so damn sincere?
“You know these kids better than I ever will, but I can only imagine that taking part in a community art project will allow them to give back to you and their teachers, to do something they can be really proud of. It’s something they’ll see every morning and every afternoon and think, We made that beautiful mural. ”
Well, hell . Who could deny that logic? She looked at Sage, his eyes filled with such hope that it rendered her mute.
“Everyone needs something to be proud of. Not that I’m trying to pressure you or anything,” Sage said, lifting the right side of his mouth into a crooked smile. “And I’ll donate the same amount of funds for medical or other purposes. Would that be so bad?”
She sighed, though it was all for show. Her anger had given way to reluctant acceptance. No way could she deny the children what he’d just described. “Fine. Okay. You’ve convinced me.”
Sage wrapped her in his arms and kissed her cheek with his soft lips.
“Thank you,” he whispered.
The rough scratch of his whiskers sent a full-body shudder through her. When he drew back, his gratitude-filled gaze pinned her heart to the barbed-wire fence, and she swore it sprouted legs and tried to climb over.
Chapter Five
“DO YOU THINK it was a setup?” Kate said to Luce. They were eating lunch on a bench in the community rec area, and she’d just finished explaining to her what had transpired at the Internet café.
“Calling his family?” Luce asked.
“It’s stupid. I know. But you know how the more you see someone with their family, the warmer you feel inside. Maybe it made me a softie.”
“A conspiracy. Now I get it.” Luce shook her head. “You’re losing your mind, and by the way, I want details on last night.”
“Ugh.” She’d been groaning a lot lately.
“No way. That bad?”
“I’m a little fuzzy, but I’m pretty sure I tried to kiss him.”
Luce threw her hands up in the air and said, “Hallelujah.”
“And he didn’t kiss me. He left.”
She tucked her hair behind her ear and spoke with a serious tone. “Oh, Kate. Are you sure you don’t just think you tried to kiss him?”
“Trust me. I’ve been over this a hundred times. All night long, in fact. I closed my eyes like a schoolgirl, puckered my lips, and…waited.”
Luce laughed. “Sorry.” She cleared her throat. “What did he do?”
“I don’t know. He said something about me not knowing him, or it not being who he was. I don’t know.” She sighed. “Maybe I would have regretted it in the morning anyway. I don’t know, and I can’t remember exactly what happened. I was too busy being mortified. Then he showed up this morning and fixed the damn roof like it’s what he does every day. Mr. Millionaire Artist and roofer.” She buried her face in her hands.
“I guess he’s not just like the others,” Luce pointed out.
“Shut up. It’s a farce. I know it is. Oh, and his brother Rush…He definitely said stuff that made it seem like Sage isn’t as good as he seems.”
“You can’t trust anything a brother says. Mine would have all sorts of shit to say about me that isn’t true.”
“I guess. Whatever.” Kate looked around. “Where are the others? Have you checked on them to be sure they’re not dead?”
“They went into Belize City. Don’t worry. I spoke to Caleb already and let him know they wouldn’t be there today. It sounded like this happens all the time.”
Kate rolled her eyes. “It does. Poor Caleb. He’s always left without any volunteers, and he never complains. He does his job and then disappears until the next morning.”
“He doesn’t disappear. He reads and he writes.”
“Whatever. He’s like a ghost. I tried to get to know him when he first showed up, but he made it very clear that he wasn’t here to socialize.”
“Do you still go down to our beach?” Luce whispered.
Luce and Kate had happened upon a remote, and seemingly undiscovered, white sandy
“You know these kids better than I ever will, but I can only imagine that taking part in a community art project will allow them to give back to you and their teachers, to do something they can be really proud of. It’s something they’ll see every morning and every afternoon and think, We made that beautiful mural. ”
Well, hell . Who could deny that logic? She looked at Sage, his eyes filled with such hope that it rendered her mute.
“Everyone needs something to be proud of. Not that I’m trying to pressure you or anything,” Sage said, lifting the right side of his mouth into a crooked smile. “And I’ll donate the same amount of funds for medical or other purposes. Would that be so bad?”
She sighed, though it was all for show. Her anger had given way to reluctant acceptance. No way could she deny the children what he’d just described. “Fine. Okay. You’ve convinced me.”
Sage wrapped her in his arms and kissed her cheek with his soft lips.
“Thank you,” he whispered.
The rough scratch of his whiskers sent a full-body shudder through her. When he drew back, his gratitude-filled gaze pinned her heart to the barbed-wire fence, and she swore it sprouted legs and tried to climb over.
Chapter Five
“DO YOU THINK it was a setup?” Kate said to Luce. They were eating lunch on a bench in the community rec area, and she’d just finished explaining to her what had transpired at the Internet café.
“Calling his family?” Luce asked.
“It’s stupid. I know. But you know how the more you see someone with their family, the warmer you feel inside. Maybe it made me a softie.”
“A conspiracy. Now I get it.” Luce shook her head. “You’re losing your mind, and by the way, I want details on last night.”
“Ugh.” She’d been groaning a lot lately.
“No way. That bad?”
“I’m a little fuzzy, but I’m pretty sure I tried to kiss him.”
Luce threw her hands up in the air and said, “Hallelujah.”
“And he didn’t kiss me. He left.”
She tucked her hair behind her ear and spoke with a serious tone. “Oh, Kate. Are you sure you don’t just think you tried to kiss him?”
“Trust me. I’ve been over this a hundred times. All night long, in fact. I closed my eyes like a schoolgirl, puckered my lips, and…waited.”
Luce laughed. “Sorry.” She cleared her throat. “What did he do?”
“I don’t know. He said something about me not knowing him, or it not being who he was. I don’t know.” She sighed. “Maybe I would have regretted it in the morning anyway. I don’t know, and I can’t remember exactly what happened. I was too busy being mortified. Then he showed up this morning and fixed the damn roof like it’s what he does every day. Mr. Millionaire Artist and roofer.” She buried her face in her hands.
“I guess he’s not just like the others,” Luce pointed out.
“Shut up. It’s a farce. I know it is. Oh, and his brother Rush…He definitely said stuff that made it seem like Sage isn’t as good as he seems.”
“You can’t trust anything a brother says. Mine would have all sorts of shit to say about me that isn’t true.”
“I guess. Whatever.” Kate looked around. “Where are the others? Have you checked on them to be sure they’re not dead?”
“They went into Belize City. Don’t worry. I spoke to Caleb already and let him know they wouldn’t be there today. It sounded like this happens all the time.”
Kate rolled her eyes. “It does. Poor Caleb. He’s always left without any volunteers, and he never complains. He does his job and then disappears until the next morning.”
“He doesn’t disappear. He reads and he writes.”
“Whatever. He’s like a ghost. I tried to get to know him when he first showed up, but he made it very clear that he wasn’t here to socialize.”
“Do you still go down to our beach?” Luce whispered.
Luce and Kate had happened upon a remote, and seemingly undiscovered, white sandy
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