Page 22 of Sunrise & Serenity

Why do I even want to?

My phone buzzes in my pocket, and I pull it out, grateful for the distraction. There’s a message about Sage’s car.

“Jim says your car’s gonna need a new front axle.”

She wrinkles her nose. “That sounds bad.”

“Could’ve been worse. But it’s gonna take a few weeks to get one ordered and shipped.”

Before she can respond, Taryn strolls into the kitchen. “What’s going to take a few weeks?”

“A new axle for my car,” Sage says, slumping.

“Guess that means Holden gets to be your chauffeur for a little while longer.”

The smile Sage gives her appears a little forced. “Maybe I can rent a car while I wait.”

“No rentals around here,” my sister informs her. “Can you drive a stick? You could maybe borrow one of the ranch trucks.”

Sage darts a look at me. “No, unfortunately.”

“It’s fine.” I cut into their conversation. “I’ll drive you until your car’s fixed.”

Taryn claps once. “Great. That’s settled, then. Are you all done here?” she asks me.

“Yep. Grand tour’s over.”

She turns to Sage, grinning. “Are you ready to go into town? Maybe after we get you kitted up, we can get lunch, and you can tell me all about New York.”

Sage’s gaze meets mine again, the glint of amusement in her eyes almost enough to trigger an answering grin on my part. I resist the pull.

Taryn turns my way. “Do you want to come too?” she asks, a hint of hopefulness in her tone.

Guilt pricks at me. I’ve been away from the ranch for so much of her life. But the last thing I want is to go clothes shopping with her and Sage.

Let alone deal with the town’s scrutiny.

“Maybe next time. I need to help fix the fences before we get more strays.”

She purses her lips but doesn’t argue. We all understand the realities of ranch life. That doesn’t stop her from planting her hands on her hips, looking enough like Mom in that moment to make my chest constrict. “Fine, just don’t push that shoulder too hard.”

Sage’s attention drops to my shoulders, a small crease forming between her brows. I push back my chair and stand. The last thing I want is to be the subject of her curiosity. “You don’t need to worry about me.”

“Well, I do. You’re my brother.”

An unexpected rush of affection hits me, and I hook my arm around her neck and plant a kiss on the top of her head. “Thanks. But it’s meant to be the other way around. It’s my job to look after you.”

With a roll of her eyes, she scoffs. “That’s such an outdated idea. Right, Sage?”

Sage’s smile is a little too sweet. “I agree, Taryn. Men aren’t our designated protectors. Maybe your brother needs to get with the times.”

I lift a brow. She wants to play that game, does she?

Very deliberately, I slide my gaze to her denim-covered knees—the ones I tended to last night.

I’d planned to ask her if they were okay when I picked her up this morning. But when she opened the door—still too pretty, still too out of place—the question died on my tongue. She wasn’t limping, so I figured it was better to let it go.

But if she’s going to pick sides…