Stroke of Love (32 page)

The next volunteer
.

She couldn’t even reconcile Sage as a volunteer. He was so much more. Who was she kidding? He was everything.

He stirred, wrapping his arm around her and pulling her close, then kissing the top of her head before even opening his eyes. Kate sighed.
God, I’ll miss you
.

“If I don’t open my eyes, can we pretend I don’t have to leave?” he asked.

Kate couldn’t manage anything but a sad moan.

“Come here, babe.” He pulled her over him and opened his eyes. “God, you’re beautiful.”

He kissed her, and a lump formed in Kate’s throat. How could this be possible? She’d gone two years without seeing her parents. She’d left her few friends from college behind without a care in the world. Even Luce, whom she’d seen only a handful of times over the past two years, but whom she adored, didn’t cause her to cry when she left. And in two short weeks she’d fallen so completely in love with Sage that she could barely think past the pain of him leaving.

“Hey,” he whispered, brushing her hair away from her face. Sage pulled her close and held her while tears streaked her cheeks and tumbled onto his chest. “It’s only a week. It’ll be over before we know it, and then we’ll be waking up like this again.”

She nodded. “Technic…technically, it’s a few days longer. I leave…I leave in a week, but I have to see my parents for a few days first.”
God, I hate this
. She wouldn’t feel right not visiting her parents first, even if she’d rather be with Sage. Of course, then she’d never want to leave him.

“We can get through a few days longer. We can do anything as long as we know we’ll be back together soon.”

She knew he was right, but it hurt just the same. Kate didn’t know how long she lay there, but she was thankful that Sage didn’t rush her or make her feel silly for missing him before he was even gone.

They showered and dressed in silence. Sage moved carefully around her, touching her arm as she walked past him, pulling her close when tears rose to the surface. By the time they left her room, he had tearstains on the chest of his white T-shirt. He wore the same tan cargo pants he’d worn when he’d first arrived, and Kate felt a pang of longing to rewind time. They’d packed his bags the evening before, and while Kate spent time helping Luce pack, Sage had gone to wrap his canvases so they were ready to ship home.
Home
. Something miraculous had happened over the past twenty-four hours. Sage’s home had become her home in her mind. She couldn’t pinpoint exactly when or how the transition had taken place, but she was relieved to feel the comfort instead of the nagging anxiety that had prickled her nerves over the past few weeks.

They were picking up Sage’s bags from his cabin when Luce came out of hers wearing a light cotton skirt and a tank top. Her blond hair lay straight and shiny, freshly combed and ready for the city once again. She wore makeup for the first time in two weeks, a sure sign of returning to her real life.

“Go see Luce,” Sage said. “I just realized that I forgot something back at your place. I’ll catch up in a minute.”

Kate nodded, still unable to pull herself together, and she watched him hurry off.

“Thinking about hiding him in your cabin for the next week?” Luce called.

Kate sighed. “I wish.”

“You’ll see him in a week. It’s not that long.” Luce threw her arm around Kate. “You gonna be okay?”

“I have to be.”
Even if I’m not
. “It’s stupid, right? He’s only been here two weeks, and I’m acting like we’ve been together for years.”

“It’s not stupid. You’re in that honeymoon stage. You know, moon-eyed lovers, hot for each other every second, can’t wait to be in each other’s arms.”

Kate couldn’t even dispute her words with a joke. They were true.

The car ambled onto the property, and Kate’s eyes welled with tears again, damn it. “Oh my God, I’m gonna miss you.” Kate wrapped her arms around Luce’s neck.

“Me too. I had so much fun, despite Penelope’s tantrums.”

“Me too.”

“Come see me in New York. Promise?”

“It looks like I’m going to be living there, so…” Kate said.

“Living? As in for good?” Luce arched a brow.

Kate smiled, wiping the remaining tears from the corners of her eyes. “I think so. He asked me to stay and, Luce, I can’t imagine ever leaving him again.”

“Oh, Kate!” She threw her arms around Kate and squealed. “This is so great! We can see each other more often. I’ll be there to help you with your nonprofit, and you’ll love Shea.” She grabbed her bags and they headed for the car.

“I’m excited. Nervous, but more excited than scared. I wish I was leaving with you guys.” She spotted Sage coming down the path from her cabin. She felt a smile stretch across her cheeks as he came to her side and pulled her close again.

“You okay?” he asked.

“Yeah.”

“She’s gonna bawl her eyes out when we leave, but it’s for me, Sage, so don’t go thinking it’s all for you,” Luce teased.

Kate wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head on his chest again.

“She’ll miss us both,” he said.

After putting the luggage in the car, Kate hugged Luce again, glad to hear Luce sniffling as they embraced.
Misery loves company
.

“We’ll see each other soon,” Luce said as she drew back. “I didn’t get to say goodbye to Caleb. Will you tell him goodbye for me?”

“Wait!” Javier’s voice called their attention back toward the cabins, where he was dashing across the thick grass toward them with Caleb in tow. “Mr. Sage!” He jumped into Sage’s arms with a paper in hand and wrapped his arms around his neck. “I’m going to miss you.”

Sage wrapped his strong arms around him. His hand cupped the back of his head and held Javier close. “Hey there, buddy. I’m gonna miss you, too. You’ll take good care of Miss Kate for me, won’t you?”

Javier nodded emphatically.

Kate couldn’t hold back another rush of tears at seeing Sage and Javier together. She wiped them away with the crook of her arm, wondering how in the hell she’d ever put the pieces of her heart back together.

“I made you something.” Javier handed Sage the paper. Sage scanned it quickly and then glanced at Kate with a soft smile. She leaned in close to take a look, causing more tears to fall.

Javier pointed at the drawing. “That’s you, that’s Miss Kate, and that’s me. See me? I drew the eyes just how you showed me.”

“May I keep this, Javier?” Sage asked. “You’re such an amazing artist. One day I’ll be able to show people this and say,
I knew Javier before he became famous.
”

Javier’s eyes bloomed wide. “Famous?”

“If you try hard enough, there’s no telling how famous you can become.” Sage winked at Kate.

She felt the time they had together slipping away as Luce climbed into the car. Sage set Javier down and patted his head. “Thank you, Javier. Promise me you’ll study hard at your lessons and that you’ll always be kind, because you’re about the nicest kid I know.”

“I promise.” Javier pulled at his blue T-shirt, and his eyes dropped to the ground. In the next second, he threw himself against Sage’s legs and clamped his arms around them. “I love you, Mr. Sage.”

That’s exactly what Kate wanted to do.

Sage picked him up again and hugged him tightly, then kissed his cheek. “I love you too, Javier. I think I’d better say goodbye to Miss Kate now. You know how girls are.”

Javier giggled and nodded as if he understood the tease. Kate knew he’d go along with anything Sage wanted, just as she would. He had that effect on people.

Sage reached for Caleb first. “Caleb, keep writing. I want to read your story when you’re done. And keep in touch. When you leave here, we’ll bring you out to New York and you can meet Kurt in person.”

Caleb held a hand out for Sage to shake it, and Sage pulled him into a hug. “We hug in my family, so get used to it.”

Kate saw Caleb stiffen, but the happiness in his eyes told Kate how much that hug, and the offer, meant to him. Sage released him and turned to her, and her eyes welled again. She couldn’t remember a time she’d cried so much. He held her tightly against himself again.

“You’re trembling,” he whispered.

She nodded.

“Oh, babe. I’m sorry. I wish I could stay right here with you. We’ll talk on the phone every night. Okay?”

She heard his voice crack and pulled back to look into his eyes. Seeing his damp eyes only made her cry more. “It’ll cost a fortune,” she said.

“I’ve already taken care of it. I arranged for an international plan on your cell phone. Texting, too, so you can call or text me anytime you want. It’s done.”

“But…how?”

“Let’s just say that Luce sounds a lot like you when she wants to. Don’t get mad at her. I held her at knifepoint.” He smiled.

She glanced at Luce, who held her palms up in the air. “You should change your password. Remember when your phone broke while we were in Belize City the last time I visited, and you told me when the new one came that you listed
undiscovered
as your password?”

Thank God I did
. “I can’t believe you remembered. Thank you, Luce.” She held on to Sage’s waist. “I…I love you.”

He placed his hands on her cheeks the way she loved. His brows drew together. “I love you, and when you come to New York, we’ll be together every day. Don’t worry about a thing. We’ll figure out all the details, and our life together will be wonderful.”

She nodded, knowing he meant every word he’d said and trusting that he was right. He lowered his lips to hers and took her in a long, greedy kiss—a kiss that told of how much he’d miss her and how much he loved her. It stole her breath and her anxiety along with it, as always. When he drew back and rested his forehead against hers, she closed her eyes, once again memorizing the feel of him.

“Keep your phone with you. I’ll call you when I get to New York.”

“Okay,” she whispered. They held hands until he was in the car, and then she climbed right in on his lap and hugged him again, kissing his lips, his cheeks, then his lips again. “Sorry. I just…”

“Love me,” he said, then kissed her back again. “Now go or we’ll miss our flight.”

She lifted her brows. “There’s an idea.”

Caleb reached for her hand, surprising them both. She took it thankfully. She needed something to ground her once Sage and Luce pulled away.

“I love you, Kate,” he said before closing the door. He blew her a kiss through the window, and she didn’t even try to stop the next rush of tears.

“Do you need a hug?”

She looked at Caleb through blurry eyes, knowing how hard it must have been for him to ask, and seeing the worry lines on his forehead. The last thing he wanted was for Kate to fall into his arms, but it was the only thing she could do to keep from falling to her knees and throwing a tantrum like a two-year-old.

Caleb stood rigid, his arms hanging at his sides as she cried on his shoulder. Javier’s hand patted her lower back, and Kate tried her damnedest to stop crying for his sake, but after a few minutes she gave up even trying. Eventually, Caleb lifted a hand to her back and mimicked the way Javier patted her. It made her laugh—
thank God
. It was all she could do to pull away.

She stared at the clouds of dust billowing over the road where the tires had just traveled. He was gone, and she had a whole day of work ahead of her.

“You okay?” Caleb asked.

“Yeah. Thank you. I’m gonna go back to my room for a minute, but I’ll catch up with you right after.” She knelt beside Javier. “We’re gonna be just fine, Javier. I’m glad you came to say goodbye to Sage.”

“I’m sorry you’re sad. But my aunt said when people go away they’re still in our hearts.”

Kate thought about Javier’s mom. If Javier could survive losing his mother, she could survive a week without Sage. She’d have to.

“I think your aunt is a very smart woman.”

Her room felt lonely. Empty. Cold. She glanced at the mattress on the floor in the screened-in room. Sage had returned his mattress to his cabin the evening before, and now, as a lump formed in her throat, she noticed something beneath the covers. She drew them back and felt the goddamn tears return. She picked up the familiar linen bag, wondering how he could have gotten her the one thing she’d missed most.
The one thing I thought I missed most
. Now she knew that Sage was that one thing, and nothing else would ever come close. She withdrew the Starburst journal from its delicate wrapping and ran her fingers over the soft leather, then untied the thin leather strap and unwound it from around the journal. It was filled with recycled artist paper of varying colors and thicknesses. She lifted it to her nose and breathed in the leathery smell, then opened to the first page to write in it. A handwritten note, loopy and slanted to the right, was scrawled across the page.

Kate, my love,

You said this was the one thing you missed most while in Belize. When I ordered it for you, I remember wondering what it might feel like to be missed by you. Now I know, and knowing you love me is what will carry me through this next week. I hope you feel my love for you with as much certainty as I feel yours. I adore everything about you and cannot wait until you’re in my arms again. I’ve taken the liberty of creating a list for when you leave Belize.

1.
Visit parents

2.
Move in with Sage

3.
Help people all over the world (with Sage by your side)

4.
Live happily ever after

I love you, babe, and always will.

—Your real-life, alpha brawn, hunky hero, Sage

Kate pressed the notebook to her chest, then dug her phone out from beneath the papers on the table and texted Sage.

Thank U 4 giving me the only list I’ll ever need.

His response came moments later.
Thank U 4 giving me the only love I’ll ever need.

LUCE WAS RIGHT. Sage had been back in New York for almost a week and he still felt different. The city noise was too loud, the thick, greasy smell made him sick to his stomach, and his town house felt empty without Kate by his side. He spoke to Kate every morning and again every evening, most days with a text—or ten—in between, and he still missed her so much he ached for her as if she were a phantom limb. He had to make it through only a few more days, and after she visited her parents, she’d be there with him.
A few more days. I can do that
. He’d been staying up most nights working in his studio and feeling like a walking zombie. It was better than lying in bed thinking about Kate until he hurt so badly he could barely move.