Page 31 of Sunrise & Serenity

“Big change,” he notes.

“That’s one way to put it.” Her eyes catch on mine for a second, but they dart away quickly.

“There’s plenty out here to keep you busy, anyway.” Quinn gestures vaguely in the air with his fork.

She glances past him at the darkness beyond the windows.

“It’s beautiful out here. I’ll do my best to do it justice.”

Dad nods in approval. “You’ll fit in just fine around here.” After a moment, he adds, “So, do you have a man waiting for you back in New York?”

Sage, who’s mid-sip, chokes on her water, her eyes going wide. “Uh, no. Nope.”

“Interesting,” Chance murmurs, amusement playing across his features as he catches my glare.

“She’s focusing on her career at the moment,” Taryn says as she spears another piece of roast beef with her fork.

“That’s right.” Sage shifts in her chair, her smile a little weaker than I’m used to.

Was it Dad asking about someone waiting back home, or Taryn mentioning her career, that made her uncomfortable?

Without thinking too much, I lean back, stretching my legs beneath the table until the toe of my boot brushes her ankle. She shoots me a look I can’t read, but she doesn’t move her foot away.

Even as she answers more questions about her job and what life in New York is like, I don’t miss the way she keeps it light. Surface level. A few mentions of magazines her work’s been featured in, her favorite places in the city to photograph.

“How did you meet Mia?” Taryn asks after having emptied her plate in record time.

Sage swallows what she’s eating and daintily pats her lips with a napkin. “We were neighbors in New York. Same apartment building. I was a little surprised she moved out here after her divorce, but I’m starting to see why.”

Dad chuckles. “It’s an easy place to fall in love with.”

“How long have you lived here?” Sage asks him.

“All my life. My great-grandfather settled the land. Started small and added to it over time. Every generation since has built on what he began.”

“That’s impressive,” she says. “And now you’re getting into agritourism.”

“World changes. We gotta change with it,” Sterling says.

Across the table, Dad picks up a bowl and passes it down to Sage. “Try the potatoes,” he says. “Quinn’ll finish them otherwise.”

Quinn snorts. “That’s slander.”

“I think you mean a statement of fact,” I say.

Laughter ripples around the table, and the conversation turns to other topics. I should probably pay more attention, but my gaze keeps drifting back to Sage. She’s watching my family with a quiet smile, like she’s soaking it all in.

Funny how comfortable she already looks here.

Before I know it, the meal is over. Chance and Quinn head out to do a final check on the horses, Taryn clears the table, and Sterling and I get started on the dishes. When Sage offers to help, Dad shakes his head, patting the chair next to him.

“Come and keep me company.”

She accepts the invitation with a smile, and within minutes they’re deep in conversation. I steal glances at them as we clean.

“Something wrong?” Sterling asks.

Quickly refocusing on my task, I shake my head, but I can feel his gaze on me.