17. Sawyer
Sawyer
“ H ere, gents.” Connor brings a tray of whiskey glasses to the table.
“Thank you.” Hudson grabs a glass, his one and only tonight, which he’ll drink along with a large bottle of water.
“Appreciate it.” I need at least a few of these to drown out that blaring country music on the large jukebox at the end of the bar. Thursday night drinks look a lot different now than they used to.
Tanner and Connor each grab one, and the four of us sit there, relaxing.
“Soooooo, Annabelle?” Connor looks at me with a shit-eating grin on his face, and I bite my lip so I don’t do the same.
“What about her?” I act nonchalant, taking a sip of my whiskey. I can hardly wrap my thoughts around it all, so I’m sure as hell not going to start gushing about her to these guys.
“What’s going on? What did I miss?” Hudson looks at us all, confusion written all over his face.
“Sawyer here has been spending time with Annabelle…” Tanner looks at me like he’s waiting for me to fuck up. I swallow but meet his gaze.
“Really?” Hudson asks me.
“Just dinner, getting to know her a little bit.” I prefer to keep my cards close to my chest, yet in a town like this, that’s impossible.
But Annabelle is a private person too. And I respect that.
My thoughts about her consume me most days.
I haven’t felt like this about a woman in forever, and that scares me a little.
Leaves me feeling a little vulnerable, like my chest is wide open for her.
“A nice woman, pretty quiet, keeps to herself,” Hudson adds. “I had a feeling you might be interested in her.”
“She’s great. She’s smart, good work ethic, a great mom, beautiful, independent, an amazing cook, easy to talk to, fucking beautiful…”
“You said that already,” Connor jumps in, chuckling as he cuts off my rambling.
“Who would’ve thought our city boy here might actually come to like Whispers,” Hudson teases.
“It’s growing on me.” As I take another sip of whiskey, Tanner's gaze is still on me. I can already hear his warning before he speaks.
“Just…” Tanner starts to say, and I interrupt.
“I know. Go slow. Take care of her. I know, trust me. I’m not a total asshole.
She’s been through a lot and I’m not about to add to her troubles.
” This feeling is entirely new. I have no idea how to go slow.
I’ve never had to work hard for a woman before and never had the desire to before now.
But as I sit here in Whiteman’s Bar, my tie loose, my collar open, my usual pristine suit no longer feeling necessary, my want for her continues to grow.
He nods, then says, “That remains to be seen,” making Connor and Hudson laugh. Before I can say anything more, my cell vibrates in my jacket, and I pull it out, seeing Annabelle’s name, a grin coming to my face immediately.
“Hey, Annabelle.”
All three men look at me intently, trying to get the inside scoop.
“You need to come here.” But it’s Kevin’s panicked voice on the line.
“Kevin?” I frown, sitting forward as my concern rises. “Everything okay?”
“Ma hurt herself. You need to come,” he says, and I’m already standing.
“Hurt herself? I’m coming. I’ll be there as soon as I can.” He doesn’t say anything else, just hangs up, and a rush of nerves moves through me.
“What’s going on?” Tanner asks, the three of them already on their feet.
“That was Kevin, said Annabelle has hurt herself.”
“Let’s go.” Hudson strides out the door without another word, clearly in doctor mode, and we’re quick to follow.
“She needs to move closer to town,” Tanner mumbles as we turn up her long driveway. It’s pitch-black out here. Even the moon offers little solace.
“It took us fifteen minutes to get here. Way too long in an emergency, if you ask me.” I spot Connor and Hudson in front of us, pulling up to the house. “She’s in the middle of nowhere. With no neighbors nearby, a single mom with two kids…” I trail off, getting worked up just thinking about it.
“Well, would you look at that. You do care about this town and its people,” Tanner says sarcastically as we jump out of my truck and walk up the door that Kevin now has open for us.
“What happened?” Hudson, doctor bag in hand, walks straight to Annabelle, who’s sitting in her armchair, Noah on her lap.
“We’re fine. Sorry, Kevin panicked.”
Kevin stares at me, a serious look on his face. I don’t like it. I don’t like it at all. Noah is wiggling around on Annabelle’s lap, and I see her wince a little.
“She went outside to lock up. I heard a noise and her yelling and found her with her head cut and bleeding,” Kevin says, and Annabelle doesn’t meet anyone’s eyes. Something feels off. Like they’re not saying something.
“It was just the animals.” Annabelle flicks her gaze to Kevin. One thing about working in law for so long and growing up how I did, I know when someone is lying.
“You said you tripped over the hoe?” Kevin calls her out.
“Yes, I did. After the animals made a noise.” She recovers badly, and my nostrils flare as I clench my jaw tight.
“I noticed the gate out front is damaged?” Connor asks her, and I look at him.
I hadn’t noticed anything, but to be fair, I have no idea how a gate on a farm is supposed to look.
I lift my gaze and glance around the house.
Everything else seems in order, her usual chaotic self on display with things everywhere, but otherwise, nothing seems amiss.
“Bears or coyotes, probably.” She holds a towel to her head. Her hand finds her hair, her fingers twirling it in her grip as another lie falls from her lips. My shoulders tighten even more.
“Looked like the lock was cut with bolt cutters,” Tanner says, and I have no idea how they noticed all that when it’s so dark outside. She needs more lights around the house, around her shed. Shit, even all the way up her driveway.
“It was rusty.” She has an answer for everything, apparently.
“Connor and I will go take a look around, just in case. Check the animals.” Tanner and his son share a look, their commanding presence felt around the room before they walk past me and straight out the door.
“Alright, I might as well take a look at your head while I’m here.” Hudson steps toward her with his doctor bag. Annabelle turns, her eyes settling on me, and I keep her gaze until Noah wiggles again and I spot another wince she tries to hold back.
“Let me take him.” My feet move before my mind actually thinks about what I’m doing.
“It’s fine.” She’s stubborn, even now.
“I’ve got him.” I don’t listen to her as I scoop up Noah, who proceeds to slap both my cheeks and giggle.
“You know that stings, right?” I tell him, this time holding him closer to my body.
“Like a beeeeeee,” he says, and I chuckle.
“Okay, well, it’s a good size gash on your forehead there.” Hudson pulls my attention to Annabelle, and I see a large wound across her forehead. I grit my teeth harder, not liking seeing her hurt.
“I just tripped. I’m sure it will heal fine,” she says, as Hudson wipes away a little of the blood.
“I’m sure it will too. We’ve got to have you all ready for the season. Kevin, are you excited to be on the team this year?” Hudson’s bedside manner is admirable, and Annabelle's face lights up in pride as she watches Kevin chat with Hudson about the upcoming baseball game this weekend.
“Buzz, buzz, buzz…” Noah’s hands smooth over my stubble, and I look back at him.
“You think I’m a bee? Or are you a bee, hmm?”
Noah smiles at me, breaking down a little more of my city armor. He’s a cute kid.
“Well, outside is all fine, but you’ll need a new lock. The other one was broken,” Tanner says as he and Connor come back inside and both pause mid-stride when they see me holding Noah.
“Ahhhhhh. Are you feeling alright?” Connor’s smirk rises, looking between me and Noah, who’s now squishing my nose and flapping my tie, continuing his buzzing sounds, totally oblivious to anyone else around him.
If this had happened months ago, I would be aghast. This is a thousand-dollar tie and Noah is playing with it like it’s his new toy.
And as he grabs it and pulls it to his face, using it like a comfort blanket, I find myself pulling it from my neck and giving it to him.
His small hand grabs it, then he rests his head on my shoulder with the tie now firmly in his grasp.
“Do. Not. Say. A thing,” I grit out to the guys, who both look at me with equal parts confusion and understanding.
“Okay, a few butterfly strips will hopefully do the job. But I prefer to stitch, just to make sure…” Hudson says.
“No. I’m fine, really. Just a small head bump,” Annabelle says, and Hudson sighs, clearly preferring the other option.
“Ma, Ma, Ma!” Noah reaches for her now that Hudson is finished and packing up, so I put Noah down and let him run to her. I can’t help the small smile on my lips when he climbs up onto her lap carefully before snuggling into her, my tie still in his grip.
“I’m sorry to drag you all out here. Thanks for coming. I appreciate it.” She puts Noah on the chair and stands. I’m sure I'm not the only one who thinks she looks pale.
“Kevin, keep your mom hydrated with some water and make sure she gets plenty of rest. Come and see me tomorrow if the butterfly strips don’t hold, and we’ll put a few little stitches in it just to keep it closed.
But I think you’ll be all fine after a good night's sleep.” Hudson’s words are soothing but don’t appease me at all.
“Thanks, Hudson.” Annabelle’s smile is small, her exhaustion obvious.
“You tell us if you need anything,” Tanner says to her as he scruffs Kevin's hair.
“Sure,” Annabelle says, lying again as she walks the four of us to her door.
I look at Tanner. “Think you can get a ride home with Hudson? I might hang around for a bit.”
He nods. “Probably a good idea.” The look he gives me is not one that fills me with confidence.
As the other three men start walking out, I remain, looking around the room.