If watching Avery for the afternoon made Sage’s day easier, I’d do it without hesitation any time she needed it.
15
Sage
“No Avery today?” Penny asked as I walked in the door to Bell Buckle Brews, the cowbell above me letting out a clang.
“She’s at home with…” Calling Callan a babysitter felt weird. He felt like more than that, like a friend doing a friend a favor. But was he my friend? “Callan.”
Penny’s eyes shot wide as I approached the counter. “Callan Bronson?”
“Why’d you say his name like that? Is he secretly a serial killer or something?” My luck, that’d end up being the truth.
The cafe was empty behind me, it's usual pace during this time of the day.
“No. I’m just surprised he’d be watching Avery. Are you guys friends or something?”
Or something sounded like the right answer.
“He’s been giving her horseback riding lessons, and as of late, he’s trying to help find Pudding.”
Her eyes somehow widened further. “He definitely likes you.”
I let out a nervous chuckle as I twisted my wallet in my hand. “No. Definitely not. He’s just helping Avery.”
She cocked a brow. “Helping Avery or trying to get close to you?”
I scoffed, shaking my head. I rounded the counter, heading into the back, but Penny just followed.
“He’s not trying to get close to me.”
“What would be the harm if he was?” she asked.
“Nothing.” But everything.
I set my wallet in my tiny locker and grabbed my apron to tie around my waist.
“Come on, Sage. You haven’t dated anyone since I’ve known you.”
“Three years is not an abnormal amount of time to be single.”
“Yes, it is.”
I turned to her, my fingers finishing off the knot on the apron. “How long have you been single?”
She frowned as she shoved her own apron in her locker. “This isn’t about me.”
Pulling the strings taut, I brought my hands to the front pocket to be sure my pen and notepad were in there. “I’d much prefer it wasn’t about me either.”
“Come on, Sage, give a girl something.”
“He’s cute,” I blurted.
I could’ve said anything but that. Literally anything.
A satisfied smile stretched Penny’s lips. “Okay.”
“Now get out of here so I can start my shift in peace. You’re almost as bad as Gemma.”
Penny gasped, slapping a hand over her heart. “That’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.”
I rolled my eyes at the sarcasm lacing her tone.
“Let me know how Callan’s night goes,” she said as she turned to leave.
“Not my night?”
She looked over her shoulder at me, one hand on the swinging door. “Or your night with him. Whichever.”
The corners of my lips turned down in a frown as she disappeared through the door.
Penny was such an instigator.
***
Three hours flew by and I surprisingly wasn’t as anxious as I thought I’d be leaving Avery home with Callan, thanks to his promise of text updates every thirty minutes. A text came through every half hour on the dot and not a second later. Of course, I’d thanked him for each update, but it meant the world to me that he was doing this.
The problem with trusting any babysitter was that I’d want to know what was happening every second while I was away, and that was probably the last thing any of them would want to do—update the mother constantly. But Callan did it willingly. I hadn’t even asked for them, he just did it. Everything he’d done today, between watching Avery for me and bringing me a get-well basket, showed just how thoughtful he was.
