Page 33 of Wood You Knot

I bit my tongue. Pushing away the primitive urge to bang on my chest and stake a claim. “You’re free to do what you want,” I managed.

Noah tossed back what was left of his beer. “Well, if you’ll excuse me…I’m about to shoot my shot.” He gave Donavon a pointed look, and Donavon moved aside so he could get out of the booth.

Donavon, Auston, and I watched as Noah sauntered over to the girls’ table. He said hello to Ophelia, Annalise, and Isla—who were all used to his antics by now and paid him little attention. Then he turned his blue-eyed gaze on Lilah and started flirting with her. I was pretty sure he asked if he could buy her a drink because he’d gestured to the bar.

Lilah lifted her full glass and shook her head, saying something in response I couldn’t make out from where we sat. Noah turned to address Sage with a grin and some smooth words. She immediately started laughing, saying something equally cutting that made Noah return a moment later with his tail tucked between his legs.

“Shoot and a miss twice, huh?” Donavon ribbed when he got back. He stood again, letting Noah slide back into the booth.

“Shut up.” Noah scowled.

“What’d they say?” Auston asked, trying to hide his interest in the answer.

“Lilah told me she could afford her own drinks, and Sage told me I might want to wait five minutes before trying to hit on a new girl after facing rejection.”

“I mean, she’s not wrong. Rookie mistake.” I laughed, and Auston just smirked, glancing back over his shoulder at Lilah for half a beat before returning his attention to us.

I could tell, though…he was interested in her. Not that he’d act on it. Auston was just as strict with his rules as Donavon: students’ moms were completely off-limits.

Chapter Twelve

Sage

The drinks were going down a little too easy, and I couldn’t remember the last time I laughed and smiled so much.

I’d never been a fan of meeting new people. It was intimidating, and half the time I felt like I was being judged and found lacking. That wasn’t the case at all with Tabitha and her friends.

Annalise Hastings, Isla Bennett, and Ophelia Loucks were well into their second large pitcher of sangria when we joined them, and I immediately understood why she was friends with them.

Annalise and Isla had grown up in Hartwood Creek with Tabitha, and Ophelia had joined their ranks when the three of them met at college. She now resided on the outskirts of Hartwood Creek. Together, the girls were an unstoppable force of jokes and positive affirmations.

They also took the time to get to know Lilah and me, asking us questions about what brought us to Hartwood Creek.

“I just opened up the Serenity Shores Day Spa downtown,” Lilah explained with a smile.

“Ooh, a spa! We’ll have to come check it out,” Ophelia suggested.

“We haven’t done a spa day in so long,” Annalise added, nodding with agreement. “I could so use a spa day.”

“Me too,” Tabitha agreed. “Do you do HydraFacials?”

“I do.”

“Ooh…in that case, we’ll definitely have to plan a girls’ day soon.” The others nodded in agreement, and then it seemed like everyone was turning to look at me for my story.

“What about you, Sage?” Annalise asked kindly. Tabitha sort of knew, and she gave me an encouraging smile.

“I caught my fiancé cheating, left him, and had nowhere else to go. So I’m working at my uncle’s hardware store now and living in the apartment above it,” I admitted, my nose wrinkling a little at the sad story. It wasn’t nearly as motivating as Lilah’s relocating to open her business.

“I’m sorry.” Ophelia made a face like she knew all too well the heartache of an unfaithful man. Lilah got a look about her, too, as if she knew. There was a sense of camaraderie even without either one of them divulging their stories.

“It’s okay.” I shrugged, toying with my drink. “It woke me up. Made me reevaluate my life—a lot. And it made me see him and our entire relationship through a whole new lens. I realize now he wasn’t the most supportive person out there, even if he tried to insist on ‘taking care’ of my daughter and me. He wanted me to fit the mold of what he expected out of a partner. Obedient and complacent, willing to turn a blind eye to his…extracurriculars.”

I was worried my lips were a little too loose and the women would judge me for what I was saying, but they all nodded wisely, like they understood exactly what I meant and what I’d been through. Maybe they did, or maybe it was just the sangria—either way, I felt seen, heard, and understood by all of them, and it was such a good feeling.

“It’s a good thing that it happened before you married him,” Ophelia remarked, taking a hefty sip of her sangria. “I’ve seen some crazy stuff in my job…”

Ophelia was a destination wedding consultant and ended up sharing a horrifying story of a wedding that didn’t go quite according to plan, which launched Annalise into a few recollections of her own. Annalise worked at her family’s bed and breakfast and had also witnessed some interesting relationship dramas unfold from guests that stayed at the inn.

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