Page 70 of The Veteran
“That isn’t how you drink good whiskey,” Zeke chided.
I pretended not to hear him. “I’m thinking of asking Sage to move in with me while she recovers.”
Zeke’s eyes widened. “That’s a big step.”
I shrugged. “I love her, so it doesn’t feel like it. Besides, she can’t possibly want to go back to her house after what happened there.”
He winced. “I guess not. The poor thing has had bad luck in living situations, hasn’t she?”
“You know, if it’s just the house that’s bothering you, she can stay with us,” Ronan said, watching me intently.
One side of my mouth hitched up. “It’s not just that. I want her with me.”
“Then do it,” he said. “But don’t make the mistake of asking in a way that sounds like it’s just a convenient arrangement.” He shuddered. “Trust me, that doesn’t go well.”
I laughed and raised my empty glass to him. “I’ll learn from your mistakes. Thanks, man.”
Zeke and Ronan raised their glasses. Then they each sipped their whiskey and I just sat back and smiled. Things were pretty damn good.
28
SAGE
“Here, I got something for you.” Fiona pressed a small, gift-wrapped object into my hand.
I looked up at her, surprised. “You didn’t have to do that.”
“I know.” She smiled. “I wanted to. Go on, open it.”
I carefully peeled back the layers of paper, exposing a polished black stone. I raised my eyes to her questioningly.
“It’s black tourmaline,” she said. “To replace the one the police took as evidence. I thought since it did such a good job, you might want to have one to carry with you again. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to find a wand-shaped crystal, so I had to settle for that.”
I ran my thumb over the surface of the black heart that sat heavy on my palm. “It’s perfect. Thank you.”
“What’s that?”
I jolted at the sound of Kade’s voice and looked up to see him approaching. “A gift from Fiona.” I showed it to him. “Isn’t that thoughtful of her?”
“It is.” He kissed my cheek. “I’ve finished what I came here to do. Would you like to come back to my place for the night?”
“Yes, please.” Despite the many days we’d spent together, I had yet to see his home.
“Great.” He planted his hand on the small of my back. “Are you ready now, or do you need a bit more time to catch up?”
“Now is good.” I gave Willow a quick hug, then pulled Fiona into one too. “Thank you both. I’ll see you again soon.”
“Rest up,” Willow ordered.
“I will.”
Kade and I left the others and returned to his car. The journey to his home, a charming villa in a semi-suburban area, took a while, but seeing where he lived, I could understand why he bothered to make the commute. The house had a well-kept front garden and a welcoming vibe that made me smile even though we hadn’t gotten inside yet. We walked up a cobbled path to the covered porch, where I could imagine us sitting on a comfortable pair of chairs on a long summer evening. He unlocked the door and held it open for me to enter first.
The interior was bright and airy, and my immediate thought was that this was a friendly house. I slipped my shoes off and padded over polished wooden floors through a small foyer, and into the living area. The living room, kitchen, and dining area were open plan, with double glass doors opening onto a backyard large enough for children to kick a ball around. The kitchen was tidy but well-used, and the furniture was nice without being ostentatious.
It felt like a home. Somewhere to raise a family. I loved it.
“This is so wonderful,” I said, gazing around and noticing a few family photographs on one of the walls.