Page 69 of Till The Cows Come Home
“Thanks,” she mumbled, kissing my cheek before heading to her car.
“You’re more than welcome, pretty girl.”
I’d snuck away around 1:00 p.m. myself, showering a day’s worth of sweat off my body before allowing my own bed to consume me. I wasn’t naive enough to think I could stay away past nine without some rest, and the three hour slumber I’d settled into had me feeling more rested than I had in weeks.
I did manual labor on the farm, but not this kind, and my body was taking its sweet time adjusting. Climbing up and down a ladder with a tool belt strapped to my waist all day drained me in a way I’d never experienced, and when my body slowed at the end of the day, nothing could restart it. I didn’t even dare sit at the table in fear I wouldn’t make it to my bedat the end of the night, which is why tonight was so important.
We needed a break.
After hopping into the shower for a second time, I got ready and headed to Sage’s, and when I arrived I could see her sitting on her balcony, her face tilted up as she absorbed the setting sun.
“Good evening, Sage Baker. How’d you sleep?”
“I slept for five hours straight,” she said, pausing for a moment. “It was glorious.”
“Almost like I was right,” I teased.
“I don’t know about that, but what I do know is that now that I’ve awoken, I’m absolutely famished. If we don’t get food soon, I will begin to get hangry.”
“Our chariot awaits,” I announced, gesturing to my truck.
It didn’t take long for us to arrive at Rusty’s and when we pulled in, the parking lot was already almost full. There was a band that went on before Belle’s Bells and evidently they were popular enough to draw a crowd, which I hadn’t accounted for in my timing.
“Ready?” I asked as I opened Sage’s door.
“You know, I think this is our first public outing,” she said, her eyes rolling up as if she was searching her memories to confirm.
“I know, I was beginning to get a complex,” I joked.
“We need to make more time for us,” she hummed, her body pressed against mine as she closed the truck door behind her.
“I agree, we got off on a bit of a dramatic start.”
“From now on, let’s do at least biweekly dates. When the barn is done, we’ll move it to weekly.”
“Deal,” I agreed, pulling her in until my arm rested around her shoulder. “Now let’s go.”
I guided us into the bar, pausing at the counter to place afood order while Sage found a table amongst the crowd. She’d given me the freedom to order whatever sounded good, which took me a moment longer than I’d like to admit as I scoured the menu. We ate a lot of sandwiches and pasta, opting for easy after our long days, and our lack of proper dating meant I didn’t know what she’d usually get.
I celebrated when I saw poutine, immediately ordering it along with a small spread of some of not only my favorites, but things I thought she may enjoy. While I waited I glanced up, seeing that Sage had found a table in the back corner, and as my eyes found hers, she smiled back at me, giving me a little wave. I waved back, chuckling as I turned back to the food counter, pretending as best I could that her grin from across the bar didn’t ignite a fire inside me.
She was gorgeous, and seeing her hop in my truck with another one of her tantalizing sundresses reminded me how much we’d been working lately. Pride swelled inside me as I watched Sage work day in and day out, covered in grease and dirt, sweating as she put in everything she had, but I planned to take our new deal seriously. She deserved a break, and it was a disservice to Lox, Virginia to allow this perfect woman to be hidden under an inch of grime.
The bartender called my name, and as I took the tray of food from her hands, I spun to catch a man approaching Sage. She was blissfully immersed in the opening band, swaying in her chair to the music, and as the stranger slid his hand to rest right above her ass, I watched the playful smile that danced across her face turn to confusion as she realized it wasn’t me. She recoiled, leaning out of reach, and I crossed the barn in a matter of seconds.
“Can I help you?” I asked, setting the tray on the table with one hand while gripping his shoulder with the other, tugging him back to give Sage another foot of space.
“Get your hands off me,” he grumbled, jerkingforward in an attempt to free himself from my hold, but my grasp was strong, fueled by the innate instinct to protect Sage.
I pulled him down until my mouth hovered next to his ear.
“It’s not polite to touch women without their consent. Do it again and I’ll break your hands.”
I shoved him forward away from the table, and he spun around, hovering as if he was deciding whether or not to challenge my threat. Luckily for him he scoffed and walked away, muttering choice words under his breath, which I ignored, sliding into the chair opposite Sage.
“What did you say?”
“I told him this seat was taken.”
