Chapter 6
Chapter
Six
Sawyer finished mowing and edging the lawn and came inside, downing a quart of ice water before jumping in the shower.
He had turned to physical activities to keep him busy ever since he’d spoken with Paisley Roberts this morning, feeling embarrassed to have actually called the former basketball player out of the blue.
When he’d asked West for Paisley’s phone number, it had been spur of the moment.
Yes, Darby’s pushing him had factored into the decision.
So had his sister’s announcement that she was pregnant.
Sawyer had wanted to be a dad for the longest time.
He’d pushed that dream aside when he’d lost Elizabeth.
But would his beloved have wanted him to give up on that dream?
He’d put a lot on hold since his fiancée’s death.
Sawyer hadn’t done any traveling, something they had planned to do extensively before having kids.
He hadn’t dated, except for two blind dates after he’d moved to Hawthorne which had ended with a dull thud.
He hadn’t bought a house because he couldn’t imagine being in it by himself.
As his sister and cousins began to marry, though, it had put him in an awkward position, being around happy couples all the time.
It had also left him feeling a bit envious because he wanted what they had.
Desperately. And yet he felt it would be a betrayal of Elizabeth if he pursued another woman.
When he’d seen Darby and her small bump, though, it was as if a light switch had been turned on.
Life was short. Damn short. Elizabeth had been cut down when hers was just beginning.
His own parents had been killed on their way back to Hawthorne from Darby’s college graduation ceremonies at UT.
They were both were forty-eight and in the prime of their lives.
They’d had a six-week cruise booked. They looked forward to both their children marrying so they could become grandparents.
Then they were gone in an instant, killed by a drunk driver.
Sawyer was tired of his life being on an even keel.
He’d stopped making any forward progress and had been treading water ever since his fiancée died.
At first, he’d buried himself in work for years, not wanting a second of free time to remember how empty his life now was.
When he’d been dangerously close to a mental and physical breakdown from the strain of all the cases he’d taken on, he’d chucked life in Dallas and left the DA’s office to return to Hawthorne.
While the slower pace of life had helped considerably, a restlessness now filled him.
No more treading water. He was going to start swimming again, all the way to the deep end. Do things that frightened him. Excited him. Made him glad to be alive. He was going to stop observing and start participating. Live as if he had nothing to lose.
And that included dipping his toe back into the world of dating. He only knew what he’d seen on TV about Paisley Roberts. She might or might not be the answer to his final questions.
But he was ready to begin living again.
He dried off and then wrapped the towel around his waist as he shaved.
He’d suggested dinner at Sonny’s Sports Bar and told her to dress casually because his gut told him that was the only way she would accept a dinner invitation from a stranger.
Their tenuous connection was West, and for a moment, Sawyer kicked himself.
He should’ve asked West and Kelby to join them.
That would have been a good way to break the ice.
Yet in a way, he was glad he was going to have Paisley all to himself. It would keep things real. He had always been good at reading juries, and he hoped that would now extend to Paisley. His gut would tell him if this was a one-time thing.
Or if something more might come of it.
Sawyer rinsed his face and cleaned his razor, then dressed in khaki shorts and a Dallas Mavericks T-shirt.
It was one of his newer T-shirts. Most of the rest were faded and ratty looking.
He was trying to score points tonight, and that meant making a good first impression without seeming to try too hard.
As he went out to his car, he texted Paisley.
On my way. Hope you’re hungry.
He didn’t expect a reply, but he did receive a thumbs up from her and considered that a good omen.
As he turned onto Jen Adelstein’s street, he took a few deep breaths, trying to calm the nerves which had grabbed hold of him.
He’d been to Jen’s a few times to pick her up since they only lived a couple of blocks from one another.
While he thought Darby had hoped her brother and Jen would spark, from the beginning, Jen had seemed just like another little sister to him.
Jen herself had even talked with Sawyer about it privately, telling him that she thought he was a great guy but that she merely wanted to be friends with him.
He didn’t know much about her background.
Whether or not she’d left behind some guy in New York.
He was just happy to add a new friend to his ever-growing circle here in Hawthorne.
Maybe that’s what Paisley Roberts would be. A good friend. Someone he could watch a basketball game with. Grab a bite to eat. He would go into tonight with no expectations.
That way, he wouldn’t be disappointed if they didn’t click.
He pulled up at the curb, seeing a new vehicle sitting in Jen’s driveway.
It was a Hyundai Elantra and looked to be a couple of years old.
It did bear a Las Vegas Aces sticker in the rear window, though, so it had to belong to Paisley.
He also noticed a Baylor Bears license plate frame and recalled that she had gone to school there.
Should he text her again? Or should he go to the door?
It had been so long since he’d done this kind of thing, he didn’t know what proper etiquette dictated.
Then again, his dad would’ve had his hide if he sat in a car and expected a girl to come out.
Sam Montgomery had been a gentleman, through and through, and Sawyer wasn’t about to disappoint himself or his dad, in case he was watching in amusement, perched up on some cloud.
He made it halfway up the porch stairs when the door opened, and Paisley stepped out.
She took his breath away.
Paisley wasn’t a conventional beauty by any means.
Her mouth was a little too wide and generous, but her rich, chocolate brown hair was long and full, hanging well below her shoulders.
Something that had never struck him on TV, because shots of her were too far away, were her eyes.
They were an espresso brown, rimmed with amber, drawing him in.
It was also nice to look a woman in the eyes.
He was six-four, but Paisley was only a couple of inches shorter than he was.
Her build was tall and thin, but he knew from her playing days that she was deceptively strong.
“I’m Sawyer,” he announced.
“Paisley,” she responded, her voice low and rich. It made him want to hear her laugh, and he wondered if her laughter would sound as rich as her voice.
She offered her hand, and they shook.
Suddenly, electricity shot through him, taking Sawyer by surprise. The only time that had ever happened was with Elizabeth.
His gaze met Paisley’s, and he could see she was shaken. Sawyer pumped her hand once and then reluctantly released it.
“Glad you listened to me and wore shorts,” he told her. “Most women would have ignored what I recommended.”
“I’m not most women,” she replied confidently.
He was struck by her assertive air. This was a woman who had achieved what very few others had.
She’d been a member of college and professional championship teams, as well as multiple Olympic teams. If she hadn’t been attacked and injured her knee so severely last year, she would be flying to Osaka next week to participate in the opening ceremonies for the Olympics, decked out in red, white, and blue as a member of Team USA.
“I can see that,” he said, eager to get to know her. “Ready to hit Sonny’s Sports Bar?”
“Sure.”
She accompanied Sawyer to his sensible sedan, which he’d owned for five years and planned to keep at least another five. Sawyer opened the passenger door for her, and Paisley climbed in.
She glanced up. “Mind if I adjust the seat?”
“Be my guest.”
He came around and climbed into the driver’s seat, and they both fastened their seat belts. As he pulled away from the curb, he asked, “How was the rest of your drive?”
“Not bad. Then again, it was Saturday morning, so I didn’t expect traffic to be very heavy.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t warn you about the ambush.” He glanced at her, seeing understanding fill her eyes.
“You mean the pizza brigade.”
“Is that what they brought?”
“Yes. I’d eaten lunch from Pizza Palace earlier this week, when I was in town for my interview, but I didn’t mind a repeat of something that tasty.”
“It’s a good, New York-style crust. I have it a couple of times myself each week,” he admitted.
“Although I like to cook, I usually eat lunch out. It’s a good way to see others in town and lets me keep a finger on the pulse of what’s going on in Hawthorne.
But when I do that, I don’t need a heavier evening meal.
So, most of my cooking happens on the weekends.
You’ve heard of weekend warriors when it comes to exercise? Well, I’m a weekend cook.”
“I can make a sandwich,” she said, laughing. “That’s considered cooking to me. Slapping meat and cheese on bread or making a PBJ.”
“No grilled cheese?” he teased.
Paisley shook her head. “That’s real cooking. I wouldn’t know the first thing about how to put a grilled cheese sandwich together.”
“It’s all in the mayo,” he explained. “Not the butter.”
Her nose crinkled, and Sawyer thought her pretty adorable at that moment. “No butter? Mayo? Ick!”
He laughed easily. “I’ll bet every great grilled cheese you’ve eaten was prepared with mayo.
It’s actually pretty scientific. Yes, you do butter the inside of the bread, where your cheese goes, but you spread a thin layer of mayo on the outside that touches the pan.
The mayo has nothing to do with the flavor.
Actually, it doesn’t even provide any. You don’t taste it, which is why you’ve had it and didn’t even know. ”
“Are you pulling my leg?”
For a moment, he pictured her naked in his bed, pulling on those long legs, licking his way up them to her core. Heat rippled through his body.
“Sawyer?”
He came back to earth. “Just trying to think how to explain it to someone who doesn’t cook,” he lied.
“Basically, mayonnaise has a higher smoke point than butter. When fat reaches its smoke point? That’s when you get a bit of a bitter, burnt flavor.
Mayo is less likely to burn on your griddle, and that allows the cheese more time to melt into an ooey, gooey mess. ”
“Huh. I’m actually intrigued.”
“I’ll demo one, and you can eat and rate.”
“You’re on.”
By now, they’d reached the square, and he pulled into a parking slot. Before he could make it to her door, she’d already opened it and got out. So much for being a gentleman. He wondered about her dating history. He’d googled her and couldn’t find her name linked to anyone.
He placed his hand on the small of her back, guiding her to the door of Sonny’s. They entered, and he caught the smell of onion rings, causing his mouth to water.
Sonny himself greeted them. “I heard you were coming to Hawthorne, Paisley. It’s an honor to have you eat at my place. I’m Sonny Smith. Used to quarterback the Hawks back in the day.” He slapped his beer belly. “That was before a wife and four kids.”
“Nice to meet you, Sonny,” Paisley said. “Sawyer said this is a great place to eat.”
“And watch games. Football. Basketball. Soccer. With the Olympics starting next weekend, most of the TVs will be tuned to the games.” He winced. “I’m sorry. That must be a hard pill to swallow.”
“It is,” she said, not mincing words. “But I plan on catching every basketball game Team USA plays, both the men’s and women’s teams. And other sports, too. I may not be dribbling down the court in Osaka, but I’m there in spirit.”
“Let me take you to a table,” Sonny said.
The owner led them to a booth, and Paisley slid into one side, with Sawyer sitting across from her.
“Beers? Cokes? Sweet tea?” Sonny asked.
“I’ll have iced tea,” Paisley said. “Unsweetened.”
“Make it two,” he added.
“Coming right up.”
After Sonny left them, Sawyer said, “You handled that very graciously. Hawthorne has always been mad for sports. The ones played here and beyond. This place is packed for Monday and Thursday Night Football. College games. Basketball and baseball. Wimbledon. The Open. And yes, even the Olympics. I’m sorry Sonny brought it up. ”
She shrugged. “It’s a part of my life, one I’m very proud of. I have high hopes for this team. Do I wish I were there, running the offense as I brought the ball down the court? Of course. But there’s a time to step away. Mine just came sooner than I’d hoped it would.”
Paisley paused. “Osaka would’ve been my last Olympics. I’d already decided on that. And I’m happy with the roster they put together. My absence gave another athlete her chance at living her dream.”
“That’s a great attitude to have.”
She sighed. “I do believe that, but it’s really hard, knowing I won’t be on that plane next Tuesday to Japan.”
“Then we’ll have to do something on Tuesday to take your mind off that. Something fun and maybe a little bit crazy.”
The smile Paisley gave him caused Sawyer’s heart to beat in double time.
“You’re on, Montgomery. I like the way you think.”
Now, all Sawyer had to do was come up with something wild and crazy.
That didn’t involve sex.
And that was going to be pretty hard because suddenly, having sex with Paisley Roberts had shot to the top of his Things I’m Going To Do Someday list.