12
Sawyer
They were settling in well in Amber Falls.
The kids had started in their new schools a little over a month ago, and Sawyer and Ford were back at work… but it was very much a transition for all of them.
Living here meant Sawyer had to delegate more of his projects, especially since he couldn’t up and travel the way he used to. All the plans he’d talked about with Ford were on fast forward. Searching for office space in Amber Falls, a house—they couldn’t keep living with Ford’s parents even though he knew Barb and Doug did not mind having them.
Sawyer was also looking for someone who would take on a lot of the traveling he used to do before because Mark definitely couldn’t. His friend and business partner was feeling the strain just as much as Sawyer, but they were all making do.
Sawyer hadn’t even returned to New York since they left, and weirdly, he wasn’t feeling the need to jump on a plane as was usual when he remained in one place for too long.
He stepped into the worksite and surveyed the work that Drake and his crew had already done. He was impressed by how much they’d achieved in such a short length of time. Ford was right; they were hard workers, and Sawyer was impressed.
“What do you think?” Drake asked, coming up to Sawyer as he surveyed the new beams that had been put up which would be part of the main hotel area. The plan was to have the main resort, but then they would also have cabins for guests who wished for more privacy.
“You do good work,” Sawyer said. He ran his hand over the beam. “Great job.”
“Thank you!” Drake smiled like a proud papa.
“I knew Ford would—” before he could finish what he was saying, Sawyer’s phone rang in his hand. When he lifted it and looked at the number, he didn’t recognize it, so he excused himself to take the call.
“Hello?” Sawyer said.
“Hello? Is this Sawyer Lancaster?” A woman on the other end of the line asked.
“Yes… this is he.”
“I’m Mrs. Harper, Gavin’s English teacher.”
“Oh yes… how do you do?”
“I’m very well, thank you. I was hoping we could meet and discuss Gavin.”
Oh fuck, what was wrong?
“Is he alright?” Sawyer asked, “Is he hurt? What’s going on?” Fuck, his heart rate was speeding up.
“Breathe, Mr. Lancaster.” Her voice was soothing. “Gavin is fine. He’s not hurt, but I do have some concerns. I was hoping you could meet me at the end of the school day. Would four o’clock work?”
“I’ll be there.” He checked his watch—he had two hours. Fuck, with the way his stomach was twisting, he wasn’t sure he could wait that long. What if something was wrong with Gavin? “I’ll see you then.”
“Room 511,” she said. “I look forward to meeting you.”
“Likewise,” Sawyer said, then disconnected the call.
When he turned back to Drake, he found the man had already resumed working, but that was fine because he didn’t have anything more to say to Drake right now.
Sawyer quickly left the site and headed for the trailer. He climbed up the stairs and opened the door, and Ford looked up when he entered, his lips curving when he spotted Sawyer.
“Hey, babe. Done already?”
“I just got a call from Gavin’s English teacher.” He looked down at his phone even though he’d already hung up.
Ford’s forehead puckered. “That’s not usually a good sign. What’s going on?”
“She wouldn’t tell me. Just asked me to come see her at four today. Will you be home when Savanna and Gavin get off of the bus?”
“No, I’m coming with you.” Ford got to his feet.
“You don’t need to come with me. It’s not necessary.”
Ford tilted his head. “I said I was all in, and I meant it. I’m coming with you. Mom will be home when the kids get there. She’ll stay with them until we get back.” Ford walked over to him. “I’m coming with you. No arguments.”
Sawyer nodded and raked a hand through his hair. He definitely felt better having Ford alongside him. He wasn’t sure he was ready to handle things solo. Even when he was signing the kids up for school, Ford and Barb had helped with that.
God, what would he have done without Ford? He needed to remember that Ford was his partner in all this, and he no longer had to shoulder everything alone.
Now, if he could just get through the rest of the afternoon without worrying himself into an ulcer. Could people develop those in a day?
Then again, the past month had been totally ulcer inducing.
Sawyer and Ford were holding hands when they walked into the teacher’s room, or rather, Sawyer had grabbed on to Ford’s hand and refused to let go.
Mrs. Harper stood up when they entered and greeted them. “Thanks for coming,” she said as she shook their hands. “Which of you is Mr. Sawyer Lancaster?”
“I’m Sawyer, and this is my boyfriend, Ford.”
“It’s wonderful to meet you both. Please have a seat.” They both sat down in the front row, and boy, did Sawyer feel like he was about to be scolded. His palms were sweaty, and he did his best not to wipe them against his jeans. Although he had to admit, Mrs. Harper was like no teacher he’d ever had. She was, in a word, stunning.
“I’m sorry to call you both down here,” Mrs. Harper began, shaking him out of his musings. “But, I have some concerns about Gavin.” She paused like she was collecting her thoughts. “Gavin is a wonderful student, a complete delight to have in our class.”
Sawyer waited for the other shoe to drop because he knew she hadn’t called him
