Page 71 of Sawyer
“You lay one finger on her, and I’llendyou.”Sawyer's voice comes from the side, his hand now grasping Stanley's wrist so tight I can see the skin turning white.His presence instantly fills me with relief.
“Fuck off, you city suit.”Stanley turns to throw a punch, but he isn’t quick enough.Sawyer’s hand flies past, hitting Stanley right in the chin, laying him out flat.
The bar is quiet, my gasp echoing as the music stops.Everyone’s looking, and I can’t slow my breathing as Sawyer steps in front of me.
“I think you need to leave,” he demands, sneering Stanley’s way.
“I agree.”Tanner steps to Sawyer's side, both men blocking me from view.
“As do I.”Connor stands on Sawyer's other side.I feel someone grab my hand, and I turn, seeing Victoria on one side of me, with Daisy on my other.
“Me too,” another man says, standing next to Tanner, a man I don’t even know.
“So do I.”Bob stands next to Connor, crossing his arms over his chest.
“Us too.”Tim joins them as Tina stands next to Victoria.
One by one, it feels like the entire bar full of people stand around me, shielding me from a man who taught my late husband everything he knows.
That’s when I realize without any more doubt that this town isn’t the enemy.They’re family.A fact I had forgotten for far too long.And my new boyfriend is at the helm, proving to me that he has my back, whether I need it or not.
31
Sawyer
Iwatch Annabelle leave for the bathroom, hoping I didn’t say too much, but the thoughts spilled out of me before I could stop them.It’s the truth; I can see myself with her.We’ve known each other for such a short amount of time, yet I feel like every time I see her, I’m home.I can’t explain it, not really.I take a sip of my whiskey, wondering if Tanner’s been spiking my drinks with something.Maybe he has used one of Daisy’s tonics.
But even with how happy I am to have made things official with Annabelle, my mind also buzzes with anger.Anger at her shit late husband, a man who I’m piecing together was an abuser, both physically and emotionally.A man who kept her small when she’s so full of life.Keeping her stuck at home, when she should be wild and free.Keeping her thinking she was nothing when she’s the most beautiful and awe-inspiring woman I’ve ever met.
“How's the date going?”Tanner slips into the booth opposite me.
“Tell me about Steve,” I demand, and he takes a breath.
“A real piece of work.Bounced around from job to job, couldn’t really hold anything down.Turned to drinking, got mixed up in a bad crowd, thought the world owed him something.You know, a real class act.”Tanner takes a sip of his whiskey.All this sounds similar to what Bob had to say, but I want to know more.
“I'm pretty sure he was violent at home,” I tell him, thinking again about how Annabelle flinched the first time I met her.
“Yeah, well, no one really knew for sure, but the town talked.He kept her pretty hidden up at the farm, and whenever she was in town, the ladies would all talk to her and ask her questions, but never really found out much about anything from her.”
My frown deepens.
“So what?This town you love so much, this town you tell me helps each other, looks out for each other, just left her up on that farm with an asshole husband who used her as he wanted?”My anger is high, my body almost vibrating.If that asshole wasn’t already dead, I would kill him myself.
“It was a few years ago, and there’s only so much people can do in a situation like that.The sheriff went up for a visit almost every week, using one excuse or another, but Annabelle never said anything, and we could never find any proof.”
The legal part of my brain knows he’s right.Knows that you need evidence, a victim statement, that you can’t just go to someone's house and throw around accusations and arrest them with nothing.
If the sheriff used to go up and check on her regularly but never did anything, it doesn’t surprise me that she now doesn’t tell anyone anything.She probably thinks no one would believe her anyway.
That prompts me to share.“Something else is going on up at the farm.”
“What do you mean?”Tanner's eyes narrow.
“Not sure exactly, but something isn’t right.The night she hurt her head, we all felt it.Tell me I’m wrong?”
He shakes his head.“I got a feeling, but I couldn't really understand it, though.”
“This week, the field where her lavender grows was ruined.Bob and I saw the fence, and it was cut with bolt cutters.The other week, she had a flat tire, but she was a bit skittish about it.She makes excuses, but I know she isn’t telling me something.”
