Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 88889 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 444(@200wpm)___ 356(@250wpm)___ 296(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88889 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 444(@200wpm)___ 356(@250wpm)___ 296(@300wpm)
“I missed you so much! It’s been too long since we last saw you,” Mom says.
Sage basks in the attention Mom’s giving her, and only when they pull apart do I step forward to give my sister a tight hug.
“Missed you,” I whisper.
Sage rubs her hand up and down my back before pulling away. “I’ve missed you too. I’ll definitely try to come home more now that the case has been settled.”
Just then, the front door opens again, and Dad steps into the foyer.
“Sage!” He rushes forward and engulfs her in a bear hug. “Dang, sweetheart. It’s so good to see you again.” He pushes her backward, his eyes sweeping over her before he asks, “How’s work? Your mom told me you won the case.”
“It was a difficult one, but we got a billion-dollar settlement,” Sage replies.
Dad’s chest puffs out, and he gives Sage a look filled with pride and love. “That’s such great news. I knew you could do it.”
While Dad presses a kiss to Mom’s lips, I say, “We got pizza. Are we eating in the kitchen or the living room?”
“Kitchen,” Mom replies.
Dad wraps his arm around Sage’s shoulders and walks with her. As they take a seat at the breakfast nook, decorated with the matching blue and white throw pillows and tablecloth Mom just finished making, I grab glasses from the cupboards and fill them with water and ice.
Once everyone has something to drink, I take my seat beside Mom and grab a slice of Hawaiian pizza. When I pick off the pineapples and place them on Sage’s plate, she gives me a loving smile.
“Mom said you had a huge order,” Sage mentions before laying into the food on her plate.
“I had to make a hundred Christmas tree decorations for a mom-and-pop store in Virginia.”
She reaches for my right hand and checks my fingers. “Did you use the gloves I got you for your birthday?”
Nodding, I reply, “That’s why my hands aren’t covered in blisters. They’re a godsend.”
The conversation turns back to Sage’s life in Madison, and while I stuff my face with pizza, my heart is filled with happiness and a sense of peace.
Chapter 2
Kelcie
Sitting at my dressing table, I squeeze all the excess water out of my freshly washed hair before dropping the damp towel on the floor beside me. I’ll throw it in the laundry basket once I’m done blow-drying my hair.
Just as I reach for my brush, there’s a knock at my bedroom door, and Sage peeks in. “Are you almost done? I spotted chocolate cake in the fridge. Wanna share a slice?”
“My hair can wait,” I say while quickly getting up from the stool. “Chocolate cake always comes first.”
Laughter bubbles from her, and when we head downstairs, she asks, “So, besides work, how’s everything?”
Entering the kitchen, Sage prepares two cups of tea while I grab the cake from the fridge.
“You know me. Nothing changes much.” I cut a thick slice and plate it before adding two forks, then shoot my sister a grin. “Which is exactly the way I like it.”
I take a seat on the bench while Sage sits down on one of the chairs across from me, and I break a piece of cake off before popping it into my mouth. A crumb falls on the tablecloth, and picking it up, I drop it on the side of the plate.
“Are you really happy living here with Mom and Dad? You can always move in with me.”
I shake my head. “Unlike you and Jordan, I love living here. I’ll never be happy in the city, and I have my workshop set up exactly how I like it.”
She lets out a huff, her fork pausing right by her mouth. “It was worth a try. I’ve been thinking about getting a roommate and hoped it would be you.”
“Sorry.” I take in Sage’s beautiful face, then ask, “Why don’t you move in with Derek?”
She starts shaking her head before I’m even done asking the question. “No. We’ve only been dating two years.”
“That’s a long time.” I give my two cents.
Sage’s eyes lock with mine, and I can see she’s unsure about something.
Leaning forward, she drops her voice to a whisper. “Don’t tell Mom and Dad, but I broke up with Derek last Saturday. He started getting too controlling for my liking.”
“Dang, Sage!” My eyes widen at the unexpected news, and I reach across the table to give her forearm a squeeze. I look for any signs that she’s heartbroken but don’t see any. “How are you holding up?”
She spears another piece of cake. “I’m doing okay. I’m just struggling with the loneliness.”
“Last I heard, Marla was thinking about moving to the city. I can ask her if she still wants to go and would be interested in sharing a place with you.”
Marla was my best friend in high school, but when she left to attend college, life pulled us in different directions. Even though we’re not as close as we used to be, we still keep in touch.