Sage McKinley was a fucking heart-stopper.

I didn’t know the story behind Avery’s father other than I knew he wasn’t in the picture. For Sage to raise Avery all on her own while maintaining a full-time job absolutely blew my mind. She was so strong, and I had the feeling she didn’t think of herself that way, but she should.

The tall grass brushed together as we walked through it, the field moving like ocean waves as a slight breeze ruffled the blades. Avery was skipping ahead of us as Sage and I followed, heading in the direction of the pond. Sage’s pace was slow to cater to her still-healing knee, so I matched it, not wanting her to rush. She’d said the bruise was almost gone, but I should have driven them out here instead of walking. The pond wasn’t too far out on my parents’ property, maybe a fifteen minute walk, and the day was perfectly warm with the wind. Her knee still had to be somewhat sore, but she wasn’t complaining, so I took that as a good sign that it was healing well.

“Are you going to tell me what all this is for?” Sage asked, glancing at the basket swinging from my hand, along with the fishing pole slung over my shoulder.

“Nope.” She’d have to wait a few more minutes until we got there.

“If you think I know how to fish, you’re out of your mind,” she said.

Taking my eyes off of Avery in front of us, I faced Sage as we continued walking. “I’ll teach you.”

Sage snorted and I couldn’t help the smile on my face at the sound. 

She opened her mouth to reply, but stopped short when she saw my grin. “What’s that look?”

“You snorted.”

Her nose scrunched. “So?”

I turned my focus back to Avery to be sure she didn’t get too far ahead. “It was cute.”

From my peripheral, I saw Sage’s mouth pop open, then snap shut again. 

“Cat got your tongue?” I teased.

“In case you haven’t noticed, I’m currently cat-less.”

A soft chuckle escaped me. “Touché.”

Minutes later, we emerged from a row of trees, coming out right on the shore of the pond. Beside me, Sage stopped in her tracks, but ahead of me, Avery was already close to the water, picking up stones.

The two of them were already pulling me in separate directions.

I set the picnic basket down, pulling out a blanket and laying it on the grass. Setting the fishing pole beside the blanket, I reached back into the basket, grabbing what had me most nervous about this date. 

Before I could stand up, Sage spoke up from behind me, where she was still frozen in place. “Is that…”

“Sage,” I finished for her. 

“You brought me a bouquet of sage?”

My cheeks instantly lit up like a fire was burning in my skin, and I wanted to shrink into myself. Did she hate them? I knew this was too much.

“Callan.”

I looked up at her, the sun shining behind her, casting her silhouette in a bright glow. Her eyes searched mine for a moment before she took the two steps to the blanket and lowered herself to my level, taking the bouquet from me. I’d picked them myself, the bundle smaller than one from a floral shop, tied with an ivory ribbon at the stems.

“I love them. Thank you.”

The vibrant purple of the flowers looked pale in comparison to the light that Sage held in just her physical appearance alone. 

“You’re welcome.” I turned back to the wicker basket to hide my face, knowing my cheeks were as red as cherries, but also to dig out the snacks I’d brought along.

I set the water bottles on the blanket, then laid out the wrapped sandwiches, chips, and fruit. I’d brought Avery her own Tupperware of string cheese, applesauce pouches, gummy bears, and graham crackers. I wasn’t really sure what she liked or if she was picky, so I’d packed what I’d seen other parents bring their children as a snack after lessons in the past. 

“This is for Avery,” I said, setting the container down on the blanket.

Sage stared at it like it was going to sprout teeth and bite her.

“What’s wrong?”

“You packed Avery a lunch?”

I nodded hesitantly. “Yes… Is that okay? Is she allergic to anything?” I should’ve asked before I packed it.

Her gaze snapped to mine. “No.” She shook her head. “I mean, no, she’s not allergic to anything. Thank you for thinking of her.”

I studied her for a second, wondering why this was a shock to her. “Well, I did include her.”

“I know. It’s just…I thought you had her come along because there was no one else to watch her.”

My brows pulled together. “No. I wanted her to come.” Besides, if that was the case, I was sure my mom would have been more than eager to hang out with her for an hour or two.

Sage shook her head in disbelief. 

“Is there something wrong with that?” If there was, I wanted to know.

“Not many guys would invite someone’s child along on a date willingly… Let alone pack them their own separate lunch.”

“If it’s overstepping—”

“It’s not,” she interrupted. “I’m sorry. I really appreciate all of this. I’m just not used to…dates.”

I nodded in understanding as she adjusted herself on the blanket, setting the bouquet beside her. 

“Do people swim here?” Avery asked from the shore, staring down at the small ripples in the water.

“Sometimes,” I told her. “It depends on the season. In the winter, it ices over, but in the summer, it’s the perfect temperature.”

Avery looked over at us. “Does that mean we can swim?”

“Maybe another day, Aves,” Sage answered. “You don’t have your swimsuit.”

“We’ll make time soon,” I added once I saw the deflated look on her face.

From my side, Sage turned to me. If shock and confusion were a picture, that would be it. I wasn’t sure why she was so surprised I was willing to include Avery. Sage was a mother, and I had no problem accommodating that. Plus, from what I’d seen, Avery was far from a handful compared to the other kids that have come through this ranch for lessons.