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That was not how Nick pictured her reacting. Sure, he’d anticipated laughter. He’d hoped for acceptance. Maybe she’d throw her arms around his neck the way Miss Haley threw her arms around Ethan’s.
He rubbed his stinging cheek. A slap? Not in his calculations. At. All.
“Wait, Sage.” Nick tore outside after her. The evening chill hit him like a bucket of ice. She had to be freezing in her thin sweater, but the fiery look in her eyes made him think otherwise. “Don’t leave.”
She’d made it out to the driveway. Above, the clear night sky was bursting with billions of stars. A crescent moon hung high in the sky, grinning down at him. Mocking his predicament. Jokes on you, chump, it was probably saying.
Sage turned on him, her fist clenched. Beneath her glaring eyes, a stream of tears coursed down the side of her cheek.
He stopped a few feet away. Her slap held enough of a wallop for him to proceed with caution. What had he done to cause such a reaction? Had she so hoped it was Leon writing the notes that to find out it was him instead was this much of a bitter disappointment? His heart took a nosedive into despair. What had he done? If this ended up ruining their friendship, he’d never forgive himself. When he opened his mouth to explain, she cut him off.
“What’s wrong with you?” Her voice broke, and it tore at his heart. “Did I make you mad? What are you playing at?” She didn’t actually sound just mad but more hurt. Why?
In the momentary pause for a breath, Nick opened his mouth again to explain, but again she cut him off.
“Know what?” She threw up her arms and started walking again. “I don’t care. I’m not staying here while you laugh and tell me you were just having fun. I can’t do that—”
“Shut up.” It was the only thing he could think of to say to stop her ranting. Was that it? She thought he’d been playing a joke on her?
Sage froze, then slowly turned to face him again. Her mouth gaped open, then slammed closed. Before she could start yelling again, he blurted, “I love you. Sage, it wasn’t a joke.”
Her fallen tendrils of curls swung around her face as she shook her head in disbelief.
“I’m serious. I’ve fallen in love with you.” He moved a little closer but kept an arm’s length of distance between them. Just in case. “Truth is, I’ve probably always loved you. But I made this pact.”
“With Moi?” She sniffed, wiping her cheeks.
He nodded. “She didn’t want our friendship to be ruined. Please, Sage, neither do I. If I have no chance with you, if you don’t have any feelings for me, tell me now.”
She said nothing. Raking her fingers through her bun, she pulled more curls loose. They hung in her wild eyes and scared him just a little. He’d never seen her look so furious and something else he wasn’t too sure how to read.
“Talk to me, hon.”
Her hands flew up, palms out as she shook her head. At that moment, she must have realized she was still holding his letter. “What does this one say?”
“Uh, I’m not completely sure. I have several waiting to be mailed. In my camper. Once I started admitting how I felt, the words just ... poured out.”
She yanked loose the clip holding her hair and let it fall loose around her shoulders. “I want to see them.”
“Okay, I’ll br—”
“Now. Right now.”
Not daring to argue, he headed for his car. “Fine. Let’s go.”
Neither of them spoke while he drove her over to the barn and let her into the camper. She looked around with her nose wrinkled. “This place is awful. And it smells funny.”
“It’s better than my car. Or Jerod’s floor. He smokes. Talk about an awful smell. I’m not so sure what he’s smoking is legal, either.” He grabbed the stack of envelopes and held them out to her. “Here.”
Wrapping her arms around her shoulders instead of taking them, she jerked her chin. “Read them.”
“Read... all of them?” He gasped.
She nodded and pointed for him to sit on the couch. With a shiver, she moved toward the table where she sat on one side of the booth.
He squeezed past her and pulled a blanket off the bed which he offered her to wrap in. Then he took a seat and opened the one she’d received that day.
Beads of sweat covered his forehead and neck, despite the cool evening. Clearing his throat, he held the letter open and found his hand trembling, so he rested it on his lap.
“Dear Sage,” His gaze moved from the letter to her downcast face, then back to the words that blurred before his eyes. He read on anyway, remembering now what this one said. “Every breath of your perfume sends my head spinning. But then, just being in your presence knocks everything I’ve tried to do off course. The promises I’ve made. The vows to keep my distance. The attempts to not let my true feelings show. I’m crumbling, Sage. Every day, every moment, every smile from you breaks me a little more and a little more.”
Nick swiped his hand across his sweaty brow. “That’s all I wrote in that one.”
She handed him another from the stack.
He ripped off the edge and shook out the green paper. Maybe he should have used some from his notebook. Of course, she recognized Haley’s stationery. Yet, she was listening to him. Not running. Certainly not laughing. Just sitting at the table, cocooned in his fleece blanket with her chin resting on her hands. If only she’d look his way, then he might be able to read what she was feeling.
Then again, maybe it was better if he didn’t.
He flipped open the next note and read, “I’m out of my mind with worry over how you’ll react when you finally realize who’s behind these letters. I hope you’ll not brush me off, but I won’t blame you if you do. I’ve nothing to offer though I’m trying to change that. I wish I could sit beside you and pour out my heart, share my plans. I do have plans. Dare I hope you might be willing to let me include you as part of them?”
He looked up at her for any reaction. She handed him the next one and the next. By the time he’d read through the first five, she’d scooted from her seat and curled up on the end of the couch.
His voice started to grow scratchy as he reached the seventh. She stood and went to the small fridge where she found two bottles of water. Returning to the couch, she handed him one and sat close enough that she could rest her head close to his shoulder.
As he continued to read, letter after letter, he silently cursed himself for writing so many. His hand rested on her knee. At least, she didn’t push it away.
The more he’d written the more personal they became. “I remember the first day you ran into me in the hall. We had the same computer books and laughed because we couldn’t tell them apart. I loved how we’d tag team our homework. You’ve always been the best partner in crime when it came to doing as little work as possible in class.” She actually gave a snorting laugh. Her cheek pressed against his bicep. He simply couldn’t read anymore. Setting the letter down, he turned toward her, lifted her chin with his finger and made her look directly at him.
“Remember that lakeside party we went to after graduation?”
Her lips pulled up in a crooked smile. “You asked me to dance. The sand was thick in that area. I kept tripping and stepping on your feet.”
“That was the day I knew I was falling in love with you.” He rested his hand on hers, his thumb rubbing circles on the back of her fingers. “When I wanted to give up, you were my strength to keep going. All those nights when I had nowhere to go? Your family opened your home to me. You distracted me with horror movies and popcorn.
“I don’t think I would have made it through those first couple of years when I was out on my own. I cherish both yours and Moi’s friendship, but it’s been you that I’ve loved. You that I’ve dreamed of building a future with. There’s no joke, Sage. I wrote the letters because I was afraid that you didn’t feel the same about me.”
Her lips slightly parted. He wanted to kiss those lips, but held himself still, waiting for her answer.
She reached toward the table where a few pieces of paper remained along with a pen in the shape of a pink flamingo. Grinning, she shook her head and wrote a few words before handing it to him.
Narrowing his eyes on her, he growled, “I should make you read it to me.” He opened the sheet. “You need a date to Lana’s wedding?”
She nodded, biting her upper lip.
“Why?” This was not the response he was hoping for or expected. This woman simply made him crazy!
“Because. I loved how you never got mad at me when I stepped on your toes. I was starting to fall for you way before that grad party. Moi knew it, I suspect, which is why she made me promise her I’d never let my crush ruin our friendship. She’d told me I’d get over it eventually. I never really did, though I guess I did manage to push it away for a long time. Until you came back this summer and... I’d really missed you. There was more of a peace about you at first. A steadiness. I fell for you all over again, even harder than before.”
Nick cupped Sage’s face in his hands so they were eye-to-eye. “You mean that you’ve had feelings for me all this time? I’ve been tormenting myself over telling you how I feel.”
She shrugged. “You never said anything. You would hardly ever hold my hand, or sit close to me like you used to. I was afraid you were drifting away from us. But, yeah. I’ve been in love with you, too, Nikolai.”
“Say it again.” He leaned in closer until their foreheads touched.
“I love you, Nikolai Prater.”
“I’m going to kiss you, Sage Dolan.”
“About time, Mister.” She snuggled in closer against his chest and moved onto his lap. His fingers slid into her silky hair as his mouth brushed against her parted lips, softly at first, then pressing in more urgently until a low moan rumbled from her throat.
He reluctantly pulled away. She rested her brow against his cheek and let out a long sigh. “That’s exactly how I dreamed it would be.”
His eyes flew open. “You dreamed about kissing me?”
She nuzzled his neck and whispered in his ear, sending shivers down his body. “Many times.” And she kissed him again and kissed him again, and several times more, and he kissed her back as if they’d never have this chance again.
Nearly out of breath, he scooted a few inches away. “I better take you home. It’s really late.”
She nodded and stood, burrowing into the blanket. He went to the closet and pulled out two jackets, offering her the warmer one. As they stepped from the camper, Ethan pulled up on a motorbike he used for getting around the property.
“I’m so glad I don’t have to pound on your door, young Prater.” He swung his long leg off the seat and strolled toward them. “Everything all right with you two?” He looked pointedly at Sage. “Not that I wish to pry, Sweetheart, but I was a little concerned when Leon bragged about your awesome right hook.”
Nick rubbed his cheek. It no longer stung from her slap. “She’s a real scrapper, Mr. Ethan. But I did warn you about that Irish temper.”
“You certainly did. I hope you two worked out any hard feelings. We’re pleased to have you both on our team.” He held out two envelopes each with their name written on the front. “Your tips from tonight. Haley split them three ways between the two of you and Leon. She’ll work out your pay in the next couple of days.” He folded his arms. “Will I see you both tomorrow night?”
“Yes,” Sage assured him. “Everything is fine.” She smiled up at Nick, melting his heart.
Mr. Ethan patted Nick’s shoulder. “Glad to hear it. You’re taking her home now, correct?” he asked pointedly. When Nick nodded, he smiled. “Good man. See you tomorrow then. I’ll check my emails tonight for your logo ideas and get back to you with my decision. Goodnight.”
Nick grabbed her hand and led her to his car, holding the door for her to get in. By the time he was settling into his seat, she already had her envelope opened and was counting the money with wide-eyed amazement. “A hundred. Just in tips. For the first night, Nikolai.”
“I have a feeling it’ll only get better, Sweet Sage.”
She leaned closer and kissed him once more. “Me too.”