Sawyer
Sweetest words I’ve ever heard
CHAPTER
THIRTY-TWO
Sawyer
I stare at the woman across the table from me, loving how well she blends into my family.
Mom insisted I invite Nova over—after my knuckles had done healing from all the bruising, that is, because Mom will just nag — to have dinner with Chris, plus my brother and Casey. I don’t know how the invite got extended to the Nomad Brothers, their families, plus Payden, but here we are. Ryder and Crystal are away with their kids for a few weeks, otherwise it would’ve been mayhem.
“These are mighty fine potatoes,” Brew grunts, digging into his second plate. I did warn my mom the boys are big eaters, but she loves to cook for everyone.
“Well, thank you, Dylan, that’s awfully kind.” She also refuses to use biker names, so there’s that. Apparently we were all given perfectly good names at birth, so why change that?
“He really isn’t kidding, what do you do to get them so crispy?” Erica asks.
“Oh, I just rub them in oil and season them really well and I add rosemary to the pan, the key is to have the oven really hot,” she says.
“Totally works with the roast chicken,” Haze agrees.
“Thanks for feeding all of us,” Willow puts in. “I would’ve loved to help.”
Haze almost chokes on his food because we all know Willow can’t cook. I mean, she tries, but most of what she makes is inedible.
She side eyes him, giving him a ‘what the hell?’ look.
I pat him on the back so he doesn’t actually choke. “You good, bro?”
“Sorry, that went down the wrong hole for some reason,” he says, smiling sweetly at his wife.
“Now, now, boys,” Olive pipes pipes up. “I’ll have you know Willow makes really good toast.”
Everyone laughs, except Willow. She narrows her eyes on her niece. “Very funny.”
Olive puts a hand over her heart innocently. “Grilled cheese, then?”
“Ha-ha,” Willow mocks. “We all know my culinary skills may not be the best, but we’ve never gone hungry so the jokes on those who mock me.”
“Thank god for ramen,” Nova mutters.
“Hey, everyone, sorry I’m late,” Payden says, startling us all. “I just let myself in.”
My mom jumps up, ready to seat Payden, but the only seat left is next to Logan. How terrific.
Payden purses her lips, but then smiles sweetly at my mom and says, “Thank you, Rose.”
He eyes her but doesn’t say anything.
“Welcome, honey,” Mom says. “I’ll grab you a plate.”
“I’ll do that,” Chris says as he stands, kissing my mom on the forehead. She pats his hand as she sits back down.
“Wow, look at all of you digging in, it smells amazing,” Payden says, and is it just me, or does she move as far away from Logan as she can without it being noticeable?
What’s up with that?