AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I figured since the dogs were here, you might be, too,” he says. He’s a low talker, one of those people you have to strain to hear. Especially me, with my poor hearing.
“You’re not here to order French toast, are you?” Kate asks.
Her question confuses me, but her body language is as clear as day. And he’s holding her so close, so tight, that his message is unmistakable, too. They love each other. I’m no romantic, but I can see it all like it’s painted on a big banner over their heads.
“You caught me by surprise,” he says. “I was coming off of three weeks on the ocean. Could barely think straight. I’m sorry if?—”
“You’re here,” she says. “You don’t have to be sorry.”
“You think we’ll have a girl or a boy?” he asks. “Either way, they’re gonna learn to fish. I brought a book—I already read the first few chapters. What to Expect When You’re Expecting.”
She cries harder as she accepts the book from him, leafs through a few pages, then tugs him in close again.
I’m pretty sure they’ve forgotten I’m here.
The dogs haven’t, though. Zoey breaks away from the love-fest to sidle up to me. Her brown eyes gaze up at me, and she wags her tail side to side. ‘See?’ she seems to say. ‘He’s not so bad, after all.’
Gwen warned me not to judge Sawyer before meeting him. And yet, I did. I heard about how he lived out of his van, traveled so much, and didn’t have a regular, full-time, year-round job. Even his looks set me on edge just now. He’s not a conventional-looking guy.
However, the way my sister’s holding onto him like he’s her safety says it all. She loves him. He loves her, too. I respect that. Kate’s being so vulnerable and kind; she almost seems like a different person to me right now, not the argumentative sister I’ve brawled with so many times. It’s nice to see her soft side.
So, when they part, I stick my hand out to him. “Hey, sorry if I was rude just now.”
He takes my hand, and we shake. It feels too formal, so before the handshake ends, I pull him in for a hug.
After all, he’s pretty much family now. I have a feeling he and Kate will tie the knot one day soon.
“Good to meet you,” I tell him as we hug. “I’ve been hearing about you for years. It’s great to finally put a face with the name.”
“Same,” he says.
Kate wipes tears from her eyes.
I know she and Sawyer have a lot to talk about, so I reach for my coat. “I’m gonna head out. You guys catch up. The house is yours; make yourselves at home. Kate, you know where the guest room is. You guys can stay as long as you need.”
We chat for another minute about the area. Sawyer’s never been to Windsor before.
When I step out into the brisk air, Kate follows and closes the door behind her. “Told you he’s amazing,” she says.
“I’m happy for you guys.”
“Yeah, I’m happy, too. Really happy. Hey, when you see that Gwen Temple, can you tell her thank you, from me? It’s because of her I put my heart on the line. Without her advice, I’d never have been brave enough to tell Sawyer my real feelings.”
I swallow hard and look out at the trees.
She furrows her brow. “What?”
I jam my hands in my pockets. My chest feels heavy; my stomach’s in a knot. “I had to let her go, actually.”
She swats my arm—hard. There’s the Kate I know.
“You did what? She was the best! Super nice, super authentic. She took time to listen, and that is rare. Why did you fire her?”
“Turns out, she was two-timing my company. Working for me, but feeding information about my launches to a rival operation over in Riley.”
“Uh uh,” Kate shakes her head. The blue streak in her hair flicks side to side, her nose ring glitters in the sun. “No way, dude. She wouldn’t do that. She was a cool chick. Real big heart. I could tell. You know how sometimes you talk to a person, and you just know? Some people are fakes, but not her.”
“Look, I wish that was the case. I thought so, too. She fooled us.”
