Page 31 of Save a Wish

“Tomorrow is fine if you have plans this evening.” Mom winked at Sadie.

“Oh, I’m leaving,” Sadie said. “I’ve used up enough of Beckett’s precious time today.”

“I’m sure he has more time to spare.” Jimmy winked as well but at me instead.

“We’ll get out of your hair.” Mom looped her arm around Jimmy’s and they both turned around on my front walkway. “Looking forward to that event, Sadie. See you, Beckett.” She gave a wave and the two of them strolled off.

“How could I have ever thought Jimmy Slater was dangerous?” Sadie asked once Mom and Jimmy were far enough away to not hear her.

“It’s pretty easy to do,” I said, “but I’ve seen enough evidence to come to the conclusion that he makes my mom happy. What else do I need to know about the guy, you know?”

Sadie angled her head as Mom and Jimmy leisurely walked away. A look of such longing came over her face, and I understood the feeling.

I was about to suggest she come back inside the house and we hang out, but she jolted a little as if just realizing she’d been hyper-focused on Mom and Jimmy.

“I have to get home.” She turned toward me. “Thank you, thank you, thank you, Beckett. I’ll plan out the event and have the particulars to you as soon as possible.”

“Great. Then we can look at the calendar and see when would be a good time to schedule it. Sooner rather than later would be good, especially if you want to host it outside here. It’ll be getting too cold quickly.” At least this gave me an excuse to have to talk to and see her again. Maybe then I’d be braver in asking her to spend time with me in a non-business way.

“Bye.” Sadie gave me a little wave then skipped off to her car.

Did I watch until I couldn’t see her brake lights anymore?

I sure did.

Then I went back into my house, painfully aware of how alone I was now and not liking that one bit. Maybe Zia and the guys were still available to play Apocalypse Attack.

Somehow, though, I knew playing a video game wasn’t going to be enough. Not after a day spent with Sadie.

I went into my office and hopped online to search Sadie Rodgers. The only search result, however, was the website we’d built today. She had no other online footprint, which was odd, but the idea that she liked privacy was becoming apparent.

I swiveled to face my gaming station, but honestly, the desire to play wasn’t there right now so I headed to my home gym and did some lifting. After a shower, I considered gaming again, but I ended up on the couch instead, remembering how relaxed Sadie had made me with her breathwork and sound bath.

I flicked on the TV to dispel the quiet, but instead of watching a show or a movie, I found a music channel that played singing bowls.

Chapter Eleven

Sadie

I surveyed the materials spread out on the cabin’s living room floor. Singing bowls? Check. Tribal drum? Check. Rain stick? Check. Yoga mat? Check. Business cards? Check. Everything I needed for today’s launch event at Hartley’s Nest had been gathered. Now I needed to summon up some courage because I was as jittery as leaves stirred up by an autumn breeze.

I’d planned the event to be a simple meditation, sound bath, and quick yoga routine combination. I’d run it by Beckett, Mrs. Hartley, and Vanessa who had happened to be walking with her little boy, Ben, on the Hartley’s Nest nature trail where I’d met Beckett and Mrs. Hartley.

“I’m so participating in this event,” Vanessa had said. “I’m leaving Little Ben with Hunter and taking this time for me.”

Beckett had explained that Hunter was Vanessa and Spencer’s adopted teenage son.

“You just gave me a great idea,” I’d said. “I can tailor offerings specifically for busy moms.”

“Yes! That’s exactly what busy moms need!” Vanessa had clamped her hands onto my arm as if we were good friends. I’d rather liked that. I needed some good friends here in Greenridge. Orla and Fionn had been my friends back home, but only in secret. In public, we’d had to maintain our royalty-servant relationship with bows and formality.

But here? In the quiet woods of Vermont? True friendship out in the open was possible.

And maybe I’d been thinking about more than friendship with Beckett. He’d been exceptionally helpful to me in my business venture in so many ways, but it went deeper than that. He appeared to genuinely care about my success.

About me.

So unlike Cian who had only cared about alliances and appearances and whether I’d give him babies to expand his lineage and thereby his power.