Page 72 of The Inevitable Us

“Do you have the letters?” one of the two men in black suits, who’d been watching the scene with interest, asks.

Sawyer pulls the letters out of his breast pocket, where they’re still in a manilla envelope, but before he hands them over he asks, “I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your names?”

They each pull out a shiny badge for Sawyer to carefully inspect. “Agent Brown, and this is Agent Jones with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. We’re here regarding a matter…”

“Yes, yes, of course,” Sawyer starts to say. “I called you.”

“I’m sorry to interrupt your family’s reunion, Ms. Coleman, but we need to interview you and Mr. Benson as soon as possible. Perhaps you can come in for an interview tomorrow morning?”

“Yes. Whatever you need.”

He momentarily purses his lips. “When did the letters show up?”

Sawyer hands over the envelope to the Agents. “The first was found twenty-four hours ago on her campus, on the car window. The second was found in the same place about eight hours ago, but at our new house, so it’s obviously someone who has the address.”

“And you think you know who it is?”

“Yes, my employee. Would you like my employee files?”

“Yes, please.” Sawyer reaches into his bag and hands him a stack of manilla files. “I’ve previously suspected Steven Keaton of sneaking into employee files. Likely to confirm Rosalie’s last name.”

“And you didn’t terminate him at the time?”

“No, sir, with good reason,” he grits out. I look at him wide-mouthed. He didn’t fire him when he suspected he went through the files? It had to have something to do with Taylee.

“Taylee likes to stick with the same employees. If you terminate someone, you need good cause, and suspicion wouldn’t be enough,” he confesses.

It’s already very late at night. After promising to show up early tomorrow morning to the local FBI office, we walk into the house with Ranger and the kittens exhausted after a long day of moving and traveling with so many animals.

“I’ll go get the animals’ things, Baby Girl,” Sawyer says after taking Ranger off of his leash. He leans down. “Why don’t you go put the kittens in our bathroom.”

When he walks out the door my father stands in front of me, his hands on his hips. “You are NOT sleeping together under my roof!”

“You’re being unreasonable. Beyond unreasonable. They literally live together and sleep together every night,” my mom says, trying to reason with my lunatic father.

“Not under my roof!” he insists. “He can sleep in the guest house or take the boys’ old room.”

I notice he doesn’t offer Josie’s old room, which has a bigger bed and an adjoining bathroom.

“Dad, I love you, but you’re not being reasonable. I’m a grown woman, and Sawyer is the man I love. If you don’t want us sleeping together under your roof, we’ll find another roof.”

He growls deep in his throat. “You can’t sleep somewhere else!”

“Watch me!” I say, picking up the kittens’ carrier.

Once I go to reattach Ranger’s leash, my dad growls, “Fine. But I don’t like it.”

“You don’t have to like it, Dad, you just have to accept that Sawyer and I are together.”

Sawyer walks in at that exact moment and gives me a proud smirk. “Atta girl,” his eyes tell me before he leans down and kisses my lips.

We decide not to try my father’s patience too much, and go to bed soon after arriving.

Wakingupearlythenext morning, we walk arm in arm with one another into the kitchen.

Dad has his arms wrapped around Mom’s waist, and he’s kissing her neck. Most couples aren’t as affectionate after so many years of marriage, but my parents are an exception.

Mom has breakfast done, coffee brewing, and a worried look when she glances up. “Thought you’d like a good breakfast before you go in. God only knows how long they’ll keep you.”

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