“Don’t act too eager,” Beck teased.

Smart ass.

I wasn’t too eager. I would’ve gone either way. Sage hadn’t joined us on any of our bar nights before and I’d gone to almost all of them. It wasn’t just because of her. 

Okay, a little bit was because she would be there. But we’d gone on a date and I hadn’t seen her since, so of course I wanted an excuse to see her. Plus, I liked Outlaw’s Watering Hole. The place gave that nostalgic feel and somehow, my nerves never shot up in the neon lit bar.

“Oakley said something about Mom watching Avery,” Lennon added.

“Is Sage bringing her by the ranch before they go?” I asked.

“Hoping to get back in time to see her?” Beck questioned jokingly from the side, but I continued to ignore him.

Lennon shook his head. “Mom’s in town picking up some supplies, so I believe she’s picking Avery up on her way back here.”

That made sense. It wouldn’t be logical for Sage to drive all the way out here to drop her off just to go back into town to the Watering Hole. 

“When you say ‘the girls,’ you mean Brandy will be there, too, right?” Beck asked. Brandy had been Lettie’s best friend since kindergarten, so I saw her as a little sister. We were pretty close, but that’s all she was to me. Another little sister to love and care for. 

I turned my attention to Beck. “What other girls do you think would be coming?” 

“His buckle bunnies,” Bailey teased with a grin.

Beck gave him a mocking grin with a shake of his head and then said, “No, dipshit. But you’ve got to invite Reed.”

“Oh, God, Beck. Please. For once, I just want one fucking peaceful night at the bar,” Lennon complained.

Beck pouted. “I’m only here for a few days. I miss them sometimes.” 

“So miss them separately,” Bailey said. “Even I can’t handle them in the same room together.”

“That’s saying a lot, seeing as you’re with our sister,” Beck joked. 

It was Bailey’s turn to smack him on the shoulder now. They’d go back and forth like that all day if they could.

They continued poking fun at each other until we made it back to the barn about an hour later. The silence that met me in my truck was bliss as I headed home to shower off the smell of the ranch.

Something about the familiarity of Outlaw’s Watering Hole made me feel at home, how strangers rarely hung out there and you could always expect the same thing when you visited. 

Seeing Sage in that bar made me anxious with excitement, like if she fit in there, somehow she could fit into my life, too.

I’d made the mistake long ago jumping into a relationship too quickly, and I was all too aware that I could be repeating history. But something about Sage McKinley drew me in like a moth to flame, and damn, if I got burned in the process, would it really be all that bad if I got to be near her for even a fraction of my life?

22

Sage

Maybe mixing alcohol with the thoughts swimming through my head wasn’t the best idea.

My eyes trailed the condensation rolling down the side of the glass as the ice melted, turning the already-weak margarita to water. I didn’t know if they served wine at bars, so I’d opted for a margarita, really only because I didn’t know what else to order. 

I got pregnant shortly after I was legal to drink, so I didn’t spend much time at bars. This was the first time I’d been to one since…well, before Jason went to prison. He didn’t like me going out to bars all that often anyway. He thought I’d cheat on him. I guess what they say is true—the ones who are paranoid are more than likely the ones doing it themselves.

Unfortunately for me, I didn’t figure it out until after he went to prison. But even if I had found out before, I wouldn’t have been able to get away from him. He may be locked up in a concrete building manned with guards at all hours, but the real prison was my mind, and I wished I could say my sentence ended the day he was taken away.

Thoughts of him still haunted me, and while I thought it was getting better, today just made them come back around tenfold. I tried to keep my glances at the entrance to the bar minimal, but all I kept expecting was him walking through that door and dragging me out of here. 

Avery was safe with Travis and Charlotte. We had no connection to that ranch for Jason to find us there, which meant she was okay for tonight. It was after she left there  that I had to worry about. 

From where Oakley, Brandy, Lettie, and I were seated, we had a clear view of the door as it swung open.

“Look who finally decided to show up,” Brandy remarked over the beat of the country music filling the dimly lit bar. 

Bailey, Lennon, Reed, Beckham, and Callan strode in. Their almost matching attire would have made me laugh if it wasn’t for the look on Callan’s face, how it settled with relief once he saw me. I offered him a small smile and they made their way over to us. The bar wasn’t packed, but there were enough people that they had to maneuver around a few groups. 

Lettie set her drink on the high top table, meeting Bailey halfway to wrap her arms around his neck and slam a kiss to his mouth. The others left them standing there and closed the distance to where we were still seated. Lennon bent to kiss the side of Oakley’s head and she leaned into him, a blush lighting up her cheeks.

“You guys weren’t having too much fun without us, were you?” Beckham asked, surveying the drinks on the table. 

Brandy slid off the stool, holding her arms wide. “Can’t have fun without the life of the party, can we?”

He grinned down at her and pulled her in for a tight hug, rocking her back and forth before letting her go. 

“We missed you,” Brandy told him.

“I missed you guys, too. Pool?” Beckham asked, looking at each of us with the question. 

Callan ignored him, keeping his eyes locked on me with a slight furrow to his brow. I offered him another smile, but it didn’t ease the look on his face. 

“I’ll play,” Bailey offered. “Teams?”

“Len and me, you and Cal?” Beckham said to him.

Callan tore his attention from me and I heaved a deep breath. “I’m good,” he said.

“Reed?” Beckham asked, facing Reed where he was leaning against the half wall that surrounded the area with the pool tables. 

Reed adjusted his arms from where they were crossed. “You buying drinks?” 

“Loser buys,” Beckham said, like he was reminding him of a rule they had.

“I’m not playing if I’m not drinking,” Reed stated.

Beckham clapped his hands, rubbing them together. “Always the picky asshole. Brandy?” He faced her.

“I’ll get them,” I offered before she could respond.

“Great,” Beckham said.