Chapter 11
Chapter Eleven
LANE
“Y ou’re the worst at sneaking around,” I tell Sawyer as we make our way toward his truck. He’s got his arm around my shoulder, holding me close, and it feels right being tucked into his side this way.
A few people are still making hoots and hollers behind us. They are all teasing, but that doesn’t stop me from blushing head to toe. I don’t think they know what we did in that back room, but they sure have an idea of what we’re about to do.
“I suppose so.” Sawyer runs his fingers through his unruly hair. I’m keeping the hat, and he hasn’t asked for it back.
Sawyer towers over most people, and he’s well-liked by everyone in town. Sure, I know everyone too, but I can pass most with a smile or nod. With Sawyer, people are eager to pause and engage in conversation. We only made it a couple of feet out of the room before people were trying to talk to us.
It often surprises me that he remembers details about everyone when he asks how they are doing. That makes him very popular with not only the ladies but the men too. Previously, I believe I was overly focused on him interacting with other women, but he truly treats everyone the same except for me. Why hadn't I realized that until now? Liv loves to tell me that I live in my head far too much.
Sawyer opens the driver’s side door to his truck and motions for me to get in.
"Am I driving?"
"Nope, but you're sitting right next to me." I glance inside the truck, which I've been in before, and realize it does have a full bench seat.
"I didn't think they made trucks this way anymore," I say as I climb in.
Sawyer's truck is shiny and new. He's always done well for himself, not only because he was the best on the rodeo circuit but because of his family's farm. They also enjoy a comfortable lifestyle since they’ve kind of retired. His parents travel around in an RV they got a few years ago, so I don't see them often. To be fair, I usually avoid them. His mom, mainly.
"Had a hard time finding one. Only a few still do. I had to look everywhere for it."
"You wanted a bench seat?" I eye him suspiciously as he gets in beside me.
"Well, this girl once told me how sweet it was when she saw couples sitting together in a truck."
"I said that?" It’s sweet in a corny way, but I do love it.
"I think we were ten." He grins at me, showing off his dimples.
"And you remember that?"
"I remember everything with you, kitten." He fires up his truck and rests his hand on my thigh as we drive.
"I'm sorry," I say after a quiet moment, and I feel his hand squeeze me gently.
"Don't be. I'm starting to realize I’ve been a dumbass."
"I could have told you that you were a dumbass a long time ago," I tease, unable to help myself. I suppose it’s a habit with him, or maybe this is our way of flirting.
"Um, I think you have a time or two." I snort a laugh because he’s not wrong. "You were pissed about other girls."
I nod because I can't really deny it. Not anymore. "It's terrible," I admit. It was only because I would hear people talking crap, and everyone knows how rodeos can be.
"It's not. Like I said, a lot of things have been clicking for me today.” He glances over at me before grinning. “Besides, anytime I found out some fucker had eyes on you, we had words."
"What?"
"Sure as hell did. You kept to yourself most of the time, so you probably had no idea."
"You warned men away from me?" I truly had no idea he was doing this. Then I think back to his most recent stunt at Dixon’s, where he popped up out of nowhere.
"That's in the past. We're moving forward." He winks at me, and I can't help but laugh. That's Sawyer through and through. I'm trying to say sorry, and he's letting me off the hook.
"I wasn't looking to date anyone," I mutter more to myself. But if I’m honest, I kind of love the idea of him getting so jealous over me.
"We established I'm a dumbass."
"You are not." I elbow him in the side before I place my hand on top of his. "And only I can call you that."
“Yes, ma’am.” He turns his hand over so we can link our fingers together.
The feel of his strong, possessive hold is overwhelming. The simple act of holding hands has my insides warming. I’m still buzzing from the pleasure he gave me earlier, and I don’t ever want it to end.
“Maybe we should go to my place,” I suggest when he turns in the opposite direction.
“Well, I was thinking that you haven’t been to mine in years.” He’s driving toward his family's land, and a ball of emotions form in my chest.
“It has been a long time,” I agree. We have a lot of memories from time spent there as kids. “But we’ll be alone at my place.”
“We’ll be alone at my place too.” He grins.
“Oh.” I let out a breath. “Your parents are out of town right now?”
If Sawyer and I are truly committed to this relationship, I will have to face them at some point. I’m just not ready for that to happen today or, to be honest, tomorrow. Right now, things are pretty dang perfect, and I don't want to rock the boat quite yet.
"They're back tomorrow. They'll be in for a shock when they find out about us. Mom will be so damn excited."
Well, shit. She's not going to be excited one bit.
"Hey, why’d you tense up on me?" Suddenly Sawyer is catching everything when it comes to me. He takes his eyes off the road to glance over at me for a second. "Tell me. I don’t want there to be any more hiding. From now on, we talk things out."
I sigh, and even though I don’t want to have this conversation, he’s right. We’ve spent far too long keeping these things in, and I don’t want to continue this way. This needs to stop now, and it’s best to get it all out.
"Your mom doesn't like me."
As soon as the words are out of my mouth, a bark of laughter leaves Sawyer.
"Lane, you’ve lost your mind. She loves you."
The irony is that at one time, I would have said the same thing.
"Since when?"
"What do you mean, ‘since when?' Your whole life." He blinks at me like I’m speaking another language.
"At one time, sure, I think she felt that way but not so much now."
"Did she say something to you?" Sawyer's laughter vanishes, and his whole mood shifts. It's a power I have only ever seen with him. He can somehow change the whole vibe in a room with his presence or a couple of words. I always thought it was why he's so good with animals.
“No, in fact she doesn’t say anything to me anymore.” I could be standing right next to her, and I was a ghost. It hurt, but I kept telling myself it was for the best.
“I’ll fix it,” he promises.
“It’s not your job to fix everything.” I squeeze his hand, appreciating that he would go to bat for me, but I don’t want to come between him and his family.
“Are you my girl?”
“Yes,” I say without hesitation. I’ve always been his, even when I wasn’t ready to admit it to anyone. Including myself.
“Then you let me take care of you.” He lets go of my hand so he can drape his arm over my shoulder. Then he pulls me close and kisses the top of my head. “I’ve waited a long time to do it, so don’t try and stop me now.”