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“He was panicked in that message.” There was a hesitation in Gage’s voice, as if he was searching for something he didn’t know was real. “Have you ever heard Sawyer panic?”
Two days ago when I kicked him out of my store. That was the only other time. He had to explain. I called, but there was no answer.
This was probably a conversation better had in person anyway, but I wanted answers now.
“Get us home,” I said to Gage.
He nodded and we were on the road in an instant, going as fast as we could, speed limits be damned.
It felt like an eternity when we pulled into town, but it was maybe forty-five minutes later. We found Sawyer near my sliding rear entrance when Gage parked in the alley. Sawyer was pacing, and looked up with a wide-eyed expression when we stopped.
I didn’t want to get my hopes up, but they were. They were so high up there that he could explain this, and I was about to crash hard, wasn’t I?
“Thank fuck you’re here.” He approached the instant I was out of the SUV.
I needed him to make this better. Please, please be able to explain. “Did you buy my store?” I couldn’t be demure or coy about this. I needed answers now.
He nodded. “Yes.”
“Why?” It was safer to scream at him now. Tell him to fuck off. Giving him the time to come up with a pretty story would hurt, but I couldn’t do this with him long term. I couldn’t cut him off whenever bad things happened.
I wanted to be able to talk to him the way I did with Gage. The way I did with Sawyer when things were good.
“So no one else could,” Sawyer said. “I bought it because I needed to make sure Don didn’t get it, and neither did anyone else.”
That was… good? “Then I’ll buy it from you. How much.”
“Nothing. I won’t sell to you.”
What?
“You have to.” Gage had joined us.
Sawyer reached in his back pocket and handed me an envelope. “I told you—this building belongs to you. It’s part of this town and so are you. I’m not going to take that away from you, and I had to make sure no one else did either.”
I still didn’t understand. I opened the envelope. It looked like a receipt, and it was notarized. It was transferring this address back to me.
“I don’t have the paperwork yet,” Sawyer said. “But this is a promise that the property is still yours.”
“You can’t.” I was starting to wrap my head around this, but I didn’t believe it. He bought my building to give it back to me? “That’s so much money.”
“What am I doing with it? Chasing a shitty legacy built by the kind of man who’s made this a business practice? I can afford it and you’re worth it.”
But was I? “After the way I reacted on Monday…”
“To be fair, I have a history.” Sawyer twisted his mouth in consideration. “Also, I should’ve told you when I found out about the bank.”
This was easy—the talking to him. Like it had been in the graveyard. Like almost every moment after. I wanted to believe him, and I didn’t see a reason not to.
“So I’m gonna go.” Sawyer stepped away.
Gage moved into his path. “Like that? You’re not going to stick around? Ask about the bot trials? Have a beer with us?”
Talk about if all three of us have a future. I swore I could hear Gage thinking the words. I certainly was.
“The building is a gift, not me forcing my way back into your life. It’s no strings attached. It’s yours, Evie. Goodnight.”
I grabbed his arm, and the shock of my skin on his sped through me. “Don’t go,” I said.
