The man raised a brow, so he flatly explained. “What? Licenses can be faked, but they can do facial recognition or whatever.”
The security guy snorted but didn’t chime in.
“Fair enough,” Nate said. “Come on then. Let’s get this show on the road.”
Ford wasn’t sure what the man meant, but he followed Nate out of the building and to the parking garage down below to his car. “You can put your luggage in the trunk.” The trunk popped open, so Ford placed his suitcase in quickly and stepped back.
“Worried I’ll stuff you in there?” Nate teased.
Ford’s grip around his phone tightened, and he held it up.
“I have 911 dialed, so all I have to do is call.”
The man put his hands up. “No need for that. You’re safe, I promise.”
Ford huffed but walked over to the passenger side, all the while cursing Sawyer out. He was fuming. If Sawyer had been at work, he wouldn’t be getting in the car with a stranger.
He was probably screwing someone else right now and this Nate didn’t seem to care that Ford was going to find him out. He seemed a tad gleeful in fact.
“I’m sure Sawyer was excited to hear you were coming to town.” Why did he sound like he knew Sawyer wasn’t expecting Ford?
“He doesn’t know.” Ford admitted. He glanced in Nate’s direction to see the man’s lips twitching, his eyes lighting up.
“Amazing! So, this is a surprise? That’s sort of sweet.” His chuckling said something else entirely.
As Nate pulled out of his spot, all Ford could think was that it sure was going to be a surprise when he knocked on Sawyer’s door and caught him in the act of doing whoever he was doing.
He ground his teeth and held himself straight. Nate was laughing at him, and he would not let the man see him squirm. Nope, he would save all his anger for Sawyer. He was about to meet angry Ford, and he wouldn’t know what hit him.
8
Sawyer
Sawyer stood outside his sister’s door and said a prayer for patience. It had become part of his daily routine.
He knocked on Savanna’s bedroom door again. “I have been patient, Savanna, but you need to come out and eat.” This time she had locked him out of her room.
I really should have gotten rid of that lock.
It was going on two weeks since the transition to his apartment, and things weren’t going any smoother with Savanna. His sister seemed to be testing his patience, and he swore she was pushing just to see how far she could go.
He knocked again, just shy of pounding. “Savanna!”
Fuck, he definitely wasn’t cut out for this. Like, babies were fine, but being handed a surly, grieving teenager… fuck.
“Leave. Me. Alone.”
Sawyer heard the emphasis on each word like she thought he was too stupid and needed her to speak slowly.
If you kill her, they’ll lock you up, he reminded himself, just like he had every day this week.
He groaned and considered banging on the door one last time, but it was pointless. If she wanted to be stubborn, then he would leave her to it. She wasn’t starving since he knew she snuck out to eat. The plates he left her were usually gone by morning.
Ungrateful brat! Was it wrong to think that about a child?
Whatever, Sawyer was only human, and she was riding his last nerve with her attitude.
When he went back to the kitchen, he bit back a groan. Why was this child naked again? Gavin was sitting on the counter now, and instead of the t-shirt and jeans he had on a couple of minutes ago, he was stripped down to his underwear.
“Gav… please put your clothes back on.” It had been happening more and more. He’d searched online. Gavin was too old to be doing this, so he figured it was what Madison had warned him about, and this was his brother’s way of acting out.
Gavin shook his head. “No. I like it like this.”
“You can’t eat while sitting on the kitchen counter wearing nothing but your underwear. What would happen if the social worker decided to pay us a visit? Huh?”
Gavin shook his head, his eyebrows knitted. “I like it this way.” He folded his arms and stared Sawyer down.
Sawyer closed his eyes and called on the patron saints of parents or guardians, if there was even one. He wasn’t Catholic, but right now, it seemed appropriate.
He loved the kids, but they were pushing all his buttons today. Sawyer opened his eyes and plastered on a smile.
“Fine! You can eat in your underwear.” Probably help keep Gavin’s clothes clean since the kid seemed to be an enthusiastic eater anyhow. “But then you’re going to get dressed once you’re done. Got it?”
Gavin nodded, a smile on his face. Of course he was smiling, the mini terror.
Sawyer took a step towards the counter where the wholewheat pasta and Bolognese with meatballs was waiting to be dished out.
At that same moment, Callum made a noise—well, more like a grunt. He turned towards the little guy just in time for a bowl of yogurt to be thrown his way, and, of course, it landed right in the middle of his shirt.
Sawyer looked down. He didn’t know why he was surprised. When he looked up at the toddler, his brother shot him a toothy grin.
“Glad someone is having a good time, kid.”
Sawyer’s respect for stay-at-home parents quadrupled.
God, he needed to get a nanny… get the kids in school… but Sawyer knew why he hadn’t. And it wasn’t because of the excuse that they needed to settle in or finding the right fit that he’d given the social worker. He wasn’t sure how to bring up moving them all to Amber Falls to Ford since he didn’t even know they existed. Or if their relationship still did. Gosh, his
