Page 5 of Sawyer
“I don’t want to rush you.It’s important that you read and understand everything the contracts entail.”I sound like an arrogant asshole.She looks up, her eyes laser focused on me and not in a good way.Fuck, she even looks beautiful when she’s mad.
As Annabelle goes back to tidying up the papers on the table to make way for my files, her hair sweeps across her cheek briefly.It’s something that’s happened multiple times since I’ve been here and my hand itches to grab it.I go to step forward but pause as she swipes it back behind her ear.I have no idea what comes over me, but I swear, if her hair falls in her face one more time, I’m going to have to walk out.The urge I have to brush it from her beautiful face is all encompassing.
“Ummm, Ma,” the older kid says in a tone that has my senses on alert, breaking into my inner thoughts.
“What is it, Kevin?”Annabelle walks swiftly to where he’s at by the front window, looking out, obviously aware something isn’t right.
“Oh no!”She peeks through the curtain, then she and the boy start running around, grabbing their shoes.
“What’s going on?”I sense something amiss as the youngest kid goes to bolt out the door.
“Ahhh, no, you don’t!”Annabelle lunges for him and grabs him just in time.Wrapping him up in a hold to her chest, she shakes her head as he giggles.
“Sorry, he’s going through a phase of running away lately,” she mumbles as he wiggles in her grip.
“Ma!”the older boy says again, louder, jolting her, and she looks back at me.
“Here, can you hold Noah?Noah, go to Sawyer.”She thrusts the smaller kid into my arms as she runs to help the older boy outside with something, giving me no time to object.
“Seesaw!”The kid giggles before slamming his hands on my cheeks and squishing my face.They are cold and damp, and he swings his legs around in glee.I have to hold him out from me as he almost kicks me in the balls.Fuck.I don’t get paid enough for this shit.
“Wait.I can’t…” But Annabelle and Kevin are already running out the back door, so I follow them, still holding this kid out in front of me so he doesn’t dirty my suit, glad I go to the gym, because he’s a heavy boy and my arms are straining.My mood is now soured even more, knowing I have better things I need to be doing with my time.Like figuring out how I’m going to run my legal empire from this bumfuck, in-the-middle-of-nowhere town.
“Wait!”I call out again as I run down the back porch steps, worried I might actually fall through them, seeing them rotten in places.Noah giggles at me, thinking this is a fun game, his tiny, sticky fingers pulling at my ears.I don’t do kids.I don’t have them, and I'm not sure I even want them.I don’t have nieces or nephews either, so I’m not around them at all, although the way my brother goes through women, it’s astounding that he doesn’t have multiple love children at this stage.Kids are grimy and loud, and right now, this one’s squeezing my ears too fucking hard.Although, he’s a bit cute.He has his mother’s vibrant blue eyes.
I look back out at Annabelle, seeing her hair flowing wildly in the breeze, her jeans doing everything they should be to her ass, as she and Kevin work together, dragging the biggest cow I’ve ever seen back into a shed.
“What’s going on?”I ask, assessing the risks.Seeing this woman working with the large beast has me on alert.She looks fierce, so striking, yet my protective instincts are pinging at my skin, wanting her to get away from the danger of it, even though it looks as though the cow is more likely to lick her than trample her to death.
“She’s in calf.Going a little crazy from being inside so much,” Annabelle tells me, although she’s concentrating too hard on what she’s doing to look at me.
“She’s what?”I’m confused, the panic of the situation leaving me, and now wondering if she can hurry up so I can give her this kid back.My arms are aching from how I still hold him at arm's length.Noah, though, is having a great time as he swings his legs around again like he’s walking on air.
“Calf!”Kevin yells at me.The look he gives me is one of warning as he gets the cow back into the shed, the door of which looks like it’s connected via ropes, the hinges rusted clear off.
My focus snaps when a chicken darts in between my legs like it’s on speed, and I hop around, trying to get away from it.As I do, I lose my grip on Noah, and he wriggles out of my arms, dropping to the ground and landing on his feet perfectly before he starts to run.
“Shit.”I give chase, but the young boy is too quick for me.
“Sit.Sit.Sit.”Noah yells, trying to pronounce the swear word in between his giggles, and I grit my teeth.Playing tag on a farm was not what I thought my day would entail, even more reason why I shouldn’t even be in this fucking town.
I stride forward, trying to grab on to him, not sure what other dangers are lurking and not wanting to be responsible if he breaks a leg.As I stretch to capture him, I slip on something.My designer shoe has no grip, and my feet completely slide out from under me, causing me to fall straight onto my ass, right into what smells like fresh cow shit.
“Fuck!”I shout.
Noah gasps and suddenly stops, looking at me, wide-eyed, face stricken.“You said the naughty word…” he whispers.
“We don't use that language in this house!”Annabelle berates me, and I look up, seeing her march toward me with fire in her eyes.It’s a vision that makes me want to do really dirty things to her.
If looks could kill, Annabelle would have me strung up by my thousand-dollar tie.She stands above me, hands on her curvy hips, hair blowing in the breeze, eyes narrowed.I scramble up, just as Kevin locks the cow back in the shed.
“I need to go.”My suit is now ruined, my designer shoes completely covered in cow shit, and as I run my hands through my hair without thinking, mud now licks up my cheeks.
I really need to go before I lose my cool.I’m angry and embarrassed and completely out of my comfort zone here on a fucking farm, delivering fucking contracts like some intern.
“Thank you for stopping by.I’ll look through the paperwork tonight and let you know if I have any questions,” Annabelle says, and I nod.Then, without saying another word, I turn the corner and round the house, spotting a few chickens nearby that look at me like they want to peck my toes, along with rows and rows of thick lavender and roses, both surprisingly fragrant.
Peeling off my jacket, I place it on the seat of my new truck with a huff before I get in and drive straight back to town.
