Page 57 of Sawyer
“What’s happened now?”I look at Noah from top to toe, seeing nothing amiss.
“Ma!”Kevin’s voice has my body stiff.I look to where he’s pointing in the direction of my fields, and I feel life slowly leave my body.
“What?”I barely squeak out as I step forward, then take another step, then another before I’m running, my boys right behind me.
“No… No… No!”I shout as I get closer, my limbs shaking.
The entire far field of lavender, my best producing field, is in disarray.The plants chopped, pulled out, and raked over.I search every plant, look up and around at every nearby field, wondering what the hell has happened.My chest tightens, my mouth going dry, my eyes watering as my heart pounds so hard and fast, I feel lightheaded.
“Ma… What happened?”Kevin asks tentatively, just as distraught.
As I gaze along the fence line, I see something.Walking over to get a better view, I suck in a sharp breath when I see the metal wires have been cut, which could only be done by using bolt cutters, making a hole in the fence big enough for a person or persons to fit through.Clearly, whoever it was came in via Bob’s land, so the neighborly thing to do would be to call him, maybe see if he has seen or heard anything.Let him know that he might have had unwanted visitors on his property.This side of his land is left well alone, because he’s so busy with the hardware store and managing the kids’ baseball team and he doesn’t run any cattle or crops over this way anymore.But there’s no damage to his land at all, just the fence.I swallow down the bile that’s rising and come to the mental conclusion that I can’t tell him, because then he’ll start asking questions, wondering why my land is ruined while his isn’t and I don’t have any answers.
“I don’t know.Maybe horses,” I tell Kevin, wishing that it was, but knowing there are no horses in this field, and there haven’t been for a long time.And it doesn’t matter if there were, since there’s no way an animal could chew through a steel fence.
“Never knew horses could chew through a metal fence.”He’s a smart boy.He knows I’m lying.
I take a deep breath and look down at my son.The whole thing almost topples me over, and I take another deep breath, looking between him and Noah, knowing that even though I want to fall to my knees and scream, cry, and give up, instead I need to keep going.I’m all they’ve got, and I can’t stop now.
“We’ve got a bit of a mess to clean up now.We best get to the shed and grab some tools,” I tell them, shaking off any bad feelings and putting on a brave face.It works on Noah, but Kevin frowns.
“Ma, I’m scared.”
“Nothing is going to happen, Kevin.It’s just some wild horses, okay?”I try to alleviate his concerns even though mine are growing.I have no idea what’s going on here on the farm lately, but I don’t like it.I don’t like it at all.
26
Sawyer
Isit at my desk, looking over the files for what feels like the hundredth time.The criminal case that my firm is currently working on is an absolute shit show.We’ve had early starts and late nights, and I’ve had to make two statements to the press.Our client had been hiding things from us, which put us in a terrible position, one I wasn’t prepared to stay in for fear it would completely tarnish my firm.So I made the decision to end our representation, unfortunately leaving him scrambling to find new lawyers, which had the whole thing playing out in the press.
It’s only been a few days, and I’m itching to get out of here.My bed in my penthouse is hard and cold and empty.My dinners have been late-night takeout, making me feel bloated and sick, and nothing like the home-cooked goodness that I’ve been enjoying.And Annabelle, I think of her every morning when I wake and every night when I go to sleep, and probably every hour in between.
Not sure how it happened, but it’s true what I told her before I left.I would rather be with her and in Whispers than here dealing with work, and that scares me to death.
I’ve been hustling in high-profile business law for almost my entire adulthood.It’s what drove me in my youth, the need to get a law degree so I could help my mom, not only with money from my job, but legal expertise, because of the constant roadblocks she came across as a struggling single parent.I wanted better for her, better for us.
Over the years, my career turned into my lifeline.I wanted the biggest and best business clients, I wanted to manage multimillion-dollar deals, and I’ve succeeded.I have everything I’ve always strived for.But every night, I sleep alone.For years, I loved it.The silence was golden after a stressful day at work.But now, after spending time with Annabelle and the boys, experiencing the craziness of their house and dinners at their table, the calm comforts of relaxing at the end of a long day with someone by my side, the appeal of a life outside of work is growing.As is my need to find out what’s happening with her.
Just the thought of her being hurt is too much to bear.The scar from the gash on her forehead still makes my shoulders tense, knowing she isn’t telling me everything.But I see it in her eyes, at times when she doesn't know I’m watching her.
My eyes flick over to the three bags on my desk.The one thing I’ve managed to do already is get to the Mets team store.After an owners meeting I had yesterday with the Mets business team, I grabbed gloves, mitts, tops, balls, jackets, caps—you name it, I bought it.I guessed on both the kids’ sizes and Annabelle’s, hoping it all fits.I even got a sports bag and drink bottle for Kevin for his games.Next week, he’ll be the best dressed kid there.
I see a media alert come though on my screen, and I quickly read it.Sutton had a vehicle incident last night.Photos of his car, a pedestrian, none of it looks good.Feeling uneasy, I grab my cell to call him.
It rings with no answer, so I shoot him a text.
Just saw the news, what’s going on?Are you okay?
I’m in a meeting so can’t talk, but shit hit the fan big-time last night.
My brow furrows, not liking this.
What’s going on?What do you need?
I ask, not just as his lawyer, but also as a brother.I’m ready to fire up the jet and go to him, if that’s what's needed.
I had some fans push their way into a restaurant where I was eating and one jumped in front of my car as I left.He’s okay, but it’s a fucking nightmare.
