“It’s Morgan’s turn now!” she called out to Iris, rolling herr’s in the babyish talk that caught at Sage’s emotional strings every single time.
With her heart overflowing, Sage was able to look her brother straight in the eye and say, “I’ve got what I’ve always wanted right here.” She glanced out at Leigh, at the cottage behind her and at him. “My own family and a home filled with love. Call him. I’ll be fine.”
And in that moment, she fully believed she would be.
Grayson wanted to move into a cottage bedroom on Ocean Breeze about as badly as he wanted to live his recurring nightmare of waking up naked in court.
Temporarily bunking at the home of the attorney who at one time had been his best buddy in the world had seemed like a dream come true when Scott had first made the offer. Gray had never, for one second, considered that Scott would do such a thing unless there was no chance of Sage ever visiting him there, even for a second. Gray’s failed relationship with the man’s twin sister had effectively diminished their friendship.
Something that had been slowly building again, as years passed, first with chance meetings, then with the surf lessons like the ones that had drawn the two of them together as teenagers. Gray being a better than decent surfer, and Scott just...not. But determined to keep trying.
They’d been meeting up for beers every now and then, too, over the past couple of years. Sharing travel and women stories. The latter mostly embellished, of course. One-upping each other.
Bragging about work accomplishments.
Real ones.
All possible with the unspoken caveat that Sage’s name was never mentioned, nor was any reference to her existence ever made. Period.
Including that day, when the two men had met for lunch and Scott had offered Gray a place to hide out. Gray had already had his luxury SUV loaded with hanging clothes and the couple of suitcases he’d figured he’d need for an extended stay on the beach, had been about ready to lock up his lovely cliffside home and speed by what paparazzi were after him that day, when Scott had called to tell him to hold off heading to Ocean Breeze. He’d had a confession to make first.
When Gray had found out that Sage also owned one of renovated cottages in the row—what used to be, fifty years ago, part of a luxury resort—he’d told Scott not to bother. He’d continue to move from hotel to hotel, until the rabid social-media hounds got bored with trying to go viral with footage of him.
After his ex-associate’s case went to trial and the press moved on to other hot news, putting an end to one faction of the months-long nightmare.
Scott’s response had been almost a challenge to Gray’s ability to be around Sage. Telling him he was certain Sage had moved on so completely that having Gray in the vicinity wouldn’t create an issue. Which was why he’d given the invitation without even thinking about Sage’s reaction. But if it was going to be a problem with Gray...
Of course, he’d had to insist that it would not be.
And was fairly certain he was right. Just...seeing her again, with eggs splattered all over his face, his great life he’d left her to have in a shambles. Not quite the way he’d ever envisioned the moment.
But as he pulled up to the gated entrance, typed in the code Scott had given him and headed down the steep road to Ocean Breeze, the small beach neighborhood he’d only seen from a distance, he had to nod. Scott had been right. The chance to get some peace—and have private beach access—was just what he needed.
He’d just avoid the part of the beach where Sage lived. Staying away from her shouldn’t be a problem. In ten years’ time, they’d never sought each other out.
Not even when her overbearing, way too strict father had followed his submissive wife to the grave thirteen years after she’d died of lung disease. Scott had called Gray the night after the funeral. Asking him if he wanted to meet for a beer. The man had talked about the rigidity with which he’d grown up, the hard times, but the way he’d loved the man, too, as he’d slowly sipped a couple of beers. But he’d never mentioned his twin. Not in the stories from childhood, nor from the funeral.
And as hungry as Gray had been for word that she was coping, he hadn’t asked. At one time, he’d have been privy to every single emotion and word Sage had to share.
But he wasn’t the guy she’d needed.
And by that same token, she hadn’t been the woman for him, either.
No matter how much he’d tried to give himself time, to convince himself otherwise.
They’d fit so perfectly in so many ways. Outside the bedroom, too, which had been quite a stunner for him. Both career-driven, getting doctorate degrees, wanting Rockcliff to be their permanent address, in a luxury home with an ocean view...
Both caring that their work benefited others, not just themselves.
Even just chilling in front of a movie...he’d enjoyed life more when she’d been around.
Until he hadn’t.
They’d wanted so many of the same things. And she’d wanted more. Things he didn’t want at all. The pressure had been too much.
He’d kept hoping that she’d see him, understand that while she’d had every opportunity growing up, he’d had none yet. He needed the chance to explore those opportunities and make them all possible for himself. He wanted her to love him enough to change her life’s dream just a little bit.
Or love him enough not to need more.
