Peggy抯 speech was cut off when one of the motel room doors opened behind Sage. Both sisters turned to find Belmont standing in the doorway of his room. Sage, however, didn抰 look. She stayed perfectly still, smoothing those shaking hands down the front of her dress, eradicating nonexistent wrinkles. After that, Rita couldn抰 stop gaping at her brother. Belmont was intense at his most relaxed, but she抎 never seen him quite like this. Almost like he had the ability to freeze time and they were all caught up in the stillness until he decided activity could resume. Even Peggy, whose hands usually fluttered more than hummingbird wings, just watched, watched Belmont. As Belmont watched Sage.
The sisters had debated telling Belmont about Sage抯 impending arrival, but thank God they hadn抰。 If Rita hadn抰 seen his reaction, before that stoic mask moved back into place, she might never have known Belmont抯 world was made up of Sage Alexander. It called time travel to mind. A man going back and meeting his wife all over again, while still retaining the memories of their original lifetime together.
He emerged from the doorway after a good two minutes, creating a wide berth around the three women, eyes never leaving Sage. For the wedding planner抯 part, she seemed to gain courage with each second that ticked past, her chin going up a notch here and there. But her fingers. They fussed over one of the pleats in her dress until Rita started to worry it might catch fire.
Sage still hadn抰 turned around when she broke the silence. 揌ello, Belmont.?
A gruff sound left him, his face turning away. 揟hought you couldn抰 make it.?
Wind whistled past in the ensuing pause. 揇ecember isn抰 very popular for weddings. I moved some things around.?
揥hy??
揥hy is December not popular for weddings??Rita saw Sage抯 lips twitch after posing the question and thanked God the woman had a sense of humor. Didn抰 they all need to have one around this family? Honestly, here they stood in a strange town, outside of a ninety-percent-vacant motel, watching their brother prowl around someone who hadn抰 even bothered to look at him yet. And somehow it all seemed like par for the fucking course.
揥hy did you move things around??Belmont clarified, a hint of impatience in his tone, which sent Sage抯 fingers back into their attempt to start a blaze. Peggy started twirling her hair, too, which didn抰 escape Belmont抯 sharp attention, and it became obvious to Rita what her brother was trying to ascertain. If they抎 asked Sage to come because of the way he抎 been acting. Which they had, of course. But it had gone unspoken that he wouldn抰 appreciate that information.
Just as Rita was beginning to get desperate to fill the silence, Sage抯 entire body lifted with a deep inhale and she turned around. Belmont went back a step. And time seemed to freeze again. What in the hell?
揑 needed a vacation,?Sage murmured, chin lifting, then dipping again. 揑s that allowed??
With his eyes narrowed on the tiny wedding planner, the desert behind him and his jaw ticking, ticking, ticking, Rita thought her brother looked like an old Clint Eastwood movie poster. 揧ou do something to your hair??he asked Sage in a gravelly voice.
揑 got bangs.?
揃angs,?Belmont repeated, as if it were some awkward, foreign word. 揑 don抰 think I like them.?
Peggy gasped. 揃el棓
揂ny longer and they抮e going to hide your eyes,?he pressed on, ignoring his sister. Ignoring everything梑ut Sage. 揅ould be any day now. Could be any day that they抮e hidden from me.?
Sage shook her head. 揘o, I won抰 let them be.?
Belmont was doing his best to stare Sage into the pavement, but he seemed to realize it and glanced back toward the parking lot. 揌ave you checked in yet??
揘o.?
Without looking, he gestured toward the building. 揟his side is better lit than the other.?
揙kay.?
揟ell them to put you on this side.?
After delivering the order and waiting to make sure Sage acknowledged it, Belmont seemed at a loss. He started to back toward the motel-room door he抎 left open, but reversed his direction suddenly without telegraphing his intention. He circled Sage slowly, scrutinizing her hair, her neck, her clothing. And she let him, somehow maintaining her poise. Until he brushed their shoulders together and her eyes closed. Just for a second, before popping back open, wider than before.
None of them said anything until Belmont was back in his motel room with the door closed. At which point Peggy clapped her hands together, breaking the slow-motion spell. 揝o敆she interlocked her arm with Sage抯棑was there a movie on the flight??
Chapter Sixteen
Thirty-three years old and this is my first date.
That kind of made him a virgin in a way, didn抰 it?
Even Jasper had to laugh at that comparison. He pulled his truck into one of the numerous empty spaces at the Hurley Arms and ran a hand through his hair, not surprised to find himself feeling edgy. He抎 be spending the next while in the company of an intelligent woman. An interesting woman. And he couldn抰 even remember the last time he抎 jumped the small-talk hurdle with a member of the opposite sex. Twenty minutes from now, he could very well be asking Rita her favorite color, but he hoped like hell it didn抰 come to that.
On the way to pick up Rita, he抎 stopped into the Liquor Hole to ask Nate what women like to talk about. After the bartender had finished laughing over Jasper asking him for advice on women, he抎 mustered up a one-word answer: themselves. If that were true, Rita talking about herself suited Jasper right down to the ground. He just didn抰 find it realistic. In fact, he reckoned she抎 probably turn his questions right back around on him, the stubborn woman. The stubborn梘orgeous woman.
His small talk might have been so underwhelming in the past that it had been the deciding factor in deeming Jasper good for one thing and one thing only. Rolling in the hay without delay. Hell, for all he knew, Rita felt that way, too. Although she didn抰 strike him as the type to suffer a man she didn抰 like, even if he was a good lay. He抎 have to trust that gut instinct.
Okay, the longer he sat in the truck, staring at Rita抯 motel-room door in the rearview mirror, the more shitty scenarios his brain would conjure up. Time to move.
Jasper climbed out of the truck and traversed the parking lot, running a hand around the waistband of his jeans as he went, making sure everything was tucked in. Not for the first time since leaving his house, Jasper commended himself for rubbing one out in the shower. Because, Lord. He didn抰 even have Rita in his sights yet and the blood in his veins pumped faster. That full, deep beat played in his ears, muffling the traffic that passed behind him on the road.
揗an alive, you抳e got it bad,?he muttered under his breath.
That sentiment became the understatement of the year when Rita answered his single knock. Yeah, he had it worse than bad. He was fucked up beyond all recognition. The first thing that hit him was the hanging scent of a shower. Not just any shower, though. A woman抯 shower. The scents of peaches, pears, and oatmeal soap floated out through the doorway and hooked him like a trout.
But that was before Jasper let his gaze drop from her parted梕xcited?條ips, to everything beneath. 揧ou smell that good under those clothes??
揥hat??
Rita breathed the word, doing this little writhe move just inside the door. The tight, red denim skirt she wore shifted along with her hips, dipping low enough that Jasper could make out the indentation of her belly button beneath the black tank top. 揚lease tell me you抮e not alone in there. Tell me there抯 a brother or sister watching reruns of Cheers somewhere.?