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Sawyer finally cracks and laughs.
Dixon glares at me before standing up straight again. “I’m glad to know you two think this is a laughing matter. When I’m done cutting Garrison’s check, you’ll have my resignation.” He stomps out of the conference room in a huff.
“Think he’s serious this time?” Sawyer asks.
I shrug. “No. You used up all our family’s luck for the month when you married Willow.”
“You really like her?”
“She’s great, Sawyer. I’m thrilled for you.” But the words weigh on my chest. In fact, I’ve felt empty since the end of things with Autumn.
“Thanks, man.”
“If that’s everything—
“It’s not,” Sawyer says. “You wanted to pay out from the start, right?”
“Yes,” I smile. “Thank you for trusting my judgment. It’s nice, getting to do the right thing for people.”
“I trust you more than anyone to do the right thing, Rowan. Plus, it’ll really piss off Dixon when he finds out.”
I laugh and we part ways for the day, because I have an appointment I have to keep. When I walk up to the bar at the club, I sit next to Parker. “Glad you could make it.”
“Hey, me too,” he says cheekily, holding up a Manhattan.
The bartender, Gladys, knows what I drink and pours me a Syrah without a question.
“So, how are the boats?”
Parker chuckles. “Boaty.”
I roll my eyes. “Are you enjoying running the charter company?”
“Every day, I get to do the thing I love, and every two weeks, I get paid pretty well for it. Things could be worse.”
“That is one way to look at it. But I was hoping for a good story—
“Everyone wants a good story out of me. And I’ve got them, believe me, but the reason they want a story out of me is because they can take you away from your problems.”
I frown. “I don’t understand what you mean.”
“Clients charter a boat for a little getaway. A break from their mundane, humdrum existence. People see what I do and think it’s this romantic, dreamy life. Like being on vacation every day, all day. Don’t get me wrong—it is—but the reason they want my stories is to give them a vacation from the troubles of their own life. I’m their spiritual water guru.Iam the way they avoid their problems.” He drains his Manhattan and orders another, before asking, “So, what problem is it you’re trying to use me to ignore?”
“You just cut to the chase, don’t you?”
He smiles. “Any reason not to?”
“Remember, you’re the vacation guy. You’re supposed to give us a vacation from our problems.”
“Yeah, and I do that for clients. But you’re family, so you’re screwed. You don’t get the spiritual water guru thing. Stop stalling.”
I let loose a long sigh. “Autumn.”
“Ah.”
“We broke things off—she broke things off, actually—and now…nothing is right. I go through my days, little wins, little losses. But everything is flat. Dull. Tasteless. Even this drink, I used to love this Syrah. Now,” I shrug, “it’s meh.”
“Since when do you give up so easily?”
