Chapter 30 Sawyer
CHAPTER THIRTY
Sawyer
“I’m going to see if Clint is back,” I call out to Reid, who’s covered in soot and determinedly cleaning up the mess the fire service left behind. “See if we can get those cameras up and running.”
Reid gives me a quick nod without looking up from his work. He’s got that laser focus on him when he’s fixing things, as if the world could be burning down around him and he’d still be too absorbed in the task at hand to notice.
Honestly, it’s kind of impressive, if not a little concerning.
I walk toward the front gate, the dust of the day clinging to my boots as I head for Clint’s truck, parked near the barn. It smells of burnt wood, still tinged with the aftertaste of the fire, and I can feel that familiar tension in my chest that’s been there since the first signs of trouble.
I try to push it down, try to focus on the task ahead, but it’s hard when the ranch is still reeling from all that’s happened.
It isn’t Clint’s truck I find at the ranch gate.
It’s her.
Dakota is standing by the front gate, her back slightly turned to me. Her hair is pulled back loosely, and she’s wearing one of those faded flannel shirts that somehow makes her look both rugged and delicate at the same time.
But it’s the way she holds herself, distant, carrying a weight on her shoulders, that catches my attention.
I can tell something’s off. Her posture is guarded, her head slightly tilted as though she’s lost in thought, probably trying to sort out whatever’s been troubling her. I assume it’s about last night.
I can only imagine how much that was for her. I’m sure Dakota has never been with three men at once before, so it must have been a lot.
It worries me. I wonder what she’s here to say. Hopefully not that she never wants to see any of us again…
I push the thought away. Now’s not the time to dwell on that.
I make my way toward her, trying not to seem too eager but unable to ignore the pull. Something deep inside me just knows she needs comfort, and I want to be the one to offer it.
I stop a few feet away, not wanting to startle her. She doesn’t seem to notice me at first, still lost in her own thoughts.
“Hey,” I say, keeping my voice soft, the way I always try to when it’s just us. “You good?”
Dakota startles slightly, then turns toward me, her eyes meeting mine. For a brief moment, her expression softens. She’s struggling to hold it all together.
“Yeah,” she says, but the word is clipped.
She’s not fooling me. I can hear the hesitation, feel the distance between us.
I take a step closer, offering her a small, reassuring smile.
“You don’t have to pretend, you know,” I say. “I’m here if you need to talk. Or if you just need someone to listen.”
Dakota looks down at the ground. I can see her jaw tightening as if she’s trying to keep it all together.
But I know better than to believe everything’s fine when she’s looking at me in this way… like she’s one breath away from breaking.
“I just… I need to speak with Clint,” she says, the words coming out carefully, almost as if she’s been rehearsing them. She doesn’t meet my eyes when she says it, and I can tell she’s trying to hide whatever else is going on in her mind. “Is he here?”
“He’s out at the moment. We need a security system for the ranch. It’s been… a day.”
“What happened?”
“Fire,” I say quietly, keeping my tone even. “The barn is… well, pretty much gone. Luckily, we got the horses to safety in time.”
“And you think someone did this? That’s why you want a security system ?”
All I can do is offer her a one-shouldered shrug. “There has been a lot going on, and I think Clint wants to be sure everything is okay.”
“I’m sorry that happened. I guess…” She bites her bottom lip. “I really do need to talk to Clint, kinda urgently, so I guess I’ll wait for him. Hope it isn’t too much.”
That familiar knot in my chest tightens again, but this time it’s different. Something shifts. I don’t want to make her uncomfortable, but the words are already on the tip of my tongue. I can’t ignore the suspicion that’s been gnawing at me for days.
Ever since I first saw her with her child.
“Dakota…” I pause, gathering my thoughts. “About Charlie… is there something you need to tell us? Or maybe something I’ve missed?”
Her eyes flicker toward me, wide and uncertain. I’ve just struck her with a question she didn’t expect. She takes a step back, instinctively retreating, and the space between us feels heavy with my words.
“Charlie?” Her voice trembles, barely above a whisper. “What do you mean?”
I know I’ve gone too far, but the doubt that’s been swirling in my mind for weeks has to be addressed. I can’t avoid it anymore.
I step a little closer, my gaze soft but insistent. “I’m just asking because… well, I can’t deny there’s a striking resemblance.”
Her breath catches. “I didn’t know you knew.”
My suspicion is immediately confirmed. “So, something did happen with you and Clint. Years ago.”
I try to work out how I feel about this, but I’m not too sure.
I also have no idea how Clint will react.
Dakota’s gaze drops to the ground, her fingers gripping the edge of her flannel shirt as if it’s the only thing keeping her grounded. The quiet moment between us stretches, and I can see her fighting with herself, wrestling with the decision to say what I already know is true.
“We had one night together,” she confesses. “And I had no idea that I was pregnant until I’d left town. And truth be told, I didn’t really know Clint, so I was scared to tell him. I didn’t expect to end up back in town, back in Clint’s life.”
I swallow hard, trying to make sense of everything.
It’s a lot to digest, more than I expected.
“Dakota…” I begin. “Why didn’t you tell him? Why keep it a secret from everyone?”
She pulls in a sharp breath, and her hands tremble as she tugs the sleeves of her shirt down.
“I wasn’t sure what to do, Sawyer. I was scared…
of what would happen, of what Clint would think.
And… I didn’t want Charlie to be caught in the middle of something he wouldn’t understand.
I don’t have a great relationship with my parents, and I was too scared for Charlie to face rejection, too. ”
Her words hang as smoke, heavy with the hurt she’s been carrying. I can’t imagine what it’s been like for her, keeping such a big part of her life hidden for so long.
“I get it,” I say softly, even though it’s hard to wrap my head around the emotions swirling in me. “But Clint deserves to know, Dakota. So does Charlie.”
She looks up at me then, and there’s something raw in her eyes that’s almost too painful to bear. “I know, and that’s why I’m here. I know the day isn’t ideal, but I need to get it off my chest.”
Before I can respond, the low, familiar rumble of an engine cuts through the silence. We both turn toward the sound at the same time.
Dust rises from the road just beyond the gate, swirling in the sunlight before the dark shape of Clint’s old pickup appears, rolling slowly down the drive toward us.
Dakota goes pale. Her hand instinctively goes to her stomach, her breathing picking up just a little. She looks like she might bolt, like every instinct she has is telling her to run.
“Hey,” I say quietly, taking a step closer. “It’s okay.”
She doesn’t look convinced. Her eyes stay fixed on the approaching truck as if it’s some kind of reckoning. One she’s both dreading and needing in equal measure.
She swallows hard, finally tearing her gaze from the truck to meet mine. There’s a storm in her eyes. Fear, guilt, love.
“What if he hates me?” she whispers.
“He won’t,” I say, firmer this time. “He might be shocked. Hell, he will be shocked. But he won’t hate you. You did what you thought was right at the time.”
The truck crunches to a stop, the engine cutting out. The sudden quiet feels deafening.
Clint steps out, grabs his hat from the seat, sets it on his head, and starts toward us with that purposeful stride of his. The one that always manages to command attention without a single word.
Dakota’s breathing quickens again. I can practically feel the tremor in her body.
I lower my voice, leaning just close enough for her to hear. “You’re going to be fine. Just… breathe. I’m right here if you need me.”
Her eyes dart to mine, wide and uncertain. “You promise?”
“Yeah,” I say softly. “I promise.”
But as Clint draws closer, dust settling behind him and his blue eyes locked on the two of us, I can’t help the twist of doubt in my chest.
Because as much as I want to believe my words, part of me knows. Once the truth comes out, nothing will ever be the same again.