did?” Sage sounded surprised to hear this. Bellamy was laying it on a little thick, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t true. Anything she could do to help mend their rift.
“Nothing but pure pride in his voice.”
Sage grew quiet, contemplative, his fingers tapping absently against the glass bottle in his hands.
Satisfied that she’d planted a seed herself, she continued. “Anyway, after hearing that you were always going out of town, I started to put it all together. I figure the out-of-town trips are for paint supplies since you can’t find that sort of stuff around Serenity?”
He nodded. “I’m taking art classes too, just to learn the lingo. Visiting galleries up in Athens and twice in Atlanta. Man, that’s an experience. I feel like such a rube in those places. Some of the shit that passes for art.”
Bellamy laughed, recalling some of the paintings and sculptures she’d seen during her studies. “I agree. I took two art history classes as electives in college, and frankly, a lot of it’s hideous.”
“Whose work do you like?”
“I was always a fan of the impressionists—Monet and Manet, Renoir, Degas, even though Degas hated the term. All that pretty light and muted color. I love Georgia O’Keeffe’s work too, the boldness of it. Oh, and Gustav Klimt.”
“The Kiss?”
“God, I’m such a girl.” She faked a gag.
He leaned over, dropped his voice. “Does Eli know?”
Bellamy whispered back, “I’m pretty sure he’s figured it out by now.”
Grinning, Sage shrugged, moving back on topic. “Eh, when it comes to art, we like what we like. What moves us, I guess. Isn’t that what it’s supposed to do?”
“Yeah, and your painting certainly did that for me. It took my breath away. Why don’t you want anyone to know?”
“I’m just not ready for it to be out there yet. I’m worried about what people’s reactions will be, mainly my family’s and my friends’.”
“I can’t see them not supporting you.”
“But what if they think it’s dumb? Me just chasing some ridiculous pipe dream? What if I fall flat on my face? I’m nothing but a redneck country boy from Nowhere, Georgia. What do I know about being an artist?”
Some of the older guests started to stream past them on the way to their vehicles, the party finally winding down a bit perhaps, or getting too wound up for their aging constitutions, judging by the loud music and laughter still going strong. Bellamy waited for the small crowd to pass before replying, since Sage wanted his secret kept for now.
“You have too much talent to fail, Sage, and dreams are meant to be chased. Most of them anyway.” An annoying little voice in the back of her mind chimed, Then why aren’t you chasing yours? “Nothing says you have to change who you are, or that you can’t be a simple country boy and still paint. Pick up a copy of Cowboys & Indians magazine sometime and look at the artwork featured inside by everyday ranchers and horse people. Most of the painters I studied in college came from humble roots, lots of them poor as church mice. Don’t let those snotty artsy-fartsy types intimidate you and just do your thing. Sooner or later the recognition of your gift will come.”
“Kai has someone interested in the painting hanging in her shop. A lady who stopped in on her way through town. Owns an interior design firm in Tifton and wants it for a client’s house.”
“See! All it takes is one person. Do you have any more finished work?”
“Only a room full.”
“One of these days, I’ll be able to say I knew you when.”
Eli stepped out the side door of the barn, scanning the parked trucks and cars for her, she assumed. Bellamy waved and he headed in their direction.
“Please don’t tell Eli,” Sage said quietly.
“Not my secret to tell,” she replied. “But I know they’ll be proud and happy for you once you decide to break the news.”
Eli sauntered up, hands tucked inside his front pockets. “You makin’ a move on my woman?” he asked his brother. Since his posture was loose and he seemed like he wanted to smile, Bellamy relaxed. Hopefully Sage saw it too.
“Maybe she’s makin’ a move on me?”
“Hey!” Bellamy flicked his ear before turning her attention back to Eli. “I needed a break from all the noise and Sage offered me a beer. I’ll head back inside and see if Kai needs help with anything.”
When she started to jump down from the tailgate, Eli planted his palm on her stomach, holding her in place. “Don’t go yet.” His gaze turned anxious, so Bellamy sat back and covered his hand with hers, giving it a squeeze of support.
“Sage, about this afternoon—”
“It was my fault,” Sage said, cutting Eli off. “I let my temper get the best of me and I was wrong. We should be long past settling arguments with our fists.”
“We’ll talk, okay? Me, you and Fritz will sit down and figure out what we need to do to keep us all happy. I would hate to see you walk away from us, but if that’s what you want, then we’ll work it out somehow. I know I’m not the best communicator either, but I promise I’ll do better in the future.”
When Eli stuck out his hand for Sage to shake, his brother grabbed it and yanked him into a hug, sore ribs be damned. “Love you, brother.”
“Love you too.”
Bellamy had to bite her lip and look away while she wrestled with tears. This family was incredible—kind, supportive, devoted and down-to-earth. She felt incredibly blessed to have met them.
A smooch on her cheek shocked her out of her reverie. Sage grinned and carefully lowered himself to the ground. “Thanks for the company, Doc. I’m gonna go grab a piece of cake before it’s all gone.”
“Better hurry,” Eli said to Sage, then looked at Bellamy. “Mom’s getting ready to open presents.”
“Then we should go too.”
“Can I steal a kiss first?” He stepped between her knees and Bellamy set her barely touched beer aside so she could wrap her arms around his neck.
Her mouth against his, she whispered, “You can’t steal from the willing.”