More Than Cookies (The Maple Leaf Series) (28 page)

Orion shook his head. “Adriana did, but she tossed all the keys to this place at me when she left. Besides, as far as I know, she’s still missing.”

“Yes. No new developments on that front, but you must be enjoying this time with your daughter.” Scott pointed at Myah, who was leaning against Ian.

“I won’t deny that I love having Myah here. It’s what I’ve wanted all along, however, I will reiterate that I want her the completely legal way. I also want Adriana to be found and to be okay.” Orion folded his arms across his chest hoping he looked intimidating and that no signs of the slamming headache he had were visible. Scott didn’t need to see that weakness, and he didn’t want Sage worrying either.

Because he had plans. Big plans for her with him. Later. Tonight. Nothing was going to get in the way of those plans. Nothing. Not missing ex-wives. Not the loss of the bears. Not the destruction of his workshop. Not jackass detectives. Not banging his head after an explosion. Not anything.

Scott turned to Sage before walking to his car. “You really want to get mixed up with this guy? I’m a much safer bet.”

“I’ve never been one to play it safe.” She smiled another sweet smile then went to Orion’s side. “You have a nice day now, Detective, and do be sure to tell us when you’ve found Adriana.” She motioned to Rick. “Okay, on to the barn.”

Having dismissed Scott so efficiently, she steered Orion into the workshop with Rick and the rest of the gang following close behind.

“Nobody turn around to see if he’s left,” Sage whispered. “We’re cool. We don’t care. We’re on to the rest of our day.”

“I can see why he wants you so bad, Sage,” Orion said once they were deep enough into the workshop. “I don’t think I’d be able to let you go either.” And that was a truly scary thought.

“I’m like a drug,” she said playfully. “One hit and poof!” She spread her hands out and wiggled her fingers. “Hooked.”

“More like one hit and she’s wedged herself under your skin like the mother of all splinters,” Rick said.

“Hope,” Sage said, “smack our dear cousin. Hard.”

“No,” Orion said. “Don’t smack him until we know if this barn can be fixed.”

“Thanks, Orion. I think.” Rick walked deeper into the barn and turned in a circle as he inspected the gaping hole in the roof. Jagged spikes of wood reached into the void like blackened fingers. When he poked at the area with a long piece of wood, ash rained down on them. Rick let out a whistle.

“That can’t be good.” Orion stood behind Sage and rested his head on her shoulder.

She rubbed a hand over the back of his neck and his headache felt momentarily cured. Until she took her hand away, and everything hurt again. He watched Rick test out different sections of the barn and hoped for good news. This workshop was his favorite place. He made his magic here. It was where he was at his most creative.

It’s where I had the best sex of my life too.

He’d never forget that. Making love to Sage in that barn had made him believe that Heaven did exist on earth and it was right there, under his feet, on his own property, as long as Sage was there too.

“This roof is a redo, brother,” Rick said.

Not the announcement he’d wanted to hear. He let out a groan which garnered more rubbing from Sage. Not a bad thing.

“Give the man some good news, Rick,” she said.

“Well, the walls appear to be intact. I don’t see any major structural damage there. I think we can slap a new roof on and you’ll be good to go.” Rick came to stand in front of Orion and Sage. “I’m in the middle of a barn build now, but I’ve got some college kids helping me out. They can come in and take out the debris this week.”

“Then we can all pitch in and help rebuild the roof,” Sage said.

“
We
can?” Hope and Rick asked together.

“The more people on it, the faster it’ll go, right?” Sage put her hands on her hips.

“Well, yeah,” Rick said. “That’s mathematically correct, but you don’t do hammers and nails. You do pots and pans.”

“I can do hammers and nails too.” Sage lifted her chin in the air, and Orion believed she could do anything she wanted and maybe some things she didn’t want. Like pulling men from burning barns.

“I suppose anything’s possible.” Rick shrugged.

“Yeah, you got Lily to marry you, didn’t you?” Sage winked at her cousin while he held a fist up to her.

“Man, you may want to think twice about this one, Orion.” Rick gestured to Sage.

“I have thought twice, three times, four times… every time I come up with the same answer.” Orion slid his arm around Sage. “I think I like her.”

“An EMT checked your head, right?” Hope asked.

“Hey.” Sage poked Hope. “You’re supposed to be on my side. Not Ricky’s.”

“Don’t call me that,” Rick said through clenched teeth. “God, you’re annoying.”

“Likewise.” Sage studied Orion for a few seconds then nodded as if having a conversation with herself. “Okay, everybody go home. Orion needs some peace and quiet around here.”

“I do?” Orion tightened his arm around her.

“You do. And I’m leaving too, but I’m kidnapping Myah and Ian, and you’re taking a nap.” She slid from his grasp, and he was immediately lonely.

“I don’t do naps, Sage.” He backed up a few steps and leaned against the workbench, which had thankfully emerged from the fire unscathed.

“Oh, growl, growl. The bear doesn’t hibernate.” She wagged a finger at him. “I can tell you have a major headache.”

“How can you tell?”

“Your eyes are all squinty,” Myah said as she came to stand in front of him. “And you’re leaning on stuff.”

“You’re kind of gray too,” Ian added.

“Well, thanks. I suppose my hair’s a mess and my outfit sucks too.” Orion pushed off the work bench, proving he was fine… except the room swam a little and his stomach rolled. He swallowed loudly. Too loudly.

“Yeah, that’s what I thought, macho man.” Sage grinned. “Ian and Myah, how about a hike and a picnic lunch?”

“Yeah!” Myah threw herself at Sage and clamped onto her waist.

“Will there be cookies?” Ian asked.

“Sure. We’ll make them,” Sage said. “Say goodbye to Daddy.”

“See ya,” Myah shouted as she ran for Sage’s car. “C’mon, Gramps!”

Ian rubbed Orion’s arm as he passed. “We’ll be good. You rest. Promise?”

Orion held his hand up. “I promise.”

“I’ll go hiking too.” Hope started walking toward Sage’s car then turned back to Orion. “Does Adam like hiking?”

“He does.”

“Good to know.” She saluted him and worked on settling Myah in the backseat.

“I’ll send my minions over here as soon as I can,” Rick said, taking a final look up at the roof of the barn.

“Thanks, man. That’d be great.” Orion shook Rick’s hand.

Rick tugged on Sage’s hair. “Maybe you want to take an energetic coyote with you on that hike?”

“Sure. And Ranger too. Where’s Ranger?” Sage swiveled on her heel and clapped her hands until the dog appeared, tongue lolling, sides heaving from running.

“I’ll drive Poe over then. See ya, Orion.” Rick went to his truck and backed out of Orion’s driveway.

“You’ve got a real expedition going on now, Sage,” Orion said. “A little girl, an old man, a sister, a dog, and a coyote.”

“The more the merrier,” she said. “But you’d better get some serious shut-eye while we’re out exploring.” She gathered a handful of his T-shirt and pulled him close. “Because I’ll be back and I have… ideas.” She planted a deep, soul-awakening kiss on his lips and stole his breath away.

“Don’t go,” he moaned when she ended the kiss.

“Ah, my plan is already working. By the end of the day, you’ll want me so bad.” She grinned and patted his cheek.

“By the end of the day?” He reached out for her, but she evaded his grasp. “I want you so bad right now.”

“Patience.” She blew him a final kiss. “Rest. Get rid of that squinty look and dream of me.”

With a wave, Sage hopped into her car and drove off with his family. He understood that she was trying to give him some time to deal with everything, but he wasn’t accustomed to someone else putting his needs first.

What a novel concept.

When he’d been married to Adriana, it’d always been him trying to make her happy. He’d spent so much time on her, and in the end, it hadn’t mattered. He couldn’t make her happy. They weren’t a good match. They probably never had been, and she certainly hadn’t been concerned with his happiness. In fact, her most recent goal had been to make him as miserable as possible—a goal she’d been succeeding at fantastically.

Until Sage showed up.

Since meeting Sage, Orion had felt more cared for, more fulfilled, more alive. He wanted to hold onto those feelings. Hold on tightly.

He locked the doors on the barn despite the gaping hole in the roof. Hopefully no rogue raccoons would try parachuting in overnight. As he ascended the porch steps, his cell phone rang in his pocket. He dug it out, pathetically hoping it was Sage who hadn’t been gone a full five minutes yet.

Adriana’s number showed up instead.

“Where are you?” he asked.

“Our spot. Come quickly.” She hung up before he had a chance to respond.

Is she in trouble?
Her voice had sounded shaky. Even with all the pain she caused him, Orion didn’t want anything to happen to Adriana. She was Myah’s mother after all, and he still held out hope they could
both
be parents to their daughter. Not together, of course. It was clear that would never work, and he’d actually stopped wanting it to. Maybe they could arrange something that would be the best situation for Myah. That was all he wanted. What was best for Myah. 

He locked the back door of his house and jogged to his truck, but his leg and now his head hurt so he slowed. He climbed into his truck and sped down his driveway onto the dirt road, hoping he wouldn’t be too late.

Chapter Twenty-two

“You’re making them too big, Gramps.” Myah split the ball of cookie dough Ian had in his hands in two. “See, this is better.”

Ian nodded and made another ball, this time closer to the size of Myah’s. “That okay?”

“Perfect.” Myah patted Ian’s arm then focused on the last of her dough.

Sage loved watching grandfather and granddaughter interact. The two of them were so happy to be in each other’s company. All through their hike in the woods with Hope, Poe, and Ranger, Ian held Myah’s hand. The two of them stopped to take closer looks at the same patches of moss, the same expanses of tree bark, the same piles of deer poop. And of course Ian could tell them exactly how many pellets of deer poop were in each pile.

Myah and Ian conversed quietly sometimes as if they were sharing secrets. They giggled over things.

They were adorable.

Something had tugged at Sage’s heart seeing them. She’d thought of her own father and how he’d been robbed of spending time with a grandchild. Hell, he’d been robbed of spending a lifetime with his own children, never mind the next generations. They’d all been robbed.

“Sage, these are ready.” Myah climbed off the kitchen chair Ian had pulled over to the counter for her. She wiped her hands on the old, red apron Sage had let her wear then looked at Sage as if she’d done something wrong when smears of cookie dough streaked across the chest. “Oops.”

“No oops,” Sage said. “That’s what aprons are for, chickie.”

Poe and Ranger wandered over, both sniffing around Myah. While Ranger pawed at her untied shoelace, Poe zeroed in on the cookie dough smears. The coyote swiped her tongue across them and Myah laughed.

“I didn’t know coyotes liked cookies,” she said.

“Coyotes like everything.” Sage led Myah back toward the ready-for-baking cookies still on the counter. “Let’s get these babies going.” She opened the oven and slid the two cookie sheets onto the rack.

“How long will it take?” Ian asked, glancing at the clock on the stove.

“About ten minutes.” Sage put mixing bowls and wooden spoons in the dishwasher. “Do you think you can wait that long?”

“Maybe.” Ian smiled and wiped the counter where he and Myah had worked.

Before the cookies were done, they tidied up the entire kitchen and Sage set out cooling racks. Ian and Myah helped her slide all the cookies onto the racks. When they were done, a fantastic spread of maple peanut butter cookies filled the counter.

“It smells so good in here,” Myah said, hawking the rows of cookies with a hunger in her big blue eyes. “Does it always smell good in your house, Sage?”

Sage considered this question, loving the interest Myah showed in cooking. “I cook a lot of different things. I’m always experimenting. Most things smell great, but I have had a few recipes that didn’t turn out so wonderful. Some of those ended up stinking up my mother’s house pretty horribly.” She recalled a scrod fiasco from three years ago that had burned in a new pan she’d purchased online. Something hadn’t been quite right with the pan, and the odor from charred fish had been tough to get out of the house. Her mother had not been happy.

“My mom doesn’t let me cook.” Myah took off the apron. “She doesn’t let me do anything.”

Ian stepped up behind Myah and hugged her to him. He didn’t say anything. He was just there. For his grandchild. Full of love.

“Well,” Sage said, “what kinds of things do you want to do?” She draped the apron over the back of a chair and herded Myah and Ian into the living room. She motioned for them to sit.

Ian chose the comfy armchair facing the fireplace and Myah bounced onto the couch where Sage joined her.

“I don’t know,” Myah said. “I want to do lots of stuff.” She tucked her legs underneath her to make room for Poe who hopped up between Myah and Sage. Ranger settled on the wood floor by Ian’s feet.

Liking the feel of having Myah and Ian at her house as if they’d been visiting her for years, Sage brought her own feet up onto the couch and burrowed them under Poe who immediately set about licking her ankles.

Silly coyote.

“I’d like to play soccer,” Myah said. “And ride horses and go to the movies and have friends over and… and…” She paused. “Is that too many things?”