Promise Me This (Wilder Family, #3)

by Karla Sorensen

Sage remained standing, her entire body rigid. My chest ached, and I wanted to pull her into my arms and hold her tight until she softened again. My mom didn’t seem to be having the same struggles, and she tried to assert a little bit of control over the situation. “I’ve known Ian Wilder a lot longer than you have, Sage, and I’m allowed to have an opinion on him.” Slowly, I stood, tossing my napkin onto the table. “You’re allowed an opinion,” I said, voice low, positively brimming with warning, “but you don’t get to speak this one in front of me.” Sage came around the table and gripped my hand. “Or me. Maybe you should try to be more like him, Grandma. Maybe Mom wouldn’t have moved us into his house if you were.” The room pulsed with thick silence, weighted down with enough subtext to choke a horse. I tightened my fingers around Sage’s. “Why don’t you go wait outside, kiddo. I’ll be right there.” When she looked up at me, dammit, she looked proud. Of herself, and maybe me too. “I’m ready to go home,” she whispered. I cupped the side of her face and smiled. “We will.”