Chapter 12 Sutton
Sutton
I grab one of Sawyer’s cushions and slap Kevin across the head with it.
“Got you!” I yell as little Noah jumps on me, the two kids now pushing me to the ground, bruising my kidneys in the process. This kind of rough and tumble I haven’t done for years, but it’s almost a daily occurrence in this house since I arrived. The kids love it, as do I.
“We’ve got you!” Kevin says proudly, sitting on my chest, pinning my arms to the floor and little Noah sits behind him on my stomach, making me slightly regret the extra set of sit-ups I did after baseball today.
“Kevin, do you know James, the new kid at school?” I ask, thinking about how James is new and needs more friends.
“Yeah. We’re in the same class.”
“Are you friends?”
“Kind of. He doesn’t play baseball, though.” He shrugs.
“Maybe you need to teach him?” I wonder if my nephew could take him under his wing and build his friend circle a little.
At that, his face pinches, unsure. “I mean, he’s always reading…”
“Maybe he’s just waiting for a friend to invite him to play? Must be hard being the new kid.”
I see Kevin’s mind ticking over.
“Yeah, okay. I’ll ask him on Monday,” Kevin says, just as little Noah grabs a cushion and slaps me in the head.
“What in the world is going on in here?” Sawyer walks in and berates us all. “Seriously, this place is a mess.”
With a groan, I roll my eyes. “You heard him, let’s clean up.” I lift up quickly, causing the two kids to spill from my frame, giggling all the way until they crash on the floor and the three of us tidy up.
“Seriously. You’re a bigger kid than them.” Sawyer looks at me, rolling his eyes right back.
“Hey! It’s my first time having nephews. I’m banking this time I have with them before I go back,” I tell him honestly, a heavy feeling twisting in my gut when I think about leaving Whispers and going back to LA.
“Boys, go wash your hands and get ready for dinner.” The two boys wander down the hall at Sawyer’s command, and I look at my hand. The one that held on to Nikki when she clearly said too much to me this morning. I haven’t washed it. Her soft hand felt too delicate in my own.
“I was talking to Mom earlier,” Sawyer starts as we take a seat on the sofa.
“She alright? I was thinking we could fly her up here, spend some time with her. But I know she’ll be followed.” I scrub my chin, hating that I can’t see my mom because the fucking media are hounding everyone I know.
“You know Mom. She loves life down in Florida. It’s hard to get ahold of her. She’s always playing bowls, cooking, having drinks with her friends. Her social life is better than mine.” Sawyer huffs a laugh, and I grin. He isn’t wrong. Mom has a great group of friends.
“I’m thinking of putting in a cottage on my land. Somewhere she can stay when she comes. It gives her some privacy while also being close to us.”
“Good idea. The kids could be a handful for her, so she might need the space. Although winter isn’t too far away, so I don’t think she’ll like the weather.
” At that, we both look out the window, noticing the gray clouds rolling in.
This morning, it was beautiful. The sun turned out just as Nikki arrived, warming up my day without even knowing it.
Now without her, the clouds are back, the weather outside looking cold.
“Hopefully, there are still a few more weeks left of okay weather so I can do some more hiking. There’s a bit of a path at the back of my new block I want to explore.”
“How much longer you planning to stay?” my brother asks, looking at me with interest. When I first got here, I didn’t really have a time frame in mind.
I just needed a break. Now, as I settle into the community, and with the new Whiteman’s Whiskey partnership in the process, I’ll be here for longer.
“I need to lay low until the launch of The Shadow Gentleman. Me outing myself at the launch is one of the key drivers to catapult the new line and have everyone frothing to grab a bottle. Plus, I’m liking this town and its people.
” Or should I say, person. Nikki is constantly on my mind, so much so, it’s startling.
My brother frowns but nods along with my idea of a plan.
“You look stressed,” I comment, and he scoffs.
“This is how I always look.”
“Permanently stressed?”
“I just need my virtual assistant to get up to speed and things will settle down.”
My brother works hard. Too hard if you ask me.
“Why don’t you hire a local?”
Sawyer looks at me like I have rocks in my head. “There’s no one here in Whispers who would work.”
“What about Nikki?” I suggest.
His eyes bore into mine.
“I already approached her about it,” he mutters, and now I'm intrigued.
I quirk an eyebrow. “Oh yeah? And?”
“And… she rejected me.”
I cough out a laugh.
“Rejected you?” It’s obvious that she needs a day job, with James to look after at night, and I would’ve thought that working with Sawyer would mean more money for her than working with Rochelle at the diner.
“It’s never happened to me before.” I can tell my brother's ego is bruised just from his tight expression.
“Why wouldn’t she accept?” I ask quietly, almost to myself.
“I asked her a few weeks before you turned up. Saw how she seemed quick to learn and knew about admin and computers a bit. I have no idea why she declined the opportunity; most people I talk to would die to work for my firm.”
“You’ve lost your shine,” I tease him, even though I’m left with more questions than answers.
He sighs. “She’s a hard one to get to know.”
“She keeps things close to her chest,” I admit, thinking about our chat today, the way she let a little more about herself slip than she intended. I’m eager to get to know her. I sometimes find I want to call her just to hear her voice. But I have to tame myself.
“Well, Rochelle did say she has a history.”
“She needs a car. Why wouldn’t she take the job if she obviously needs the cash?”
“Maybe she has a record. You can't really work for a law firm if you have a record.” Sawyer watches me at that statement, and my face contorts, knowing that woman doesn’t have a bad bone in her body.
I’m already shaking my head in denial. “There’s no way.”
“I guess time will tell. You know as well as I do that all secrets come out eventually.” Sawyer stands, throws a cushion at me, and walks out. Leaving me sinking deeper into the silence, knowing that I’m not going to let anything hurt her.
Not on my watch.