“Anytime.” Drake shot him a distracted smile before getting back to work, and Ford walked over to his car to leave the site. He was just getting to his car when he spotted Sawyer’s car pulling into the parking lot.
Ford waited for him to park before walking over to him, Sawyer got out of the car and he placed a quick kiss on his lips, then stepped back. “Hey, babe, what are you doing here?”
“You should have waited for the conference call to be done. I would have come out with you,” Sawyer answered.
“Well, I didn’t know how long it would be,” Ford replied. “Everything is looking good in there.”
“I promised Mark a video update, so I’ll just do a quick walk around.” Sawyer stepped back. “Which reminds me...” He reached into the car, and when he came back out, he held up his iPad. “Oh, but I was thinking when I’m done, we pick the kids up and go to Bel Air Diner in Denver. What do you think?”
“Oh, the retro diner. That sounds amazing,” Ford smiled up at Sawyer. “I was only there once a long time ago. It’d be nice to spend the night out with the kiddos. Then when we get home and they’re tucked away in bed, you and I can play.” Ford winked at him.
Sawyer laughed. “Sounds good to me, babe. If you wait around, we can just head to your parents and get Callum, then meet up with the others.”
Ford nodded. “Sure.” He thought about going to his office, but decided against it. Instead, he waited at his car for Sawyer to do the walk through. He wasn’t more than ten minutes before he was back out and they were ready to leave. It was time for a family night out.
30
Sawyer
As they walked from the parking lot toward the diner, Sawyer held Ford’s hand while carrying Callum in the other arm. Ford stopped them for cars pulling in and parking in the stalls down the side of the highly polished chrome and neon building, and Gavin and Savanna watched as the carhops roller skated around with trays of food they hung from the car windows.
“Wow,” said Gavin in awe as they crossed and were almost to the front entrance. “Look at that car.”
“That’s a nice one, isn’t it?” Sawyer asked.
Gavin went running up to the candy apple red ‘57 Chevy parked in front of the building and was looking through the window.
“Savie,” Ford began. “Why don’t you go stand by Gavin, and I’ll get a picture of you both, and we can send it to your pop pop and grandma?”
Once she was standing next to her brother, Ford let go of Sawyer’s hand and pulled his phone out.
“Babe, why don’t you go over there, too, so we can have a picture of the four of you together?” Ford tipped his head in the direction of kids, but Sawyer shook his head.
“You won't be in it.” Looking around, Sawyer called out to an older couple just leaving the dinner and asked if they would mind taking their picture. They quickly agreed, and he smiled at Ford as he pulled him over and put an arm around his waist as their picture was taken.
When the man handed the phone back to Ford, he had a grin on his face and told them, “You have a beautiful family.”
Hearing that from a complete stranger tugged at Sawyer’s heart strings, and he was never more thankful to have had his life turned upside down to reach this point.
“Thank you so much,” he replied as he turned toward the entrance where Savanna was holding the door open for them.
“Thank you, kind lady,” Ford said as he passed her, and Savanna giggled, then followed them into the railroad car style front of the building.
“Welcome to the Bel Air Diner,” a teenage girl greeted them. She looked like she had stepped right out of the 1950s with her blonde hair pulled back in a ponytail, a white blouse and bright pink poodle skirt, bobby sox, and completed with saddle shoes. “I have a great corner booth that can seat you all up here in the front, or through the door toward the back are more tables and booths.”
Sawyer looked to Ford who shrugged, so he said, “We’ll take the booth up here so the kids can look out the window.”
“Have you ever been to a place like this?” Sawyer asked while they followed their hostess while Connie Francis’ “I’m Gonna Be Warm This Winter” started to play over the speakers.
Savanna and Gavin shook their heads.
Sawyer looked around since he had never been to a place like this, either. Yeah, they existed in New York, but he had always gone to the higher end restaurants, especially when meeting with clients. This was going to be an experience for both him and his siblings, and he was feeling excited to share it with them.
“This is going to be so much fun,” Gavin piped in.
“It is, buddy,” Sawyer replied. “This is my first time too.”
Ford started to chuckle as they slid into the booth, the kids bookended by himself and Sawyer.
“What’s funny, babe?” Sawyer asked with a puzzled expression as he got Callum secured in the high chair.
“Have you been listening to the song?” Ford asked and Sawyer shook his head. “The first words were, ‘We met at a ski lodge.’”
He began to listen to the lyrics and had to laugh himself since sure enough, it was about falling in love at a lodge.
A waitress walked up to their table and passed out laminated menus after introducing herself as Gina.
“Can I start you with something to drink while you look at your menus?” she asked, pulling a pencil from behind her ear and lifting her pad.
They quickly ordered their drinks, and Gina smiled before turning and walking away, skirt swooshing as she went.
Not long after, she returned with their
