Page 67 of Sawyer
“Where the fuck else have you got to go?”I push past him back to the front of the house.She should be here any minute, and my nerves about having everything perfect for her are thrashing through my body.
“Good point,” Sutton relents, just like I knew he would.He’s excellent with kids, because kids love his movies.While they’re action films with some violence, kids tend to gravitate to them.
“What do I do with them?”
“Kevin loves baseball and movies, so maybe a movie night?I got popcorn and snacks, and the kitchen is stocked.”I see car lights coming up the drive, and I run my hands through my hair.I smile then, thinking of the boys and how the minute I said I wanted to take their mom out so someone else could cook for her, they were on board.
“Fucking hell, they must have one hot mom.You look like you’re about to break through your skin with nerves.”He eyes me suspiciously, holding back a laugh.
“She never leaves the farm.The fact that she’s coming out tonight is a big deal.”
“One look at me, and she’ll realize she picked the wrong brother,” he teases, and I roll my eyes at him.Just as the doorbell rings.
“Just behave.”I sigh, knowing it’s futile as he stands tall and proud, waiting to greet them all the minute they walk in the fucking door.“Idiot,” I mumble, but I’m too excited to see them to care.
“Hey.”I open the door and see three pairs of wide eyes looking back at me.
“Hey, sorry, we’re a bit late.Noah wanted to grab his monster spray,” Annabelle rushes out, and I grin, shaking my head.
“You’re right on time.It’s okay.”I press a kiss to her forehead before picking up Noah.“No monsters here, buddy.”
I turn and walk toward my brother.He’s looking at me like I’m crazy all over again, as his eyes flick to Noah in my arms and back to me.
“Who are you and what the hell have you done with my brother?”
I ignore his comment.
“This is Sutton.Sutton, this is Annabelle, Kevin, and Noah,” I say, putting Noah down.
“Hi, Sutton, great to meet you.Thanks for watching the boys for us.”Annabelle smiles warmly.
“No problem.Anytime.”Thank God he’s on his best behavior now.
I look at Kevin, who’s looking at Sutton, wide-eyed, like he’s seeing a superhero.
“You’re the guy with the monsters…” Kevin says in awe, obviously aware of Sutton’s movies, and I laugh, as does Annabelle, while Sutton puts his hands on his hips and puffs out his chest.
“That’s me.”
“Monsters!No monsters!”Noah shouts, and before I know what’s happening, Noah has his monster spray in his hands and starts squirting Sutton.
“What the fu—” Sutton’s pristine white t-shirt gets covered in blue and green glitter as his hands shield his face from the water spray that’s now coating him.
“Oh, Noah.No!”Annabelle panics, trying to get him to stop.
“This is Gucci!”Sutton wails, and I step in.
“Here, Noah, let me have a go.”I grab the spray bottle from his little hands.
“Take that, you monster maniac.”I spray my brother all over, his white top now saturated, and he looks at me with revenge in his eyes.
“Oh my God…” I hear Annabelle start to laugh, the sound pure magic to my ears.
“Kevin, jump on him!”I yell, and pride swirls in my chest at seeing him spring into action, clearly on team Sawyer as he jumps on my brother, Sutton going down onto the floor, both the boys on top of him.
“I am a monster!I’m the tickle monster!”Sutton wiggles his fingers, and the two boys scream in laughter.Meanwhile, I continue to spray him in the face like only a brother can.
Annabelle is still laughing, her love for her boys shining in her eyes before her gaze comes to me and doesn’t falter.But I do.I stop spraying, attention zoning in on her as the three kids on the floor continue wriggling around, her sons trying to hold Sutton down.
