Chapter Ten
Sawyer pressed Record and discreetly aimed his cell phone in Royce’s direction as RuPaul prepared to name the season two winning queen.
Royce had his heart set on Raven taking the crown, but Sawyer had stumbled across enough Reddit rants to know that would not happen.
Sawyer kept his head aimed toward the television but shifted his gaze to the recliner, where Royce lounged with their sleeping daughter.
“Come on,” Royce mumbled. “Crown Raven already.” He chewed his bottom lip as RuPaul built tension on the screen.
There was a dramatic pause, and then Ru announced Tyra as the winner.
“What?” Royce stage-whispered. Darla’s little arms went up in the air like she was signaling a touchdown, but she didn’t wake up.
Dolly didn’t bark. Bones didn’t flee from Sawyer’s lap.
Royce patted Darla’s back and kissed the top of her head.
“Papa’s sorry, baby girl.” Royce scowled in his direction, and Sawyer expected to be called out for recording his reaction. But he said, “Why aren’t you outraged?”
“Raven is stunning and my first pick, but the judges were enamored by Tyra,” Sawyer said casually.
“No, there’s more to it than that.” Royce studied him through narrowed eyes, and Sawyer barely resisted the urge to laugh. “You already knew the outcome.”
“Guilty. I didn’t mean to find the results, but I came across them when researching something else about the franchise.
” Sawyer tapped the phone to stop the recording and quickly texted it to Alec with a message that read, Look what you’ve done!
Technically, Sawyer could lay their newest obsession at Mendoza’s feet, but Alec was the first person in their inner circle to push the show.
“Did you record my reaction?” Royce asked.
“Yep.”
Royce’s mouth fell open in outrage. “Did you just send that to someone?”
“Alec,” Sawyer replied. “He’ll be happy to know we’re addicted to the show too.” Sawyer’s phone buzzed with an incoming call, and Alec’s name on the screen wasn’t a surprise.
“You’ve got five minutes to chat before I’m starting season three,” Royce said.
Sawyer bit his lip to keep from laughing. “You don’t want to stretch or hydrate?”
Royce rubbed Darla’s back. “I’m good just like this.”
Sawyer accepted the call and greeted Alec.
He stood up to get a drink and noticed how messy their house had become since Darla’s arrival three weeks prior.
They weren’t living in squalor as they adjusted to life with a newborn, but the clutter was making Sawyer’s skin itch.
Maybe he should do something about it instead of watching reality television when they weren’t sleeping or at least attempt a healthier balance. “Where are you right now?”
“Amarillo,” Alec replied.
Sawyer sang lyrics about arriving in Amarillo by morning.
“I didn’t know you could sing,” Alec said.
“And I didn’t realize I knew that song. Couldn’t even tell you who sings it.”
“George Strait,” Alec replied. “A legend.”
“I’ll take your word for it,” Sawyer told him. “How’s it going?”
“Rough. These Texas boys are suspicious as hell and don’t want to play nice. Not everyone rolls out a red carpet like you guys did.”
“Wow, that’s some revisionist history right there,” Sawyer teased.
Alec laughed, and Sawyer imagined him rolling his eyes. “Okay, sure. We had a rough start, but I wore you down.”
“Because you eventually allowed us to see the real Alec Bishop,” Sawyer said. “Maybe you should do the same there. Perhaps strike up a conversation about Drag Race at the water cooler.”
Alec gay gasped through their connection. “Can you imagine?”
“Actually, yes, and I take it back.”
“Because you like me and don’t want to see me hurt,” Alec said. “It’s okay to admit it.”
Sawyer and Royce had both formed a surprisingly tight bond with Alec. “Fine. I admit it.”
“So, you’re obsessed with Drag Race, aren’t you?”
“Obsessed is a stretch.” But then Sawyer noted the clutter on his kitchen counters. “Maybe a little,” he amended.
“Darla seemed very indifferent to the results,” Alec said. “A real snooze fest to her. Ba-dum-tss. I’ll be here all week, ladies and gentlemen.”
Sawyer laughed at Alec’s shenanigans, then said, “She only cared about cuddling her papa.”
“So,” Alec said, “have you seen Dane and Cayden recently?”
“I have. They brought pizza by last week and met Darla Grace.” Sunday dinner was a tradition they’d started with Dane, Cayden, and their mom, Nina, and they’d continued hosting the brothers after her passing.
That, along with cleaning, was a healthy routine Sawyer was eager to start up again.
A quick glance at his phone told him it was Friday afternoon, which gave them plenty of time to tidy the house and thaw out one of the many casseroles from the freezer.
“You got quiet suddenly,” Alec said. “Where’d you go?”
“Sorry. My focus is crap right now.”
“I bet. Is Darla still staying awake all night?” Alec asked.
“No, she’s doing better. Royce and I should take turns with the late-night feedings, but we’re too obsessed with her. One of us changes her diaper while the other prepares the bottle. We both stare at her like fools, marveling over every little thing. We’re kind of ridiculous.”
“I think it’s adorable how much you love her,” Alec said. Their conversation lulled for a few seconds, and Sawyer wondered if their connection had broken, but Alec cleared his throat. “How are Dane and Cayden doing?”
“They’re hanging in there as best as brokenhearted young men can,” Sawyer said. “Of course, they miss their mom like crazy, but they’re putting one foot in front of the other as she’d instructed them. They’ve both made room in their grief for new and exciting things.”
“Like love?” Alec asked.
Sawyer wondered how to proceed. Alec and Dane had an undeniable attraction to one another, but the timing had been terrible.
He didn’t want to give Alec false hope, but he didn’t want his friend to mope needlessly either.
“Cay has his first girlfriend. They went to the winter formal together last month, and the budding relationship seems to have helped him quite a bit.”
“What about Dane?” It seemed Alec was tired of skirting around the actual issue. “Is he seeing someone?”
“Why don’t you ask Dane that? He said you guys talk and text all the time.”
“We do,” Alec said. “But he’s been…different lately. A little distant.”
“Could be a self-preservation tactic. Maybe Dane was becoming more emotionally involved with you than he could handle. We both know he cares about you a great deal.”
Alec sighed heavily. “And I’m in love with him. My gut tells me to ease up and give him space to heal, but my heart wants me to hold on tighter.”
“I think you need to let Dane set the tone and pace,” Sawyer said. “I know that’s the last thing you want to hear.”
“No, but it’s the reminder I needed. Dane wants me to be his friend, and I can be that for him. It’s just hard being on the other side of the country.”
“But that’s a temporary problem,” Sawyer pointed out. “There’s nothing preventing you from moving to Savannah once your mission is over. Sometimes you just have to believe that things will work out the way they’re intended. As much as we like to be in charge, we’re not really steering the ship.”
Alec chuckled. “Was that little pep talk for me or for yourself?”
“Both.” Lord knew he needed the reminder every day that passed without a resolution on the case, or even a word from the judge about their adoption hearing. They’d gone through all the motions and completed all the outstanding tasks. Waiting was the only thing left to do.
Royce met Sawyer’s gaze, pointed to the television, and held up two fingers.
He needed to wrap up the call before Royce started the next season, or they wouldn’t get anything accomplished for another few days.
Muffled voices came from Alec’s side of the connection, followed by his friend’s heavy sigh.
“I need to go,” Alec said. “The sheriff has finally granted me an audience, but he’s only giving me five minutes to make my case.”
“To quote Mama Ru,” Sawyer said, “‘Good luck, and don’t fuck it up.’”
Alec was laughing when he disconnected their call, and Sawyer hoped that good energy would follow his friend into the meeting with the sheriff.
Royce waved the remote at him, and his expression said he meant serious business. Sawyer did too, but he’d need reinforcement to pull it off. And he knew just who to call.
Twenty minutes later, Royce crossed his arms over his chest and scowled at the diaper bag Sawyer had packed. “I don’t know about this.”
Sawyer cocked his head to the side. “You don’t trust my mom to watch Darla for a few hours?” He knew it was a low blow, but desperate times called for devious measures.
Evangeline wore the diaper bag slung over one shoulder and a serene smile on her face. She glanced down at her granddaughter and said, “He doesn’t trust me with you.”
Royce’s eyes widened in alarm. “You know that’s not true at all.
This is just her first time away from us, and I…
” His words trailed off as he looked around the room, and Sawyer could tell by his horrified expression that he was seeing what had become of their living space.
“I think we’re going to use the time wisely. ”
“Perfect,” Evangeline said. “Sawyer has packed enough diapers, outfits, and formula for her to stay for a month, but I promise to bring her back as soon as you call me.” She smiled down at Darla, who stared up at her in awe.
“That way, your daddies will call on me to watch you more often, though I suspect I’ll have to share you with Grandpa Eddie when you get bigger.
I hear he’s already planning your first trip to the hardware store. ”