16. Callan

16

Callan

I stomped up the steps to Reed’s back porch, having come around the outside of the house instead of through. Lennon and Bailey were here, most likely a few beers deep already.

I hadn’t planned on coming over tonight, but it beat being stuck in my house alone battling my thoughts, so I’d headed out the door and picked up a six-pack on my way.

A week had passed since I watched Avery while Sage was at work, and though I saw her at Avery’s lesson a few days ago, I couldn’t stop thinking of Sage every free moment I got.

Reaching the top step, I found Lennon and Bailey sitting on two sunbleached wooden chairs, their legs stretched out in front of them. The setting sun cast an amber glow over everything, the air still warm from the summer day .

“The life of the party is here!” Lennon announced when he saw me.

I lifted the beers up in display as Bailey sat forward in his chair and whined, “Hey! I’m the life of the party.”

Taking the seat beside Lennon, I set the beers on the ground, grabbing one and popping the top off. “I agree with Bailey here. He knows how to leave a lasting impression. Me, on the other hand, I’m the polar opposite of that.”

Bailey rested back against the hard wood. “Thank you. I like to think I’m pretty unforgettable.”

The sliding door closed behind us as Reed said, “We could never forget Cooper.”

Bailey took a swig, giving a short nod. “That’s my intention.”

“Didn’t work on Lettie, though,” I pointed out. “She seemed to forget you pretty easily.”

Lennon’s beer flew out of his mouth as he choked on the liquid while Reed’s mouth ticked up at the corners. Bailey pressed his lips together, tipping his bottle at me. “That’s fair. But now look at me. Happy as can be with her.”

“Speaking of,” Lennon started, “when’s the wedding?”

“Probably next summer? She and Brandy keep going back and forth on different seasons for the wedding, but I told her the fall time would be best since we want to do it on the ranch. Not too hot, not too cold.” He glanced at me and Lennon before continuing. “I was actually wondering if you two would be my groomsmen?” His focus moved to Reed. “And you’d be my best man? ”

Reed had his beer halfway to his lips, his eyes glued to Bailey. “You want me to be your best man?”

Bailey’s brows dropped. “Reed, you’re my best friend. Obviously, I’d want you to be my best man.”

“Ouch,” Lennon hissed, but we all knew he wasn’t actually hurt by that. It was no secret that Bailey and Reed were the closest out of any of us, despite their personalities being complete opposites of each other.

“I’ll do it,” I piped in, giving Reed a minute to process.

Bailey twisted to look at me. “Thanks, Cal.”

I gave a nod, and Lennon lifted a shoulder in a half shrug. “I’m in.”

We all three turned to look back at Reed, who was clearly not accustomed to the limelight being on him.

After a moment of us all simply staring, he raised his eyebrows. “Alright! I’ll do it. Fuck. Don’t any of you guys get a brain aneurysm, staring like that.”

Bailey clapped him on the shoulder. “Thanks, man.” Reed grumbled something before taking a long pull from his bottle, as Bailey went on, “So obviously, Lennon, you’re with Oakley, and Lettie is already planning for Oakley to be one of her bridesmaids, so you don’t really need a plus one.” He looked at Reed. “Reed, you’re with the maid of honor—”

“Hold on a fucking second—” Reed tried to interrupt, but Bailey continued, facing me.

“So that leaves us with Cal. Who are you planning to bring?”

“If you think for one fucking second I’m—” Reed kept talking from the other side of Bailey, but no one paid him any mind. Brandy was Lettie’s best friend. There was no doubt in any of our minds that she’d be her maid of honor.

“I’m not sure,” I replied. “I’ll probably just go solo.” I hadn’t seen anyone since I’d been with my ex, and I wasn’t in the best spot to date right now. I was so busy with lessons at the ranch, and it wasn’t like I went to town enough to meet anyone.

“Fucking hell.” Reed gave up on the battle, accepting his fate. There was nothing he could do about it. Whatever rivalry they had together could be set aside for one day.

Hell, it wouldn’t even be one day. It’d be a few hours, and then they’d be free of each other.

“Bullshit,” Lennon called out.

“Sorry?” I asked.

“Bailey’s told me the way you look at Sage when Avery comes for lessons,” Lennon said.

I turned a narrowed gaze on Bailey. “What is he talking about?”

Bailey rolled his eyes. “Don’t act oblivious, Cal. It doesn’t suit you.”

I sat back, huffing a breath. “Someone please explain.” There was no way in hell Bailey, or anyone for that matter, could tell I looked at Sage a different way than all the other women . She was gorgeous, but she also didn’t flaunt it. She was the kind of girl who didn’t see herself as beautiful, but the rest of the world did, and that made her more attractive.

But not just that. It was also the fact that she very clearly would hang the moon for Avery if she asked. She was selfless, maybe even a little too selfless, but so was I.

On the other hand, my ex was so beyond selfish that she’d given me an ultimatum. I’d chosen my happiness over following someone I knew wasn’t my forever. From that day forward, I knew I’d made the right decision. After closing myself off for so long, something about Sage stuck out to me, and without me even realizing it, she became an everyday thought.

Maybe some people didn’t believe in fate, or that things happened for a reason, but my choices led me right here, and I had to believe it was for the better.

Bailey kicked his feet up on the railing, his hands crossed behind his head. “All I’m saying is that you never give any of the other children’s mothers the time of day, never ask them to go relax during the lesson. Never ask your mom to bring them a pack of ice for their knee.”

“It was the nice thing to do,” I defended.

“Oh, come on, Cal,” Lennon piped in. “Don’t act like that’s the only reason you’ve done those things.”

“I’ve seen it, too,” Reed added quietly from the side.

Bailey tilted the tip of his bottle in Reed’s direction. “See.”

“You guys are looking too far into things.” There was nothing going on between me and Sage. Nothing.

Bailey sprang forward, staying in his seat but pinning me with his stare. “Are you seriously dodging around this right now? ”

“I’m not dodging around anything.”

“If I’ve learned anything, it’s that life is fucking short, Cal. Don’t sit here wasting your time with this bullshit. Ask her out.”

My eyes widened. “ Ask her out ?”

“Yes, you idiot! Ask her out.” Bailey was passionate, I’d give him that. But just because he’d gotten together with Lettie after her disappearing for five years didn’t mean he should start finding us girlfriends, too.

We had our mom to worry about with that.

“I barely know her,” I pointed out.

“So?” Bailey exclaimed. “Asking someone on a date is an excuse to get to know them. A date isn’t getting married. It’s to talk, to learn more about each other.”

“Since when are you such a fucking romantic?” Reed groused.

“Since I got with your sister, Bronson,” Bailey quipped.

Reed shook his head. “Stop reminding me.”

Lennon shifted in his seat. “There’s no harm in asking her out, Cal.”

My eyes scanned the horizon, wishing I could find the right answer there. It wasn’t often I went out of my way to put myself into uncomfortable situations, and if Sage rejected me, it’d feel a whole hell of a lot worse than just uncomfortable. What if she never brought Avery back for another lesson? Then Avery would be upset, Sage would blame it on me, and I’d feel like shit .

“I’ll think about it.” Because if I said no, they’d just keep pestering me about it.

For the next couple hours, we alternated between water and beer, then we all headed home for the night. I hadn’t decided what I’d do. I could take the risk and ask her out, and best case scenario, she’d say yes and we’d go on a date. But worst case scenario—I could ruin everything by doing it. Was I willing to risk that?

But the longer I thought about it, the more I was convincing myself that yes, I was willing to risk it if it meant I got to know Sage a little more.

There was so much I wanted to know about her, and not just her, but Avery, too.

I wouldn’t tell the guys my decision because chances were, I’d chicken out, but for now, I settled on maybe.

Maybe I’d ask Sage McKinley on a date.