Page 56 of Make it a Double

Fuck.

Just as the chairs fell to the ground, I heard a sharp whistle that had my head snapping up. I recognized it from earlier, though I was not met with the sight I expected.

Duke Bennett was flanked by two men I’d never seen before. They were tall and lean in comparison to Duke’s bulky frame. Each wore a shit-eating grin, whispering behind Duke’s back like two children who were up to no good. Clearly, their friend didn’t find their jokes amusing as he turned around and glowered at them before stopping in front of me.

“If I had known she meant you, I would’ve declined her offer for an escort,” I called, crossing my arms.

Duke scoffed. “It wasn’t my first choice, either, but you clearly can’t carry this shit by yourself,” he said, grabbing the box of donuts and the cooler from my arms. “Plus, these two idiots didn’t want to wait. Beckett, meet Lukas, Liv’s brother.” He gestured toward the taller of the two men. “And this is Grady, Liv’s ex-husband.”

Her ex-husband? That was interesting. I wasn’t a stranger to complicated family dynamics, though. As weird as it might have seemed to some, I respected that both men could not only stand to be around one another but seemed to have a good attitude about it.

Grady waved before bending down to pick up both chairs. He tossed one to Lukas before shutting the hatch to my SUV. “Nice to meet you. Don’t worry about this old grump. He didn’t have his fancy coffee this morning.”

Duke looked like he’d rather be anywhere else in the world than where he was. “Yeah, and you’re wasting time yapping about shit that doesn’t matter when the biggest game of my kid’s life is about to start. Pack up and let’s go.”

Without a backward glance, Duke did exactly that. He stalked off toward the field with the cooler in one hand and the donuts in the other. Lukas and Grady fell into step next to me.

“Don’t mind him. He gets really worked up at Harper’s games,” Lukas said.

Grady nodded. “I thought he’d quit being such a dick when he and Liv got together, but no luck so far. He’s still an impatient ass to the rest of us.”

I had no idea who Harper was, but I assumed it was Duke’s kid. He may have been an ass, but he clearly loved the people he surrounded himself with. Hell, he came out here to help me just because Sawyer asked him to. “Yeah, I’m gathering that,” I said, and sighed. “Don’t suppose you gentlemen might know how to get on his good side? I could use some pointers.”

The two men shared a look before laughing. “Nope. It’s like a rite of passage. You have to flounder in the deep end first,” Grady said.

“Ah, great. That’s helpful,” I deadpanned. It was imperative that I get his approval. It was important that I get his approval. Not just because of the work we had ahead of us for Frank's, but also because he was important to Sawyer. It was clear that she held his opinion in high regard, and he genuinely cared for her. He watched her and worried about my proximity to her. Did he have any idea that I was the father of her child? Or did he think I was just some creep trying to hit on someone who wanted nothing to do with me?

“Take it as a good sign you were invited to Harper’s game,” Lukas said as we passed under the white pipe entrance. “Baby steps.”

I snorted. Lukas didn’t understand how accurate that statement was. “Alright. I’ll take your word for it.”

We walked the rest of the way in relative silence. There were a handful of games happening across the massive fields. Younger kids stumbled awkwardly over one another as they fought to steal the ball away from their opponents. Half of them looked like they’d rather be in bed than fighting their classmates on the field. I was pretty sure one was on all fours, meowing like a cat near the goal.

It wasn’t until we were at the edge of the farthest field that I saw the familiar face I’d been unknowingly searching for. Sawyer sat beside Liv with her arms wrapped around her middle, one knee bouncing wildly as she shouted in unison with the crowd.

When she swung her head toward me, a tentative smile on her face, I nearly stopped breathing. God. She really was beautiful. Her hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail with tendrils of copper and gold framing her sun-reddened face. A constellation of freckles dotted the skin across her nose and cheeks. She was wearing a hoodie that swallowed her petite frame and leggings that clung to every single curve.

I stopped just shy of her as Lukas and Grady placed the cooler down at my feet. They both sat down beside an older blonde woman who immediately took Grady’s hand and a young girl who was the spitting image of Olivia. Duke had already started setting them up.

“Hi,” Sawyer breathed. Though the sun had warmed her cheeks, I swore I saw the faint hint of a blush stain her skin. “I see the search party was successful.”

I bent forward and picked up one of the chairs to set up. “Next time, I’ll find my own way,” I whispered. “Duke hates me.”

She shook her head. “He doesn’t⁠—”

“Well, I sure as fuck don’t like him,” the man in question responded, finishing the job. He moved to stand behind Olivia like a dutiful sentry and didn’t so much as utter a word as I gave him my thanks.

A smile played on both Olivia and Sawyer’s lips as I raised my brows in an I told you so look. “You didn’t need to do all of this, you know. I asked for one donut, not twelve. And the chairs are definitely overkill.” Her eyes darted toward the seat. “But I do appreciate the sun visor.”

Ha! I knew she would. The appreciative glance was all the confirmation I needed. I held out my hand to help her up, surprised when she actually took it. Her skin was so warm and soft. When she stood, the sweet scent of cherries invaded my senses. I’d become obsessed with the fruit after leaving town six months ago, and had scoured every produce section in New York to find the best ones.

You’re not obsessed with her, I told myself every time I reached for one. You’re just making healthy snack choices.

“I wanted to showcase my excellent listening skills,” I said, grinning when she rolled her eyes. “I’m not just a pretty face, you know.”

Turning around, I felt her eyes on me as I picked up the cooler and donuts. I might have lingered there just a moment longer than necessary. The moment I stood to walk back, her gaze jerked away and landed on the field.

“I’m starting to see that,” she said, voice just above a whisper.