Caught Up In Love Read online

  “What else are you supposed to feel with magic rocks in your underwear? Did you explain why you had it?”

  “No, it was a carnelian. It was embarrassing.” I wasn’t about to tell him what it meant because then, I’d have to explain my mother and my entire past for it to make any sense.

  “What’s that one mean? Is it some love charm?” She had been around me my entire life, hearing about the stones, and had not bothered to learn a damned thing.

  “It’s supposed to have energies for passion.”

  “Geez, Sage. I’m not knocking your knowledge or interest in these stones, but you might be taking this a bit too far. You don’t need rocks for passion. Especially when you have a hot New York millionaire taking you to his bed.”

  She made me feel stupid. “I know that. But it just makes me feel better. At least until he saw it. It’s usually a comfort object. Instead, it just reminded me that I haven’t told him much about myself. Other than the Muddy Rudder, of course. And I told him how my father talked shit about Mom when she left and how people thought I was a bit strange because of what Dad told them.”

  “Then he already knows an awful lot about you. So let the man into your sacred space, Sage. You can always do a sage burn after he leaves.”

  “Very funny.” I knew she was just picking on me about the sage cleanse because she’d come in to find me burning it a few times, but she had a point. I’d already let him in on so much. “I guess I should. If it falls apart, then at least I can sage him from my life and move on, right?” I gave a nervous chuckle.

  She reached out and rested her hand on my arm. “I think if he’s any good at all, he’ll love you just as much as I do for exactly who you are, not what you have or don’t.”

  “You sound like my father. Only the last time I heard him talking that way, it ended with more shit about my mother and that she wasn’t any good at all.”

  “You aren’t destined to be either of your parents, you know?”

  “I know.” I really did, too. I just wanted him so badly that if it all fell apart, I knew I was already at a point where it would hurt like hell.

  “When was the last time you talked to Greyson?”

  “We’ve texted, but with doing inventory at work and getting ready for the art event, things have been too crazy to really hook up. I feel like the time puts so much distance between us, and it’s always after we’re together, which makes it even worse.”

  “Well, it would make me feel better if you gave him a call. Have him come around the next few days while I’m away.”

  “Away? Where are you going?”

  “Yeah, that’s what I came to tell you. Barbara is sending her golden child on a mission to Florida to impress one of her dealers. And I’m going to be his pretend fiancée.”

  “Fiancée?”

  “Pretend fiancée. He could only be so lucky.” She rolled her eyes and gave a snort.

  “Please, enough with the denial. You know you’re going to eat this trip up.”

  “Sex, sun, fun. You bet your sweet ass. I’m going to take full advantage of everything offered. I’ve been trying to get Christian to take me on a fancy trip for years, and he would always go without me. Thankfully, his mother’s mouth has finally done me a favor for once.”

  “For once.” I laughed, knowing how she and Barbara had their falling outs and disagreements almost as much as she and Christian did.

  “Yeah, it’s about time the old lady did me a favor. I’m not sure Christian is happy about it, but at least I know he can’t cheat on me this time.”

  “I thought it wasn’t cheating?” They’d clearly defined that it was supposed to be an open relationship, with no strings attached, though I knew it was bullshit.

  “Shush. It’s open as long as he’s honest about it. But he’s been lying. I know he has. I don’t know why I put up with him honestly.”

  “Because even though he’s a dog, he’s crazy about you and still spends money on you?”

  “Well, there’s that, yeah.” She let out a long sigh. “Do you think you’ll be seeing Greyson? I’m really worried about Maddox. If he gets wind I’m out of town, he might try to come and make a move when there’s no one to check on you.”

  “He’s not going to make a move on me. You make it sound like I’m going to be the next Lifetime movie victim. My life is simply not that exciting.”

  “Make light of it all you want, but you and I know that Maddox Montauk is crazy.”

  “You’re just saying that because you heard he threatened that one girl from work.” I knew there was more to that story when she told it.

  “He said he was going to chew out her tongue and spit in her face. Who says shit like that?”

  “Men who get told their dicks are tiny.” That was supposedly what happened that led to their public argument.

  “I was there for the fight. She used the word miniature. You should have seen his face. He was livid. I knew right then that he was crazy.”

  “And that’s why he threatened her. We’ve never been anything but nice to each other. Civil.”

  “Well, I want you to keep in touch regardless. And come shopping with me. I need a new dress. We can go to that place you like.”

  “Minkie’s?” It was an hour away but well worth the trip. “As long as we’re not too late. I need to get back here and prepare my list for the art program.”

  “We won’t be. I’ll drive. Come on.”

  I knew I had to see Greyson again soon and thought it might be the perfect time to buy a new dress or maybe something sexy to wear. I jumped up from the couch. “Count me in.” Then I headed to my room to get ready.

  “Awesome,” said Lissa. “Road trip!”

  23

  Greyson

  With my boat nearly finished, I went into town to order the paint, and as I walked toward the hardware store in the small town square, I spotted Sage across the street walking alone.

  Seeing her was like taking in a breath of fresh air, and she looked amazing with her little cotton dress and the cardigan she let hang off her shoulders.

  I had no idea where she was going, but I decided to put off my shopping and decided to go over and say hello. Although we’d texted, we still hadn’t had a face to face conversation, and I was beginning to miss her.

  I waited for traffic to pass before jogging across the street, and while I hurried to catch up to her, making my way around parked cars and tourists, I nearly tripped. I had just recovered and checked to see if Sage was still in sight, and seeing she was, I started in her direction, not wanting to call out her name or make a scene. But I’d not taken two steps when Lyle Abbot stepped out in front of me.

  “Excuse me,” he said, not realizing who he’d bumped into.

  He turned, and his half-smile turned down into a full frown. “How are you, Mr. Young? I hope you know what a fuss you’ve caused in our neighborhood.”

  “What do you mean?” I already knew that Barbara Vance wanted a different color house.

  “My wife is voting on your side. She said she’s always dreamed of a buttercup-yellow house. I’m afraid to think of what the next homeowners meeting will be like.”

  “Sorry about that, but all I want is for Dodd to come and paint my house. He keeps putting me off.”

  “Well, I can assure you, despite your previous accusations, I had nothing to do with it.”

  I took a deep breath, wishing he’d just fuck off so I could go after Sage. I looked ahead as she stepped into a shop. “I’m sure you had nothing to do with it. I’m kind of in a hurry.”

  “Well, now, that’s the trouble with men your age. Always in a damned hurry. But seeing you here has only saved me the trip to your house.”

  I was about to tell him how terribly inconvenient it must be to walk next door, but then, he handed me a copy of a police report. “My shop was broken into last night. I was wondering if you had seen anything? They were smart enough to go to the side with the broken camera, so I’m guessing that
they broke it. It stopped working just the day before. I think they scoped me out.”

  “Wow, I’d heard that crime was bad around here, but I didn’t expect it to be next door.” This was a problem I’d expect back in the city and had moved hoping to get away from.

  “Well, it’s getting bad the last few months. And we can’t seem to figure out who’s doing it. Some say it can’t be a local, but I think it is.”

  “They certainly know what they can get away with. Either that or they’re bold.”

  “They’re stupid if you ask me,” said Lyle. “But I thought you might want to keep an eye on your boathouse. They stole all of my tools, and they’ll take lumber too.”

  “Thanks. I’ll keep it locked up.” I always did, but maybe I needed to think about a better security system.

  By the time he walked away and I could go back to my chase, I could only pray Sage was still in the store. I hurried down the sidewalk and went into the shop.

  While before I had hoped to appear discreet, now it was kind of obvious that I was searching for her, especially as I looked down each aisle of the store. About the fifth one, I spotted her, and when I walked up, she turned with a smile and then did a double-take.

  “Greyson?” She smiled and reached for another item off the shelf. “How have you been?” She had a handbasket full of sidewalk chalk, and she put another one in the basket.

  “Here, let me hold that for you.” I took the basket from her hands. “I was just in the area and saw you walk by. But Mr. Abbot stopped me.”

  She sighed. “Is he still giving you grief about the paint?”

  “Nah, he actually wanted to tell me about a burglary. His shop was broken into.”

  “Wow, just next door to you? That’s been happening a lot lately.”

  “Yeah, I didn’t realize how bad it was.” It made me hate the fact that she lived alone.

  About that time, the store manager came out from the back and approached. “Here’s one more box,” he said. “I have the other waiting up front.”

  “What are you doing with the chalk?”

  “It’s for the community art outreach. I volunteer with the kids, and we do sidewalk murals. It’s mostly to give the kids something to do while their parents visit the local shops.”

  “I admire that. You really like art, don’t you?” I’d heard her mention it several times. “Do you paint?”

  “I do, and I dabble in other things. I’ve just completed a mural at my house. I was glad to get it finished. I had such a mess.”

  I wondered if that was why she didn’t want me to see her place. “I’d love to see it sometime.”

  “Well, I’ve been meaning to get in touch with you. I thought you might want to come by later?”

  “Sure. I’d like that. If you’re okay with me coming to your place?”

  She shrank back a little. “I was being stupid.”

  “No, hey, you’re not stupid.”

  “It’s just hard putting myself out there, I guess. And my house was a mess at the time. I really want you to see it now.”

  I looked down at her basket. “Maybe I could help you home with this stuff? It sounds like you have a couple more boxes of it waiting?” I didn’t know if she was bringing it home or not.

  “That would be nice. But did you have something you needed to do?”

  “Nah, it’s nothing that can’t wait.” I had plenty of time before I needed the paint and wasn’t going to miss another moment with her.

  We walked to the counter where the man had two boxes of the chalk waiting. “You use this much?”

  “Yeah, the kids don’t like sharing chalk, and the sidewalk eats it away fairly quickly.”

  As the man rang it up, I pulled out my card. “Here, put it on this”

  “No,” she said, putting her hand out to try and stop me. “That’s not necessary. I have a check from the community center.”

  “Keep it. It’s not a bother. I love doing things for the kids. That’s my gift to the fine town of Camden.”

  She seemed a bit hesitant, and the man went ahead and scanned my card. “Here you go, sir. Nice gesture.”

  “Don’t encourage him,” said Sage.

  I picked up the boxes, and the man bagged the others, which Sage carried out on her arm. “If that’s too heavy, I could take one.”

  “Are you kidding? It’s not heavy at all. It’s just bulky. Are you in your truck?”

  “Yeah, but I had to park it down the road and around the corner because of traffic. I could ask to use the dolly. That’s what I was going to do before you came along.”

  “I’ve got it.” I brushed it off like it was nothing, but by the time we got all the way back around the block, I realized I’d grossly underestimated my stamina.

  I loaded it into her truck, and then she climbed into the driver’s side. “Do you want to meet me there?”

  “I’m parked just around the corner.”

  “I’ll wait if you’ll follow, or you could come back for your Jeep later?”

  With the theft in the town, I decided following was best. “I’m right behind you.”

  I went to my Jeep, and after she did a turn around the block, she pulled up behind me and honked so I could pull out when she drove past.

  While I was eager to see the insider of her place and learn more about her, I was really interested in finding out if I had ruined things with us. I hated that our lives took us away from one another, and I wanted to do what I could to make a better life for both of us.

  If only she didn’t have to work, then we could spend all of our time together. It was nice to daydream about it.

  Soon, we were at her house. I pulled up behind her to the little, dark blue house. The place held a lot of charm in the light of day, and I loved the moons cut out of the white shutters.

  “I like it already,” I said when we got out of our cars. “It has character. I didn’t notice how much the other night.”

  “So that’s what they call it? Character? I say it’s in serious need of some TLC. But the guys down at the lumberyard did come by and paint it for me.”

  “They did?”

  “Yeah, because they knew I couldn’t afford some asshole like Dodd, and the house is pretty much all I have left of my father. He was a good friend of Chuck’s.”

  I wondered if they would be interested in painting my house. “Do they take bids?”

  “I don’t know. I could ask.”

  The job looked just as good as any professional one would, and I was tired of Dodd putting me off for other opportunities. “Find out. I’ll hire them. I’ve just about decided Dodd’s not getting another dime.”

  “Cool, they might need the extra cash.”

  I went around to get the boxes out of the cab of the truck, and she followed. I stepped aside so she could open the door, and once I had her pinned there, I couldn’t help it anymore. I leaned in and kissed her. It wasn’t a long kiss, but long enough to leave her breathless. “I’ve missed you, Sage.”

  “Did you?”

  “Yes, I missed you even when we texted. Although I could hear your voice with each word you sent, it just wasn’t the same.”

  “Well, I missed you too. I guess we’re just both busy. I honestly thought I’d said something wrong.”

  “Nah, it was fine.” I couldn’t even remember what had been so uncomfortable, but then I remembered the rock. I had looked it up since she mentioned the name, and I wondered if she knew the meaning.

  “We should get this stuff inside. I have something I want to show you.”

  I wasn’t sure what it was, but I could hardly wait.

  24

  Sage

  As I opened the door to the house, I held my breath. He had seemed to react positively to the outside of my world, and now it was time to lead him inside. “Here, let me help you. You can just put those boxes down here.”

  He looked around, and his eyes widened. “Wow. I like what you’ve done with the place.”


  My cheeks turned red, and it was as if he were accepting a bigger part of me that was just as intimate as sex. “Thanks.”

  He walked over to the rock garden and took a minute just looking at the rocks and crystals. “This is fascinating.” He reached into the bowl and took out the carnelian. “This looks familiar. Was it the first?”

  I thought it was a good time to tell him about my collection. “It was one of them. I got it when I was six years old.”

  “Wow, well, now I see how special they are to you. Your display is amazing. And I love that wall.” He pointed across to the geode.

  “Thanks. I just finished it. It’s actually what I wanted to show you.”

  Jasper walked out of my bedroom stretching his legs out in front of him as a yawn opened his mouth to reveal his fangs.

  “And this must be Jasper, right?” He looked down as Jasper walked over and rubbed against his legs. “Hey, little guy. So, this certainly explains his name. Jasper is a form of rock, isn’t it?”

  “Yes.” I walked over and took my tumbled jasper from the bowl. “See, this is what his fur looked like to me. It’s the same color.” I knelt down and held the stone to Jasper’s back, and it nearly disappeared to the eye, it was so camouflaged.

  “Fitting name.” He smiled as he dropped the carnelian back into the bowl. “What started it all?”

  “My mother. She gave me a box of stones and taught me their healing properties. I didn’t really know what it meant. There was only one stone that I could remember, and that was this one.” I reached into the bowl and pulled out a smooth piece of obsidian. “She told me this one warded off negativity, and that it would keep me grounded. I held it to my heart every night hoping that it was true.”

  His eyes narrowed. “Was your life full of negativity?”

  “My parents would fight a lot. A couple of weeks passed, and it was long enough for my mother to get her ducks in a row, so she bailed on me and my dad. He was actually happier that she was gone, but I had it in my head that she was the negativity I’d hoped away.”