“Were you goin’ to slide into my DMs?” I laugh.
“Not in a creepy way,” Sawyer defends. “What should’ve happened was that you never left the bar, and I would’ve gotten your real name and number.”
My heart jolts, and I can’t stop the splitting smile from taking over my face. Maybe he’s right, the cards were in our favor.
“What is this place?” Sawyer asks when I tell him to turn into the diner’s lot.
“A drive-in diner.” I smile tentatively, taking in his reaction.
“I didn’t know these still existed.” He looks around, finally parking the car in one of the open spots.
“I love coming here. It’s nothing fancy, but their milkshakes are the best you’ll ever try, and their food is great, too. Besides, I thought it would be safer considering the situation,” I admit, hating to bring up the fact that we probably shouldn’t be out.
Sawyer looks at me with a smile. “I love this idea.” He reaches for my hand.
After we order, the waitresses in their adorable 50s outfits, Sawyer and I get to know each other better.
“Where are you from? I never asked you when you mentioned you were from a small town.”
“Fayetteville, it’s a small town about an hour and a half south of Nashville. My parents still live there.”
“So you traded one ‘Ville for another and then another?” I joke lamely.
Sawyer chuckles. “I guess you could say that. I went to college in Knoxville, so…” He trails off, and I laugh.
“You really have only lived in places ending in ‘Ville,” I comment.
“I have.” He nods, the valley between his eyebrows deepening. “I never noticed before.”
Putting pieces together, I frown. “I don’t know if this is going to work out.” I school my features and hold back my laughter when Sawyer’s eyes widen. “You’re a Vols fan. I’m a Bama girl. Roll tide all the way.” I shrug and press my lips together.
Sawyer smiles slowly, bringing his arm around my waist in the confinements of his car. “I think I can convince you.” His eyebrow arches, and he leans in so close I think he’s going to kiss me. “I won’t tell anyone you converted to a Vols fan.”
I laugh loudly, shaking my head. “No way. I’m loyal to my team.” I pat his chest.
“I’m sure we can put our differences aside.” He trails his hand up my back, and I wait with bated breath to see what his next move will be. We’re so close, leaning into each other over the console.
“What do you say?” he whispers, his breath fanning my cheek. “We call a truce for the sake of our relationship.”
My heart pounds. I want to lean in and kiss him, but this is our first date. Not that we haven’t already made out in a public place, but that was before I knew him. When his hand wraps around the back of my neck and gently massages me, I bite back a moan and resist the urge to agree to anything he says.
“I’m waiting.”
He reminds me I haven’t spoken, and his cocky smile tells me he knows exactly what he’s doing to me. Gathering my wits, I lean closer, my hands on his chest, and I drop my voice.
“I think you’d look great in Crimson.” I smile mischievously, and Sawyer groans. He pulls my neck toward him, closing the small gap that was left between us. Then, his lips are on mine, desperate.
I try to get closer, kissing him back with as much fervor, needing more, and wishing this damn console wasn’t between us and digging into my ribs. All of that is forgotten when his tongue swipes along the seam of my lips, and I part for him. Our tongues tangle, and he angles my head to deepen the kiss.
My entire body is on fire and sensitive. Lust rolls through me and lands between my legs. I squeeze them together and grip his shirt, tangling my tongue with his. We groan and moan, both of us wanting to get closer and cursing when it’s impossible.
I don’t know if it’s wrong to feel this way about a student’s parent, but being with Sawyer feels so damn right. It felt right when we kissed, and he was a total stranger, and it feels right now.
Sawyer slows the kiss, pecking my lips before leaning back and looking at me with a lazy smile. My breath is labored, but I still laugh when I see the light pink lipstick smeared across his lips. I reach over and wipe some of it off.
“Got a little something…” I giggle. He laughs when he looks at himself in the rearview mirror.
“I think it’s my color.”
“It suits you,” I agree teasingly.
Before he can respond, I see the waitress heading our way with a tray full of burgers, fries, and milkshakes. Sawyer lowers his window so she can place the tray on a rack that slides into the door. Then she comes around my side and adds another tray, so we each have somewhere to place our food while we eat.
“I’m so excited.” I eagerly take the burger and napkins he hands me. Eating in a car may not be the most comfortable experience, but it’s unique and intimate.
As we eat, Sawyer tells me about his days playing baseball in high school (I knew that ass belonged to a baseball man), and I tell him about growing up in Springville and places to visit.
Being around him is easy. Although when I first saw him show up in my town, I was nervous and awkward, it was the situation that made me feel that way. I never thought I’d see him again, let alone in my classroom with his son. However, Sawyer and I click. He enjoys watching football like I do. He loves the outdoors. He even likes fishing. The more he shares about himself, the move I realize how much we have in common.
“I ran cross country in high school. I always preferred sports over cheerleading, but a lot of my friends were cheerleaders. I just love the freedom of running down a path that can lead anywhere.” I had amazing experiences doing cross country and going to meets all over our county and a few around the state.
“I can imagine. I’ll confess I’m not much of a runner, but it always seemed like such a great de-stressor to me.”
I nod between bites and wipe my mouth before responding. “It is. I haven’t made time for it recently, but whenever I can, I go for a run.”
When we finish eating, and our tab’s taken care of, I ask Sawyer at what time he has to pick River up from Pete’s house. I’m hoping we have some more time together.
“I said I’d pick him up around five.”
“Do you wanna see one of my favorite places?” I ask, biting my lip as nervous energy surrounds me.
“Hell yeah.” He nods, turning the ignition.
I once again guide him to a nearby river that has an old mill bridge. We park a few feet away and walk toward the bridge, Sawyer halting when he sees it.
“Wow, this is really cool.”
“It is.” The weathered wood roof and siding create an enclosed bridge that we begin to walk on. Sawyer’s hand wraps around mine, and I turn to look at him with a shy smile. Everything about today has given me the butterflies.
It’s been a perfect date, and I hope that we can continue down this road, although I’m nervous about what will happen at work if they find out. I’m not sure what the consequences are, but I’d guess there will be some for dating a student’s father.
chapter 9
Sawyer
I walk through the mill bridge with Ada, watching her with a smile. I’ve loved spending time with her today. And that kiss earlier… I wished we weren’t in my car in a public place. I listen as she tells me about this place, taking in her joy. She uses her other hand to talk, her face lighting up as we come off the bridge and the area opens up to the river on the left.
“Wow,” I whisper, taking in the tall trees and sun rays peeking through them.
“I know.” Ada looks over at me with twinkling eyes. “I love coming here. I wish it weren’t so far away, but I guess it was a good thing today.” She takes in her lower lip between her teeth.
I tug her toward me with the hand I’m holding and bring my other hand around her back. My heart’s racing, but watching her shy smile allows me to take a deep breath and not
fear jumping in with her.
After Tessa passed, I didn’t think I’d meet someone who would make me feel anything compared to what she did. I’ve only known Ada for a short while, but something about her reminds me of that feeling I lost so long ago. I can see something more than a few dates with her.
“I think it’s a very good thing that it’s far from Springville.” I brush my lips against hers.
“Yeah,” she sighs, pressing her lips together. “Come on.” She tugs me toward the riverbed where a few big rocks are.
Ada takes a seat on one of the rocks, and I sit beside her, taking in the beauty around me. The sun glimmers on the river’s surface as it streams down its path. We’re both quiet for a moment, her hand in mine. Birds chirp, and I assume they’ll be gone come winter. It’s so peaceful.
“Thank you for bringing me here,” I say, looking over at Ada.
“You’re welcome. Tell me more about yourself. Did you end up in Nashville because of work?”
“Yeah. I did my residency there and fortunately got a job afterward. I was lucky to get to stay in my first pick.” I think back to that young college graduate who wanted to succeed so badly—a small-town country boy working in one of the state’s top hospitals. I busted my ass, and it was worth it in more ways than one.
I take a deep breath and look at the sincere curiosity on Ada’s face. She hasn’t asked me once about River’s mom, and I appreciate her letting me do that on my own time.
“That’s great. I’m sure it was more than luck on your side. You’re a good doctor. People in town are happy to have you, and you know how difficult it can be to please small-town folk.” She giggles, and I wrap my arm around her, bringing her closer to me.
“I sure do.” I kiss her temple.
Ada sighs, staring at the river before us. Her head leans on my shoulder, and this moment feels pretty close to perfection.
“River’s mom was a nurse in the hospital.” I feel her tense, but she remains quiet. “We met while I was doing my residency and eventually got married. My parents told me to wait to marry her until I was done with my residency, but all I knew was that I wanted to be with her. After I proposed, we found out she was actually pregnant.”
Ada lifts her head and stares into my eyes. “What happened?” she whispers.
“We were really happy. We had River sooner than planned, but that only made us stronger. I finished up my residency and got offered a job in the same hospital. We were relieved we wouldn’t have to move with a newborn.” I take a deep breath, reminiscing a story I’ve revisited more times than I can count. It still sucker punches me, though.
“When River was two, she was diagnosed with cancer. It was brutal, but she passed a few short months after so she didn’t suffer much. I suffered enough for the two of us, especially with the guilt of being a doctor and I couldn’t save her.” I rub my eyes and let out a heavy breath.
“I’m so sorry,” Ada whispers, her eyes filled with unshed tears.
I shake my head. “You don’t have to be. I’ve learned to live without her. I don’t mean that in an insensitive way. It hasn’t been easy, but River and I keep her memory alive.”
“He was so young…” she adds quietly.
“Yeah, he doesn’t remember her much, but I tell him about her, show him pictures, listen to her favorite songs, and cook her favorite meals.”
Ada smiles sadly. “I think that’s really great.”
I wonder what she’s thinking. Is she ready to run the other way? Would she want to deal with a widower?
“I don’t normally talk about this with people, but I wanted to share it with you.”
“I’m glad you did.” She reaches for my hands, kissing the tops of them. “You aren’t responsible for this. I bet you did everything in your power to make sure she got the best care.”
I nod. “I know that, but the irrational side of me feels the guilt heavy in my soul.”
“Listen to the rational side of yourself,” she smirks.
I chuckle. “I’ll do that.” I wish it were that easy, but I work on it every day I wake up to watch our son grow, and Tessa doesn’t. River tells me she’s always with us, and I let him ease my guilt by agreeing with him.
“Thank you for trusting me with this.” She settles beside me again, her head on my shoulder once more.
We don’t need words to fill up the time we’re together. I’m comfortable with her, silence or not. She’s beautiful, kind, and understanding. Not many women would want to hear about a guy’s wife while on a date.
Ada shivers beside me, and I brush her hair away from her face. “Are you cold? Do you want to go?”
“I hate leaving this place, but I am getting cold.”
“Come on.” I stand, offering her my hand. We both look around the area once more before walking back through the mill bridge. I feel lighter after telling Ada about Tessa. If I want to keep seeing her, I need her to know about my past.
By the time we make it back to town, it’s almost time to pick up River. I want more time with Ada, but I’m also anxious about seeing River and hear how his day went.
Ada turns to me when I park in front of her house. “Thank you for today. I had a great time.”
“I did, too.” I cradle her face and kiss her softly. “I want to see you again.”
She nods. “I wish we didn’t have to hide.”
“Me too.” I lean my forehead against hers. “I don’t want anything to ruin your job.”
“Or for River to get hurt,” she adds. The fact that she cares that much about my son makes me want her even more.
“We’ll figure it out.”
She nods softly before pressing her lips to mine. I groan and curl my fingers into her hair, needing more than a quick kiss. I run my tongue along the seam of her lips, prompting her to open. When her tongue swipes against mine, I lose control and devour her. My heart thumps loudly. I probably shouldn’t kiss her in front of her house, even if we are in my car, but logical thinking is thrown out the window when her hand lands on my thigh to hold her balance.
“Sawyer,” she whimpers. Wordlessly, I tug her bottom lip with my teeth. If we weren’t in an awkward position with the console between us, I’d pull her onto my lap, touch her everywhere.
It’s been so long since a woman has caused this type of desire.
Ada slows the kiss, her hands on my chest. Her nails curl, scratching me through the fabric of my shirt.
“We should…” Her chest heaves as she catches her breath. Mine is labored, too, as I try to gain some sort of self-control.
“Yeah,” I nod. “I need to see you again.”
Her smile hits me right in the chest. “I want to.”
I’ll do anything in my power to spend more time with her.
I walk her to her door and duck back into my car after another quick kiss. I look around her neighborhood and sigh in relief when I don’t see any neighbors outside. Then, I’m off to pick up my favorite buddy and hear about his day with his friend.
…
“How was it?” I ask River as I pull out of Pete’s house. After a quick talk with Anne, who assured me the boys had a great time, I was ready to ask River about it.
“So much fun. We played basketball and some video games. We ate burgers for lunch, and Pete’s mom made milkshakes for dessert.” I glance at River through the rearview mirror, watching him talk a mile a minute about everything he did today.
I’m glad he had fun, and he’s quickly adjusting to life here. I think about my date with Ada, and it seems I am as well.
As I drive down Main Street, I park the car in the first spot I find.
“Where are we going?” River’s eyebrows pull together.
“How about some of Margie’s pie?”
“Yes!” River fist-punches the air and takes off his seatbelt. “This is the best day ever.” I chuckle at his enthusiasm.
Holding his hand, we cross the street and walk toward Margie’s Bakery. As soon as I walk i
n, my steps falter when I find blue, surprised eyes staring at me. I smile at Ada, and River notices her as well.
“Ms. Ward!” He rushes off to her, leaving me standing by the entrance. Hands in my pockets, I follow my son.
Ada’s sitting with Libby, each with a cup of coffee and a small assortment of sweets. I’d love nothing more than to go up to her, sit by her side, and talk some more. Even after a few hours today, I still crave more time with her.
“Hey, River,” Ada says, smiling at him. “How are you?”
“Great. My dad and I are gonna get some pie, and I was at Pete’s house before.”
Ada smiles up at me as River keeps telling her the same thing he told me in the car. I don’t miss Libby’s arched eyebrow as she watches us. Something tells me Ada might’ve told her about our date.
“That sounds like a lot of fun.”
“It was!” River hops on his feet. His excitement is palpable, and I soak it up. I made the decision to move here because I thought it was what was best for us, but nothing was guaranteed. Seeing River like this assures me, it was the right choice for us. And Ada being here solidifies it.
“Come on, River. Let Ms. Ward and Ms. Clark enjoy their coffee.” Over River’s head, I wink at Ada, who bites her lower lip to hide her smile, and guide him toward the counter to order our own treats.
Seated in a table across the bakery, I purposefully took the chair facing Ada. I ask River more questions about his time at Pete’s house, my eyes constantly wandering toward the woman who has captivated me. Our eyes lock often.
“Pete beat me, but I think I’m getting better.”
I look at River, who finishes telling me about the basketball game between him and Pete.
“I’m sure you are. We can practice one of these days,” I suggest.
“Yeah, that’d be cool.” He nods, taking a bit of his cherry pie. I sip my coffee, finding Ada looking at me this time, and my smile widens. This woman makes me want to dive headfirst into the feelings growing for her.
Focusing back on my son, I take in moments like this with him. Lately, all I can think about is that one day he’s going to rather spend time with his friends than me, so I’ll take any time he’ll give me. I hope that no matter what, he’ll always know I’m his father and his best friend.
Because of You : A single dad romance Page 5
