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Sage’s parents came into the shop then, and I waved to them in greeting. Sage had an honest conversation with her mother not long after Michael and Faith’s wedding, coming clean about the fake relationship and making it clear that she didn’t want her mother meddling in her love life ever again. It turned out that her mom had been suspicious of our sudden relationship on the island the whole time, but the whole thing helped her realize that she was pushing Sage too far by trying to set her up with Cole. She swore to never interfere with Sage’s relationship status ever again, but I knew that she was glad to see Sage so happy with me.
A bell rang back in the kitchen, and I knew that meant the macarons were ready. Sage was operating this place on a shoestring budget for now, but she did have enough capital to hire one employee. Her friend Rita had agreed to come on board, also fed up with the high-pressure atmosphere of the restaurant where they used to work.
Going back into the kitchen, I grabbed the tray of colorful French cookies. Rita was humming to herself as she wiped down the stainless steel counter with a rag. When she saw me, she stopped and moved closer.
“Are we still on for this weekend?” she asked, keeping her voice low. Neither of us wanted Sage to overhear, and she was just on the other side of the swinging door.
“Of course,” I replied. “I already told Sage I had to pick up an extra shift at work on Saturday, so we can spend all day together if we have to.”
“Do you really think it’ll take that long?”
“I have no idea, but that’s why I asked for your help. I need a woman’s opinion, and who better than Sage’s best friend to help me figure out which ring she’d like the most?”
I was planning to propose to Sage on her birthday next month, but I was well-aware of how clueless I was about women’s jewelry. Rita was going to make sure that I didn’t blow it with “some gaudy ring that she’d be stuck with for the rest of her life.” At least, that was how she put it. I liked that she was so straight-forward, though. I wanted Sage to be happy more than anything in the world, and beating around the bush wasn’t going to make that happen.
“Alright, get back out there before she gets suspicious,” Rita ordered. “She’s smart, ya know.”
I chuckled. “Yeah, I do.”
I went back to work, but I kept watching Sage out of the corner of my eye as she manned the register. As the face of business, we decided that she needed to be the one to interact with the customers today, and I was in awe of how good she was at it. She was friendly and full of so much grace...she just blew me away.
But then, she always had. Ever since that first time I spotted her singing karaoke on the island. I knew, even then, that she was special.
Now, I couldn’t imagine my life without her.
When the day finally came to an end, I was exhausted, but so damn proud of Sage that I felt my heart swell inside of my chest. I flipped the sign on the door from OPEN to CLOSED and turned the lock. We had sold out of most of the pastries Sage had made in advance, and Rita had trouble keeping up with the demand in the back. All-in-all, the pastry shop was starting out as a huge success.
“You were a superstar today, do you know that?” I said as I walked up behind Sage and put my arms around her. She was closing out the register while Sam was in the kitchen with Rita, helping her wash dishes.
“Well, I didn’t do it alone. Thanks for spending your day off here. I know it wasn’t exactly fun for you, but I don’t know how I would have handled the mass of people without your help.”
I pressed a kiss to the side of her neck. My hands rested on her belly and I thought about the good news she’d given me last night. I was going to be a father again. I couldn’t be more thrilled by the news. Sam was going to be a big brother, and this time, I was going to be here from the beginning.
“You’re going to be a hell of a mother,” I murmured into her ear. We hadn’t told anyone else yet, since it was still early in the pregnancy, which made it our little secret.
Sage turned in my arms and kissed me. “I love you.”
“I love you more.”
She just laughed and we kissed again. I couldn’t wait to make this woman my wife.
