Page 31 of The Wayward Son

He knew what being in would look like. A lot like Saturday night had looked. Although not all of his opponents would be that tough. Being out would mean staying at the ranch full time. When he was nineteen, it was the last thing he wanted. He respected his father and grandfather for their dedication to the ranch and what it meant for the future generations of O’Connells. And J.T. fell right into the mindset and was happy to do it. But it wasn’t for him. And Sawyer couldn’t wait to strike out on his own and build a different kind of future.

But now, at twenty-four, he couldn’t ignore the pull the ranch had on him. He missed it. And he missed the family. He waspretty sure it was time to go home and stay there. He’d proven to himself that he could make it in the boxing world. He was good. And he was sure with a lot of hard work, he’d be a champ someday. But to what end? A short career, followed by years of living with the long-term damage done to his body.

He sighed. “I think I just made up my mind.”

Chapter ten

"The cop was obviously having a bad day."

When Sawyer came out of the bedroom in jeans, a plaid flannel shirt, and cowboy boots, Jade smiled at him.

“Whoa, it’s cowboy Sawyer.”

“Well, I am going home to the ranch. Do you have a problem with cowboy Sawyer?”

“No. Not at all.” She looked at the small tote in his hand. “Is that all you’re bringing?”

“I have clothes there. And I have clothes here. No sense in hauling them back and forth.”

“Right. Of course not. Do you have a cowboy hat at home? Or are you still opposed to them?”

“No cowboy hat.”

“Phew. I always liked you in your ball cap.” The whole time Jade knew him, she’d never seen him in a cowboy hat. He loved to ride, but he never got into the cowboy hat part of being a cowboy. He’d always worn a faded green cap with Buxton Rodeo on it. He’d never been to the Buxton Rodeo, which was somewhere in North Dakota. But he found the hat one day at the park when he was twelve and it became his favorite hat.

He looked at her clothes stacked neatly on the couch. “It doesn’t look like you’re ready to go.”

“I realized this morning, other than my small gym bag, I don’t have a suitcase. So I was thinking about the best way to bring this stuff. I’ve about decided on grocery bags.”

Sawyer set his bag down. “I’ve got something you can use. It’s not fancy, but it’s a step up from homeless person.”

He went back into the bedroom to get a tote from his closet. When he returned, Jade was sitting on the chair, scowling.

“What’s up?”

“I am a homeless person.”

He set the canvas tote next to the couch, then went and sat on the arm of the chair and put his arm around her. “You’re not homeless. You live in this sketchy, questionably safe apartment with a creaky elevator and a scary laundry room.”

“I’m just a guest here. If you get mad at me. Or tired of me. I’m screwed.”

“You’re not a guest. You’re my roommate. And I’m never going to get so mad at you that I’d kick you out. And getting tired of you is ridiculous. You showed up at my door after eight years and I let you in. I think that says a lot about what you mean to me.”

She leaned against him. “I hate that I dropped out of your life.”

“Me too. But you dropped back into it. So let’s just think about that.” He rubbed her back for a moment, then stood. “Now getyour damn clothes packed so we can hit the road. I want to get there before dark.”

When they left the apartment, they stashed their bags in the storage compartment in the bed of the truck. Then Sawyer held his keys out to Jade. When she tried to take them, he pulled them back.

“I’m a good driver, Sawyer.”

“So you’ve improved since those days when I took my life in my hands, teaching you how to drive on the backroads near the ranch?”

“Of course. I was fifteen then. I’ve never had an accident. And I’ve only had one ticket.”

“For what?”

She sighed. “Speeding. But…in my defense, it was only ten miles over the speed limit and I didn’t realize I was speeding because it wasn’t posted. I was magically supposed to know what the speed limit was. The cop was obviously having a bad day. Stopping me for ten miles over? And he was really grumpy, too. What’s that all about?” She took a breath. “And if you can tell me you’ve never gotten a speeding ticket, then you can judge me. But if you have, then hand the keys over.”

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