Page 14 of Wood You Knot

“Me too. How did helping the Alcotts go?”

“Good. Ed says hello,” I replied, and Dad nodded, leaning back in his chair and stretching a little. There was a mischievous glint in his eyes.

“And how’s Sage doing these days?” Judging by the look on his face, my father had an inkling of my attraction to the beautiful blonde.

“Good, I guess.” I shrugged, opting to change the subject instead of indulging in another conversation about my blatantly obvious crush. “I’m here for business, though.”

“Yeah, I know. We’ve got your materials ready to go. Jerry will help you load up. How’s the latest renovation project going?”

“So far, so good. We’re on track. It helps I don’t have to wait ages for materials,” I said with a grin. It wasn’t just the perk of being family. We made sure we processed orders quickly and efficiently so our customers didn’t have ridiculous wait times. And yeah, maybe I got a little special treatment on that end. I considered it a perk to being a Hutchinson. “Thanks, Dad. I’ll be back later this week to pick up that other order.”

“Don’t forget we’ve got a pile of scrap wood to donate to the high school. I need you or one of your brothers to drop it off.”

“I can do it,” I replied with a nod. “I’m off early on Friday, so I’ll come back that afternoon and pick it up.”

“Sounds good. And your mother wants you all to come over for dinner Sunday night.”

“Okay. I’ll be there,” I said, rapping my knuckles against the wooden doorframe before taking my leave.

Chapter Five

Sage

I found a parking spot at Hartwood Creek Elementary School and pulled in. Putting the car in park, I turned off the engine and twisted to look at Daphne. “Ready?” I asked brightly, a smile on my face.

Daphne was too busy worrying her bottom lip to reply, but she nodded, apprehension clouding those pretty green eyes. She’d been nervous all morning, to the point her appetite had been affected.She hadn’t eaten much at breakfast.

“Look! There’s Bella and Brielle,” I said, pointing in the direction of the Hutchinson twins. They were standing with their mother by the schoolyard gate. I opened the door and stepped outside, waiting a moment for Daphne to follow suit.

She unceremoniously dragged herself and her bag out of the car, sending a wary look to the red brick building. I closed the door for her and held out my hand. She took it, still young enough to want to hold my hand when she was scared.I dreaded the day she wouldn’t reach for me, but for now, I’d cherish it.

“Good morning,” Tabitha said with a grin when we approached. She had Bryson in a stroller in front of her and was feeding him Cheerios to distract him. “Are you ready for your first day?” She directed her question at Daphne.

“I guess.” Daphne nodded, looking a little pale. I squeezed her hand reassuringly.

“Mr. Robertson is awesome! He lets us do classes outside if the weather’s nice,” Bella told Daphne. Now that I’d spent some time with the girls, I was able to tell them apart. Bella’s hair was longer, and Brielle had a dimple in her right cheek when she smiled.

“Come on, we’ll take you to meet him,” Brielle told her. Daphne let go of my hand and took the twins’ hands, walking through the gate with them.

“I’ll pick you up after school, okay, Daph?” I called out. She looked over her shoulder at me and nodded, still worrying her lip. Bella said something to distract her, pulling her attention forward again.

“She’ll be fine. The girls will show her around,” Tabitha assured me. I nodded, still watching the three little girls as they approached a tall man in the schoolyard. He had dark hair and a bit of scruff, and Tabitha was right—he was cute.

The twins said something to him, and he held out his hand for Daphne to shake. She did so, and he said something along the lines of welcome to Hartwood Creek, if my lip-reading skills were to be trusted.

“Well, I better get to the hardware store,” I said, though moving my feet was difficult to do. “Have a good day, Tabitha. I’ll see you later.”

“You have a good day too,” Tabitha said with a smile. “Good luck!”

I got in my car and drove to the hardware store, parking around back in my spot. I rushed into the store a few minutes later than I should have been.

Uncle Ed was behind the counter, already ringing a customer out. I waited until the customer paid for their purchases and grabbed their bags before approaching. “Sorry I’m late, Uncle Ed.”

“No worries, Sage. How did Daphne do with drop-off?”

“She seemed a little nervous, but the Hutchinson twins took her under their wings, so I’m sure she’ll be fine.”

“Those girls are sweet,” he said with a tone of approval. “Now, are you ready to get started?”

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