Chapter 36
SAWYER
I vy’s birthday is coming up quickly and I know exactly what I want to do to celebrate her. Last night I watched her enter her passcode to unlock her phone, and I know that’s a huge invasion of privacy, but she’ll forgive me. I wait for her to get in the shower, and I power on her phone, enter the passcode, and open up Zoe’s contact info before plugging it into my phone. I click out of it quickly and turn her phone back off, putting it exactly where she left it. No harm, no foul. Didn’t even feel the urge to snoop.
I open my texts to send Zoe a message, hoping that I’m giving her plenty of notice to plan.
Me: Hey Zoe, this is Sawyer. Ivy doesn’t know that I’m reaching out to you but I was hoping we could connect to get you over here for her birthday. I’m planning a little surprise party for her for Saturday and I really want you to be here. Not much would make her happier. Let me know.
A reply comes in immediately.
Zoe: I wouldn’t miss it. Send me the details and I’ll be there.
Thank fuck.
Me: Saturday starting at 8. Ivy will be home by 9. But show up whenever you can and we’ll make it work. You can stay here with Ivy and I’ll crash at a friend’s so you two can have time together. Thanks Zoe.
Next, I pull up my sibling group chat to finish the plans.
Me: Having a surprise party for Ivy at my place this Saturday at 8. Don’t miss it fuckers.
Liam: You sure that’s a good idea? She seems a little skittish still.
Carter: Yep. Like a baby fawn.
Dallas: Will you two shut the fuck up? We’ll be there shithead. Need anything?
Me: She’ll be fine. She wants to be here and she wants family. She just needs to continue to feel accepted and she’ll feel more solid.
Kinsey: I think it’s a great idea. She’ll love it.
Me: Liam can you get with Hannah and see if she can make a few dozen apple cinnamon muffins?
Liam: Yeah but who the hell wants muffins on their birthday?
Me: Ivy does. They’re her favorite. Can you get them for me?
Liam: Yeah I’ll talk to Hannah
Me: Feel free to bring guests
Dallas: You really going to let Carter do that?
Me: Carter don’t fuck up, yeah?
I send a text to my parents and Reid to extend an invite before pocketing my phone and joining Ivy in the shower.
Today the bar is being installed in the downstairs area of our main building. Blaire is instructing the crew where to place everything and so far it looks great. I find all three of my brothers on the porch watching, Dallas shooting daggers in Blaire’s direction.
“Careful, she might erupt into flames if you keep looking at her like that,” I say as I walk up to them.
“We can only hope,” he deadpans.
“Seriously, what is it with you and this whole project? I don’t get it. Do you guys?”
Carter and Liam both shrug and shake their heads.
“I don’t know. I just don’t want to invite everyone into our space. Dad and Grandpa didn’t host events here. We’re a goddamn distillery. It’s not a vineyard for fuck’s sake. You guys seriously want this place crawling with visitors? Carter? This is good for us?”
“We ran the projections, Dal, it’s good. It’s going to bring people into the town, create jobs, spread business, it’s a good thing. Plus, if we go ahead and host weddings like Blaire wants to, think of all the single bridesmaids that’ll be lingering around.”
“Fuck off, Carter,” Dallas says as he storms up the stairs into his office.
I point at Carter. “Stay away from the bridesmaids, loverboy.”
I leave my brothers and get settled into my office when my phone goes off.
Ivy: Are you free?
I click the call button and she answers on the first ring.
“Baby, I got an offer!” she screams into the phone. My stomach does a weird twisting thing like I’m sitting on a rollercoaster. What could she be talking about?
“An offer for what?”
“The house, Sawyer! Get with it! I got an offer for my parents’ house!”
Holy shit, that was fast. I knew it would sell but that was exceptionally quick for this area.
“That’s amazing, Iv. Is it what you were asking?”
“No. That’s the best part. They want a quick sale and offered me twenty grand over my asking price. Over. Twenty thousand, Sawyer. I’m on my way to sign the paperwork now. Some business is purchasing it to do a flip. I’m sure they’re going to quadruple their money on it, but I don’t even care. I’m going to be free of it all. This is the boost I needed. Now I just need to schedule to get the house emptied and by this time next week, it’ll all be in the past. I can finally move forward!”
My heart sinks as I listen to her. I’m happy for her, ecstatic, how can I not be when she’s this excited? But is this what she was waiting for? Was she hanging on to me for comfort and is still planning on leaving me and going back to Seattle?
“I’m so happy for you, baby. We’ll celebrate tonight. I’m here if you need anything, okay?”
“Thank you, Sawyer. For everything.”
We hang up and I’m left feeling sick to my stomach. I hope everything we’ve shared over the last few weeks has been enough to remind her what we have between us. I sit at my desk, staring blankly at the computer screen in front of me. My mind should be focusing on reviewing the financials our CFO sent me, the upcoming meetings, and my endless to-do list. But every time I try to get work done, there’s one thought that keeps creeping in—her. The woman I love more than any of this. The same one who left me once before. I can’t control the fear that slithers in, warning me that she’ll leave me again after selling the house. I want to call her, to hear her voice and confess all of my insecurities, but I don’t want to burden her, I don’t want to make her feel more guilty than she already does. I take a deep breath and try once again to refocus on the task at hand, but my mind keeps wandering back to her. Always her.
Will she stay this time?