Page 60 of Sawyer
“Not to break up that beautiful moment.” Dean pretended to wipe a tear from his eye. “But the only person yet to answer is Madison. Happiest moment?”
She picked up her drink and took a hefty swallow. “The day I got the duck with cherries recipe.”
Sawyer watched shock ripple across Kyle’s face. “That’s mine too,” he rasped, completely out of sync with the game because the questioner did not have to answer his own question.
Madison took another healthy drink as they stared at each other, unblinking.
“You didn’t need to drink, Madison, and you did twice,” Thea pointed out sweetly. “Did you forget?”
No, Sawyer knew without asking that she’d needed liquid courage to share the memory, and God knew what kind of agony she’d experienced knowing she and Kyle had the same answer.
Brooke had mentioned walking in on Madison hugging Kyle after she’d gotten that recipe. And Madison wasn’t a hugger.
“It’s easy to forget the rules,” Sawyer said to save her from a reply. “I find all this talk thirsty work.”
He took a sip of his drink for good measure and met Madison’s gaze. There was gratitude in it. His gaze slid to Kyle, who reached for his cognac and took a deep sip like a man dying of thirst.
Yeah, two people could not go on like this while living together. He’d been the only third person who was consistently at home. Had his recent absence been making things more difficult? God, he almost wondered if he should ask them if he needed to bring Phoebe back here. Only he wasn’t convinced they needed a buffer. Maybe what they reallyneeded was the space to get everything out in the open without anyone else around.
Yeah, so he’d stick with going to Phoebe’s for the time being.
“We need another question.” Brooke’s take-charge voice broke the tension. “Shall we draw straws again?”
They all agreed, and soon Dean was asking a silly question about how everyone would spend a playdate with Pierre. Brooke said she’d take him to get a manicure, and Jean Luc had them all guffawing when he said he’d bring him to the French courts in an old French wig. Then Phoebe answered that she’d take him to a tragic French film because she’d heard parrots’ cries are heartbreaking.
Drink and Divulge remained light, perhaps because no one could handle another Kyle and Madison moment, or because they’d realized Sawyer had shared as much of his heart as he could handle tonight. Whoever said happiness wasn’t intense?
After the game wound down, he and Phoebe hung out with the others a little more. He smiled as he overheard her chitchat with Thea about her new bakery, which Phoebe was genuinely excited about, noting which bread tickets she’d purchased so far.
“All right, I really like her, Sawyer,” he heard Brooke say quietly.
He looked over his shoulder. She was shrugging into her coat with Axel’s help. Axel rolled his eyes as he put his hands on her shoulders, smoothing out her coat. “I knew you’d come to it,elskede.”
“I like to take my time on important things.” She kissed Sawyer’s cheek. “She’s handling the business side with the utmost professionalism while making you as deliriously happy as someone in love can be. I saw how you looked at each other as you were sharing your happy moment. Nanine will want to meet her next.”
He pushed his gold spectacles up. They both understood how much that meant. It was his version of bringing his girl home to meet the parents. Only his parents sucked, and he still hadn’t returned his mother’s texts or calls. And for the first time in his life, he wasn’t feeling guilty about it. Progress. “I know, and I want that. She’s become as important to me as all of you.”
“That’s when you know it’s real and true,” Axel said with a nod. “I can see why you suit, and I’m delighted for you both.”
“Thank you.” He decided to go with all the emotion of the night and man-hugged Axel, who only stiffened for a moment before slapping him on the back.
God, dude had big hands.
“I see we are brothers of sorts now,” Axel observed with a smile. “I find it good.”
Sawyer shot Brooke a wink. “Me too, bro.”
“And now you go too far.” Axel took Brooke’s hand as she chuckled. “We will see you soon, I expect. Good night, everyone.”
Brooke blew kisses, and the rest of his roommates and their Plus Ones started grabbing their coats and saying their goodbyes. He followed suit, helping Phoebe into her coat, but his eyes were on Kyle and Madison.
She was wiping down the kitchen island, which Thea had already done. She was so eager to evade Kyle’s lingering gaze that she acted like a beachcomber for shells, only in her case it was breadcrumbs.
“It was wonderful seeing you again, Madison,” Phoebe called out. “If you and Thea need a bread taster for your cardamom brioche, let me know. I’ll even hunt down the finest smoked cardamom available as my contribution.”
That had Madison lifting her chin in her usual tough but accommodating nod. “We might take you up on that. Take care of Doc. It’s cold out, and the streets of Paris are dark.”
Pheobe gestured to her purse. “I’m armed with pepper spray, a hat pin, and a bad attitude when needed.”
