Uncork

By Renee Lee Fisher

**NOTE Book duo, start with Reserve, then follow with Uncork.**

UNCORK – is to release the celebratory champagne.

A toast to friendships and love,
OR NOT
And the bottle remains sealed.

Will Sage and Jace have their happy ever after?

Can their lifelong friendships mend that were pulled apart?

Could it all go up in flames?
Only a remembrance of the fireworks within their hearts.

Come join them on the 4th of July to see if it will be a memorable one.

Hopefully the pricey bottle will be popped and poured.

Bubbly will be overflowing for all the love worth celebrating.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Renee Lee Fisher
• Release date: Dec 18, 2018
• ISBN: 9780463962053

Renee Lee Fisher

USA TODAY Bestselling Author Renee Lee Fisher has the passion to put the pen to the paper and WRITE/CREATE. She is truly a romance junkie who loves to tell stories. She has written a variety of romantic works from novellas to novels. Her belief is that everyone should Indulge in LOVE.The first four of The Heartbeat Series of six planned Romance Novels. ROCK NOTES, LOVE NOTES, MUSIC NOTES, FIRST BEAT are completed and available. FIRST BASS and FIRST TASTE are yet to come.The Crossing Series (The Knot Hole, The Passage and The Muse) will take you on an endearing time travel romance from present day to centuries past.If you love a Suspense Romance - read Derailed. It is a sweet suspense that stands alone.Looking ahead, there will be many more romantic scenarios to come.Renee resides in Eagleville, PA with her loving husband Michael of many years and her cats Leo and Lincoln. She love to travel often and engage in meeting new people who provide her with future inspiration for stories.

Book preview

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CHAPTER ONE

Still swept up in feelings of love, the months have passed swiftly for Sage and Jace. It had been a year since Sage, Jace, Neena, and Miles met up for their usual annual get-a-way at Sterling Ridge Vineyard, and it had also been a year since they could all call themselves friends. Miles and Neena had barely responded to letters or messages from Jace and Sage trying to clear the air and mend fences. Sage especially tried all she could to get them to understand. Baby, you can’t make a milkshake without stirring it up, just as we can’t have made you and me becoming a couple without shaking things up relationship wise, and breaking apart from Neena and Miles, Jace told her.

Jace, do you know how insensitive you sound when you say that? Sage said rolling her eyes at him.

"It’s not like I’m insensitive, Baby, I’m just being real. There would be no us if they remained. We had to do what we had to do. As much as I value their friendship and will do anything within my power to have us all back and happy together again, I cherish you being with me more. I’ve reached out to Miles countless times, but he doesn’t seem to budge. Look, I won’t stop trying, but I’m just telling you that I’d choose you a thousand times over," Jace winked at her.

Their situation was peculiar, they seemed to have a direct swap of partners, only that the circle wasn’t complete since Miles and Neena weren’t together. It was an awkward situation to be in, but the heart wants what it wants. Sage and Jace chose to be more devoted to their hearts and the love they felt between themselves, that they could no longer hide, which did come at a price, the loss and loyalty to their friends.

* * *

Do we really have to send this? I mean Neena has barely replied and Miles, his first and only reply in a year was not a very friendly one. It’s actually been almost a year that has passed, don’t you get tired of trying to pacify them? Jace asked a determined Sage who was already sealing both her letters in an envelope which he assumed would be heading to the post office.

Miles’ reply wasn’t friendly, but it wasn’t harsh or hurtful either, it was just formal at worst, and I don’t think it’s a bad thing. As for Neena, you know how she has always been, you know her better than me. She’s strong headed and all. I think she’ll come around in time. Call me a crazy optimist, but I do believe this could still work out. We have never missed a 4th of July holiday together, all of us. It is only right for us to tell them that we still intend to keep the tradition alive, Sage replied sweetly and determination laced her words.

I’m just tired of feeling guilty, Sage. It’s not like what we had with them was particularly awesome, Jace sighed.

Well if you decide to be objective, you’d see it’s really not about the breakup. It is more about the betrayal they feel. It would have been okay to just break up with them. What was more intense was to break up and find love almost immediately with people they call friends; and that is what will surely sting. They might even theorize that we were already seeing each other before the breakup. You can call what we did insensitive, and even selfish maybe, but we had to look out for ourselves and I would do it all over again, Sage said as she joined Jace in bed and was placing kisses all over his face in between her words. Showering him with her affections.

Can’t wait for you to be my Mrs., Jace said he extended his arm from the bed pillow to turn off the light on the bedside table.

Sage Amarone sure has a sweet ring to it. She beamed, I feel like I was born to be Mrs. A, she continued with a chuckle and nestled by his side so that their bodies fit into each other like hands in a glove with her head on his chest. She looked up and gave him a sweet gentle kiss on the lips and said, goodnight my husband to be.

Jace could see the sparkle in her eyes as the moonlight illuminated the room. It was a picture-perfect moment. At that point, all he wanted to do was hold her close to his chest and make the moment last forever and he did that in his heart as his lips pressed against hers firmly. Once he broke the kiss, he replied happily, goodnight Mrs. A to be. Jace knew that he had to put a ring on her lovely hand sooner than later. Just talking about her becoming his wife made him want the realty to come true. He smiled as he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

After the announcement of Sage and Jace’s romance at Sterling Ridge last year, the circle of four lifelong friends was broken apart as Neena and Miles had gone their separate ways, leaving Sage and Jace to deal with the guilt of being the cause of the relationships all splitting. By the time Jace got back to Beverly Hills, Neena had moved out of his apartment and left her copy of the apartment keys with the neighbor. He felt sorry for her and at the same time, it was good riddance, he couldn’t deal. He was sure there was probably other men who she could find a life with. He and Sage had exchanged lots of letters and long conversations in the following month after which they agreed to take the next few months putting things in place to enable her to leave the life she had always known behind and move to Beverly Hills with him. Her job, her family, her house, were just a few of the things she had to sort out.

Jace couldn’t have been happier at having a new roommate. He spent the next three months working longer shifts and gathering extra money together for a surprise he had planned. Three months went by quickly and Sage finally moved in with him.

* * *

Sage knew she would keep in touch with her family and friends once she moved away, although she missed San Francisco, the people, the animals, and everything she’d known for the most of her life, she moved in with Jace and took a job at a local veterinary hospital, which was unlike anything she was used to. It was a large modern building, and was solely dedicated to the animals in the area. Unlike the smaller facility back in San Francisco. This place was enormous. The ground floor here housed the reception area, storage, and consulting rooms. The second floor contained an oversized grooming area and some specialized personnel such as a veterinary dermatologist, nutritionist, dentist etc. and finally the last floor had a grand waiting room for the owners. Sage was now one of the general practitioner nurses on the ground floor. It was the most equipped veterinary clinic she had ever seen; they had sophisticated equipment to treat all sorts of animal issues. Most of their clients were the pets of celebrities. House calls were a rarity because they had an ambulance to oversee that and her salary was more than she would have ever imagined. Sage loved her new office so much and couldn’t be happier with having moved to Beverly Hills. Being a veterinarian nurse didn’t seem like such a random job anymore. She felt such purpose, and had love to give all these animals and still plenty remained for Jace.

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CHAPTER TWO

Six months after moving in with Jace, Sage could have sworn she was the happiest woman in the universe. Jace was a hopeless romantic. If he got home early, he always made sure he had dinner ready, he made sure he sent a single rose to her with a two-line romantic note to tell her he loved her at least once a week while they were away from each other at work. He hadn’t once faltered in his promise to make her the happiest woman alive.

* * *

One evening, they planned to meet for dinner near Sage’s work and Jace picked her up. Jace had something up his sleeve, something big and good that he had been planning, but kept hidden from her.

So, I have a special surprise for you today, Jace said and pulled her closely, gave her a sweet kiss to her lips and then swiftly tied a charcoal grey tie around her head and across her eyes to blindfold her as she sat in the passenger seat.

Sage, I will guide you.

Sage knew he would lead her safely, he already led her deep within his heart. She also loved surprises and was anxious because Jace had blindfolded her the whole ride to his secret location. After a short time, she felt the car stop as the engine went off. Jace had stepped out of the car, as a few seconds later, he was assisting her from her seat to a few steps beyond. Carefully Jace reached forward and pushed open a large door and led her through into a main room, before removing the blindfold.

There they both stood in the middle of an empty living room, in a very spacious home.

What’s this? she asked, a bit confused at what was going on. She looked down the hallway and then at Jace who gave her a small push to look around more. What do you think about moving to a new house, décor and furniture all yours to decide, Jace said with a smug look on his face as he was satisfied at having rendered Sage speechless.

It’s our new place Baby, say something, at least tell me you like it, he said nervously hoping her wide-eyed reaction would be positive.

OMG! Jace, it’s perfect. Any place with you is perfect. But there is nothing wrong with your apartment, it’s fine. Don’t get me wrong I absolutely love this, but it looks super expensive, she said looking at a very large living room which she currently she stood in, and what looked like a dining area adjacent to her. Then her eyes traveled the long corridor of high end cabinetry that seemed to be endless in the kitchen.

Look around, Jace said as he led her down the hallway to one of the bedrooms. After a few moments, he extended his hand to Sage. He wanted to take her to view another room just across the hall. The daylight had grown dark. From where Jace stood in the next doorway, behind him Sage could see some sort of illumination.

Sage stepped into a room filled with flameless candles that made a very large heart displayed on the floor. He took her hands into his, Sage being here with you assures me that we will move on with our lives. We will build an incredible future together. There are only two days that I want to spend with you. Right NOW, and FOREVER. Sage, will you do the honor of marrying me?

Jace lowered himself to one knee