by Brea Viragh
“Excuse me?”
“Your husband.” Emphasis on husband. “He’s standing there like a goon clearly waiting for his kiss while you run off to some kid we had no clue existed. What a sensational announcement to drop before you disappear.”
“And your point?”
Sawyer stood leaning on the banister and stewing. “She’s not going to stop until you pucker up. I know you’re in a hurry.”
“Sure, it’s fine.” Lorelei wrinkled her nose when Sawyer’s mouth dropped. “I said it’s fine. Lay some sugar on me so I can get on my way.”
“Are you sure?” he muttered when she leaned in close.
“What’s a kiss in the grand scheme of things?” she whispered in response, those final words said a breath away from his mouth. Then she graced the others with the largest, fakest smile she could muster before diving.
She felt Sawyer freeze when she closed the distance and placed her lips on his. It startled her when she sank in deep. What the hell was she doing? The little voice inside her head woke up—finally—and took notice. As it usually did when she was about to engage in something stupid. Now the damn thing was telling her to run away. Keep her life clean from whatever complications a tiny, insignificant lip-lock might cause.
Because she knew as well as the next woman that whatever was happening, despite the peanut gallery full of oohs and aahs, this was not insignificant.
Her eyelids drifted shut and she sighed, leaning closer and giving herself over to the building heat. The fiery zip in her gut from being devoured. Really and truly devoured. Whatever wall holding Sawyer back abruptly broke and his arms wrapped around her waist, dragging her closer.
She had no business kissing him. Fake marriage or not, she had a sick kid at home. Her mind screamed for her to go. Her feet were rooted to the floor. Her stomach burst into a party favor full of confetti.
Shuddering, she broke the contact, turning to hide her face with her hair.
“We’ll talk about this later,” Sawyer said on an exhale.
“Uh-huh. Sure. Okay.” She plastered a smile on her face that would have made a mannequin proud. “The apple pie is fresh. Have a piece for me, will you?”
The door closed behind her and Lorelei rushed toward the car on feet that didn’t quite seem to touch the ground. Her fingertips slid to her face when the breeze, chilly and harsh with rain, slapped against her skin.
“Whoa.”
There was a certain level of responsibility that came with a relationship. There was no room for lies. No room for manipulations. Whatever was happening between her and Sawyer, and whatever relationship umbrella they currently stood under, there was a familiarity there. A sense of peace. Damn if the kiss didn’t force her to face facts.
Unsure whether or not Sawyer’s guests were watching from the foyer window, Lorelei brought her coat closer and tried to keep her feet steady on the way to the car. Determined to think more about the kiss, and her reaction to it, when she got home.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Maverick’s face turned incredulous when they got out of the car three days later. “Why would you want us to come to a kiddie fair?” he asked, slipping a pair of designer sunglasses from the case in his jacket pocket.
“I thought it would be a good chance to get out of the house,” Sawyer answered. When Maverick continued to glower, he said, “Trust me. You are going to enjoy this. It’s a town event.”
“I haven’t been to a fair since I was five.”
The damn sun was bright overhead, the expanse of blue sky uninterrupted. It was, for all intents and purposes, the perfect day.
It made Sawyer sick.
Not the day, really. But the fact that he was playing chauffeur for his brother and Daisy. Neither one of which looked pleased. It could have been the fact that he’d brought them to a carnival set up in the downtown park. It had seemed like a good idea at the time. Ply them both with enough sugar to put them in a coma, then gently bring conversation around to the business proposition that had been all but forgotten the other night when Lorelei had to rush away.
She’d texted him later with an update on the brat. Allison, he reminded himself. Not brat. Heaven forbid he say anything of the sort in front of her. Or the two people behind him scoffing at the cotton candy vendor dressed as a clown.
Maverick and Daisy had grilled him extensively on the subject. Sawyer ended up doing what he did best: lying. Oh, the lies flowed smoothly from his tongue, about a relationship gone bad and Lorelei left to raise a kid on her own. Not knowing how close he came to the actual truth, Sawyer whipped up a tale of heartbreak and betrayal enough to have a single crease forming on Daisy’s Botox-ed face. Maverick appeared less than convinced. Especially when Sawyer spoke about wanting to adopt.
“You? Adopt? Don’t make me laugh.” Yet he’d done exactly that. For several minutes. It wasn’t the perfect end to the evening, and even the satisfaction of seeing Maverick’s initial jaw-dropping reaction hadn’t been enough to smooth over all the crinkles.
Sawyer turned away and watched the crowd strolling around the park, watched the sun glint off metal carnival rides erected over the last week. Was he trying to tug on Maverick’s nostalgia heartstrings? Damn straight.
“A good chance to get out of the house, sure. You know what would have also been good? A trip to a day spa. Or a local winery. Somewhere where children aren’t allowed to run wild.” Maverick paused to let a woman with a screaming toddler on her hip pass them. “I feel like we’re on safari.”
Sawyer snorted, and the three of them walked down the slight decline heading toward the ticket booth. “Put your tranquilizer darts away, man. And stop looking like you’re going to melt through my skin with your laser eyes. It’s a nice day to be out. Try to enjoy it. The birds are chirping, the sky is blue…” He wiggled his fingers for emphasis. “For a few hours try to forget you’re an asshole.”
“Excuse me?”
“I’m kidding! Jeez.”
“Will Lorelei be joining us?”
“No,” Sawyer said hastily. “She won’t be. She had errands to run.” He spared a glance in all directions anyway. To make sure she wasn’t around. Or maybe to make sure she was. There was a good chance she’d show up with her kid in tow. Fairs attracted lots of kids, after all.
The two of them had only spoken twice since the disastrous dinner. Sawyer did his best to fend off the inquisition when Daisy and Maverick absolutely demanded to know what was going on. Yes, Lorelei had a child. And no, she didn’t belong to Sawyer. He ended up spouting whatever came to mind, happy to see the others nodding in understanding. They hadn’t pressed after that. Much. Still, it irked when Sawyer wanted to meet with his pretend wife and go over the new and adjusted dips in the story. But did she make time for him? No.
“I think I wore the wrong shoes,” Daisy commented, holding up her ankle and the four-inch heels below.
“I told you to bring a pair of sneakers,” Sawyer continued in an admonishing tone. “Said we were going to be outside.”
“I don’t own sneakers.”
It was one of those looks. The ones that told him to go jump in a lake. Putting it nicely. Sawyer let his head drop back and sighed. “How about I go grab us something to eat while you walk around? Take in the sights.”
“If this is a ploy to get me to invest, it’s not going to work,” Maverick mused. His hands went deep into his pockets. He looked like an undercover investigator, eyes covered by expensive sunglasses and tie tightly knotted. “I know small-town life. I’ve seen the people. It doesn’t melt my heart and make me want to throw money at you.”
“I was just asking about fair food.”
“Look, you see those people over there? The Millers?” Maverick made a show of pointing. “I used to mow their lawn.”
Daisy patted his arm. “Never again, dear.”
“Are you sure about that? I think they might be heading over here. And their grass is growing like crazy,” Sawyer added, curving his mouth in
to a grin.
When the remark didn’t warrant one of Maverick’s trademark retorts, Sawyer swiveled to see his brother staring at him. Analyzing him.
“What?”
“You’ve taken the last round between us. I’m wondering who will come out on top today. How far you think you’ll push me.”
Sawyer ground his teeth and winced. “I’m not pushing you.”
Daisy glanced back and forth between them. “I’m confused.”
“Go and get yourself some tickets, my dear.” Maverick removed his wallet and flipped it open. “See if they’ll take American Express Platinum.”
Sawyer had goaded his brother this far. Into what he hoped was a vulnerable position and away from more questions about Lorelei. Not that it had been easy.
Maneuvering, like a child prodigy during a chess match waiting for the next move, took skill and patience. It would be worth it in the end, he reminded himself when Maverick’s stare and the mid-afternoon sun brought perspiration to life on his hairline. Naturally, a man like Maverick took great offense to being led on.
While Sawyer could have sat them both down at a table with his every card on display, he couldn’t risk the vulnerability. He couldn’t risk Maverick turning him down flat. Maybe this song and dance was his way to make believe he had options. Make believe he might actually win in the never-ending fight between the two of them.
He was busy scolding himself for letting his thoughts wander when a flash of color in his peripheral vision captured his attention. Seconds ticked by before the flash, the blur, solidified into Lorelei. The crowd suddenly faded around him and all he could see was her. Standing still with a face as bright as June and her hair pulled into a loose bun. His heart thumped hard.
When Sawyer saw the little girl holding tight to Lorelei’s hand, he had no idea the kid would change his life. Not even the slightest inkling, in fact. He was more focused on the mother, the wide grin lighting her features and the sunlight glinting across her strands of dark chestnut hair.
He glanced down at the tiny face staring up at him. They were an intriguing pair, the two of them. And suddenly they were standing right in front of him.
“I didn’t expect to see you here. All dark and creepy, staring off into nothing,” Lorelei said with a laugh.
He took in the capris clinging to her hips and the light gray t-shirt with a revealing neckline. “I…what?”
She scanned the area, looking left and right. “Did you lose someone, Sawyer?”
“Um, no. Sorry. What’s up? What are you doing here?”
“Taking my kid out for the day,” she answered, tilting her head to the side when he did nothing but blink at her. “It shouldn’t be surprising to you.”
That little face kept looking at him as though trying to memorize every angle of his face. Sawyer tried his best to ignore the scrutiny.
“What are you doing here?” Lorelei asked. She shifted her weight, bringing her daughter’s hand closer to her body and squeezing. Making sure the girl stayed nearby.
“Enjoying a day in the park. Do I need a reason to come to the fair?” he added.
“You do when it’s kid day and you hate people. I thought you weren’t a fan of anyone under the age of twenty-five.”
“Yeah, well, I can be spontaneous. Hey there, little miss.” He looked down at the girl desperately trying to get his attention with nothing but her eyes.
Lorelei started, surprised she hadn’t made the introductions earlier. Sawyer caught the hint of embarrassment she tried to hide before she spoke again. “Baby, this is Sawyer, the friend I was telling you about. Can you say hi?”
“Hi. I’m Allison,” she said. “But you can call me Ali. Everyone does.”
“Nice to meet you.” Then Sawyer turned his attention up, up, up to Lorelei. “The friend?” His smile came natural and swift.
“I wasn’t sure what else to say.”
Allison was charming to look at, her chin tiny and pointed, her eyes wide and full of curiosity.
“You out with your momma today?” Sawyer asked.
Lorelei opened her mouth to respond when Allison cut in with, “I’m not five anymore. I’m five-and-a-half now. But yeah, I’m out with my momma. She promised me we would eat all the sweets our bellies could hold and maybe see a movie later. Then my daddy is coming to pick me up.”
The girl’s voice was high and bright. A little mischievous. “Sounds like a perfect day to me.” Sawyer peered down at her and smiled. Having the requisite amount of hesitation when it came to children, he tried his best not to mess up their first encounter or say something stupid. Something that would have Lorelei making good on her pledge to plant her foot in his ass.
“You smell,” Allison put in.
He blinked once. Twice. “You smell, too.”
The tiny grin told him he’d said the right thing. “I want to ride the merry-go-round.”
He was in. Sawyer knew that for certain by the way she reached for his hand. “I think that can be arranged.” He chuckled, the sound ending in a snort.
“You better be careful. She gets an upset tummy after about four turns around.” Lorelei brushed hair away from her brow with a forearm and stared down at her mini-me.
“I’ll manage. Why don’t you go off and get us something cool to drink. Go on, shoo.”
“You think I’m going to leave you alone on a carousel with my daughter?”
“Yes.”
“You’re insane!”
Sawyer gestured around. “We can both name every person in a two-hundred-foot radius. She’s safe with me, I promise.”
“I go on the merry-go-round every time we’re at a fair. Even though I get sick. I like to ride the prettiest pony,” Allison said, her tiny voice ending in a whisper.
“Of course you do.”
She didn’t seem to have any great desire to stay with her mother. If her enthusiasm was any indication, the little girl knew she had an opportunity to test her limits. Push the boundaries. Sawyer gave her an excuse to do just that. The oddest thing was happening to him. He looked forward to the challenge.
“Are you sure you’ll be okay?” Lorelei asked with a wary sort of hesitance.
“I’m dying of thirst, here.” No way he would admit to the slim line of terror trailing from the back of his throat to his heart. He’d have to handle Lorelei’s kid with care, otherwise it would severely impact his standing.
Just when they were making progress.
“I’ll be back in five minutes,” Lorelei warned. She pointed her finger in his face before handing over a stack of ride tickets. “Be good.”
Allison perked up the moment Lorelei stepped away. She looked like her mother, Sawyer decided. The long, crazy, curly dark hair. The sharp nose and wide, almond-shaped eyes. She’d grow into a great beauty in her time. If she could stop eating loose change.
“You’re going to have to hold my hand when I’m on the merry-go-round,” Allison said soberly. “It’s your ’sponsibility, because you’re an adult.”
“And I take my ’sponsibility very seriously,” he answered.
“Momma says you’re a pain in the butt.”
“I am. She’s not wrong.” Sawyer took out the handful of tickets he’d been given, handing the correct amount to the man at the front of the line. “Ali, does your momma talk a lot about me?”
Allison shrugged. “I don’t know. Sometimes. Then she catches herself and talks about something else.”
“How interesting.”
The kid kept chattering as she gestured to be lifted onto the platform. “Do you like ponies? Mom says I can have one someday. I also like cats and dogs. Even snakes, too. I’m not afraid of them like other girls in my class. I’m brave.”
Charmed, Sawyer took Allison’s hand and walked her around the perimeter of the raised platform, waiting for her to choose the perfect steed. The initial rocky portion of their meeting over—at least, it had been rocky in Sawyer’s mind—Ali finally settled on a purple-painte
d carousel horse and continued to bombard him with questions he couldn’t answer and answers to questions he hadn’t asked. He found out she enjoyed her first-grade class even though she was the only five-and-a-half-year-old in it. Her favorite subject was math, which her mom taught, and her favorite color was green. She hated basil and garlic and mushrooms, just like her mother, but loved strawberry ice cream more than anything.
Did Sawyer have a girlfriend? Could he really make wind chimes? What did he do for fun besides come to the fair? Would he buy her some cotton candy?
They sat together through four rounds before Ali’s stomach apparently began to swirl and she didn’t feel well enough to continue. Through each pass, Sawyer saw Lorelei. He didn’t need a psychic gift to detect the waves of concern, confusion, and astonishment as she watched them. He blinked once when she caught his gaze without a hint of a smile.
Why the hell wasn’t she smiling? There were deep thoughts happening in that pretty head. If he was lucky, she’d let him in on some of them. He wondered if she’d take a literal penny for them. That’s about all he had in his pocket.
“I told you she would get sick after a few turns around,” Lorelei murmured when Sawyer led a slightly green-faced Allison off the ride.
He placed a hand on the kid’s shoulder. “We can handle it, can’t we? After all, the way I see it, we’re in this together.”
Lorelei nodded. “Come on, Allison, I’ll take you to the potty.”
“I want Sawyer to take me,” Ali moaned.
“Hey, we’re enjoying each other’s company. Let’s take a walk around. A good breeze will do the belly good. And if you feel better in a little bit, and Mom agrees, we can go for some cotton candy.”
Lorelei said nothing, just stared at the two of them with her large brown eyes and resisted the need to interfere. Sawyer knew she wasn’t used to anyone outside her family taking charge of her daughter. There was an obvious mistrust of all things male written on her face. Which, Sawyer mused, he took offense to, though he wasn’t sure why. His last girlfriend had openly admitted she couldn’t trust him to step up to the plate. He’d agreed, with a large and eager nod of his head.
