Chapter 19
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Sawyer was glad that Amber went home with him.
She hadn’t seemed afraid any longer, with her and the raccoon having made peace and all. But the ordeal of the night most likely still had her on edge because she’d seemed eager to say yes once he’d extended the offer.
Now, it was almost midnight as he tucked her in and then sat close, on the edge of the bed, in his guest room.
“I’m right back where I was last night,” she said with a laugh.
“Yep. Only this time you have a new stuffie to sleep with you and Honey,” he pointed out, his gaze shifting briefly to Jazzie.
“A new stuffie, thanks to you,” Amber said.
“I’m sure we’ll round up even more stuffies soon. But right now, you need to get to sleep. I picked up a few things so tomorrow morning I can make us breakfast.”
“Pancakes?” she asked excitedly.
“If that’s what you want,” he said with a chuckle. “But first, shut-eye time. You good with the lights out?”
“Yes, Sir.”
He thought about kissing her forehead before he stood but decided that might be pushing it too much. “Goodnight.”
“Goodnight,” she repeated.
He smiled upon realizing her eyes were already closed. It wouldn’t be long until she drifted off to sleep, if she hadn’t already. He switched off the light and went to his own room.
What he really wanted to do, though, was take the little cutie with him so he could hold her all night long.
The morning sun was shining brightly through the kitchen window above the sink as Sawyer whipped up a bowl of pancake batter.
The aroma of sizzling butter he’d used to coat the griddle reached him, causing him to smile. That smile grew when he heard Amber’s sweet voice say, “Good morning.”
He turned around, still holding the bowl and whisk in his hand. “Good morning. You sleep okay?”
“Great, Sir! I mean, Sawyer.” She was hugging her stuffies as she approached timidly.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“Well, I might need to… address… something that I said last night.”
He laughed. “Your excessive cursing? Don’t worry about it. I’m a Navy guy. Trust me, I’ve heard it all.”
It was pure cuteness when Amber blushed hard. “I’m sorry about that! I try not to say bad words. But they just sorta come out when I’m scared. And I was terrified last night! Until you showed up.”
“Like I said, don’t worry about it.” He walked to the stove where the griddle rested and poured some batter into small circles, watching as they expanded. “But I’ll admit I was quite impressed. You could give some of my old SEAL buddies a run for their money with that mouth.” He chuckled some more.
He poured some more batter and sat the bowl down. Keeping his eyes on the griddle, he could feel Amber watching him and sensed she had more to say.
“Like I said,” she finally continued, “it’s not about the bad words. I, uh… sort of… called you Daddy last night.”
He needed to watch those pancakes as they were just starting to show bubbles on the edges but there was no way he was going to let this moment pass. Turning around, he looked Amber in the eyes from across the kitchen and said, “I noticed. But honestly, I didn’t dwell on it. Reckon it’s because hearing it just felt right. Like it was no big deal.”
She nodded. “It felt right for me, too.”
Now he couldn’t ignore the sizzling cakes. He spun around, flipped them, and then turned back to Amber.
There was a lot he wanted to say. Was now the right time? Things were moving so quickly between them that if he was going to get this stuff off his chest before it was too late, he had better act now.
He grabbed a spatula, transferred the pancakes onto a plate, and then sat it aside without pouring more batter atop the griddle. Breakfast could wait.
Facing Amber once more, he said, “I had a Little once.”
She nodded but said, “You don’t owe me any kind of explanation about anything.”
“I appreciate that,” he replied. “But you need to know what you’re getting into.” A few beats of silence ticked off the clock before he continued. “It didn’t go so well. I was married to the SEALs. Put the military ahead of her. That’s why I can’t say I blame her for not waiting around for me. By the time I’d gotten back from overseas… well, she’d moved on. Found another Daddy.”
“Sawyer, I’m so sorry!” Amber said, putting her hand on his arm.
He loved her touch, and it made him smile despite the grim conversation focus.
“Thank you, but it’s for the best. Don’t get me wrong, I was pissed at that guy at the time. But he deserved her more than me. It was fair. And I could hardly blame her for moving forward with her life. But, Amber, what I’m trying to say is… well, I’m a solitary man. Always have been. And I don’t know if that translates well to being a Daddy. Or a husband.” He chortled. “Not that I’m proposing or anything.”
He hoped he hadn’t overstepped. It would be awful to scare her off, but at least he was speaking the truth. She had a right to know.
She didn’t seem the least bit intimidated, though, as she spoke softly. “I think you’d make a fine Daddy. You’ve done nothing but take care of me since I arrived in Big Cedar. You’ve made sure I had food.” A tear streamed down her cheek, causing Sawyer to gently caress it away as he listened to Amber continue. “You’ve helped me get supplies. You even opened up your home to me! And who was it that saved me from the intruder last night?”
He laughed. “My raccoon-fighting skills are legendary.”
She giggled, and Sawyer found himself getting lost in her sweet smile. They continued to gaze into one another’s eyes for a few moments before Amber broke the silence by saying, “Sawyer, you might not be looking for a relationship. But I’ve dreamed of having a Daddy. I was determined not to just fall head over heels for the first single Daddy I met. As it turns out, though… that’s exactly what happened.” She craned her neck up so that her lips could reach his cheek, and the gentle kiss she planted there sent shockwaves through him. “You’re the Daddy of my dreams.”
Sawyer didn’t need to hear another word. And he couldn’t have said anything if he’d even wanted to, with his breath caught in his throat like that.
So, he scooped Amber into his arms, carried her to the bedroom, kissing her the entire time.
There was no turning back now.