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Ooh. Sexy. “Why?”
“Because I’m going to stuff you full, and then you’ll be more pliable—” Gage paused.
I laughed. “Did you just realize what you said?”
“I did.”
“I like the idea of being stuffed. With what?” I was already stepping aside to let him in.
“Pancakes. Strawberries. Whipped cream.”
My hero. “More pliable for what?” I should probably know that before I agreed. But unless he was going to say hear Sawyer out—which Gage would never do—I was likely to agree to almost anything.
“Brainstorming session with Aubrey, Alys, and me.”
Oh. Fuck. I managed to avoid Aubrey’s pushing on my birthday and let myself keep putting the conversation off since. I did need to confront things though, and if my friends could help me, maybe it was time to suck it up and not shoulder this entire thing on my own. “Okay. But only because you’re making pancakes.”
“I knew it. Bribery works every time.” He fell into step with me, and we headed back to the kitchen. He unpacked the bag on the counter—not that there was a lot in there. A glass mason jar full of an off-white powder that I happened to know was his homemade mix, a pint of strawberries, and a pint of cream.
“What can I do?” I asked.
He pushed the berries toward me. “Wash and slice.”
“On it.” I grabbed a colander, knife, and cutting board, and set about my tasks while he dove into his. “How was the picnic?”
There was silence.
I glanced over my shoulder. “Gage?”
“Sorry, what?”
“The picnic. Yesterday. How did it go?”
“Eh, fine. Boring, you know. Kurt is having problems with his plane, so expect to see him soon.”
Fair enough. I liked working with the kid. He was bright, eager to learn, and slowly chipping away at my defenses. He wanted my help building a robot and I’d told him no, but each time he visited, he had new reasons it was a good idea.
If his plane wasn’t working though, I had a hard time believing he wasn’t melting down. “Should I call Elaina, see if he needs help today?” Elaina was Kurt’s mother.
“He’s squared away for now.” Gage paused as he flipped a pancake. “Sawyer helped him.”
I heard that wrong. How long would it be before Sawyer’s name stopped making my gut curdle and my pulse race? I should’ve known he’d sweet talk a few people, but to land himself at the municipal picnic…
I wasn’t going to ask who invited him, because I had to look all these people in the eye after he left, and I’d hate to resent someone for my mistake. “Oh.”
“You okay?” Gage glanced over his shoulder at me.
No, but I would be. “Change the subject. Tell me… something else. Anything.”
“Umm… Antiques Roadshow is coming to Salt Lake, and Deacon got tickets.”
That was fun. A few years ago, Deacon discovered a large cache of furniture in the basement he didn’t know he had. Most of it belonged in an old-fashioned sex dungeon. “Is he bringing one of the naughty pieces?”
“He hasn’t decided yet.” While Gage waited for each hotcake to cook, he worked on whisking cream in a bowl.
“Fingers crossed we see him on TV in six months, while some antique appraiser tries to keep a straight face while they explain to the camera and this seat was used for men to pleasure women, while their husbands were away.”
Gage chuckled. “I can almost picture it now, but the reality would be much more fun.”
