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“Hmm. Okay. Do you want to come in?”
“Can you come out here?”
“Sure. Just give me a minute.” He left the door ajar and disappeared into the house.
Sage went to one of the wicker chairs and sat down on the blue striped cushion. When she caught her reflection in the window, she gasped and released her hair from the bun. She was running her hands through it when Xander came out without the apron or the spoon. He did, however, have two beers in his hand.
He smiled at her. “This might be presumptuous. But I figured if you were desperate enough to come knock on my door, this advice you're after might need to be accompanied by a beer.” He held one out and she took it from him.
She wasn’t a beer drinker, but she’d drink one for him. “Thank you.”
He nodded and sat in the chair next to her. “So, what’s going on?”
She looked at the dried mud on her boots and the bottom of her pants. “First off, I apologize for how I look. I’m a mess.”
“I didn’t even notice.”
“Right. I was working in the garden all day.” She ran a hand through her hair again. “I know this is weird, but I didn’t knowwho else to talk to about this. I needed someone outside of the family to give me some perspective.”
“Tell me what’s going on.” He took a sip of his beer and leaned back in his chair.
She drank some beer too, trying not to let him know how she felt about it. “Well, first off. You totally won the bet.”
“I did? That’s great. Right?”
“Yes and no.” She took another sip of beer. “I found out something…well I already knew about it. But I thought… I’m sorry.”
“Take your time.”
She took a breath. “Sawyer and Jade have been together as a couple since they came back from Missoula the last time.” She looked at Xander. “I didn’t know that at the time we made our bet. They were keeping it quiet. Anyway, they kind of had a blow out about that last week, then made up, and she’s been spending every night with him since.”
“Do you have a problem with that?”
“No. I don’t. I think they’re great together and I know Sawyer really likes her. Loves her, I guess.” She drank some more beer.Was it starting to taste better?“The problem is around the same time they had their disagreement about sharing their relationship with the rest of us, Jade got a job offer. In Hawaii.”
“Wow. That’s far away.”
“Exactly. I thought she’d turn it down. Especially when they made up, and she’s been spending so much time with Sawyer.”
“She didn’t turn it down?”
Sage shook her head. “I kind of stalked her email account.”
He grinned. “You did what?”
“She’s been avoiding talking about things, and she was in a hurry to get to work. She left the account pulled up.” She put a hand to her face. “I know. I’m a terrible person.”
Xander drank some of his beer, then set the bottle down. He reached for her hand and pressed it between the two of his. “You’re not a terrible person. Gutsy, maybe. But you’re concerned for your brother’s well-being. I’m guessing she accepted the job?”
“Yes. She’s been emailing them all week.”
Xander blew out a breath. “That’s kind of a bitch move.”
“I know. But Jade isn’t that. She’s great and I know she loves Sawyer. She always has. He was there for her while she was living in a nightmare with her father. They’ve always been super close and them getting together now, romantically, is no surprise.”
“You don’t think she’s told Sawyer she’s leaving.”
“No. I know she hasn’t. He would’ve talked to me about it.”
