He was so engrossed in the vision of his possible future that he almost missed the call to board the plane.
“Now boarding… Flight 315A to New York City. Now boarding… Flight 315A to New York City.”
He jumped up and folded the magazine, then picked up his briefcase. Usually, this was the moment of relief after a long trip when he was heading home, but this time, it was the opposite because New York no longer felt like home. Now, he honestly wasn’t sure it ever had been.
The three-and-a-half-hour flight went off without a hitch. Once they allowed passengers to exit the plane, Sawyer grabbed his briefcase and disembarked. When he got to the terminal, he looked around, thinking he would find a driver with his name. Instead, it was Mark waving the sign that said “Lancaster.”
Sawyer shook his head and chuckled at his friend.
“Really? Was the sign necessary?” Sawyer raised a brow when he stopped a couple of steps short of Mark.
Mark snickered and then pulled him into a hug. “Welcome home, man. I was beginning to think you were never going to return.”
Sawyer chuckled and pulled back from the half embrace. “You’re lucky I did.” Even though his voice was teasing, there was a hidden truth behind those words.
Who wanted to leave when they had found their safe place in a storm?
They headed over to the luggage carousel, and Mark said, “I wanna hear all about it.”
“Well, the resort construction has gone off as planned. I'm sure you've gotten all the updates. Nothing new to talk about there, but I will have to get back soon to make sure everything is on schedule.”
Not that he needed to worry because he trusted Ford. It was the man himself that he was hurrying back to, and although he hadn’t planned on bringing that up yet, his friend made sure to point that out.
“I have a feeling it's not the resort making you want to return in a hurry.” Mark’s tone was knowing, and they turned to the carousel as it started up and the luggage came through. “Besides, I didn't mean a business update. I was referring more to the real reason you refused to return once the airports reopened, and every day since.”
Of course, at his friend's words, his mind went back to Ford—not that it ever wandered far from the man.
He wasn't sure what his face showed, but his Mark’s eyes widened. “That serious, huh?”
Sawyer simply smiled.
“Wow, that serious then.” When he met Mark's gaze, questions lurked, but Mark refrained from asking any of them. Instead, he shook his head, a bark of laughter escaping. “Never thought the day would come.”
Sawyer shrugged and looked away, back toward the carousel in time for his suitcase to go by them. Instead of shoving people out of the way, Sawyer waited for it to go around a second time.
Mark laughed. Sawyer knew he was being studied, so he turned and met Mark's gaze, raised brow. The awe in Mark’s expression, or maybe it was shock, was apparent.
Sawyer ignored his friend, and during the next go round, he grabbed his suitcase. Mark wasn’t wrong, though. Sawyer had dated extensively, both men and women, but he’d never considered making it permanent… Forever had always been for everyone else.
“Neither did I,” Sawyer admitted as they walked towards the escalators that led to the parking lot.
“Takes someone really special.” Mark’s voice was knowing. “I can’t wait to meet them.”
He smiled at his friend’s use of the word “them.” Mark had taken him being bi with a shrug. Literally.
Sawyer would never forget the day he’d defiantly brought a male date to a party. He wasn’t sure why he hadn’t simply told Mark, and it’d been a risk since Sawyer didn’t exactly have a ton of friends. Truth was, there was Mark and his then-girlfriend and now-wife Theresa. Mark had smiled at his date—Sawyer couldn’t remember the man’s name all these years later—and that was that.
The rest of the walk to the car was filled with random work stuff and other mundane chitchat about things happening in their circle.
When they finally stopped in front of his friend’s Range Rover, Mark said, “I’m sure you’re exhausted and just want to get home.” He unlocked his car and opened up the trunk for Sawyer to toss his bag inside. The first thing Sawyer wanted to do was call Ford and tell him that he had arrived safely.
Also, it was on the tip of his tongue to say this wasn't home anymore, but it wasn't the time for that conversation.
He was tired, but there was also a lot of work to do.
“Actually, let’s head to the office,” Sawyer said. “I need to get caught up on what’s happening there.”
The quicker that happened and he got certain things in place and had the plans in motion, the quicker he could return to Colorado. He couldn't help wondering if he would feel this way each time he came back for meetings.
“Why am I not surprised you said that?” Mark shook his head and put the SUV in reverse. “Welcome back to the craziness of New York."
As they merged into the traffic out of JFK, Sawyer already missed the pace of Amber Falls.
3
Ford
Sawyer: Going into a meeting now. Talk to you at lunch your time.
Ford: About to leave now myself. TTYL. Love you.
Ford put his phone down and then looked at his reflection in the mirror. He looked perfectly presentable, but the dark circles under his eyes gave away the fact that he hadn’t gotten much sleep the past few nights. He’d woken up after reaching for Sawyer and, finding his side of the bed empty, had a hard
