Page 12 of A Me and You Thing
I scoop up both babies, sit on the couch, and hold them on my lap. “Yep, next week. I’m gonna miss these two so much.”
Sawyer stands behind the couch, wrapping his arms around us. “The Grandma Gang will take good care of them.”
“I can come help on the weekends,” Bree offers.
Sawyer kisses my cheek. “See, the girls will get lots of attention.”
“It’s me I’m worried about.” My brows knit. “I don’t know ifIcan live without them for two weeks.” I look up at Sawyer. “Or you.”
“You got me there.” Sawyer kisses my cheek. He straightens and starts to rub my shoulders, erasing all the kinks.
I love the way he shows me how much he loves me. Like bringing home groceries so I don’t have to go out shopping while juggling two little ones. And the massage right now. Or the way he massaged my feet last night while watching TV. He’s the best.
I tilt my head back, and he leans down again, kissing me on the lips.
“Hey, you two, I’m still in the room. Knock it off.” I look up to see she’s standing with her hands on her hips. “I just threw up a little in my mouth.”
“Gross, Breezy. TMI.” To me, he says, “I’m gonna hit the shower and wash the ocean off me. Love ya.”
“Love you too,” Bree answers.
He heads for the stairs, shaking his head and chuckling. “See ya when I see ya, Breezy.”
“See ya, Sawyer.” When he’s out of sight, Bree says, “You have the best husband in the world.”
I copy Sawyer’s earlier words. “Don’t I know it.” Denying it would just be an insult. (She doesn’t know about the cookie crumbs in our bed.) I want her to find what I have. So much. She deserves it.
“I met him first. You stole him from me.” She jokingly reminds me of this every time we’re together.
“I know. After your five minutes with him, it’s unforgivable.”
“They were an amazing five minutes. Five minutes can be life changing, you know. Josie is five minutes older than Jordyn and don’t think she won’t remind herlittlesister of that every single day of their teenage years.”
“As their mother, I can tell you they were five very long football minutes. She deserves to claim she’s older.” My heart pricks at the memory of Sawyer holding my hand, encouraging me through the delivery.
“My five minutes with Sawyer were also football minutes. It was incredible, during which time I learned about the helm, port and starboard, and how to tie a bowline. It just doesn’t get more romantic than that.”
We met Sawyer when we went on one of his whale watching charters. “After all that romance, it was downright rude of me to steal him from you.”
“Whatever,” Bree says insolently and shrugs. “Once I introduced him to my best friend, our tumultuous relationship was over anyway.”
My mind wanders to the memory of that day, the day I first met Sawyer Denali. I was standing on the boat, holding tight to the railing, watching the ocean for any sign of life. I wondered where Bree had gone and I turned to find her chatting up the rather striking captain, desperately trying to hold her ponytail from whipping her in the face. He looked mysterious with his dark mirrored sunglasses and baseball cap. I couldn’t tell what he actually looked like, but with the blond hair and muscular build, it was easy to imagine it would be really, really good once he was revealed in all his glory. But I came to see a whale, and I was determined to see one.
Then Bree brought him over to me and introduced us.
“Hey, Quinn. This is Sawyer Denali, the owner of this whale watching charter.”
I remember the moment so well... standing in the ocean breeze, the sun on our skin. It was an instant in time that will always stand out to me because it felt so... intense. He immediately ripped off his sunglasses with a quick sideswipe and removed his hat with the other hand, as if he wanted to see me with his naked eyes and allow me to see him, too.
“Quinn,” he’d said with a slight sexy man-nod.
And that was it. We stood there staring at each other for at least a full thirty seconds, which may not seem like a long time, but when you’re staring into the eyes of a person you just met, it’s an eternity.
I remember saying hello while drowning in his blue eyes. I’d never become lost in a man’s eyes. Not once in my entire life.
It was our beginning. I knew it even then.
He cleared his throat and composed himself quickly after the powerful moment. I wish I could say that I did too. Nope. I felt ridiculously tongue-tied.
