And then I’m tackling her to the ground, making sure my back goes down first, and she lands on me. Silvery laughter flows endlessly from her, her full, soft body bouncing under my arms, and it charms mine out, my chest rumbling with joy, whatever pain throbs in my leg worth it just to hear her sweet laugh.
Carefully, I roll us onto our sides.
‘Oh my God!’ she cackles, whacking my chest. ‘You are crazy!’
‘You say it like you didn’t already know,’ I tease back, trying not to get too excited about the fact her hand never left my chest.
Her chuckle sparks in her eyes. ‘Which is whyImust be even crazier for agreeing to live here with you.’
‘Even if I look after Noah so you can sleep in?’
There’s that eye roll of hers. ‘I guess I should say thank you for that.’
A beam of sunlight breaks through the clouds at that moment, glittering over her face.
I can’t help myself from reaching over to brush a lock of hair that’s fallen out of her braid from her face, tucking it behind her ear and relishing in how shiny it feels under my fingertips. Her eyes stay locked on mine, fluttering when my fingers trail back down her jaw and stop at her chin. Her fingers pulse against my chest, clinging to my top, and it feels so right to be connected like this. To feel my blood rushing like it used to because of her proximity.
I wonder if she still kisses the same. All coy and shy at first before her passion explodes. I wonder if she remembers how it felt. My lips against hers.
My gaze is married to her mouth as she parts her lips, my name coming out as the sweetest whisper that sounds like a promise, ‘Sawyer—’
And that’s when Noah belly flops onto both of us.
14
Honey
I’m in the middle of making Noah some peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch while he plays with his toys by the couch the following weekend when I’m suddenly dropping the knife and bracing myself against the kitchen counter as a cramp hits me.
Damn it.With everything going on, I hadn’t paid any thought to being due this week, just took the sugar pills without thinking. Usually I’m better at keeping track—after an unplanned pregnancy you force yourself to become very watchful over your cycle. Not that I’ve had sex in years to have to worry about that …
The cramp subsides after a few seconds, and I make a mental note to grab some painkillers once I’ve finished getting Noah his lunch—they should keep me going until this evening if I’m still going to take Noah into town since the weather’s nice this Saturday after a week of grey clouds and rain. Sawyer’s been out on the ranch this morning,checking in, so I thought it might be good to get us both out of his hair for a few hours once he’s back.
I pick up the knife again and manage to spread some peanut butter onto the bread before the next cramp, which also happens to be just as the clop of crutches and well-worn boots comes through the door as Sawyer returns.
‘Afternoon,’ he greets me with, his country drawl thick like molasses—I swear it gets stronger every day, likely from spending more time in Willow Ridge and with all the ranchers as the weeks pass.
Noah’s eyes brighten when Sawyer arrives, and it grabs Sawyer’s attention from me instantly. ‘You looking after Trix for me, buddy?’
‘Yep! She’s playing horses with me.’ He holds up one of the horses from a set of plastic ones Sawyer got him the other day—that man has been spoiling Noah rotten with toys and I don’t know what to think of it.
Trixie doesn’t even look at Sawyer, just continues blinking her big brown eyes at Noah, watching him lovingly. She rarely leaves his side anymore.
Sawyer tuts. ‘You’re stealing my girl, Noah. I’ve got competition.’
My son giggles at him like always but quickly turns back to his horses as Sawyer limps over to me. He rests his crutches against the island counter, then leans against it with his hip, facing me as I finish off Noah’s sandwich. Heat tingles up my body, and I look up to catch Sawyer’s eyes raking over me eagerly, then flashing when he finally reaches mine. I’d say I’ve caught him checking me out, but I’m ina baggy sweatshirt and a pair of old black leggings, not to mention my looming period has made me super bloated, so that’s unlikely.
Though, it’s not too dissimilar to the fervent way he looked at me last weekend when we fell to the ground, a moment I’ve torturously struggled to rid from my mind, even if it can’t mean anything.
Even if the subtle brush of his rough fingers across my face had my heart clashing against my rib cage …
‘Want me to make you one?’ I offer, holding up the plate as I round the island. He’s about to answer when I bang the plate against the counter as pain lances through my abdomen.
‘Hey, hey—’ Sawyer throws out his hand, as if to comfort me, but it never reaches my skin, whatever boldness had him touching me last Sunday has disappeared. ‘You okay, Blue?’
I was dreading this. If I’d thought it through and used my pill to delay my period, I might have made it through this month at Sawyer’s without getting it, but alas, I’m clinging onto the island counter because my uterus is clawing at my insides. I doubt this is anything he wants to deal with. I doubt he’s ever spent enough time with a woman to be faced with this scenario.
‘I’m fine,’ I grit out, heaving down a breath. I’ve been soldiering through plenty of bad cramps since having Noah. I’ve had to. You don’t have a choice when your kid needs you. ‘I’ve just got a bad stomach, that’s all.’