Page 106 of Scrape the Barrel
I cupped her face, the tips of my fingers buried in her hair. “And you are safe.”
She shook her head, the glass in her eyes becoming pools of tears.
“Yes, you are. I don’t know what Portland was like, but Bell Buckle sticks together. It’s not just the police, it’s the community.We all look out for each other, and no one is going to let him put his hands on you or Avery, especially me.”
She blinked, a tear spilling over her cheek. My thumb brushed it away, then I pulled her close, wrapping both arms around her and squeezing.
Seeing her panic like this made me want to stop at nothing until I was the one to put her ex six feet under. I didn’t know if a jail cell would suffice when he was caught.
“They’re going to find him, and he’ll be gone for good.”
She nodded, her hands fisting in my shirt. I’d never be able to live with myself if something happened to Sage, and knowing this asshole was out there finding joy in tormenting her filled me with a rage I’d never felt before.
The alarm went off on my phone from my back pocket, announcing that the enchiladas were done heating up. Pulling the phone out, I silenced it, then shoved it back in my jeans.
I pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Don’t let anyone dim that light of yours.”
With a sniffle, she looked at me. “It’s hard when you’re around.”
“Good. It should only shine brighter. And for the people that dim it? You don’t need to dwell on them. They’re not worth the space in your head if they aren’t making your life better.”
She blinked away her tears, then grabbed my hand. “How did I get so lucky?”
“I don’t know if luck has anything to dowith it, baby.”
“No?”
I shook my head. “Things happen for a reason, I reckon. And you may be the reason I go to town, or the reason I look forward to getting out of bed now, but I won’t hang that up on luck. The world knew I needed someone to pull me out of my head, and it sent me you.”
She looked at me for a moment, reallylookedat me, then leaned forward and pressed her lips to mine. It felt like we were made to fit together like this.
Pulling back, I squeezed her hand once. “Ready for some enchiladas?”
She nodded, and I led us out of the room toward the kitchen.
“Is it done?” Avery asked from where she sat in the middle of the living room.
“All ready for a special birthday girl to dig in,” I replied as I dropped Sage’s hand to grab an oven mit.
“Why don’t you go wash your hands and we’ll have it all set at the table by the time you get back?” Sage asked.
Avery got up from her spot and her tiny feet padded down the hall to the bathroom.
I pulled the dish out of the oven, closed the door, then switched the knob to off. Sage set some heat-resistant mats on the table, so I placed the dish on top of them as she set plates and utensils out.
“That’s a lot of sauce,” Sage pointed out as she eyed the enchiladas.
I smirked, coming up behind her as she rounded the table to wrap my arms around her waist. My nose nuzzled her neck as goosebumps crawled up her skin.
“I could give you some special sauce,” I mumbled.
Despite her grin, she tried to pry my hands from around her. “Please do not tell me you just compared enchilada sauce to that.”
I chuckled, but it was cut short by Avery saying, “That’s a big enchilada!” as she came into the dining area.
Sage’s cheeks turned a deep shade of red as I unwrapped my arms from around her. I stepped to the side of her, keeping one hand on her lower back, and cleared my throat.
“It’s a bunch of enchiladas,” I corrected. I wasn’t sure if she thought the entire dish was just a single one.
