Page 53 of The Wayward Son

“Thanks.” He opened the door to the truck and Sawyer went around it and got into the passenger seat. They drove the half-mile to the road and parked outside the arch with Three Oaks Ranch carved into it. He positioned the truck with its front end right at the edge of the road. This would make the snow plow have to go around it, preventing the truck from getting stuck behind a row of plowed snow.

Sawyer got out of the truck. “Aren’t you afraid Ross might plow right into you one of these times?”

Jake laughed. “He wouldn’t dare. Besides, he knows why I do it. It pisses him off. But he understands we don’t want to have to dig out a pile of plowed snow in front of the truck.”

“It has saved us a few times, for sure.” He looked at Jake. “Do you think Ember will be okay?”

“She will if the baby doesn’t come early. She didn’t want to go into town, though. So, we’re staying home and praying she makes it a few more days.”

“If something happens, I’ll do whatever you need me to do. Including helping you carry her to the road.”

“Hopefully, it won’t come to that.”

Jake stuck the truck keys into his pocket, and they headed up the road toward the house. He glanced at Sawyer. “So you went the distance the other night?”

“Yep. Ten really long rounds. Won by a unanimous decision.”

“Wasn’t your opponent supposed to be pretty tough?”

Sawyer grinned. “He was tough. Look at me. But I was tougher.”

Jake smiled. “I guess so. Where do you go from here, then?”

“Nowhere. That was my last fight, Dad.”

Jake stopped walking. “Are you serious?” He’d been waiting to hear those words from his son for a very long time.

Sawyer stopped and turned to look at him. “Yeah. I decided I’m not going pro. And there’s no sense in continuing as an amateur.”

Jake smiled and put his hands on Sawyer’s shoulders. “You’re coming home?”

“I’m coming home, Dad.”

Jake pulled him in for a hug. “Holy shit. That’s…fantastic news.” He stepped back and studied Sawyer for a moment. “You’re okay with this decision?”

“Yeah. I am. I’d pretty much made up my mind. Then I talked to J.T. last night, and I knew it was the right thing to do. It stopped being fun. I’m not going to torture myself for money or chasing fame. That was never why I did it.”

Jake hugged him again. “Sorry. I’m just really happy.”

“I’m happy too.”

They started walking again. The wind picked up, and it started snowing large wet flakes. Sawyer looked at the sky.

“Here we go.”

“Are you running Jade to Sage’s house before it gets bad?”

“She wants to stay at the house, if that’s okay. Can she stay in Sage’s room?”

“Of course. Are she and Sage okay?”

“Yeah. Jade just wants…”

“To be near you.”

“Yeah. She does.”

“I’m glad you two reconnected. She seems to be doing okay despite her childhood.”

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