“Took it out.”
“The ugly clothes?”
“In the wash.”
“The bad attitude?”
“Still got it.” Lucy grinned and pinched Luke in the side.
“Don’t change too much, okay?” He was really happy to see the outer crap gone, but he hoped Lucy didn’t lose herself as well. She simply needed to find herself. “So what brought this transformation?”
“Dunno.” Lucy shrugged and looked away, obviously hiding something.
“You’re not in trouble, are you? You know you can come to me for anything. I’ll take care of you.”
“I’m not a kid anymore, Luke. I can take care of myself. Not everyone wants someone hovering over them, fixing their problems, pointing out their mistakes. No wonder you drove her batshit crazy.” Lucy stood, causing the swing to rock out of control, and stomped down the front steps. Her car door slammed and she peeled out of the driveway, gravel spitting out from under her tires.
“That went well.”
Luke turned to Rachael’s voice. “You think she’s right?”
Rachael took Lucy’s place on the swing, sitting closer and resting her head on Luke’s shoulder. “Yes. But don’t ever change. That’s what makes you you.”
She repeated the words he’d just spoke to Lucy, not liking the advice directed toward him. “Do you know what’s going on with her?”
“I don’t even know what’s going on with myself, much less the rest of the family.”
“Ain’t that the truth.”
“You know, the quiet observer usually has more inside information than the hovering pain-in-the-ass oldest brother.”
“And the sweet, observing younger sister is going to share this with her loving, domineering brother, is that it?” Rachael let out a sigh, keeping her head on his shoulder. Luke moved his arm around her, pulling her closer.
“I know Colton joined the military to escape his hurt, only he’s seeing more hurt and pain in Afghanistan and Iraq and wherever else he’s been than around here. Graham can’t stand to be in the same place for too long and thinks he’s found the perfect job flying across country five times a week, sleeping in hotels nearly every night.”
“You don’t think they’re happy?” Rachael sounded sad, almost wistful.
“They think they are, but they’ll be back when they’re done fighting their battles. Figuratively and literally.” Luke leaned his head against Rachael’s, enjoying her company.
“Makes sense.”
“Graham is ready to settle down, even though he won’t admit it. I bet he’ll be home for good before next summer. What’s going on with Lucy?”
“I don’t know. I’ve caught her smiling and she even talks to me sometimes. She sets her alarm and is out of the house by seven every morning dressed in normal clothes. She has a new job…” Rachael pulled away and moved to the other side of the swing.
“What? What aren’t you telling me?”
“She’s happy, Luke. Be happy for her.”
“Are you kidding me? Lucy’s told you what’s going on but hasn’t said a word to me? She’s never opened up to you before.”
“No offense taken,” Rachael teased.
“You know what I mean. You two have never been close.”
“And you’re offended because she came to me instead of you. You have to admit, you’ve been pretty sour lately.”
“So tell me what brought on the transformation.”
“No, it’s not my story to tell.”
“You’re loyal to a fault, and I love you anyway.” Luke leaned over and kissed his sister on the cheek. “I’m glad to see a smile back on your face as well.”
“And I can’t wait to see one back on yours too.”
Luke’s smile didn’t reach his eyes, but he appreciated his sister’s support. Taking out his cell, he sent Lucy a quick text:
You free for lunch tomorrow?
Tucking his cell in his pocket, he went back inside to say goodnight to his mom and brother. By the time he got home, he had a message from Lucy:
Working but can meet you for a quick bite at 1.
She gave him two choices: a deli or a café, both in Kennebunkport. Interesting location. He thought her art store was in Portland. Deciding on the deli, he typed in his response and then hit the shower.
By the time he slid under his sheets, his mind had drifted back to Sage. Not that she was ever far from his thoughts. The changes in Lucy reminded him of her. How she started out hostile and snotty, softening over time. He only hoped Lucy wouldn’t regret the softening and come to hate him for it as Sage had.
After a restless night dreaming about Sage’s soft skin, her tender heart that she liked to keep hidden, and her witty sense of humor, he finally got out of bed and went for an early morning run. The chilly air and strain on his muscles did nothing to clear his mind, which swayed between lust for Sage and concern for his sister. He’d run a ten-mile loop, but he’d swear he just left the house five minutes ago.
He showered, shaved, vacuumed the downstairs, and did a load of laundry before arriving at the deli a few minutes before one. Luke stopped in his tracks, surprised to find his sister already there. She’d never been on time for anything in her life. And definitely never early.
“You look nice.” He leaned down to kiss the top of her head, noticing the subtle makeup and tinted lip gloss. The navy long-sleeved shirt was a far cry from the grubby shirts with rock bands and holes in the cuffs she normally wore.
“Thank you.”
And she grew manners. He peered into her clear green eyes, noticing a glint he’d never seen before. “Let’s cut to the chase, Luce. What’s the deal? Not that I’m not thrilled to see you looking so…refreshed.”
“I have a great job. I’m painting. And I even sold a piece.”
“That’s awesome.” He reached across the table and squeezed her hand. “Tell me about the painting.”
She grinned from ear to ear, revealing a perfect white smile that he’d never really seen before. “I figured you’d ask about my job first.”
“If you want to tell me about that instead, I’m all ears.”
“I want to tell you about my painting. The job is just a way to get to what I really want to do.”
“I know. And I’m happy for you. Which piece did you sell?”
“Actually, he made a special request. Tom and Reggie spent their honeymoon near Pemaquid Point and he asked me to paint the lighthouse for their anniversary. He loved it and asked me to do another for his office.” Lucy danced in her seat and talked with her free hand.
“I’m so happy for you. Really. So, how’d this Tom guy find you?”
“He, uh, works across the hall from my office space and saw me painting one day. He’s an attorney.”
Luke pulled back and sat up straighter. “You’re not in trouble or anything, are you? Why are you seeing a lawyer?”
“I’m not. And he’s not really an attorney. He does tax law or something like that. His office is across the hall from…where I work.”
“Which is?”
“I’m doing secretary stuff. And some office painting and decorating. Let’s order. I’m starving and have to get back soon.”
Evasive. Now she sounded more like the Lucy he knew. They ordered sandwiches and sipped their iced tea while they waited for their food. Lucy told him about the other pieces she was working on, deciding to highlight some of Maine’s popular tourist areas and a few of the secret spots only locals knew about. The fall foliage made for breathtaking backdrops that only lasted a few short weeks, but she could paint the scenes, making them last forever.
He was tempted to follow her back to work, but he let his sister have her space. Again she reminded him of Sage. Her stubborn attitude, the softness in her eyes when she let her guard down, the snarky, biting comebacks when pushed too far.
Soon he’d find out why she didn’t want to tell him about her job.
***
Sage
Thankfully the Jones-Ferguson wedding went off without a hitch and Sage could focus on the light-hearted and often creepy Halloween parties she organized. Having Lucy at her beck and call had made her normally hectic fall schedule run much more smoothly. The temperamental artist had her moments, though. When she was painting she refused to answer her phone or reply to texts, insisting she wasn’t Sage’s personal slave. She had to admit, the girl had guts. And an amazing knack with a paintbrush.
It pleased her to see Tom’s excitement with the painting Lucy did for him, commissioning her to do three more for his office space. Hopefully his clients would appreciate her talent and hire her as well. Sage helped her design business cards and hooked her up with Robert Barrows to design a webpage. In no time the eccentric little oddball would be the next up-and-coming artist in southern Maine.
Occasionally Sage would ask about her siblings and Doreen, careful never to mention Luke by name. The knowing smirk Lucy never tried to hide made her realize she wasn’t fooling anyone.
“Mom would love to have you over for dinner. You know, get to know my boss, the lady who saved me from disgrace.”
They didn’t talk about That Day, or the ten thousand dollars, and Sage knew it bothered Lucy to be in debt to someone else. Lucy only accepted minimum wage pay and gave most of the money she earned from her paintings to Sage. It had been nearly two months and at this rate, Lucy’s debt would be paid off in less than a year. They skated around the topic, neither one of them the sentimental type, and instead razzed each other about their wardrobe and lack of male admirers.
“You know, you could get laid more often if you ditched the stuck-up pencil skirt and worked with the mini.”
“And you could actually attract a decent man if you dropped the potty mouth.”
“Oh, you’re one to talk.” Lucy laughed.
“The difference is I don’t speak that way in front of clients.”
“Yeah. You have the fake thing down pat. Never let the client see the bitchy side, huh?”
“Not if I want my business to succeed. Which it has, as you can tell by the constant ringing phone that you don’t answer and the flood of email inquiries in my inbox that you don’t respond to quickly enough.”
“Yeah, well.”
“And you need to work on your comebacks. They’re juvenile.”
“Blah, blah, blah.”
“And you think I’m the one who needs to get laid?”
“Speaking of Luke…”
“We are not speaking of your brother.”
“I had lunch with him today. He asked about you.”
Sage’s heart leaped. She turned her back, pretending to look for something in her pile of swatch samples so Lucy wouldn’t see her reddened cheeks.
“Do you want to know what he said?”
“We’re not in middle school. I’m not going to pass you notes during class asking about a boy.”
“K. I won’t tell you then.” Lucy snapped her gum and hummed while typing on the laptop Sage loaned her.
Irritated that she wanted to know, but not dumb enough to take the bait, Sage grabbed her keys and slung her purse over her shoulder. “I have a meeting. I won’t be back in the office today.”
“No you don’t.”
“Excuse me?”
“You’re forgetting, I have access to your calendar. You have the rest of the day blocked out to put a proposal together for the Keedsler Motors holiday party.”
“Yes, well…”
That devilish smirk appeared again and Sage scowled. “Just ask.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Sage played with the strap on her purse.
“God, you’re pathetic.” Lucy laughed and kicked her feet up on the desk. “You’re dying to know what Luke said. Admit it.”
“I really don’t care what he said.”
“Bullshit.”
They had a good old fashioned stare-down, neither one willing to look away first. Being pissed and annoyed had its advantages, and Sage eventually won when Lucy tipped her head back and laughed again. “Fine. Call me on my bluff. He didn’t say anything about you.”
Her heart deflated and her lip actually quivered. Looking away, she dropped her purse on the table and fled for the bathroom. I’m such a damn fool. Splashing cold water on her face didn’t help, but it did mask the tears that somehow formed and slipped down her cheeks.
Being with Luke made her feel special. Wanted. He didn’t want her for her organizational skills or to watch over someone. He didn’t care if she was skinny and stylish or bloated. Luke had a way of knowing when she needed to bitch and vent and when she needed to zone out and watch TV and cuddle. Sage didn’t even know she liked cuddling until Luke had lain down with her and wrapped her in his muscular embrace, hogging most of the couch. She loved every second she was with him.
She didn’t know she liked the smell of Irish Spring and fresh air. She didn’t know she liked waking up to breakfast in bed. And morning sex. She’d never had morning sex before. Or an afternoon quickie. And sometimes an afternoon experience that lasted through the night.
It wouldn’t be the end of the world to go out on more dates with Luke. It wasn’t like she had to marry him and spit out babies. If things didn’t work out, she’d move on. He’d move on. But leaving things in limbo, not knowing what they could have together, didn’t feel right.
Tomorrow. Tomorrow she’d get her act together and talk to Luke. Tonight she needed to type up a few suggestions. Not an official contract, but a list of acceptable behaviors for their new relationship. No talk of love or marriage or babies. But sleepovers were a definite yes. Not every night. Sage needed her space. And with his crazy work schedule, she didn’t think that would be a problem anyway.
As long as he gave her space to go out with….no one. Sage didn’t have friends to hang out with. The only socializing she did was with her sisters. And now they had husbands and kids and Sage was a third, fourth, fifth wheel.
She’d visited her baby niece and nephew a few times, but was careful to keep them at a distance. Babies were never her thing. Maybe when they grew personalities and could bathe and wipe themselves, she’d be a better aunt. Maddie was cool. She’d brought Maddie out shopping a few times, they did ice cream once or twice. That wasn’t so bad. But babies? No.
Regaining her composure and content with her decision to allow Luke back in her life, she stepped out of the small bathroom and braced herself for Lucy’s taunts.
“Look, Sage. I’m sorry if I stepped out of line.”
Not expecting an apology, Sage opened her mouth, ready with a comeback, but nothing came out.
“You know, a snarky woman once told me that’s a very unattractive look.”
“She must be a very wise woman to give you such advice. I hope you took it well.”
“Yeah, well…”
Sage smiled and nodded to the pile of boxes on the conference table. “I have a portfolio to put together. Care to help or are you actually going to answer some emails today?”
“I’ll stick with the emails.”
They worked in companionable silence for the rest of the afternoon. When it was time to leave, Lucy stopped by the front door, blocking Sage’s exit. “For the record, Luke didn’t actually ask about you.”
Way to boost my spirits, Lucy.
“What I mean is, he doesn’t know I’m working for you. I didn’t want to put you or him in an awkward situation. I told him I’m a glorified secretary and that I’m painting on the side. And I told him about Tom buying my work.”
“He must have been very proud of you.” Sage smiled.
“Yeah. He asked more about my painting than my job, knowing the secretary crap is just a means to an end.”
“No offense taken, by the way. I know this isn’t your calling.”
“Yeah, sure. Anyway, I didn’t want to tell him without asking you first. He’s been really down since you…since you guys called it quits. I don’t know
what happened and who dumped who, but he’s been really torn up about it. If you didn’t save my ass last month I would have gone crazy bitch on you for hurting my brother. He’s the nicest, kindest, sweetest man in the world and I don’t know anyone who deserves him.”
“Again, no offense.”
“I know he cares for you. Maybe even loves you. Or at least he did. Who knows what he thinks of you now. It’s been so long.”
“You know how to make a girl feel pretty special.” Sage crossed her arms and glared at Lucy.
“Hey, I don’t sugarcoat things. Neither do you. I figured you’d respect that about me.”
Sage nodded. “Understood. And for the record, I’m going to contact Luke tomorrow.”
“Oh? That getting laid spiel worked, eh?” Lucy wiggled her eyebrows, making Sage laugh.
“Get out of here before I fire you. I’ll send you an email with a list of things I need you to do tomorrow. Mostly it’s putting the digital portfolio together for the charity auction. I’ll be going back and forth between the Regan wedding and the Insulet party. Keep your phone handy in case of emergencies.”
“K. And be nice to my brother or I will kick your skinny ass,” Lucy called over her shoulder as she walked out the front door and hopped into her beater.
Skinny ass. It’d been a long time since someone called her that. Smiling for the first time in ages, Sage locked up the office and headed to her car, picturing her wardrobe and planning her perfect seduction outfit.
Chapter Fifteen
Sage
The next morning Sage jumped out of bed, took a long, luxurious shower, shaving areas that hadn’t been looked at or touched by anyone but her OB in months, and spent an extra twenty minutes on her hair. It fell past her shoulders and she decided to curl the ends into a sexy flip style. Going light and subtle on the makeup and simple and sexy on the outfit, she took one final glance in the mirror. Her dark plum V-neck cashmere sweater showed off her girls and her new jeans gave her round ass a much-needed boost.
After eight weeks of rigorous dieting and exercise, she finally felt comfortable in jeans. The skinny jeans were out, and might never fit again, and what used to be donned as her fat day pants now fit like a charm. And the extra curveage around the hips and butt actually looked flattering. The waif-model look was so last year anyway. Or at least that’s what Sage made herself believe, refusing to allow anything to ruin her day.
Wilde For You (The Wilde Sisters Book 3) Page 18