Sawyer

by Nicole Edwards

  Oddly, Sylvia lowered her voice as though someone else might hear her. “I heard that the two of you were getting married. It’s been said that you’re . . .”

  Sylvia let the sentence hang, which only made Kennedy more curious. She lifted her gaze to meet the older woman’s. “That I’m what?”

  She knew she shouldn’t have asked, but the words just came out.

  “That you’re pregnant.”

  Kennedy grinned, but fought the urge to laugh. “Well, I can assure you that isn’t the case.”

  “Which part?” Sylvia questioned, her voice low.

  “Both,” Kennedy assured her.

  “Oh, thank heavens,” Sylvia said with a heavy sigh.

  Kennedy continued to focus on the kittens, rather than look up. She certainly didn’t want to see the relief on Sylvia’s wrinkled face. It wasn’t that Kennedy didn’t like Sylvia. She did. Other than being a known gossip, the woman was kind in so many ways, always had been. Not only did she foster animals from the shelter, she also handled the holiday food and toy drives. But just because she was a pillar in the community didn’t mean the woman wasn’t trying to manipulate Kennedy into saying something that she shouldn’t.

  As it was, Kennedy didn’t make a habit of informing anyone of her relationship status with Sawyer. The only person who’d actually come out and asked her about it was her father, and even then, Kennedy had tried to play it off as no big deal. Granted, she was pretty sure he didn’t believe a word she said, at least not when she tried to downplay their interactions.

  She wanted to tell her father more, but there was still something niggling at the back of her mind. Something that told her to protect her heart at all costs. Even though Sawyer had admitted that he loved her, she was still waiting for him to move on. That was his MO and it seemed that the more time that passed, the more her fears came to light. Probably because her feelings continued to grow stronger for the man, and she didn’t know what to do about that.

  Shaking off the thought, Kennedy lifted the other black kitten and pressed her nose to its nose, speaking softly while she gave it a good once-over with her fingers.

  “I heard that Sawyer was seein’ a woman down in Austin,” Sylvia said abruptly.

  This time Kennedy did look up, but she managed to bite her tongue before she asked a question of her own. She had enough insecurities when it came to him, and she did not need someone feeding her any information—true or not.

  Okay, never mind. She had to get the question out. Especially since Sylvia seemed to be a walking contradiction. “I thought you heard that we were getting married?”

  “Oh, well . . .” Sylvia hesitated. “It’s just another one of those . . . uh . . . rumors that are going around.”

  Kennedy nodded, pretending to understand Sylvia’s complete lack of logic. “Well, it looks like they’ve definitely got a cold, and this one”—Kennedy pointed to the smaller of the two kittens—“has an upper respiratory infection. I’ll give you some drops that you’ll need to put in their eyes to try and clear that up, as well as some antibiotics. If they’re not doing better in a week, give me a call. Keep an eye on the other kittens as well. And I’ll call to check up on them in a couple of days.”

  Kennedy handed the kittens back to Sylvia before reaching for the chart and jotting down some notes. When she was finished, she walked Sylvia to the front desk, informing Olivia to grab the medications she needed for the kittens. With a quick good-bye, Kennedy snuck back to her office and closed the door. Leaning against it, she sighed heavily before glancing over at her cell phone on the desk. She’d received a text from Sawyer that morning, but she hadn’t had a chance to reply because she’d been too busy.

  But now she had the urge to talk to him. To hear his voice, find out how things were going at the resort. He had mentioned that Greyson was going to come by to talk, and yet she still hadn’t mentioned to him what she’d learned from Tim. Not because she didn’t want him to know. He deserved at least that much, but she hadn’t figured out how to tell him without causing him to fly off the handle.

  The question was . . . did she actually expect that? Or was a part of her trying to protect Tim from Sawyer’s wrath?

  SAWYER WAS SITTING in his office when Greyson walked in the door, his expression announcing his piss-poor mood. As tempted as he was to send the other man on his way, Sawyer actually kept his lips shut, hoping his friend would get down to the reason he was there.

  “What’s up?” Sawyer asked, trying to get the conversation started.

  “Not much. Thought maybe we could go out tonight.”

  “No can do, man. I’m having dinner with Kennedy,” Sawyer told his friend.

  “Ahh. Well, that figures.”

  “How so?” Sawyer already feared where this was going. Although neither of them had actually addressed the issue firsthand, Sawyer knew it was still there, still hovering on the periphery of their friendship, and they needed to hash it out.

  Their friendship had taken a backseat to Sawyer’s relationship with Kennedy, something that happened quite a bit, from Sawyer’s experience. Relationships formed and friendships fell to the wayside. That it had been intentional on Sawyer’s part was not the case at all.

  But, based on the way Greyson was glaring at him, he knew his friend wasn’t going to forgive him easily. He had never planned for this to happen, hence the pact they’d made when they were much, much younger. Although they’d both grown up, it was still hard to drift apart from the one person who knew pretty much everything there was to know about him. But he’d seen it happen to Kaleb and Gage, even Zane and Beau. Once their relationships took root, the friendships were no longer top priority.

  “Hell, we could hang out here if you want.”

  “In my office?” Sawyer asked, confused.

  Greyson chuckled. “No, you dumb-ass. I was thinking more like the play area.”

  Sawyer leaned back in his high-back leather chair, his forearms resting on the arms, his gaze locked on Greyson’s. “You know I don’t go there anymore.”

  “Not at all?” The incredulity in Greyson’s tone made Sawyer laugh.

  “Not at all. At least not as far as a social call. If something comes up that requires me to be there, that’s different.”

  “Oh, come on, man,” Greyson urged, sounding a little frustrated. “Just one time. It’s not like you’re married to her or anything.”

  Sawyer sighed, crossed his arms over his chest, and let his head fall back against the top of the chair. “Greyson . . .”

  Before he could complete his sentence, Greyson interrupted, taking several steps forward and standing directly in front of Sawyer’s desk. “You owe me, Sawyer. You know damn good and well that I’d found what you think you have now and you never let me have it.”

  Yep. And there it was. Sawyer had been waiting months for Greyson to bring it up, to actually get down to it, and that moment had finally come. “You and I remember that very differently,” Sawyer told him.

  The woman Greyson had referred to was nothing more than a vulnerable woman who’d taken a keen interest in Greyson one night at Moonshiners. Sawyer hadn’t been fond of her, because she’d been overly clingy, but Greyson had been. And okay, he guessed it was possible that she might’ve been one of the few less-desperate women Greyson had come in contact with, not to mention that she hadn’t been interested in being shared between them. But it wasn’t Sawyer’s fault that Greyson had opted to engage in another threesome just a few days after he met her. But somehow, Greyson had managed to turn that around on Sawyer because, yes, he’d been part of the threesome and Greyson’s newfound love interest hadn’t been.

  “It’s not much different than what you did,” Greyson said. “Kennedy finally gives you the time of day and you just discard me like I’m nothin’.”

  Sawyer laughed; he couldn’t help himself. “Dude, you act like we’re fuckin’ lovers or somethin’. This ain’t about Kennedy.”

  “The hell it ain�
��t. If she hadn’t finally decided to give it up to you, we’d still be doin’ what we do best.”

  “Is that why you did what you did?” Sawyer questioned, jumping to his feet.

  Greyson looked surprised by the question, his eyebrows sliding upward.

  Sawyer explained. “You were the one who spread the rumor that Mack is gay.”

  “What the fuck are you talking about, man?” Greyson snapped. “I didn’t tell anyone a goddamn thing.”

  “No? You happen to be the only connection. And I’ve done a lot of research, Greyson. I know you were there that day.”

  “What day?”

  “The day Mack and Jeff came to the resort.”

  “Jeff? Oh, shit. Sheriff Endsley? And Mack?”

  Sawyer didn’t buy Greyson’s innocent act. Not for a second. He knew the guy too well, knew he was capable of pulling one over on anyone and everyone. “Cut the shit. You’re pissed at me so you told someone that you saw Mack at the resort.”

  “Why the hell would I do that?” Greyson asked.

  “You tell me,” Sawyer countered. “I saw you on the video. You were here that day. You’re the only one who had motive.”

  Greyson’s nostrils flared and Sawyer could see the vein pulsing in his temple, the one that bulged whenever he got pissed. “You’re a fucking asshole, you know that? What happens with other people is their business. Sure, maybe I’m pissed at you, but that doesn’t mean I’d tell anyone anything. What they do is between them.”

  They were both silent for a minute and then Greyson spoke up again. “I get it. This is because of Kennedy. She’s turned you against me, huh?”

  “Bullshit,” Sawyer snapped. “This doesn’t have a damn thing to do with her.”

  “No? You’re accusin’ me of lyin’. You’ve never done that before. Seems pretty telling to me. Did she feed you this bullshit?”

  “No, actually,” Sawyer lowered his voice, “I saw you.”

  “You don’t know what you saw. I’m here a lot of fucking times. You gonna try to pin somethin’ else on me? Sure, maybe I was here, but that doesn’t prove a damn thing.”

  “Doesn’t it? You seem awfully defensive for an innocent man.”

  “No, I’m defensive because you’re supposed to be my best fucking friend. You’re supposed to believe me when I tell you somethin’. I think your girlfriend doesn’t want us to hang around together. She’s worried that we’ll do what we always do.”

  “Which is?”

  “Fuck the same women.”

  It was Sawyer’s turn to get pissed, but he managed to stay in his place, refusing to get into it with Greyson. He knew the truth.

  “Whatever, bro. Believe what you wanna believe,” Greyson said as he turned to the door. “If you want to write me out of your life, go for it. I don’t really give a shit anymore. You got what you wanted after you kept me from the one woman I wanted.”

  Sawyer let the statement roll over in his head. “Man, that woman wasn’t who you would’ve spent the rest of your life with. She was playin’ you. She thought you owned this place.” Sawyer motioned around the room with his hands. “They all think you own this place because you don’t bother to set them straight. It’s a game, Greyson. A fucking game and I’m tired of playin’. So yeah, if you wanna know the truth, I want Kennedy. I want her in ways I don’t even fucking understand.”

  “So that means you’re off the market forever?” Greyson asked disbelievingly, his eyes narrowed.

  “If she’ll have me, then yeah, I’m off the market.” He hadn’t even known the full impact of that possibility until the words came out of his mouth, but he knew they were true. He was done playing. Kennedy was the woman he would spend the rest of his life with. “Look, Greyson,” Sawyer continued, “I’m not gonna fight with you. I’m done fightin’, done arguin’. I don’t know why you did what you did, but—”

  “I didn’t fucking do anything. That’s your own guilt talkin’,” Greyson declared. “Fuck you, man. Fuck you and the horse you rode in on.”

  With that Greyson walked right out the door and Sawyer felt as though he’d lost a part of himself. They’d been friends since high school, but now . . . Shit, he didn’t even know what they were now.

  No matter what, Sawyer would never forgive Greyson for trying to damage the reputation of the resort. He didn’t fucking care how pissed Greyson was. That was still no excuse.

  chapter TWENTY-FOUR

  A week later

  Kennedy was leaning against the counter, watching Sawyer, while Jessie finished up a phone call she’d just taken. He had just arrived at the office, the same as he had nearly every single day since the incident with Tim. Although he swore it had nothing to do with his worrying about her, Kennedy had to wonder.

  Regardless, it was no hardship for Kennedy because she enjoyed watching him, admiring the way he sat in the chair, one ankle propped on the opposite knee, looking as cool and as sexy as ever.

  “We still on for next Saturday?” Sawyer asked, his hands clasped behind his head as he propped them against the wall behind him.

  Olivia had taken off early for the afternoon to handle personal business, something about throwing her no-good, worthless boyfriend out. Considering they’d only been together for two months and were already living together, Kennedy didn’t bother to quiz her on the reasons. Seemed a little obvious as far as Kennedy was concerned.

  “Yep. We’re still on,” she told Sawyer. They were having their third annual pet walk in downtown Coyote Ridge in a week, and Kennedy was pretty sure Sawyer was the only one who was counting down the days besides her. Well, except maybe Adrianne.

  For the last two years, Kennedy and Adrianne had worked tirelessly to create a fun, family-oriented event where proud pet owners could bring their four-legged friends out to connect with other residents. Their goal was to raise funds for the shelter. The difference between those events and this one was impressive. Especially considering the fact they had purposely pawned off the preparations on Sawyer, back when Kennedy was piling him high with things just to keep him busy. It had been a test of how far he would go to volunteer.

  Contrary to what she had originally thought, he had far exceeded her expectations, proving he was more than just a handsome face. Sawyer hadn’t been involved in any of the events until this year. And, surprisingly, he had optimistically taken on most of the work to put it together, having started back in October of last year, insisting this would be the best one yet. Kennedy had to believe he might be right.

  “We don’t have any appointments scheduled so I can be there all day unless there’s an emergency. Why?”

  “Just wanted to make sure. I’ve got a couple of surprises I’ve put in place.”

  Jessie hung up the phone a second before she said, “What surprises? I love surprises.”

  “I’m not tellin’. You’re just gonna have to show up.”

  “Oh, I’ll be there,” Jessie told him. “In case you don’t remember, someone convinced me and Braydon to volunteer.”

  Sawyer’s pleased expression told Kennedy who had done the sweet-talking there. Not that she was surprised. The guy was a born salesman. She’d seen him sweet-talk a number of people, including Adrianne, the woman who managed the shelter. He’d somehow even convinced her to dress up for the event, which Adrianne wasn’t all that pleased about after she’d willingly given in to his request.

  “It’ll be fun.”

  “Weather’s gonna be nice at least,” Kennedy said. “High sixties on Saturday.”

  “That’s crazy for this time of year,” Jessie tacked on. “It’s a good thing I don’t like cold weather because livin’ in Texas is ridiculous when it comes to seasons.”

  Kennedy had to agree with Jessie there. Last year in January, they’d dealt with ice and freezing temperatures; this year, winter was proving to be mild. Not that she minded. As it was, the days and nights had blurred for the last few weeks and she hadn’t paid much attention to anything other than her bud
ding relationship with Sawyer. Certainly not the weather.

  “So . . .” Kennedy said, turning to face Jessie. “When are you gonna hit me with the bad news?”

  “What?” Jessie asked, glancing over at Sawyer and then back to her. “What bad news?”

  “I know Kylie is goin’ back to work full-time in the next week or two. That means I’m gonna lose the best receptionist I’ve ever had.”

  Jessie frowned, her eyes lowering to the desk in front of her.

  “What’s wrong?” Kennedy asked.

  “Nothin’,” she said, “it’s just that . . .”

  Sawyer got up from his chair, making his way over to the counter to stand beside Kennedy.

  “Will y’all quit lookin’ at me like that?” Jessie insisted. “I . . . Damn. I don’t even know how to say it.”

  “Spit it out,” Sawyer told her.

  Jessie’s cornflower-blue eyes met Kennedy’s. “If you’re not ready to can me, I’d like to stay here. I think I can cover the few things my sister needs, but honestly . . .” Jessie dropped her gaze again. “I like this better.”

  Sawyer chuckled. “You tell your sister that yet?”

  “No,” Jessie stated firmly. “But I was plannin’ to.”

  “Well, I suggest you hop to it soon,” Sawyer added.

  “Why?” The curiosity in Jessie’s eyes made her look like a little girl waiting for her surprise.

  “Because I don’t think your sister is lookin’ to go back to work full-time just yet. She feels a little . . . guilty, maybe. She doesn’t want to leave you hangin’.”

  Jessie grinned. “I guess it would help if we did talk. Apparently she’s talkin’ to someone.”

  “Travis told me,” Sawyer admitted, taking a step closer to Kennedy and planting a kiss on her lips. “I’ve gotta run to AI. I’ll see you tonight though, right?”

  “I’ll be leavin’ here around six,” Kennedy assured him.