A Forever Love, Part 2

by Sharon Cummin

  “You want to start our Sunday fun early?” I asked, as I walked into his room. “How about a movie in bed.”

  “Really?” he asked, as he hopped up, abandoning the toys he'd been playing with. “Can we have popcorn too?”

  “Anything for you, baby boy,” I said, as I walked toward him, hugged him, picked him up, and spun him around. “Always for you.”

  I meant those words. He was my everything, and he always would be. Everything would always be for him.

  Chapter 15

  Sawyer

  I new I needed to leave her alone until Monday. She wanted her time with Noah, and it seemed like she really needed it.

  After dinner, I watched a movie with Ava. Then I headed to my room. I pulled my laptop onto my lap and signed on to my social media. When my notifications popped up, I let out a laugh. Grace had created an account, one I knew for sure was not there before, and she'd liked one of my posts. She didn't mean to do it. There was no way. She'd stalked my page, and something about that touched me deep but also made me smile like crazy. If she didn't care like she claimed, she wouldn't have created a page just to see mine. She could make up whatever lie she wanted, but I knew the truth. She had looked into me, and that meant that some part of her actually gave a shit.

  I tried to sleep but couldn't stop thinking about her messages and the sadness I felt at the way her mother-in-law had treated her. Was she really okay? Without thinking about it, I picked up my phone and sent her a message.

  Me: Have a great day with Noah!!!

  When no message came back, I wasn't surprised. It was already after midnight, and it was Grace. That badass attitude she was throwing my way wasn't going to affect me, not anymore. I was getting to her, and I wasn't about to back down any time soon.

  I woke up the next morning to find my delivery had come. Ava loved her new toy, and I was hoping Noah would be just as excited as she had been. I couldn't wait for him to see his new motorcycles, and even though Grace had said it was her day with him and that she was busy, I had to deliver them.

  I sent a text, but it went unanswered, so I figured I'd do a drop and run. I wouldn't try to stay. I'd leave right away.

  When I got there, I walked up onto the porch, and just as I lifted my hand to knock, I noticed movement through the window, and I stopped. When I looked over, I couldn't take my eyes away from the sight before me. Grace and Noah were dancing. They were both standing with their backs to me, shaking their butts. As I continued to watch like a stalker, they danced, fell over, hugged, and were both laughing so hard I was afraid they were going to pee their pants. I couldn't help it, I was laughing right along with them. Then they stood up, and I snapped out of whatever it was that was holding me there.

  Not wanting to ruin their moment, I quickly and quietly opened the screen door, placed the box inside, and closed the door. Then I turned, and as quietly as I could, I walked down the steps to my truck, so glad I hadn't been on my loud bike. I would have missed the show, and that was something I never would have wanted to happen. It was something I knew I would cherish forever. It made my heart melt, but Grace was right, I'd never wanted kids. Having them had never been a thought in my mind. I'd never been the dad type and wasn't sure that I ever could be. That was the hard part when it came to Grace. She was a mom, and her little boy was awesome. Not that she ever would have made anything easy on me in the first place. Shit! I needed time to think about what I was doing. It wasn't just her I was dealing with. It was her little boy too. A little boy that had already been through more than his share of hurt. I needed to think about him.

  Chapter 16

  Grace

  Sunday had been exactly what we'd needed. We turned everything off and had time alone, just the two of us. It was perfect. We'd just needed a day to relax and let loose. It always seemed to be that way after a day of visiting Noah's grandparents.

  We were both dressed and ready just in time for school on Monday morning. With Noah right behind me, I opened the front door and jumped back when a box fell in toward me.

  “What is that?” Noah asked, as I bent down to pick it up.

  “I have no idea,” I said, feeling confused. “I didn't order anything.”

  “Look!” Noah let out excitedly, as he pointed to his name in giant, black marker on the side of the box. “It's for me. Can I open it before we go?”

  “I guess,” I said, as my eyes landed on the original shipping label. The box was from Sawyer, so that gave me some relief. “We need to be quick about it though.”

  Noah dropped his backpack, grabbed the box, and ran toward the table. Then he ripped into it with no trouble at all. When he pulled out a very large motorcycle toy, I couldn't help but smile. Then the engine sounded and the lights came on, and I knew I was going to have to kill Sawyer.

  “This is so cool,” Noah yelled out with happiness. “Do you hear that engine? It sounds so real. Look at the lights mom. Do you see that?”

  “I do,” I said, as I watched my son smile so bright.

  Okay! So maybe I'd just kick Sawyer's ass a little.

  “Check out this one,” Noah said, as he pulled out a smaller but very realistic motorcycle. “It looks exactly like Uncle Sawyer's.”

  I thought about correcting him on the way he said Sawyer's name, but I didn't do it. He was way too happy, and there was no way I was taking even a bit of that happiness away.

  “It sure does,” I replied. “He must have dropped them off yesterday. You'll have to tell Ava to thank him for you.”

  “Maybe he'll pick her up again today and I'll be able to thank him myself,” he said.

  “Maybe,” I said, hoping he was wrong. I needed Sawyer to stay away more than anything. “We really need to go. Why don't you get your backpack. You can leave those right there.”

  “Can I play with them as soon as I get home?” he asked.

  “Of course,” I answered. “We need to get going. I don't want you to be late. Plus, I have to get back home for class.”

  “It's so cool that we both go to school,” he said, as he hurried over to his backpack and then started out the door. “We have to be on time.”

  “We sure do,” I said, as I walked behind him out the door.

  I felt a bit of relief not seeing Sawyer as I walked Noah into the school. He wasn't someone I could deal with at that moment. Opening that box had put the morning behind a bit, and I really needed to get back home quickly. Nothing was quick when it came to Sawyer, not a single thing.

  I hugged my boy, watched him walk into class, and hurried back to my car, getting the heck out of there as quickly as I could.

  When I pulled into my driveway, I saw something on the little table on my porch, but I couldn't tell what it was. As I walked up the steps and my eyes landed on it, I smiled. It was a coffee and a small bag. I picked them both up and hurried into the house. Then I sat them on the table, moved the box with the motorcycles to the other side, and quickly got my laptop out. That way, I could hear my teacher while I got everything else I needed ready.

  When I opened the bag to find not one but two cheese danishes, I laughed. Those had always been my favorite. Without thinking, I bit into one and let out a moan. They were so fresh and delicious. Then I stopped mid chew. They were from Sawyer, right? I'd just assumed they were, but you know what they say about assuming. Shit! It had to have been him. There had never been a coffee and danishes left on my porch before, and nobody else but him, his sister, or my parents would have known they were my favorite. It was him. It had to have been. I took another huge bite. Then I took a sip of the coffee and couldn't help it as a second moan escaped my lips. My morning had been made perfect, and it was because of Sawyer.

  I plugged my phone in and waited for it to power up. The second it did, I heard the familiar ding that belonged to him. With a smile on my face, I grabbed the phone and read his messages.

  Sawyer: Have a great day with Noah!!!

  Sawyer: You busy?

  Sawyer: I guess t
hat's a yes.

  Sawyer: In case you get this, which I doubt, I left something for Noah at your door.

  Sawyer: Aren't you proud of me? I didn't knock. I didn't even interrupt the mad ass shaking that was going on in there. That was hard to do. It looked like a fun time.

  I read that message again and let out a loud laugh from deep in my belly. He'd seen us. Oh my!

  Sawyer: Good morning! Have a great day! Don't work too hard.

  The smile was still placed firmly on my face, as I typed a message back.

  Me: That must have been quite a sight to see. You made a little boy very happy. Not sure how I feel about it yet.

  Sawyer: Don't be tempted to play with them. You have work to do.

  Me: Very funny! Thank you for my breakfast and lunch.

  Sawyer: Those are not meal replacements.

  Me: Who says?

  Sawyer: Would you let Noah count them as breakfast and lunch?

  Me: Of course not, but that's different.

  Sawyer: You're something else.

  Just as I went to type something else, my teacher came on and began speaking.

  Me: Got to go. Class started. Thank you!!!

  Sawyer: Anytime!

  I clicked my phone to silent and set it down on the table. Then I listened to my teacher as I finished my breakfast and coffee. It really had been a great start to my day.

  The day flew by, and before I knew it, the alarm on my phone was going off. I shut my laptop off, put my shoes on, grabbed my purse, keys, and phone, and headed out the door. I would not be late, not ever again.

  I saw Sawyer standing by the school as soon as I pulled into the lot. He was standing with his back against the school wall with his arms folded over his chest. Damn did that man look good. He always had, but there was something about the new him that was so much hotter than before. There was a confidence about him. You could see it just from his stance, but there was something else there too. I just couldn't put my finger on it. It almost seemed like he was watching the world around him closely.

  As I walked up the sidewalk, both kids came running out of the school and headed right for him. Did my little boy even look my way? Nope. He was all about Sawyer.

  “Thank you!” he yelled out, as he dropped his backpack and wrapped his arms around Sawyer's legs. “I love my motorcycles.”

  “You're welcome,” Sawyer said, as he looked down at Noah and then up at me as I approached. “I thought you needed some cool motorcycles to add to your collection.”

  “One looked just like yours,” Noah said.

  “It did,” Sawyer said, with a look of pride on his face. “I wasn't sure you'd see that.”

  “Of course I did,” Noah let out. “It's the coolest.”

  “Can we play on the playground?” Ava asked, getting antsy with the two guys.

  “Can they?” Sawyer asked, looking at me.

  “For a few minutes,” I answered. “Then we need to get home for dinner and homework.”

  “Okay,” Noah said, as both Ava and he took off, leaving their backpacks behind.

  “I guess these are for us to get,” Sawyer said, as he reached down, grabbed both bags, and pointed toward the playground. “We should go watch them.”

  “Do you want to sit on the bench over there and wait for them?” I asked, pointing to the one bench not far from where we were already standing.

  “I'd rather go closer to the playground if you don't mind,” he said, not looking away from the direction of the kids.

  “Sure,” I said, as I headed toward the playground.

  “Thank you,” he said, as he followed behind me.

  When we got to the playground, he stood against the fence.

  “Sorry!” he said. “It's just a thing with me.”

  “Let me guess,” I said, as I looked over at him, “you worry?”

  “I do,” he answered, as he looked down at the ground for a minute before looking back as the kids let out a laugh. “It's kind of some leftover shit from the military. As hard as you'll find this to believe, it's not just me being an ass. I'm pretty protective of the people I care about.”

  I thought back to all his messages about wanting me to text him. Had he done that protectively? He couldn't have. Sawyer didn't care about me. I was just his current challenge. It was nothing more than that.

  “What about the dance?” I asked, as that day popped into my mind. “You were out in the hallway.”

  “I needed a moment,” he said, as he closed his eyes for a second. “I'd asked her teacher to watch her. Then you ran into me, and I got distracted. That wasn't something I normally do.”

  “I see,” I said, as I looked toward the kids. “Oh, and you ran into me if I remember correctly.”

  “Whatever,” he said, with a smile.

  “Whatever?” I asked. “You totally did. Your face was buried so damn deep into that phone of yours. I can't even begin to imagine who it was that had you distracted. At least it wasn't social media.”

  The second the words left my mouth, I regretted them. He hadn't posted lately, but I wasn't supposed to know that. Shit!

  “Maybe it was my social media page,” he said, still watching the kids.

  “Oh, you're on social media?” I asked, looking away from him and toward the kids as well.

  “Aren't you?” he asked.

  “No way!” I said defensively. “I can't stand it. I don't see the point.”

  “Really?” he asked. “You don't see the point.”

  “Nope,” I replied.

  “Hmmm,” he let out, as he grabbed his phone from his pocket and started fiddling with it.

  “What's that supposed to mean?” I barked out, feeling pissed and defensive at the way he was acting.

  The next thing I knew, his phone was in front of my face, and the most recent picture of him and a woman was staring back at me.

  “I get that you can get women,” I snapped. “Why would I want to see a picture to prove it?”

  “Jealous?” he asked, with humor in his tone.

  “Of course not,” I growled out. “I don't give two shits who or what you do.”

  “Really?” he asked, as he looked right into my eyes, and I felt a shiver roll through me.

  “Really!” I growled out even louder.

  “Then do you care to explain why you liked my post?” he asked, as a smile spread across his face from ear to ear.

  “I did not,” I yelped out.

  He held the phone steady and pointed at the screen to my name.

  “Shit!” I whispered, as I turned away from him. “We need to get home.”

  “Oh, no you don't,” Sawyer said, as he wrapped his hand around my wrist and turned me back toward him. “You got some explaining to do.”

  “I do not,” I said, as I tried but failed to pull away from him.

  “Oh, you do,” he said, with humor again filling his tone. “If you don't have a social media page, then how is it that your name liked that picture.”

  “I hated that picture,” I snapped out. “My finger must have slipped. I don't know how those damn things work.”

  “Wait!” he said. “I don't get it. How do you not know?”

  “Screw you,” I growled out at him, before yelling over to Noah. “Come on! We need to go.”

  “Okay,” Noah yelled back, as he grabbed Ava's hand, and they began walking around the fence and toward us.

  “Did you create an account just to check up on me?” he asked, as he handed Noah his backpack.

  I took Noah's hand and started toward my car.

  “Are you stalking me, Gracie?” he yelled out from behind me.

  Without another word, I made sure Noah was safely in the car. Then I grabbed my phone and sent Sawyer the same picture of my middle finger again. When I heard his laughter boom through the parking lot, I got in my car and slammed the door.

  Later that night, just as I was getting into bed, I heard the ding of my phone and couldn't decide if I was sad or
happy that it wasn't Sawyers ding. Unsure of who it could be, I nervously hit the button to check it and was pleasantly surprised to see that it was from my old friend.

  Julia: What are your plans for tomorrow?

  Me: Not much. Why?

  Julia: I'm off, and a giant birdie told me you are too, so I wanted to see if you wanted to do something.

  Me: It's usually my day to run errands, but I don't have any. What were you thinking of doing?

  Julia: Going shopping and to lunch like we used to.

  Me: There's only one difference, I don't have money to shop.

  Julia: Neither do I, but it would be nice to hang out with another grown up and look around at something other than toys.

  Me: Sounds like a plan. I'll pick you up around eleven.

  Julia: That works for me. I'll text you my address. Unless you already know it.

  Me: Why would I know it?

  I sent the text, feeling defensive. Then it hit me, I did know where she lived. I hadn't been there, but it had been printed on the shipping label on the box Sawyer had left at my house for Noah. She didn't need to know that though, not after the way she was acting about it.

  Julia: Hhmmm

  Nope. I definitely wasn't going to give her the satisfaction I was sure she was looking for.

  Me: I don't know where you live.

  Julia sent her address followed by a happy face and a see you at eleven.

  I fell asleep looking forward to some quality time with my old friend. That was something I hadn't had the opportunity to do in years, and it had me about as excited as a kid at Christmas.

  Chapter 17

  Grace

  The following morning, I dropped Noah off at school, went home to clean the house, and got ready for lunch. When I headed out my door, I knew I had the happiest smile on my face. I couldn't wait to spend some time with Julia.

  When I pulled in her driveway and put my car in park, I hadn't for one second expected to see what I saw as I looked toward her garage. A very sexy Sawyer stood there, bent over his motorcycle, concentrating on his work. His tight jeans hugged the curve of his ass before leading down to cover those damn boots, while his white t-shirt clung to his muscles and stretched right along with them perfectly. He had a wrench in one had and a rag in the other, and both were covered in grease. I'd never wanted grease on me as much as I did watching him work that wrench on that bike. When my whole body shivered, I couldn't help but rub my arms. Just as he reached up to wipe the sweat from his brow, I realized just how long it had been since I'd seen a man get dirty, and that man was him. Oh, I appreciated a nice suit, but there was just something I couldn't explain when it came to grease and tools.