Her Christmas Wish (The Cottages on Ocean Breeze #1)

Chapter Sixteen

T he next week flew by. Sage was busier than usual at the firm, juggling the depth of detail in Gray’s pro-bono project with her usual workload. And Leigh’s preschool was gearing up for a Halloween party that required parent volunteers. Of course, she was one of the first to sign up. Being a parent anything gave her as much of a glow four years into her life with Leigh as it had the first day she’d been told she’d passed all regulations and was on the list to get a baby.

There were glitches that week as well as joy. Most definitely. A time or two when she’d instinctively reached out to Gray, only to snatch her hand back.

In an obvious fashion that appeared to have the same effect on him as a touch would have done. Or rather, had had a similar response to his effect on her. Flooding with desire wasn’t something she went around and did on a regular basis anymore.

And the one time she hadn’t pulled back in time...they’d both recoiled as though singed. And that instant was better left to burn to ash and drift away. Out of their memories.

Then there was her new Buzzing Bee Clinics brainstorm. A project she’d already researched. Two events. One for investors. And the other, a smaller affair, for potential contractor veterinarians. She’d just heard back from her public relations expert. Sage would handle all the legalities, of course, and was ready to present the ideas to her pro-bono client.

On Friday of that next week, she texted Gray to call her when he got a chance, and smiled when her phone rang within seconds—with his ID popping up on the screen. They’d seen each other a few times that week. A couple of waves, followed by brief small talk—mostly chatter by Leigh—on the beach. And once, in her office.

“I have a friend who’s in the PR business, Marissa. She excels at putting on events, publicizing them and getting attendees for her various clients.”

“She’s a party planner.”

“Actually, no, she owns her own PR firm. She hires out the actual planning of the party part.”

“Go on.”

“I was thinking that...if you’re interested...” She drew out that last word...worried suddenly that, with all the negative publicity, she was going at proposal delivery all wrong. Talking to him more like a friend than a client.

“You can stop right there, Sage. I’m not interested. I don’t care if she’s the Princess of the Moon, is the most beautiful woman in the world and owns every bank known to man... I don’t need you setting me up.”

Standing there with her mouth hanging open, Sage fell back to her chair. Setting him...what?

“Frankly, it just feels...kind of creepy. Wrong. You, selling me on another woman. Selling her on me...”

She almost burst out laughing. Except that there was nothing funny going on.

“Um, Gray? Never ever, even for one second, in any universe, have I ever even thought about hooking you up with another woman.”

Another woman. Oh, God. There couldn’t be another unless there was one. Her. And she wasn’t, currently. She just...had been.

And it hit her, sitting there, with her hands sweating, that she still thought of herself as Gray’s woman. In past tense. Yes. Of course.

But still his.

For part of her life, she had been.

What did closure have to say about that?

He wasn’t talking. Neither was she. Pulling back her cell, she checked to see that the call was still connected. Flooded with relief to see that he hadn’t hung up.

And took action. “I spoke to Marissa about Buzzing Bee Clinics.” Her daughter’s creation—that name. Leigh.

Closure settled over her. Suffocating desperation. And she continued with a professionalism she was trying very hard to connect to. “She mentioned doing two events...” Sage figured she talked for two minutes. Didn’t even remember coming up for air. Discussing details of a project he hadn’t even spoken to yet. Because she didn’t pause long enough to give him time.

Until she’d run out of words. And finished with, “What do you think?”

She held tightly to her phone. Hoping they hadn’t just ruined things between them.

Gray’s voice sounded loud, coming from the silence that had been hanging so long on his end. “Whatever it costs, I’m in.”

And Sage let out the breath she’d been holding.

He needed a date. A woman who entertained him. Who enjoyed being with him. Who wasn’t looking for a future that included family. Gray couldn’t think of any other way to get Sage out of his system long enough for their friendship to take root.

But couldn’t think of any woman he wanted to ask out. Partially because he on a date meant that he exposed whoever was with him to the possibility of cameras flashing at any given moment. With any narrative attached. True or completely fabricated.

He could get creative. Rent a day cruiser, drive south to pick it up and pull into a private marina someplace to collect his date. It could be all hush-hush and romantic.

The idea raised nothing but dread in him. All aspects of it. From the effort to finding the woman.

A guy with his life crashed around him, with the debris still being picked through...he just didn’t feel like exposing that to anyone he knew. Or someone he didn’t know, but could meet. If he kept himself open to doing so.

The women he dated generally came with a good dose of compassion. And that led to expressing their understanding and sorrow, or offering to help, or, worst of all, questions. He just wasn’t into it.

So why in the hell had he given Sage the impression that he thought she’d think he was good dating material?

With a package that she’d praise to a friend?

Unable to rest easy with the huge gaffe he’d made that afternoon, Gray changed into shorts and a polo shirt after work and, sliding into flip-flops, headed down the beach. Scott was out with Morgan. He may run into his friend or not. They’d actually talked about sharing a meal that night, since they hadn’t done so since Gray had moved in. After his conversation with Sage that afternoon, Gray had been thinking about making an excuse to avoid the sit-down with her brother.

Instead, he was heading down to fix the situation. With rain from the past couple of days having slowed beach activity, and gray skies still overhead, Gray was surprised to see how many people were out and about.

Until he considered the fact that dogs had to go, rain or shine. And dog owners had a tendency to congregate as their canine companions looked for just the right spots.

Leigh wasn’t out, anywhere he could see, but Sage was. Sitting on her porch with a glass of what looked like tea.

She waved. Instead of waving back, he veered straight toward her cottage. “You got any more of that?” he asked, climbing the steps without waiting for an invitation.

She stood. Heading toward the door, from which some child’s song was playing, being sung by what could only be cartoon characters. “Sure,” Sage said, adding, “It’s sweetened.”

Telling. Not asking if that was okay.

Because she knew that he was a sucker for sweet tea. Though...he’d never told her why. All part of the putting his best foot forward with her.

She thought she knew him so well...down to his addiction to a particular kind of tea.

The past kept creeping in on them. Wrapping them in some kind of personal and very cozy blanket.

And so, as soon as they were both seated again, sipping tea, he told her something she didn’t know. Throwing off the blanket—in his mind at least. “My grandmother always had sweet tea in the house. No matter how bad things got, how bad a fight she and my mom might have had, or how much pain she was in, she always went for the tea. It was like the panacea for anything bad. Icing on the cake we didn’t have. She’d said it was because it was so cheap. Tea bags, a gallon jug, sugar and water. When the sun was shining bright, she’d always make extra, to account for rainy days...”

“I saw a jug brewing out on Scott’s porch earlier in the week,” Sage said softly. In a tone he knew. Had used to think it was just for him. He didn’t look at her.

Couldn’t chance that she’d be looking back.

Nor risk a conversation that veered toward her wanting to know why he’d never mentioned the tea thing to her before.

A consequence he’d failed to consider before he’d started his soliloquy.

“He drank most of it,” Gray said, with an eye roll. And then started right in with his reason for being there. “I was thinking about starting a class here on the beach, residents only, to teach water rescue to any of the dogs who might be candidates to learn. And whose owners would like to join in.”

First steps toward a possible, more permanent, place for him on Ocean Breeze. Baby steps.

His grandmother used to say that baby steps still completed the journey. She’d been a very wise woman. Something he’d been too young and unaware to appreciate at the time.

“I didn’t realize you knew how to train service dogs.” A benefit he hadn’t foreseen. Space between them. Built by the more than ten years they’d spent apart.

And...interest, rather than any negative reaction to him establishing himself, in any way, on her beach.

Encouraged by how easy his chat with Sage was going, Gray told her about his work with service dogs over the years, starting with having had one as a patient shortly after he’d opened his first clinic. And outlining some of the things he’d done since. Making certain to list his credentials in there, his service training certification, so that she’d know that he was legitimate.

Just as he’d do with any residents who chose to enroll in his free class, if he were to actually offer it. Which was how he ended his long-winded explanation.

By stating the free to Ocean Breeze residents part.

“I’m talking about water rescue dogs, here, not water search dogs,” he clarified as it finally dawned on him that Sage seemed genuinely interested in what he had to offer. “Water search dogs are trained to smell human remains. That’s not this. Water rescue dogs learn to swim out to a human in distress and by various means, get that person back to their handler, whether the handler is on shore or in a boat.”

“Like if Leigh got washed in by a wave...”

He nodded. Didn’t share that he’d had the thought several times since his scare with Morgan. Watching the little girl on the beach. But he did say, “Or adult residents who might get a cramp or hit by a surfboard,” and then added, “It will also help if any of the Ocean Breeze dog brigade get swept away. The dog will instinctively know to get to its handler. And other dogs could help. Assuming we train them to go after each other.”

“When do you propose starting?”

He glanced at her, saw the genuine interest in her gaze, saw a friend, and spent the next half hour working out details with her. She’d present the idea to all her neighbors personally. Would be in charge of paperwork and signing off on liabilities. The class would be held on Saturday mornings. And would run for as long as there was interest.

Neither of them mentioned that Gray’s time on the beach was limited.

Nor did he introduce the idea of him sticking around. Buying a place.

Assuming at least one resident was interested, there was going to be a class.

He and Sage were heading it up as friends.

They were taking a baby step.

He left her porch with his stomach full of tea, a smile on his face and only a little bit turned on.