Page 129 of The Wayward Son

He went to the dresser and took out a white t-shirt. After putting it on, he went to the bed, and they began straightening the bedding out and making it properly.

Sage stood back and looked at it. “There. Much better.” She looked at him. “Did Jade stay here last night?”

“Why do you ask?”

“She was gone when I got up this morning. And when I asked her where she went, she was being evasive.”

He started walking to the kitchen. “Why do you care?”

“Just like you are.” She cocked her head at him. “Is that why you’re fighting?”

“We’re not fighting.” He sat on one of the stools at the breakfast bar and turned to face her.

“Right. Disagreeing. I have a stake in your relationship with Jade.”

“How so?”

“Xander and I have a bet going.”

“What kind of bet?”

“He’s under the impression you and Jade are, or soon will be…” She glanced at the bed. “Leaving the bed in the condition it was just in.”

“You made a bet with him?”

“Yes. A bet that you’re just friends and nothing more. At least for another three weeks and four days.”

He smiled. “How much did you bet?”

She moved toward the living area and straightened the pillows on the couch. “If I win, he cooks me dinner at his house with the kids.”

“And if he wins?”

She sighed. “I cook him dinner at my place. Without the kids.”

Sawyer folded his arms across his chest. “That’s just a ploy to get you to go out on a date with him.”

“It’s not a date.”

“Sage.”

She dropped onto the couch. “Fine. It’s very similar to a date. But we’re not going to call it that.”

“Seems he wins either way.”

“Yeah.” She smiled. “Seems I win, too.”

Sawyer shook his head. “Five kids, Sage.”

“I know.” She picked up a pillow and hugged it to her chest. “But he’s so cute.”

Chapter thirty-six

"I'm not going to be your Cyrano de Bergerac."

Sawyer was busy with J.T. over the next couple of days working on the fences that were damaged in the heavy snowfall. He was glad to be working, though. It kept his mind off of Jade. On Wednesday, she texted him and asked him to come see her at work.

They were on horseback and had been on the far side of the property. But they were headed home for the night and were back in cell phone range. Sawyer stopped and contemplated Jade’s message.

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