More Than Cookies (The Maple Leaf Series) (7 page)

Is that making me blind here?

She still felt compelled to help him so she’d proceed with caution as Rick had suggested. She’d stay aware. Lead with her head, not her heart. Her heart had no business nosing around anyway. Clearly, Orion had enough to deal with. His father required care, a small girl would take up another big chunk of time, and he did have a job too. He probably didn’t have time to start a relationship with a woman. He had plenty to juggle already.

“Just help him and move on.” If she said it out loud, it made it an official plan.

Right?

The front door of the cabin opened and closed. Giggling sounded from the kitchen and Sage rolled her eyes. Her burly, mountain man cousin now giggled. A true sign of the end of times.

Lily came into the living room wearing faded jeans and a T-shirt that said
I’m in Love with a Sap
. Hope had made Lily and Rick matching T-shirts for one of their wedding gifts, playing on the fact that Rick made maple syrup. Sage had yet to see Rick wear his.

“What can I help you with, Sage?” She plopped down on the couch beside Sage and propped her feet up on the chest Rick used as a coffee table. Hard to believe, just a short time ago, Lily was Miss California with stylish clothes and a big business attitude. Vermont—and loving Rick—had completely transformed her.

Sage wanted to be completely transformed too. Was Orion the man for that job?

Head! Head! Lead with the head!

“Do you know any hot-shot California lawyers who owe you a favor?” Sage asked.

“I know several who owe me favors.” Lily raised an eyebrow. “Why? Are you in trouble?” She whipped her feet off the chest and got the edge of the couch cushion. “What’s happened, Sage? Did somebody do something to you?” Her gaze combed over Sage as if looking for signs of bodily harm.

“No. I’m fine. Calm down. Jeez.”

Lily’s shoulders sagged. “Sorry. I’m not used to having cousins-in-law—well, sisters, really—to worry about.”

Sage planted a sloppy kiss on Lily’s cheek. “I love you, Lily.”

The two embraced as Rick came in with drinks.

“You picked a good one here, Rick.” Sage slung her arm around Lily’s shoulders.

“I know.” Grinning, he sat across from them in the rocking chair, his blue eyes never leaving Lily’s face.

“So, a lawyer?” Lily asked after blowing Rick a kiss. She pulled out her cell phone and scrolled through some screens. “What kind do you need?”

“A divorce and custody type, I guess.” Sage quickly got Lily up to speed on recent events.

“Okay, my friend Jack Benson would be perfect for this. I’ll give him a call. He owes me for the time I came to his rescue when he forgot his ten-year wedding anniversary. I bailed him out big time with an all-star package at Gems Utopia Resort. His wife still brings it up to this day.”

“Super. Thanks, Lily.” Sage gave her a squeeze.

“Maybe he can be our first customer at the inn,” Rick said.

“Oh, good thinking,” Lily said, beaming a smile from ear to ear.

“You can give him my number, Lily,” Sage said as she stood. “But right now, I’ve got to get out of here before all your newlywed bliss makes me break out in hives.”

She gave Rick a wave and scooped up her purse from the kitchen table. Two minutes later she was in the Pumpkinmobile heading for Danielle’s office. Time to finalize the sale of Cressen’s place. Time to make that place her own.

Time to officially become Orion’s neighbor.

Chapter Six

It was good to be home and in the workshop again. After four long days in the hospital, Orion had been ready to climb the walls. Nervous phone calls from his father, Adam stopping in to say don’t worry but hurry the hell out of there, and the memory of Myah crying in his arms had fried his patience. He’d needed to get back to his life even if that life was currently a total mess.

“Can I watch, Orion?” his father asked from behind him.

“Of course. But you have to sit right here.” Orion limped to a stool and dragged it to a spot away from his workspace. “And put these in your ears.” He handed Ian a pair of bright yellow ear plugs.

His father dutifully followed the directions, and Orion was relieved that, aside from the few things that truly upset Ian, most of the time he was low key and agreeable. If he ever became belligerent, things would be… difficult.

Seeing that his father was settled on the stool, Orion taped around his work boots at his ankles so woodchips wouldn’t collect there as he worked. Next, he shuffled to one of the tall stumps Adam had set up in the workshop. His right thigh still ached, but the wound—with five staples to keep it closed—was healing, and he didn’t want to get any farther behind on his bear project deadline than he already was. If he didn’t get it done, he wouldn’t get paid. If he didn’t get paid, he’d have no hope of getting Myah back. He needed a steady income to show he could provide for her. To prove he could be a good father. It pissed him off that he had to prove that to anyone.

Myah knew. Hell, even Ian knew, but that wasn’t enough for the Vermont judicial system—a system Adriana knew how to work far better than he did.

And he needed a goddamn lawyer. Someone fantastic. Adriana was a lioness and though she wasn’t representing herself in the custody case, she had hired another lioness to do so. Orion couldn’t compete with that. Not unless a fucking miracle occurred. 

Grumbling to himself, he hauled his largest chainsaw off its shelf. He stumbled back a little under its weight and the shooting pain it caused in his leg.

Dammit.
He wasn’t used to being this weak.

“Are you okay?” Ian hollered, not realizing how loud he was because of the ear plugs.

Orion set the chainsaw down and gave him a thumbs up. He was okay. He had to be okay. Not being okay wasn’t an option.

After plugging his own ears and pulling down the safety glasses from the top of his head, he filled the chainsaw with gas and yanked the cord. The machine roared to life.

Oh, how I’ve missed this sound.

The purr of the chainsaw, the vibration it sent up his arms, the woodchips flying as he hacked into the sides of the mammoth stump made him feel alive again. He inhaled the rich pine scent, filled his lungs with it, and in a short time the basic shape of one bear appeared.   

 He shut off the chainsaw to switch it out for a smaller one when movement behind Ian caught his attention. A woman—who looked very much like Sage—was walking toward the workshop.

Orion had convinced himself either Sage Stannard had been a medicine-induced hallucination in the hospital or once she’d seen he was going to heal, she’d cut herself off from feeling responsible for him. Hell, she’d done more than enough by getting him to the hospital and visiting him. Twice. She had even stood up to Adriana, which gave credence to the notion she was a hallucination after all.

But this woman walking toward him now in a flowing, but short, pink-and-purple skirt and a pink tank top with lace gracing the tops of some impressive breasts sure looked real to him. When Ian saw her and jumped off his stool to run to her, Orion knew she wasn’t any figment of his imagination. His imagination wasn’t nearly that good.

“SAGE,” Ian’s voice boomed.

Sage set down a basket she’d been carrying and plucked the ear plugs from Ian’s ears. Orion did the same with his own ear plugs and set them and his safety glasses down on his work bench. He leaned against the bench as he watched Sage interact with Ian.

“Hiya, handsome,” she said.

Ian shifted his weight from one foot to the other in his excitement. “Did you make cookies for me, Sage? Did you?” He pointed to the basket.

Sage bent offering a bonus view down her tank top that made Orion’s knees buckle. He gripped the work bench to keep from dropping to the ground.

“I did. As promised.” She picked up the basket and removed a red-and-white checkered linen.

Ian inhaled deeply then said, “Sixty-nine cookies. Three are missing.”

“Wow. That’s right. How did you know three were missing?”

“I know. I know, Sage.” He took the basket from her and ran to the workshop. “Look, Orion. Sixty-nine cookies. Three are missing.”

Sage followed Ian. “My sister, my mother, and I each ate one. Quality control. I don’t give out what I don’t sample first. How did he know right away three were missing?”

“Part of his charm,” Orion said. “He used to be able to tell how many fish he and his buddies caught in their nets before they even got dumped.”

“I was a fisherman, Sage.” Ian stood taller for a moment, then he turned to Orion. “Can I eat some cookies?”

“Sure. Go inside the house and ask Wendie if she wants some too.”

“Wendie likes to eat cookies with me,” Ian said to Sage.

“Who wouldn’t like to eat cookies with you?” She smiled and Ian studied his shoes in a display of bashfulness that made Orion laugh. “Enjoy them.”

“Thank you, Sage.” He set the basket down and awkwardly—maybe a little roughly—threw his arms around her.

Not a bad idea, Dad. Not a bad idea.

Orion was a little jealous his father could get away with impulsive behavior like that. He wanted nothing more than to do the same, but a large portion of his brain was working overtime to keep him in the socially-appropriate zone.

Ian scooted up to the house leaving Sage and Orion alone in the workshop. Very alone. Quietly alone.

Say something, idiot
.

But his mind couldn’t form any words while his eyes glued themselves to Sage’s outstanding legs.

“Smells wonderful in here,” she said. “I love the scent of fresh pine.”

“Me too.”
Brilliant.
God, he was so bad at this.

“So, I’ve officially moved into Cressen’s place.” She brushed sawdust off another stool and sat.

“Guess I’ll have to start calling it Stannard’s place now,” Orion said.
Okay, that was clever.

“Guess so. Had the moving guys take out the bloody couch and torch it though.”

“All my blood. Wasted. Great.”

She grinned and the color of her eyes darkened to a rich hunter green. “Sorry, but I don’t want to have to explain the bloody splotches to my friends, you know?” She pointed to his leg. “How’s that doing? You sure you should be working?”

Her concern touched him. “I’m fine. Plus, I have a deadline here I’ve got to make. The customer is counting on me.”

“Well, don’t overdo it. No sense in reinjuring yourself. Not when there’s a little girl counting on you too.” She angled her head at him.

“Yeah, a little girl who I’m probably going to end up disappointing.”

“You have to think positively, Orion.”

“Okay, I’m
positive
I’m going to end up disappointing her. You met Adriana.”

“Witchy Ex-wife?”

“That is so a better name for her.”

“I just call ’em like I see ’em.” Sage reached into a pocket on her skirt and held out a yellow piece of paper. “This might help you slay the dragon.”

Orion pushed off the work bench and took the paper. “What’s this?” He unfolded it while Sage wandered deeper into his workshop. She hummed as she looked at things and the sound of the melody calmed him. Focusing on the paper, he read the words, “Attorney Jack Benson is expecting your call.” A phone number was below that.

“Lily, my cousin-in-law, lived in California and knows this guy. Said he’s the best when it comes to custody cases. He’s flying in…” She looked at the digital clock on the wall, “in another hour. He’ll be staying as long as it takes to get Myah home to you.”

Orion stared at the paper then at Sage. “I can’t… I can’t accept this kind of help from you, Sage. It’s too much. You don’t—”

“Even know you. I know, but the thought of Myah being with Witchy Ex-wife is keeping me up at night. I love my sleep, Orion. Nothing should be keeping me awake. So, really, you’d be doing me a huge favor if you accepted Jack’s help and got your daughter back.”

She circled back to him after checking out his progress on the first bear. “When you get an appointment, I’ll go with you.” She hooked some of her long blonde hair behind her ear. “If you want.”

Good-bye socially-appropriate zone.

Orion reached out his hands and grabbed Sage around the waist. She let out a little squeak, but when his lips came crashing down on hers, her body melted against his. She tasted how she smelled. Maple and peanut butter. Delicious. So goddamned delicious.

Her lips were soft and capable and when they parted slightly, Orion took the opportunity to explore her more deeply. Her hands traveled up his arms to his shoulders then hooked on the back of his neck as if she didn’t want to let him go. Her hips pressed against his, and he nearly lost himself right then and there.

He moved one of his hands up to her cheek. So smooth. His fingers flitted around in her silky hair, and he had just a moment to think he could kiss her forever when he heard Ian.

“Come on, Wendie. You have to see Sage.”

Sage must have heard him too, because she ripped herself free as Orion dropped his hands. She combed her fingers through her hair and pulled down the tank top he’d pulled up while groping her.

“I’m sorry,” he started. “I shouldn’t have—”

“No, you shouldn’t have,” she said, making his head lower in shame, “but… I’m glad you did.”

When he raised his head and looked at her, she grinned and licked her lips.

“Stay for dinner,” he said without thinking twice about it.

“Okay.”

Orion had no idea what he was doing or what was happening. He only knew he wanted more Sage Stannard.

Much more.

****

She hadn’t been looking to get kissed. She hadn’t been looking to
get
anything from Orion. She’d meant only to drop off the cookies, make sure Orion’s wound was mending, and give him the lawyer’s number.

She in no way expected to have every one of her nerve endings stimulated at once.

Holy shit, Orion can kiss.

Sage had been kissed many times. Kissing was often her favorite part of a relationship. And she was a tough judge when it came to this particular skill. A man could get disqualified in several ways based solely on his kissing. Too soft. Too hard. Too wet. Too dry. Too short. Too long. Too smoky. Too minty. Too I-ate-tuna-for-lunch.