Twisted Rock

by Jill Sanders

  “Wow, that’s really nice.” She took the painting and noticed that the wet paint was still dripping. She quickly leveled the paper, so it wouldn’t drip onto the floor or the sofa.

  “Look at mine.” McKenna held up her picture of what Rose assumed were flowers. “I ufed crayons. I’m not afpofed to ufe paint.” Rose chuckled and decided not to correct the little girl’s language. Looking closely at the drawing, Rose had to admit the little girl had talent, more so than her brother.

  “I colored you flowers too.” Regan held up his. It was in watercolors and Rose was even more impressed.

  “Obviously, they get their talent from me.” Jenny laughed.

  “These aren’t bad.” She held them up. “Batman, daisies, and yellow roses.” She nodded to each one in turn.

  “Like your name,” Regan added, pride showing clearly in the boy’s eyes. “Hunter said they were your favorite.” He smiled up at her.

  “They are.” She tapped him on the nose and set the painting aside. Tsuna was laying in her lap and McKenna walked over to pet the dog.

  “Can fhe ftill fleep wif me?” she asked.

  It was then that Rose noticed the empty spot where the little girl’s tooth had been earlier. “Did you lose your tooth?”

  “U-huh. Uncle Fawwwer help me wif it.” The girl smiled and showed her the empty space. “It didn’t even hurted.”

  Rose smiled. “You like Uncle Sawyer?” she asked softly.

  “He helped us paint,” Regan told her. “Uncle Hunter and Sawyer are cleaning up your art room. We made a mess.” He frowned. “Sorry.”

  “Why don’t you three go up to the bathroom and clean up for bedtime?” Jenny said. “Mom, would you…”

  “Come on, kiddos.” Their mother took the hint and stood up. “Let’s go jump in that big bathtub Rose has to clean out when we all leave.” Her mother glanced back and winked at her as the kids raced towards the stairs.

  “So,” Jenny said, starting to rub Rose’s feet again, this time more gently, “tell me all about you and Sawyer.”

  “What’s there to tell? He was the one who knocked on my door over a year ago and told me that Isaac’s plane had gone down.”

  Jenny winced. “Ouch.”

  “Yeah.” She sighed. “Then a few months later, when I’d turned into a Gollum, he showed up, fixed my power and…”—she chuckled—“saw my underwear.” Jenny’s eyebrows shot up quickly. “They were all over the living room. I’d been sleeping in front of the fireplace.”

  “Why didn’t you tell us you’d gotten so bad?” Jenny asked.

  “I didn’t want anyone’s help.”

  “You never do.” Jenny stopped rubbing her feet and Rose wiggled them.

  “Don’t stop, that felt good.” She added, “Lightly, though.” Her sister started rubbing her socked feet again.

  “What happened then?” Jenny asked.

  “Then I cleaned up and put everything I had into Stoneport.” She looked around and smiled at the transformation of the place.

  “It does look amazing. You’ve changed a few things since the last time I was here. New floor?”

  Rose nodded. “Sawyer and Hunter helped.”

  “When did it change?” she asked. Rose knew her sister wasn’t talking about the floor.

  “One day, he kissed me in my studio.” Her face heated when she remembered that he’d done more than kiss her that day.

  “Oooh.” Jenny smiled. “Why don’t we have chocolate?” She glanced around. “There should be chocolate when we’re talking boys.” She jumped up, dislodging Rose’s feet from her lap, and raced into the kitchen.

  When her sister came back, she had two spoons and the carton of mint chocolate chip that she and Sawyer had started binge eating the other night.

  She sat back down and tucked the blankets around them. “Okay, finish…”

  “What more is there to say?” She took a spoonful of the ice cream.

  “When did he move in with you?” Jenny asked.

  “He’s not…” She frowned. “He’s only staying temporarily, until…” Her words fell away at her sister’s look.

  “Dude, he’s totally living here,” Jenny said.

  “He is,” she agreed, but she didn’t feel like going into the details. Her head was throbbing and the medicine she’d been given was making her drowsy. “He is.” She took another spoonful. She was feeling warm and the cold on her throat was soothing.

  “Are you okay?” Jenny asked. She reached up and touched her cheek. “You’re burning up.” She set the ice cream carton down and took her spoon.

  “Mom?” she called out. Rose winced at the volume.

  Instead of their mom coming down the stairs, Sawyer and Hunter rushed down.

  “What’s wrong?” they both said at the same time.

  “Rose is burning up.” Jenny was standing over her at this point.

  “The doctor said it was a possibility. She’d been out in the cold so long.” Sawyer walked over and touched Rose’s forehead. “Do you have a thermometer?”

  “My bathroom.” She sighed when Sawyer picked her up.

  “I’ll watch after her from here on. She’s probably tired,” Sawyer said.

  “Take her tea.”

  Rose groaned.

  “If she wants some more, I’ll come down and get a fresh cup. Night.” He started towards the stairs.

  Hunter watched them walk by. “Will you be here tomorrow?” she asked.

  “I’m due in court again first thing in the morning,” he replied. “I’ll have to leave at eight. I’ll knock on your door before I go.”

  “Night,” she called out since Sawyer hadn’t stopped walking. “Where are you taking me?” she asked, resting her head on his shoulder.

  “I’m putting you in a cool bath, then hovering over you like a mother hen.” He smiled down at her.

  “Mmm, we haven’t bathed together. Showered, yes, but not bathed.” Her head was heavy, and she enjoyed resting it against his chest. She could hear his heartbeat and enjoyed the soothing sound.

  “Rose?” Sawyer’s voice shook her out of the trance. She must have fallen asleep, because when she opened her eyes, she was in the bathtub, naked.

  “How did…” She shook her head slightly. “Woah, time travel.” She smiled.

  “Honey, you need to drink this.” He held a cup in front of her.

  She sipped and spit the sour tasting fluid out. “What is it?”

  “Something to bring your temperature down.” He put the cup to her lips again. “Swallow it all.”

  She did as he asked, wishing she could spit it out. But the liquid warmed her from the inside and she rested her head back against the bathtub pillow.

  “This is nice.” She sighed, wiggling her toes.

  “How are you feeling?” he asked.

  “Relaxed.” She sighed, then opened her eyes. “Why don’t you come in here and scrub my back?”

  He smiled, then felt her forehead. “Next time, I promise. You’re still too hot. I hate doing it, but I’ve got to add a few more ice cubes to your water.”

  She frowned and looked down. Sure enough, there were ice cubes floating around. She would have sworn the bath was borderline boiling. She watched as if in slow motion as he dumped a bucket of ice into the water. Then suddenly her body started shaking, and her teeth chattered, and she tried to climb out of the water.

  “What the…” She shook her head.

  “Rose? Stay with me, honey.” He gently rubbed her arms.

  “It’s freezing.” She wrapped her arms around herself and he felt her forehead again. “How did a few ice cubes do that so quickly?”

  Sawyer frowned down at her. “That was over an hour ago. You’ve been in and out of consciousness since then.” He reached in and picked her out of the water. The move soaked his shirt and jeans. He set her on the edge of the counter and wrapped a large towel around her.

  “An hour?” she said as her teeth continued to chatter.

&nb
sp; “Yes.” He was looking at her with worry. “You were a little delirious for a while.”

  “I was?” She didn’t remember anything other than him pouring ice into the tub. “What did I say?” she asked, reaching for her bathrobe.

  “Things.”

  “Like?”

  “Later.” He pulled off his soaked shirt, and she smiled as he reached for the snap of his jeans. She ran her eyes over every part of him. He really was something to look at. Not that Isaac hadn’t been, but Sawyer was taller, leaner. His chest and stomach were full of long lean muscles. He had that sexy V in his hips that pointed down to below his jeans, making his hips and flat stomach a playground she wanted to enjoy every day for the rest of her life.

  When his jeans lay in a wet pile on the floor next to his shirt, he picked her up and carried her into the bedroom. He laid her gently down on the bed, slid under the blankets with her, and pulled her close to his chest.

  He was warm and, listening to his heartbeat, she immediately fell asleep again.

  She woke to a light knock on the door. Remembering Hunter wanted to talk to her, she climbed out of the bed and moaned as the world turned.

  “Rose?” Sawyer touched her shoulder.

  “I’m okay, it’s Hunter. I wanted to talk to him…”

  “Go slow,” he suggested and laid back down. “If you need me…”

  “I’m okay.” She smiled back at him.

  Taking his advice, she slowly stood, holding onto the bed frame. When her head settled, she wrapped her terry cloth robe around her, slipped on a pair of fuzzy socks, and left the room.

  She found Hunter in the kitchen, sipping on a cup of coffee.

  “How are you feeling?” he asked, his eyes scanning her face.

  “Better.” She took the mug he offered her. After sipping she turned to him.

  “I’m sorry,” he said again. “God, I wish I could go back and…”

  She shook her head and stepped into his arms. “It’s not your fault.”

  “I should have told you about that day, at the beach. I didn’t think anything…” He sighed and looked down at her. “I didn’t think.”

  “That wouldn’t be the first time,” she joked, getting him to smile back down at her.

  Just then his phone chimed. “I’m going to be late.” He sighed. “I’m booked for the next week straight. Will you be okay?”

  “Yes, Sawyer’s here now.”

  Hunter sighed and nodded. “Get a new phone. I hate not being able to talk.”

  She nodded. “Sawyer is taking me today.”

  Hunter frowned. “Wear a hat over that.” He nodded to her forehead. “And maybe some dark glasses. And a ski mask.” He smiled.

  She groaned. “That bad?”

  “Haven’t you seen it yet?”

  She shook her head. “I’m too afraid.”

  He sobered. “Go back to bed. Rest. Get better.” He kissed her cheek. “I love you.”

  “Fly safe.” She hugged him.

  “See you soon.” He set his mug in the sink and walked out the back door.

  After she heard Hunter’s rental car disappear down the driveway, she let the dogs out, as they were both whining at the door.

  When the dogs came back in, they were both a little muddy since the snow had started melting sometime in the night. The sun wasn’t even up, and she could tell it was going to be warmer today than yesterday.

  Using a towel, she wiped both of the dog’s paws and thought about heading back up to crawl into bed with Sawyer. Then her stomach growled, and she decided breakfast was more important than sleep.

  An hour later, Sawyer, her mother, Jenny, and the kids came padding downstairs, all drawn to the kitchen by the smell of bacon.

  Sawyer looked freshly showered and shaved and was dressed in clean jeans and a black T-shirt. He looked as sexy and as dangerous as he had the first night she’d met him on her doorstep.

  “What’s all this?” he asked, leaning in for a kiss.

  “I slept so much yesterday, I wanted to cook.”

  “We’re not complaining,” Jenny said as she scooped more eggs onto her plate.

  “Jenny, don’t you think you’ve had enough?” her mother added.

  “Hey, I’m eating for two here,” her sister joked.

  Sawyer’s eyebrows shot up.

  “Oh, yeah, my sister is pregnant again,” Rose whispered. He turned to her and gave her a funny look.

  “I’m… going to let the dogs out.” He walked to the back door and stepped outside.

  Rose wondered if it was something she had said, but then the timer on the oven went off and she forgot about it as she served up some more bacon.

  “We’ve got to head out soon if we’re going to make it back home in time for dinner,” her sister remarked.

  “It’s only about a three-hour trip,” Rose said, setting down to her plate of food.

  “Not with these three.” Jenny motioned to the kids. “Besides, Sawyer mentioned that he had a doctor’s appointment this morning and that he was going to run you by the phone store to get a new phone for you.”

  “And I’m sure you want to rest. You still look tired,” her mother added, reminding Rose that she could only take about twenty-four hours of her mother at any given time.

  Sawyer stepped back in with the dogs and she watched him closely as he filled a plate of food for himself and sat next to her. “We have about an hour before we need to leave if you still want to get your new phone.”

  She nodded up at him. “I’ll go shower.” She took her plate to the sink.

  “We’ll do the dishes, honey,” her mother said. “You go. You’ll probably want to take some extra time to fix your face.” She walked over and hugged her. “Stay safe,” she whispered.

  Without another word, she walked up the stairs slowly, suddenly feeling every ache and sore muscle in her body.

  Stripping off her clothes, she turned on the shower. She happened to get a glance of herself in the mirror and gasped.

  Walking over to it, she ran her eyes over her face.

  The left side of her forehead was double its normal size. Reaching up, she peeled the bandage away from her face and winced at the butterfly bandages holding her skin together.

  Her chin and her left eye were black and purple with hints of green. Even her lip was swollen. Glancing down at her body, she took stock of every bruise, every cut, and feeling slightly depressed about the fact that Sawyer had seen her like this last night in the bathtub, she climbed into the hot shower.

  Maybe that was why he was acting so strange this morning. Was he disgusted at her body now that it was bruised and swollen? No. She shook her head. Sawyer wasn’t that shallow. Then what could it be?

  He’d mentioned that she had been in and out of consciousness and that she’d been talking to him. Had she said something? Suddenly, she remembered. She’d been talking about kids and her desire for children.

  Oh god, had she said something to Sawyer about wanting his kids?

  Feeling her face heat, she turned off the water and groaned.

  “Are you okay in there?” Sawyer asked from the other side of the glass.

  “Yes.” She straightened up and reached out for a towel. He handed her one and she quickly wrapped it around her body, suddenly feeling embarrassed at the bruises.

  “Feeling better?” He was leaning against the countertop like he’d been there a while.

  “Yes, much better.” She smiled and walked into her closet to find some clothes. When she came out, dressed in a pair of jeans and a cream-colored sweater, he was still in the same place.

  “Do you want to talk about last night?” he asked.

  She closed her eyes and leaned against the counter. “I don’t know what I said, but I hope you understand that whatever it was, it was fever-induced stupidity.”

  He chuckled. “I meant about the attack, but now that you mention it…” He turned to her. “My answer is three,” he said clearly.

&
nbsp; “Three?” she said slowly.

  Sawyer nodded. “Yes, I’ve thought about it and three is the right amount. Why just have two when one more is just as easy?”

  “Okay,” she said slowly. “Three…” She waited.

  “Kids,” he supplied, and she let out the breath she’d been holding. “You asked me last night, and now I have an answer.” He smiled.

  “Is that what…” She shook her head. “It took you that long to answer?” She was a little shocked that he was so easily talking about having kids with her. Every time she’d brought up the subject of kids with Isaac, he’d evaded the topic.

  Sawyer chuckled lightly and wrapped his arms around her. “This isn’t something that someone should make a quick decision about.” He kissed her slowly, rubbing his lips over hers. “After all, we’ll be dealing with these kids the rest of our lives.” His smile grew.

  “We will?” she said, her eyebrows going up as she looked deep into his green eyes.

  Images of three mini Sawyers running around the house quickly flooded her mind, causing her to smile.

  “Man, you must have really been out of it last night.” He shook his head, then he took her hand in his. “Come on, we’re going to be late for my appointment. We can talk about it on the way.”

  Twenty-Six

  Mind Maze…

  After his doctor cleared him for light duty, they stopped off at the cell phone store and replaced her lost phone.

  Then they ate lunch at a local sandwich shop while she configured her new phone. Luckily, she’d saved all her contacts to her log-in and it didn’t take long before she was back up and running.

  They had talked briefly about everything she had said the night before when the fever had taken over her. He’d been a little shocked and surprised at how much she’d confessed to him.

  She had told him things about her relationship with Isaac that he doubted she would admit to anyone else. He wasn’t even sure if she knew how she felt.

  She’d said that she’d never really trusted him. Shortly after they had gotten back together, after going their separate ways for college, she’d believed he was cheating on her. Even if he wasn’t, it was something she could see him doing in the future. He’d acted as if he were a different person sometimes.