Page 18 of Under an Oklahoma Sky

Speaking of which…

“Where did all that lumber come from?”

Grinning, Maddie pointed toward the back door. “Why don’t you go outside and ask Adam? I believe that was all his doing.”

Adam? He arranged it? How? From what she’d seen through the window, there was a small fortune in materials out there.

“Thanks. And thank you all for being here.” Her voice cracked. “It—it means a lot to me.”

After each woman hugged her and brushed off her gratitude as unnecessary, Sage took her coffee and headed outside. From the porch, she gazed across the backyard at all the activity. To her right, the llamas and sheep were grazing at the far end of their large, enclosed pasture, no doubt driven there by all the banging. The first person she spotted was Reverend Stevens. In his fifties, the man had no trouble pitching in with the hard labor. He was usually the first to volunteer whenever someone needed help.

“Morning, Sage.”

“Good morning, Reverend. Thank you so much for coming out to help.” She gestured to everyone working around them. “You don’t know how much this means to me.”

He stepped aside as two other men hauled a charred post that had once supported the barn toward the dumpster. “The congregation always helps when someone needs us. You should know that by now. You’ve been on the other side several times when others needed a hand.”

It was true. She’d been to several barn raisings and fundraisers over the years, but it was still humbling to be on the receiving end. Glancing toward the framework of the new barn, she spotted Ashley’s husband, Chris, who looked up from his hammering and gave her a wave and a grin before returning to his work. Chris and her husband had been best friends, and she knew he still missed Mark terribly.

Behind her, the old dinner bell on the porch clanged. Maddie pulled on the rope while the other women carried platters and bowls of food out to several folding tables.

“Come and get it while it’s hot, gentlemen," Maddie shouted. "Breakfast is ready.”

The men finished what they were doing and ambled over for the mini-feast of coffee, eggs, bacon, home fries, grits, pancakes, and more. Sage thanked everyone as they passed her. Adam was the last one to approach, and without a second thought, she stepped forward and hugged him.

He hesitated for a moment before wrapping his arms around her. “What’s this for?”

“For taking care of all this for me. It’s unbelievable.” Not letting him go, she pulled back enough to see his face. “But tell me one thing. Where did the lumber come from? I don’t know where I’ll get the money to pay for it before the foals are sold.”

“Don’t worry about it. I have an inheritance from Harry and Barbara that Shane manages for me. Consider it a gift for taking a chance and hiring me.”

Stunned, she shook her head. “Adam, I can’t let you pay for it. It’s too expensive. I’ll repay you when I sell the horses.”

“Absolutely not.” He took her hands in his, his expression imploring. “Please, Sage.” When she shook her head again, his grip on her hands grew firmer. “Do you remember me telling you I’d found new ways to help people outside of the Brotherhood? Well, this is one of them. I like to think I’m investing in Jenna and Matthew’s futures. Please, let me do this for them… and you.”

She didn’t know what to say, so instead, she pulled him close, went up on her toes, and pressed her lips to his. Fireworks went off in her mind when, after a moment’s hesitation, he kissed her back. She completely forgot where they were and who else was there until a chorus of catcalls and whistles broke through the haze.

Ending the kiss, she gazed into his eyes, which held a mix of desire and amusement. “Thank you.”

He cleared his throat. “You’re very welcome. Come on. Let’s go eat before it’s all gone.”

Stepping back, he took her hand and led her toward the porch. She tried to hide her embarrassment, but Reverend Stevens caught her eye and winked. It was obvious that he approved. Ashley, however, didn’t look thrilled about what had just occurred, if her frown was any indication.

After breakfast, Seth Chapman and his oldest boy, Danny, arrived with two other men. Their three pickup trucks were loaded with bales of fresh hay, along with feed and supplements for the horses, llamas, sheep, and chickens. The fire had taken everything, including the spare tack. At least the two saddles and bridles that were on Othello and Topaz had been saved. Everything else she could borrow from friends or buy secondhand.

Sage was helping clear away the last of the breakfast platters when Seth strode up to her and, as usual, got a little too close for her comfort. “Hey, darlin’. So sorry to hear about this. The fire chief is saying it was arson. Who’d you tick off?”

Taking a step back, she crossed her arms and glared at him. “Why do you assume I ticked someone off, Seth? There could be any number of reasons why someone set fire to my barn. Maybe it was some crazed lunatic.”

He shrugged and smirked. “Well, if you had a man around, maybe it would scare off whoever was responsible. I keep telling you, I’m available for the job.”

She was about to say something snarky when the screen door swung open and Adam stepped outside carrying two bags of garbage for the dumpsters.

Perfect timing.

Grabbing his arm before he could get past them, Sage pulled him closer, ignoring his startled expression. “Actually, Seth, I already have a man around. This is Adam Westfield. Adam, this is Seth Chapman. Adam is my new ranch hand… and he’s also my new boyfriend.”

One of the garbage bags fell onto the porch with a thump and the clink of glass. She’d clearly caught him off guard, but Seth seemed oblivious to anything being amiss. His jaw dropped as he stared at her before shifting his gaze to Adam, who recovered and held out his hand.