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“This is my home,” Sawyer said as he drove down his drive.
“I’ve never been here. I mean, I’ve been to your mom’s but—”
“You don’t have to be nervous, Birdie.” Sawyer reached across the seat and took her hand in his. “It’s okay. We’re a thing, and people know that now.”
“Thing?” She shot him a look.
“Couple,” Sawyer added.
She’d had to stay in the hospital for two days. There was worry over the infection in her hand and her concussion, and he’d sat in her room with her as long as the nurses would let him. He’d held her hand, but they hadn’t talked, not really because Nina had been in the bed across from Birdie. Her foot was in the air, and she was suffering a concussion too.
Today Sawyer had gone to visit Birdie’s parents. Told them he would watch over her if they still wanted to go to their dog show, which they’d told him about yesterday at the hospital. Hamish McAllister had shaken his hand, and Meadow had hugged him, welcoming him to their family.
They’d got him a bag of her things and left.
“I can’t believe Mom and Dad left. They’re usually like mother hens when something happens to their kids.” She frowned and then winced because he was sure the lump on her head hurt. Sawyer swallowed down the rage over how she’d gotten it. Over how he’d nearly lost her because of his crazy ex.
“I told them I’d watch out for you,” Sawyer said.
She looked pale and small in his passenger seat, dressed in black exercise tights and a loose gray sweater. Her hair hadn’t been brushed and was a tangled mass of blonde curls.
Mine,he thought. He’d never experienced this desperate need to be near a woman like he did Birdie, even when he thought he loved Jolena.
“I should go home and shower. I need to feed Woodrow, Sawyer. He’ll wonder where I am.”
Sawyer wasn’t sure where the nerves were coming from or why she was trying to put distance between them.
“Your mom and dad said that Harry is here, and he’s going to stay at your place with Woodrow until you go home.”
“Harry’s here?”
“Who is Harry?”
“My uncle. He travels around the country in a house truck.”
“Nice. We’ll go see him tomorrow then,” Sawyer said, pulling up in front of his house.
“I think I should go back now.”
He turned to face her.
“What’s wrong?”
She was looking at her hands.
“Birdie, talk to me.”
“I’m not good at relationships. I’ve really only had one, and that didn’t turn out so good. When I thought Jolena was going to kill me—”
“Don’t.” Sawyer raised a hand. “Seriously. I’ll have nightmares about that for years.”
“I told myself I’d tell you I loved you and then leave Lyntacky. I was all brave and ready to do it. But I’m not brave, Sawyer. You and me, we’re different.” Her eyes shot to him and then away. “You’re experienced and have lived life. You’ve traveled, and I’m…”
“What are you, Birdie?” Sawyer wanted to hold her, but they needed to have this conversation.
“I don’t know. I have dreams, but I don’t follow through, and now I can feel the fear inside me again.” The eyes she turned to him were desperate.
Sawyer got out of his pickup and went around to her door. Opening it, he slid his hands under her and lifted her out.
