More Than Cookies (The Maple Leaf Series) (26 page)

“That makes me happy.” She flipped her hand over to give Ian’s a little squeeze.

“Me too. He hasn’t had a lot of happy. Adriana took his happy away, but you’re bringing it back.” He leaned over and kissed her cheek. “Thank you.” With that, Ian joined Myah in the dining room.   

Sage took a moment to stare out the window at the workshop. “No,” she said softly. “Thank you.”

Humming to herself, she finished washing the pan and put it away. She poked her head into the dining room where Myah and Ian were having a feeding frenzy.

“Gosh, you’re like a couple of wild animals in here.” She tugged on Myah’s hair and rested a hand on Ian’s shoulder.

“Gramps thinks he can eat more than me,” Myah said.

“Is he right?” Sage asked.

“No way.” Myah shoveled another forkful of food into her mouth.

“She forgets she inherited a healthy appetite from me,” Ian said, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

Myah stopped mid-chew and regarded Sage. She glanced at the rest of the food on the table and the other two place settings. “Aren’t you going to eat?”

“Sure. I was about to call your dad in.” Sage looked to Ian. “Do you think he’d rather not be disturbed?”

Ian wiped his mouth on the napkin he’d placed in his lap.
Such a gentleman.
“I think he’d like to finish rough cutting that last bear so he can go at the finer details and painting later today.”

“Okay.” Sage sat opposite Myah. “We’ll let him work then.” She made a big show of unfolding her napkin and settling it on her lap.

Myah and Ian giggled and it filled Sage’s heart with something she wasn’t ready to put a name to. Had to be something magical about Orion’s house. Sure, she always felt loved by her family and she loved them all to pieces. But the feelings she experienced with Orion and his family were different. She wanted membership in it.

Like forever.

Shaking her head over this turn of events, she dove into breakfast, tasting that happiness Ian spoke of earlier with each bite. All along, the chainsaw screamed outside, but it wasn’t grating on her nerves as it should have been. Instead, it was a reminder of the talented man hard at work in the barn. The man who had turned something on inside Sage. Something she never wanted turned off.

“Gramps, do adults usually smile like that?” Myah asked.

Sage blinked and focused on the girl.

“You mean all dopey and lost in thought?” Ian asked.

“Yeah.” Myah put her fork down and concentrated on Sage’s face. “She looked like she was dreaming or something.”

“Maybe she was, panda bear. Maybe she was.” Ian brushed a hand over Myah’s hair and smiled at Sage.

Myah squinted. “Were you, Sage?”

“Possibly.” Sage turned her attention to her food and tried to look less daydreamy. No easy feat, by the way. When did she become so ridiculous?

The moment you found Orion at Cressen’s place.

At least she could admit it. That was step one, right? Face the situation and deal with it. Or make love to it until you couldn’t think about anything else. Yeah. That.

The three of them ate quietly until forks scraped against empty plates and bellies were full.

“Can I make a plate for Daddy?” Myah asked.

“That would be great,” Ian said. “We can probably call him in now. He must be hungry.” He made a move to get up, but Sage popped up from her seat.

“I’ll get him!” Realizing she appeared way too eager, she cleared her throat and sat. “I mean, I could go outside and see if he wants to come in.” She fiddled with the end of her hair then tossed it over her shoulder and studied her cuticles.

See. I’m cool. I don’t care if Orion stays outside or comes inside. No big deal either way to me. Nope.

“We’ll wait right here,” Ian said, shooting her a knowing grin.

Maybe it was better when Orion’s father was a little out of it. This guy noticed way too much.

Sighing at her pathetic self, Sage stood and walked—calmly, she hoped—out of the dining room. She cast a quick peek over her shoulder and deeming Myah and Ian engrossed in making up Orion’s plate, she sprinted to the back door and ripped it open. She bounded down the stairs and approached the workshop.

Three things happened, one right after the other.

A weird grinding sound stopped her in her tracks midway between the house and the barn.

Ranger bolted out of the woods, barking like a rabid dog, all teeth and raised hackles.

An explosion vibrated the ground beneath Sage’s feet.

****

Orion’s back hit the far wall of his workshop. His head snapped back and crashed into a sturdy timber beam. Lights flashed before his eyes. He slumped to the ground, vaguely aware of a strange heat in front of him.

Fire.

His mind registered the word, but his body was having a difficult time doing anything about it. If he didn’t snap into action, though, all his hard work carving those three bears would be reduced to ashes.

Oh, and I might die.

Rubbing his head, he stood, but dizziness instantly brought him to his knees.

Fuck.

He heaved in a deep breath and ended up coughing on… on… smoke.

Double fuck.

He got to all fours and attempted to stand again, but his legs didn’t have the strength to support him. As he contemplated his own death by fire, something came up under his right arm and turned him away from the flames now engulfing a section of the workshop and his bears.

“C’mon, Orion!” a voice said. “This way.”

He was pulled to the open barn doors and guided to the porch steps. Sucking in breaths of fresh air, he sat and coughed a bit more.

“Are you okay?” Sage kneeled before him, her phone in her hand as she tapped on the screen.

He nodded, not quite able to catch his breath yet.

“Sit here. I’m calling 9-1-1.”

He attempted to say okay, but it came out like a dry croak. He listened to Sage give the address and state the emergency.

Fire.
His workshop was on fire! With that realization, he popped up to his feet and stumbled toward the barn.

Sage grabbed his arm and tugged him back. She pocketed her phone. “It’ll take them a few to get here. Do you have a fire extinguisher or a hose?”

He had another moment where he heard her, but couldn’t process what she was saying. God, his head hurt and his lungs burned.

“Orion.” She grabbed him by the shoulders now. “A fire extinguisher?”

The porch door opened behind her and she turned around. Ian stood there with the extinguisher. He held it out to Sage.

“I’ll stay with him,” he said. “Go.”

“Daddy!” Myah ran out and wrapped her arms around Orion’s waist.

Sage took the extinguisher and before Orion could stop her, she ran into the barn. Into the fire.

“Are you okay, Daddy?” Myah craned her head back to look up at him.

“Yeah, baby,” he managed around a cough. Jesus, his throat felt as if he’d swallowed hot charcoals.

“Sit here.” Ian tugged him to the porch steps and made him sit. “What happened?” His father kneeled in front of him, and suddenly Orion felt like a boy. His father was his father again.

Orion rested his hand on Ian’s shoulder as Myah crawled into his lap and looped her arms around his neck. He snuggled her closer and kissed the top of her head. “I don’t know what happened in there, Dad. I was working.” He swallowed painfully. “The chainsaw made a weird noise, so I put it down and backed up to get some chain and bar oil thinking that was the problem. Then BOOM… I was on my ass and things were on fire.”

Orion looked over his father’s shoulder. The barn doors were wide open and the sounds of spraying extinguisher foam wafted out. The smoke had lessened, and he marveled over Sage once again. She’d plowed right in there and attacked that fire as if it didn’t have a chance of winning against her.

“What the hell is going on here?” Adam stood beside the porch steps, his hands in the pockets of his jeans. Orion hadn’t noticed that his friend had driven up the driveway, parked, and gotten out of his truck.  

“Sage is playing firefighter,” Ian answered. He turned to Orion. “You want a drink of water?”

“That’d be great.” Orion coughed again, but the more time he spent on the step, the better he felt. “Adam, can you see if Sage needs a hand in there? The hose is near the garden.” He pointed to the roses lining the porch.

As Ian went into the house, Adam made a move to grab the hose, but Sage sauntered out of the workshop, the extinguisher balanced on her shoulder.

“Guess she doesn’t need a hand,” Adam said.  

“Guess not.” Orion couldn’t take his eyes off her. Tank top, skirt, flip-flops, a spattering of black on her legs and arms, her hair falling out of her ponytail, and a bright white smile from ear to ear.

She. Was. Amazing.

“Well, that wasn’t on my to-do list for today, but anyway…” She set the empty extinguisher down on the gravel driveway. “You’ll need another one of those babies.” She nodded at Adam. “How are you?”

“How am
I
?” His voice rose in disbelief. “I’m fine and dandy. I didn’t have to save the day in there like you just did apparently.” He shook his head. “Somebody tell me what is going on?”

Sage held up her hand. “First things first. Are you okay?” She sat next to Orion and let out a little cough as she pulled her hair out of its ponytail and redid it so every strand was back neatly in place.

“I’m all right.” No way in hell he was going to complain about a scratchy throat and a little shortness of breath when she had waltzed into the inferno and showed that fire who was boss.

She grabbed Adam’s hand and twisted his arm slightly so she could see his wristwatch. “Where the hell is the fire department? You should get checked out, Orion.” She let Adam’s hand go and coughed again.

“Maybe you should get checked out too,” Adam said.

“I’m fine.”

Myah slid from Orion’s lap onto Sage’s. Orion watched as Sage’s face went from awkward surprise to something else entirely when Myah rested her head on Sage’s shoulder.

“You saved my daddy,” Myah whispered.

Orion put his arm around Sage and pulled them both closer. “She’s right. You totally did.”

“Again.” Sage grinned. “How did you survive before you met me?”

“Not sure.” Orion rubbed at a sooty spot on her knee then kissed her cheek.

Sirens sounded in the close distance, and Ian came back outside with two glasses of water. He handed one to Orion and the other to Sage. “Fire’s out?”

“Yeah,” Adam answered. “Wonder Woman over here handled it.”

“The extinguisher did all the work,” Sage said. “But I’d sure like to know how that fire got started.”

“Something… exploded,” Orion said. “I got tossed back.” He rubbed the back of his head. “Hit my melon pretty hard then there was fire.” He looked at Sage. “Then you were pulling me out.”

“Just in time,” Ian said softly, wringing his hands.

Orion gathered Ian’s hands in his. “Everybody’s okay, Dad. Hear the sirens. They’ll be here shortly.”

“Three minutes and fourteen seconds.” Ian’s eyes were a little glossy as if he was slipping back to the child-like version of himself. Since Myah had been in the house, he’d been more like a fun-loving grandfather and stable father. Orion didn’t want to see that end.

He also hadn’t wanted to be smoked out of his own workshop today either, but things didn’t always go as planned. No one knew that better than him.

“Was your workshop locked?” Sage asked.

“Yes. Since meeting with Jack, I’ve been careful about securing the tools in there. They’re dangerous.” He shot a glance down to Myah still cuddled against Sage.

Sage chewed on her bottom lip as she stared at the barn.

“What are you thinking?” Adam asked.

“Not sure yet,” she said and Orion thought she had more to say, but a fire truck, an ambulance, and a Saint Jamesbury police car pulled into the driveway, one right after the other.

Several firefighters hopped out of the truck and approached the barn, while two EMTs came over to the porch.

“Anyone need attention?” one of them asked.

“They do,” Adam pointed at Sage and Orion. “Ian and Myah, let’s go inside and… do something.” He ushered them toward the back door.

“Thanks.” Orion looked at Myah who was hesitant to follow Adam. “Go on, honey. We’ll be right in.”

“Okay.” She went inside, but kept looking back at him.

The other EMT, a tall, good-looking guy, attempted to check out Sage, but she slapped his hand away and said, “I’m fine. He’s the one who was in there when something exploded.”

“I’m okay too,” Orion said.

“Check him,” Sage ordered the EMTs. “He bumped his head.”

Both EMTs descended upon him, but Orion managed to keep an eye on Sage as she walked toward the barn, Ranger sniffing the ground as he followed her. She went inside, conversed with the firefighters, then talked to the police officers—not Landis and Sencotte to Orion’s great pleasure.

By the time she wandered back toward him, the EMTs had given him some oxygen, deemed his head unharmed, gave him a list of symptoms to look for just in case, and had taken off. The firefighters had followed shortly after and only the police officers remained as they poked through the charred sections of his workshop for clues to the fire’s point of origin.

Sage slid her arms around his waist and pressed her cheek into his shoulder. “I don’t like worrying about you.”

“Told you I was more trouble than I was worth.” He wrapped his arms around her back and hoped she didn’t agree with him.

Chapter Twenty-one

“You walked
into
the fire?” Hope nearly screeched the words and Sage had to hold her cell phone away from her ear.

“What was I supposed to do, Hope? Let it take the whole barn? It’s his workshop.” She paced up and down the hallway of her house. She’d stopped back home to shower and change her clothes, but Myah made her promise to come back to Orion’s. That wasn’t a hard promise to keep. She’d barely wanted to go to her house in the first place, but her tank top and skirt were sooty and smelled like smoke. She needed freshening.