Chapter 15 #2
Bill sighed. “I do want the money I’ve amassed to go to good causes, Sawyer. I’ve been thinking on my own, but I’d like to bend your ear about that. What’s your calendar look like?”
He opened his phone and consulted his calendar. “I’m in court tomorrow. Have two appointments on Wednesday, but Thursday is wide open. Want me to reserve that day for you?”
“Do it,” Bill said. “I’ll have decided between the will and the trust by then, and we can get those written up. Then discuss which worthy causes need an injection of mad money from old Bill Packman.”
The old man rose, a bit unsteadily, and Sawyer did the same, offering his client his hand.
As they shook, Bill said, “I want us to do some great things together, Sawyer. My life doesn’t have a legacy of children or good deeds, but I can leave something of myself behind by pouring money into people and places which need it.”
“I’ll see you at eight o’clock on Thursday, Bill,” Sawyer said, closing his briefcase and heading back to his car.
He had heard of people who had made huge fortunes but lived frugal, ordinary lives.
He recalled one woman in her nineties who had been the chair of a medical school board in New York.
Upon her husband’s death, she donated over one billion dollars, and it allowed students to attend that medical school for free.
When Melinda French Gates had divorced her husband, she had become a philanthropist in her own right, advocating globally for women with donations of hundreds of millions of dollars to causes, especially ones regarding women’s health.
Mackenzie Scott had done the same after her marriage to Jeff Bezos dissolved, donating billions to various charitable causes.
What Bill Packman wanted to do was similar in nature.
He was a man without family, willing to give back to his community and beyond.
It was incredible—and inspiring. The kind of money Bill possessed could seriously change the lives of so many people.
When he wasn’t busy in court or with clients during the next few days, Sawyer would research some different ideas to present to Bill on how to spread out his client’s generous donations, as well as keep the money working for as long as possible.
He arrived home and went inside, changing from his work clothes into a T-shirt and pair of shorts. His attention now went to Paisley and spending a couple of hours with her.
She showed up twenty minutes later, carrying a brown paper sack with handles, the BBQ Bliss logo stamped on the side.
As she set it on the counter, Sawyer reached for her, snagging her by the waist and pulling her to him for a long, slow, heated kiss. Her arms entwined about his neck as she kissed him back.
“I could get used to coming home to something like this,” she told him.
Immediately, his thoughts jumped to a future with her, where that very thing happened.
He kissed her again and released her. “I’m starving,” he said. “What did you bring us?”
“I couldn’t decide, so I got two different sandwiches,” she said, pulling them from the bag as he retrieved plates from the cupboard. “One is pulled pork, and the other is sliced brisket. You can have your choice.”
“Or we can split them in half and enjoy both.”
“You think like a lawyer, Sawyer,” she teased. “Sounds good to me.”
Paisley removed four different sides from the sack, and they worked on plating the potato salad, mac and cheese, baked beans, and creamed spinach.
She pulled the final container from the bag and held it up. “Banana pudding. If we have room for it, that is. I’ll put it in the fridge for now.”
“We could always start with it—and go from there,” he suggested, waggling his brows, causing her to laugh.
“Dessert first? That’s a great idea. We’ll have to try it sometime.”
All he could think about was having her for dessert.
Paisley took both plates to the table, while he claimed a pitcher of iced tea from the fridge and poured them tall glasses from it.
Where he liked a lot of ice, she wanted no more than a fourth of her glass to hold ice.
He set the glasses on the table and put the pitcher there, too, knowing he’d drink more than one glass.
“I want to hear your news,” he said. “And I’ve got some of my own.”
“You go first. We’ve talked so much about school stuff for weeks. I want to hear more about your practice.”
Knowing he could only speak in generalities because of attorney/client privilege, he said, “I landed a new client today,” not giving her Bill’s name.
“I’m going to be writing up his will and acting as the executor of his estate.
He doesn’t really have anyone to leave things to, so he’s decided he wants to do some good with the money he has. ”
She placed her hand over his. “I always thought that would be me,” she confessed. “Coming to the end of my life and having no one special in it. You’ve changed that for me, Sawyer. You and Hawthorne.” Paisley’s eyes misted with tears.
“I’m glad you’ve found a home here,” he said huskily. “I hope you’ll stay for a long time.”
They gazed into one another’s eyes, and Sawyer sensed things shifting between them.
Becoming more serious. He wanted to pick her up and set her in his lap and kiss her for hours, but he had learned to take his cues from her.
Paisley was surrendering to him in small increments, and he wasn’t going to jeopardize things by pushing her too hard or fast.
“So, what’s the big news coming out of HHS?” he asked, trying to lighten the mood as he took a bite of the brisket sandwich.
“With it being the first day, none of my classes dressed out. I met with JV first period. They’re a bright, eager bunch of girls.
My PE classes are going to be fun. They seemed appreciative of the different units I’m going to cover with them.
It surprised me, but several of the boys said they were really interested in yoga when I included that in my overview of the course. ”
Her eyes sparkled now. “And then came last period and the varsity team.”
Sawyer listened as Paisley told him she had addressed the team sitting in the bleachers.
“I talked to them about the culture I want to create. I had them set goals for the year. Guess who was listening the entire time?”
She beamed at him and answered before he could reply. “Desi Sonato and Sheila Briggs.”
He frowned. “Why were they there? I thought they’d left the team.”
“They had senior out—and just happened to be hanging around the gym, close enough to hear everything I said to the team.”
Sawyer had taken advantage of senior out his last year of high school, sleeping in and not reporting to school until second period started at nine-thirty.
It had been especially nice when the basketball team had a road game the night before and he’d gotten in late.
He remembered that other students with senior out had gone in sometime during first period, sitting in the cafeteria or the gym, leisurely eating breakfast as they talked and finished up their homework.
“I’m assuming they liked what they heard by the look on your face,” he said.
“They did. Just watching film of those two girls, they are true players at heart with a love for the game. It must have killed them to walk away from a team and sport they love. I could see in Desi’s eyes, though, that she was interested in what I want to build with this year’s Lady Hawks.
While Sheila is a talented player in her own right, she is very much a follower.
If Desi hadn’t wanted to come back to the team, Sheila wouldn’t be there. ”
Paisley smiled. “But they’re both a part of it now.
I made it official, talking to their counselors and having their schedules updated to reflect the change.
It’s not as though they needed the extra credit they would receive, but I need everything to be above board for UIL purposes.
I don’t want to have to forfeit a single game.
Now, Desi and Sheila are officially members of the team. ”
“How did their teammates react?”
“I don’t know this firsthand because I was in the office, but Hope issued lockers and athletic practice wear to the players.
She said everyone was thrilled to have those two seniors back on the team.
More importantly, both Desi and Sheila asked Hope for note cards so they, too, could record their goals for the year, just as their teammates had done.
That lets me know they really bought into what I said. ”
They finished eating and cleaned up the kitchen, and then Sawyer said, “I guess since it’s a weekday, we need to make an early night of it.”
Paisley’s gaze met his. “No. I told you I was coming over to celebrate. Not just my first day of school and reclaiming two star players for my team. I want to celebrate us, Sawyer.”
His mouth went dry. “Exactly how are we going to do that?”
“By doing something I’ve been longing to do ever since I met you.”
She reached out and took his hands in hers, gripping them tightly.
“I want to make love with you, Sawyer.”