Page 153 of The Wayward Son

Sawyer smiled. “I give Sage a hard time about him. But he’s a decent guy, I think. It’s the kids that are an issue.”

“Right. He’s got a passel of them. Do you think it could turn into something?”

Sawyer shrugged. “I don’t know. Why?”

“She told me he’s coming to her house for dinner tomorrow night.”

“Oh right. The bet. He’s collecting on a bet.”

Jake shook his head. “I’m pretty sure it’s more than that.”

Sawyer looked at him. “You’re probably right.”

“Damn. That’s a lot to take on.”

“For him or for her?”

“Both.”

“Maybe we’re wrong. Maybe it’s just dinner.”

Jake looked at him. “Do you really believe that?”

Sawyer laughed. “Nope. She’s had her eye on him since he moved to town.”

Sage was nervously awaiting Xander’s arrival. When she heard a vehicle door close, she went to the door and opened it. Xander came up the porch steps with a bottle of wine in his hand. He held it up.

“I hope reds okay.”

“I am by no means a wine aficionado. Red is perfect.”

“They have a pretty good selection at the grocery store. I was a bit surprised.”

She opened the door wider to let him inside. “It is surprising since this is cowboy country.”

He stopped inside the door. “Wow. This place is great.”

“It was built by my great-grandfather for my great-grandmother. After she died, he lived here until he passed, then my granddad locked the place up and it sat for twenty years.”

“And now you’re living in it. I’m sure your great-grandparents would approve.”

“I’d like to think so.” She took the wine from him and started walking toward the kitchen.

He followed her. “It smells really good.”

“I’m probably not the cook you are. But I have a few things I do well.”

“I’m sure that’s true.”

She motioned toward the table. “Have a seat. It’s almost ready.” She set the wine down in front of him. “Can you open this?”

“Of course.”

She got a corkscrew and two glasses and set them on the table. Xander was dressed in jeans and a dark blue polo shirt. He looked really nice.

Sage returned to the stove and opened the oven. She’d made a pork tenderloin and was serving it with mashed potatoes and gravy, along with peas and some of Genny’s homemade biscuits. She set the pan on top of the stove and prepared to make the gravy. Xander came up beside her and handed her a glass of wine.

He tapped her glass. “To lucky winners.”

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