More Than Cookies (The Maple Leaf Series) (19 page)

So she wished and wished hard for Ian to stay asleep.

She had another wish too. One that involved finishing a sexual encounter with Orion. Good God. They’d been interrupted twice and both times had left her desperate for his touch. The man had nine and a half magic fingers, magic lips, magic… well, she didn’t exactly know if his penis was magic, but she had the distinct impression that it would be. A naked Orion was a sight to behold. One she wanted to behold again. More than behold actually.

Would she get the chance? She decided right then and there that she’d make sure she got the chance. She was done dating the wrong guys. She deserved a guy like Orion.

Not able to sit still anymore, she got off the couch and wandered over to a wall of framed photographs. Most of them had Myah posing for the camera. Sage had never seen a more beautiful child. She had a dazzling smile and a cherub of a face with those big blue eyes. That untamed crop of black hair gave her a wild and carefree look, but from what Sage had seen at the hospital, the girl had manners along with a world of hurt behind those eyes.

One picture showed Myah on a swing. She was laughing, her mouth open, her hair flying behind her, one pink sneaker in mid-flight off her foot. She had on flowered tights and a denim dress, and Sage could tell from the way Myah looked at the camera that Orion was the one taking the picture. That was a look meant for Daddy and only Daddy.

Another picture had Myah and a beautiful dog running in snow. Myah was dressed head to toe in a pink snowsuit complete with a knitted hat topped with a fluffy pom-pom. Both girl and dog were running away from the camera, snow flurrying up behind them as they ran. Somehow the photo had motion.

“Not your average chainsaw artist, are ya, Orion?” Sage whispered as she looked at a third photo. A black-and-white. Myah blowing the seeds off a dandelion in a huge field of dandelions. Honestly, the photograph belonged in a gallery. It screamed innocence and childhood and… and…

“When did I become an art critic?”

Shaking her head, she was tempted to snoop into the other rooms in the farmhouse, but headlights reflecting through the front windows stopped her. Instead, she ran to the couch and picked up a wildlife magazine Orion had on his coffee table. She opened to the middle of it, hoping to look engrossed in a story about… the migration of red-winged blackbirds.

The back door opened and black curls appeared. Sage had a second to appreciate the sheer joy on the kid’s face before a large dog barreled into the house, claws scratching along wood floor as it bounded into the living room and barked at her.

“Shhhh…” Sage hissed. “Easy, big boy. Easy.”

The dog wasn’t having any of her shushing and quiet voice. He lowered on his front paws, his butt up in the air still and his tail wagging like crazy as he let out several more barks.

Sage understood this to be an invitation to play, but had nothing to play with. She held her hands out to her sides.

“I got nothing for you, pup.” She stood slowly, causing the dog to start running again. This time it took off down the hallway, sniffed along the bottom of Ian’s closed door, then pushed its nose into the doorknob.

The door slowly opened and the dog pushed his way in.

“Ranger!” Ian yelled. “Hi, boy! Who’s a good boy? Who is my good boy?”

“Gramps!” Dropping a stuffed bear, Myah ran down the hall now too. She stopped for a moment to wave to Sage. “Hiya!”

“Hi.” Sage waved back, but the girl was already diving into Ian’s room. Laughter and barking, barking and laughter ensued, and Sage couldn’t stop the smile coming to her own lips as she picked up the bear.

Orion limped through the door, a spotted suitcase under one arm and a bag of dog food under the other. He came into the kitchen, using his behind to close the door.

Sage set the stuffed bear down on the kitchen counter and grabbed the suitcase while Orion went to the hall closet. When he came back to her in the kitchen, he had two dog bowls. One was filled with the food and the other he filled with water at the sink. Putting them on the counter for a minute, he ran a hand through his slightly wet hair.

“Still raining?” Sage peeked out the window over the sink.

“Yes, but it feels like sunshine hearing Myah and Ranger make some noise in here.” He grinned, and Sage’s body dialed itself right back to mega horny. Too quickly, his grin faded. “I shouldn’t be happy about this situation. Where the fuck is Adriana?”

“You can take a minute to enjoy having your daughter at home with you, right where you’ve wanted her. That doesn’t make you an evil villain.” Sage backed up and leaned on the kitchen island, keeping the structure between her and Orion for fear of ripping the man’s clothes off.

I hate waiting
. But she would. Orion would be worth the wait.

“I tried calling her, left a message, poked around her house, and nothing. I have no idea where she is.” He set the two bowls on the floor by the back door. “Oh, was my father any trouble?”

“Nope. He slept the whole time. Only woke up when Ranger made his grand entrance.”

“The dog likes to leave an impression.”

“He’s beautiful. What kind of dog is he?”

“A Greater Swiss Mountain dog,” Orion said. “I got him as a puppy about five years ago.”

“Man’s best friend and all that?”

“The bestest. That dog is as loyal as they come.”

“And he obviously loves Myah.” Sage gestured to the photos she’d been studying in the living room.

“Oh, those. Yeah. I used to take the two of them on these excursions on a Saturday afternoon and click away with my camera. So many good shots. I had a hard time picking only a few to frame.”

“You’re talented.”

He lowered his head bashfully, and the super turned-on alarm sounded again in Sage’s body. “Thanks.” He peeked down the hallway. “I have to call the police.”

“That’d be the smart thing to do.”

“Even though it kills the mood.” His shoulders lowered. “I’m afraid that I may have gone against the custody agreement by taking Myah.”

“You couldn’t leave her home alone,” Sage said. “Is there someone else Adriana has named as a guardian?”

“God, I hope not.” He dug in his pocket and pulled out his phone. His brows furrowed together as he tapped the screen. He opened his mouth to say something, but someone must have answered. “Hello. I need to report a missing person.” He tugged on the end of Sage’s hair then went into the living room.

Sage stayed where she was to give him some privacy and chuckled when two squeals sounded from Ian’s room. Two seconds later, Ranger scrabbled down the hallway with Myah and Ian running behind him. Well, Myah was running. Ian shuffled behind her, his blue T-shirt and pajama pants semi-rumpled from his slumber and his hair standing on end in the back.

“He’s too fast, Gramps!” Myah yelled.

“He can’t eat my slipper!” Ian hollered back.

Sage stuck her arm out and grabbed the dog by his collar. She pulled the slipper from its jaws and tapped him on the nose with it. Ranger instantly sat at her feet, his sides heaving in and out as he breathed heavily from his running.

Myah and Ian arrived in the kitchen and nearly knocked each other over, huge smiles on their faces.

“You got the slipper?” Myah asked, her small voice raising up on the word
slipper.
“How?”

“She’s Sage,” Ian said as he took the slipper and slid his foot into it. “She can do lots of things, my panda bear.”

Myah studied Sage for a long, silent moment. Long and silent enough that Sage wondered if she should say or do something.

Finally, Myah said, “You were at the hospital with my daddy.”

“I was.” Sage opened the container she’d transferred the pumpkin brownie cookies into earlier and offered one to Myah.

The little girl’s blue eyes grew wide as she sniffed the cookies. “I can have one?”

“Sure. You can have two, maybe three.” Sage wiggled the container and Ranger came over to peek inside it. “None for you, pooch.” She tapped him on the nose and again the dog obediently sat at her feet.

Myah climbed up onto one of the island stools with a cookie in each hand to start. She spent a few seconds examining them as if she were about to judge them.

“Want some milk?” Ian opened the refrigerator. He got out a glass and filled it halfway.

At that moment, Ian seemed completely normal. He was a loving grandfather, sharing some cookies with his granddaughter. When he sat beside her, he didn’t take his eyes off her.

“I can’t believe you’re here, panda bear,” he whispered as he stroked her hair.

Myah put down her cookie and threw her arms around Ian. Something squeezed around Sage’s heart as she watched them.

“Me neither.” She wiped her mouth with the napkin Sage had provided. “I hope I don’t have to go back.” She shot a quick glance to Sage. “Do you stay here too?”

“No, silly,” Ian said before Sage could answer. “Sage lives in Cressen’s old place next door.”

Myah narrowed her eyes at Sage as if making some a decision. She pushed her hair out of her face. “Daddy must like you.”

“Oh, yeah? What makes you say that?” Sage leaned on her elbows on the island counter.

“It’s late.” Myah pointed to the digital clock on the microwave. “Daddy doesn’t have guests when it’s late.”

“He doesn’t have any guests ever,” Ian added. “Not besides Adam and Wendie.”

“Some people like their quiet, alone time,” Sage said. “In fact, maybe I should go home now.” She straightened, not liking this idea, but figuring Orion had things under control. Besides, the police would be helping him now. He didn’t need her around anymore.

“Don’t go.” Orion came into the kitchen, rubbing his thigh. “Please.”

He could have asked her to climb on top of the roof of the workshop and throw herself off and she would have done it. The way he was looking at her right now—a mix of him being genuinely glad she was there and being a little pissed. Perhaps his phone call with the police didn’t go as expected.

“I don’t have anywhere else I need to be right now, so I guess I can stay.” Sage spread her arms out.

“Good.” Orion gave her a small smile and Sage got that melty feeling all over again. “Myah, finish your cookies and milk then it’s off to the showers.”

“Aww… do I have to?” Myah asked.

“Yes.” Orion dropped a big sloppy kiss on her cheek which she proceeded to wipe off with the napkin as she chomped on the last bit of her cookie. “Now scoot.” He grabbed the dish cloth and cleaned off the area Myah had used.

Grabbing the stuffed bear, she jumped down from the chair right as Ranger got to his hind legs and tried to snag a cookie off the island.

“Ranger!” Myah, Ian, and Orion all said in unison.

The dog quickly went down to all fours, tail low and eyes apologetic. Sage was nearly moved to give the dog a cookie. She was a sucker for the puppy eyes.

“Take your suitcase into your room and then wash up.”

“My room,” Myah said softly. “My
real
room.” She grabbed her suitcase and took off down the hallway, the bear dangling by its arm from her grip.

The corners of Ian’s eyes crinkled. “This is the best night ever!” He cleaned up his own cookie mess and followed Myah.

“I wish it were the best night ever.” Orion scratched at his scruffy jaw.

Sage took a step closer to him. “What happened with the police?”

He reached out and let her hair sift through his fingers as he talked. “Adriana hasn’t been missing long enough for them to do anything about it yet. They told me to call back in the morning.”

“What about you taking Myah here? Is that okay?”

“Yeah. I don’t have a criminal record and there aren’t any restraining orders or anything like that, so it’s okay. I’m still considered one of her legal guardians.”

“Well, that’s good.” Sage inched a bit closer and rested her hands on his chest. “She’s absolutely delighted to be here.”

“I want it to be like this always,” he said, “but without the Adriana leaving her alone part.”

“You don’t have any idea where she is?”

“I told the police the handful of places she might be, but again, they won’t look until tomorrow morning. Besides, it doesn’t seem right that she’d leave Myah unattended to go to any of those places. She isn’t exactly super loving to Myah, but I know Adriana wouldn’t intentionally hurt her.”

He seemed sure, so Sage didn’t question it. Instead, she said, “You should call Jack in the morning too. He’ll want to know about this behavior from Adriana. It could be helpful to your case.”

“I know, and I hate thinking that way.” He stared out the window. “Maybe I should go looking for her?” He shook his head. “No, I don’t want to leave Myah. Not after one parent has already left.” He frowned. “But what if something bad happened to Adriana?”

Despite what that woman had done to him, he still had compassion. “So where is it?”

“Where is what?” He angled his head at her.

“Your
World’s Nicest Guy
award.” She stepped away from him and pretended to look around for such an award.

“I’m not that nice.” He grabbed her around the waist so quickly, she let out a little squeal. “In fact…” He crushed his lips to hers in a kiss so heated Sage thought she might be reduced to ash. “I’m really rather naughty.”

****

Orion awoke with a terrible pain in his neck. His eyes focused on the ceiling.

The living room ceiling?

He blinked several times and realized his neck hurt because his head had been bent on the back of the couch. He wasn’t sure for how long, but judging by the ache, it had been too long.

Something was draped across his lap. He painfully lowered his head to look down and instantly smiled when he saw Myah cuddled close, her head resting on his lap and her arms around Muddie. He made a move to stroke her hair, but something had his left arm pinned to the couch. Turning his head, his smile grew bigger when a sleeping Sage filled his view.

Morning sun streaming in from the windows gave her hair and skin an otherworldly glow. The rhythmic rise and fall of her chest hypnotized him, and he couldn’t tear his eyes away. One of her slender yet toned arms was buried behind him. The other was wrapped around his waist. The way the three of them fit together felt right. Incredibly right.