Page 66 of Sawyer
“I miss you too,” I whisper, my boys still emptying the bags in the living room.
“I was thinking… Maybe I can take you out tomorrow night?Friday night dinner at the bar in town.”
“I’d love to, but the boys… I can’t leave them alone.They’re too young.”
“Yeah, well, my brother is arriving tonight, and he’ll need something to do, so I thought he could watch them at my place.Maybe you all sleep over for the night?Have a break from the farm for a bit?”
I think about it.I have so much to do, so much to organize, but a night off sounds so perfect.
“My brother is an asshole most of the time, but I trust him with my life, and I trust him with the boys,” Sawyer reassures me, and I nod.
“Okay… I’d love to go on a date with you, Sawyer.”This will be my first official date.My late husband and I never really did any dates; he didn’t like me leaving the house at all, really.
“You’re perfect, you know that.”He brushes his lips tenderly against mine again.I’m not used to the compliments he gives me, and my heart races at each and every one of them.
“I’m so far from perfect…” I shake my head, but the grin on my face is hard to remove.
“You’re perfect for me.Oh, before I forget…” he says, stepping back a little, his smile widening.
“There’s more?”I grip on to the new dining chair for fear I might topple.
“I bought a few hundred acres off Bob today.Enough for you to double your lavender yield.”
My jaw drops open, heart stuttering, knees weakening.I’m glad I’m holding on to the chair.“Youwhat?”
“I don’t know anything about soaps, but if you get this deal with the Van Cleefs, then you’ll need to double your raw materials to keep up with demand.”
“But… what if the deal falls through?”My heart pounds in my ears, my head filled with so many questions.
“Then we’ll just be ready for the next one.”His smirk of arrogance is now in place, his belief in me and Gertie’s almost too much to digest.
“Ma!Look!A new drink bottle!”Kevin hollers from the living room, and I look back around and see my small space now covered in Mets merchandise, my two boys dressed in caps and jerseys, throwing balls around.Sawyer walks back over to them, helping them take all the tags off everything, and I pinch myself to ensure this is all real.Looking out the window, darkness now falls, and as positive as I want to stay, I know that after the good, usually comes the bad.
And I’m not sure I’m ready for what’s coming next.
29
Sawyer
Iwalk around my place, fluffing pillows and ensuring things are neat.
“What the hell are you doing?”My brother looks at me as I step back through the living area, where he’s watching an action film.
“Just triple-checking.”I make my way down the hallway to the bedroom I’ve prepared.Flicking on the light, the bunk beds are fully dressed, the bookcase filled with books, and a wardrobe stocked with clothes, in case they forgot something.Signed Mets jerseys are framed on the walls and games are stacked in the corner.
“Triple-checking what?”Sutton sits up from the sofa, watching me like I’ve lost my mind.Maybe I have.I’ve never put in this much effort before.
“I’m taking her out tonight.The kids will stay here with you.”I know my brother well enough to know that if I need anything from him, I need to spring it on him at the last minute; otherwise, he loses interest in that task pretty quickly.
“Kids?”He stands and walks quickly down the hallway after me.
“Yeah, Noah and Kevin.”I smile, thinking about the joy on their faces over a few caps and jerseys.They were all overwhelmed.It cost me next to nothing to do, and it’ll be a core memory for all of us.
“She has kids?Is that what the fucking bunk beds are about?”He checked out the place today after his late-night arrival last night.
“Yes, she has kids.And I need you to watch them tonight while I take her out.”I step into my room, the large space spotless, with clothes for her in the wardrobe, the bathroom sparkling.I wonder if I should fill the bath when we get home later, knowing that the small one she has at the farm wouldn’t be big enough for her to fully relax in.
He’s looking at me like I’ve grown two heads when I turn around.“Do I look like a fucking babysitter?”
