“What is ridiculous, exactly?” Sawyer asked. “From what I understand, you wanted nothing to do with us.”
“We were angry,” Irene cut in. “We’ve had some time to think things through. We shouldn’t have reacted the way we did. And we’re sorry.”
Sawyer sighed. Maybe it was time to talk a few things out. He looked over at Olivia, and she gazed back at him, but her expression was guarded. Whose side was she on?
“Tell us about the girls,” Irene added when he hadn’t answered her. “What sorts of things do they like? What kind of toys—”
“I don’t need gifts,” Sawyer interrupted. “I need to understand what happened.”
Sawyer pulled out a chair for Olivia, and one for himself, then sat down. Olivia didn’t look at the Whites. Instead she stroked a gentle hand over Lizzie’s head as the toddler leaned in to be cuddled. Her eyes were drooping.
“The girls are tired,” Sawyer said. “It’s past their nap time.”
“I’ll go get them settled,” Olivia offered. “If you want. You can keep talking.”
Sawyer nodded. It would help. Olivia took Bella in her other arm and headed out the same direction that Lloyd and Evelyn had gone. Sawyer noticed that Irene’s gaze followed the girls as they left the room until Wyatt nudged her and she focused back on Sawyer.
“What do you want to know?” Wyatt asked.
“Why did you hate me so much?” he suggested. That was a good start.
“It wasn’t you,” Wyatt replied. “It was...we wanted more for our daughter, and it seemed to us that her desire to marry you was rooted in a rebellious phase, not in something worthy of the vows of marriage.”
That was insulting. What was he, a drummer with a garage band?
“We were adults,” Sawyer countered.
“Yes, yes, and we’re admitting that we were wrong,” Irene said. “Mia loved you. And we were too stubborn to accept it. But there are children now, and we feel it’s important to do what’s best for them.”
“And what do you think is best for them?” he asked.
“Us,” Wyatt said simply, and Sawyer’s heart thudded to a stop.
“A relationship with us,” Irene amended. “We have a lot to offer our granddaughters. We can get them the best of everything—music lessons, tutors, educational toys... This is what grandparents are for.”
“Didn’t Olivia tell you this?” Wyatt asked with a frown.
“She brought it up,” Sawyer confirmed. “She said you were family and you wanted to make up.”
“Well, this is us attempting to reconcile,” Wyatt said. “We can do what you can’t, Sawyer. We can set them up with the top pediatricians Billings has to offer—”
“Billings?” Sawyer said. “That’s a long way off.”
“It’s where you find the best of everything in this state,” Wyatt said. “It’s where the specialist doctors are, the most elite preschool programs—”
“I live in Beaut,” Sawyer said.
“Yes, but...” Wyatt sighed. “This isn’t the time.”
“For what?” Sawyer snapped. “What were you hoping for?”
“You are a very busy man,” Irene said quietly. “You work so hard, and it can’t be easy to be raising two children alone. We’re only offering our help. We could be there when you can’t. We could hire the most qualified nannies, enroll them in an excellent preschool that sets children up for the brightest futures.”
“Mia didn’t have that,” Sawyer said, and realized as the words came out, that it was true. Mia had been in Beaut...she’d gone to school with Olivia.
“She did at the start. We only moved here when she was in junior high. We thought it was best to mingle...” Irene winced. “For Wyatt’s career at the time. But Wyatt’s a senator now, and if Mia were alive—”
“No!” Sawyer said, his voice thundering louder than he’d intended. “Don’t you do that. You can’t tell me what Mia would have wanted!”
He took a deep breath, steadying himself. He wasn’t here to bellow at them, but he wouldn’t have them manipulating him, either.
“Then think about yourself,” Wyatt cut in. “You’re single now. Young. Working hard. And you’re trying to build a life with two toddlers who need more than you’ll ever be able to provide. You don’t have to do this alone! We’re family.”
“And what exactly are you suggesting?” Sawyer asked. Because he could feel it there between the lines—something they didn’t quite want to articulate.
Irene licked her lips. “That we provide for the girls, and you would visit just as often as you wanted. Our door would always be open to you. We promise you that. This was why Olivia came out here. She was supposed to talk to you for us, explain our position.”
At that moment, Olivia appeared in the doorway, and her gaze met his. Had she brought these people out to see him? Did she really think he’d hand his kids over to these people and let them just take over?
“That’s why—” Sawyer started, but the words stuck in his throat. He stared at Olivia. “Is she telling the truth?”
“You didn’t say you wanted to take the girls away from him!” Olivia said, her angry gaze sweeping over Irene. “You said you wanted to reconcile, be a part of their lives...”
“That would be the start of it,” Wyatt said. “But the more we thought about it, the more we realized that we have to do better by our granddaughters than that.”
“No,” Sawyer said, his hands balling into fists at his sides. “That’s my answer. No! I’m not interested in giving my children up!”
“Do you remember how hard it’s been?” Irene asked softly. “Sawyer—do you honestly remember?”
He didn’t, but something else had come together in his head—a memory forced into the forefront by his pounding adrenaline. Standing at Mia’s funeral with his heart breaking—and Wyatt giving him the same offer...
“You suggested this before,” Sawyer said slowly. “At Mia’s funeral. You said you should raise the girls and let
