Page 35 of Sawyer

He gave me a lopsided grin. “We will, but first, you’ve gotta try the food here. Think of it as a baseline.”

“A baseline, huh?” I asked, trying not to smile back.

"Exactly," Sawyer said, leaning forward, his eyes lighting up. "So, the loaded nachos? One of my personal favorites—they’ve got just the right mix of toppings. And the wings? Smoky honey glaze. Trust me, you're gonna love them."

I chuckled, shaking my head. “Alright, fine. I’ll try the nachos. But I’m holding you responsible if they’re not as good as you say.”

“Deal,” he said, sitting back with an easy smile.

As Sawyer talked about the menu, I found myself glancing toward the front of the bar, my eyes scanning the entrance.

I didn’t know how I sensed it, but a shiver ran down my spine just before I even saw him.

Garth.

I couldn’t tell if the goosebumps or the sight of him came first. Either way, my whole body felt tense as I instinctively shifted further into the booth.

Sawyer must’ve noticed. His eyes flicked to me, then followed my line of sight.

His expression hardened the moment he spotted Garth. Without a word, he leaned forward and took my hand, gently leading me out of the booth.

“We should get going,” he said quietly, his fingers curling around mine. “The next place fills up fast, and I want to make sure we grab a good table.”

Before I could even respond, Sawyer reached over to fix the collar of my shirt, gently flipping it up.

He draped his arm around me, steering me toward the door. It was subtle, but I could tell he was making sure Garth wouldn’t see us.

The cool night air hit my face as soon as we stepped outside, and I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding.

Sawyer didn’t say anything as we walked to his car, and I appreciated the quiet. The silence between us wasn’t awkward; it was comforting.

But the drive to the next bar felt different. Not exactly awkward, just tense. I couldn’t shake the feeling I’d thrown Sawyer off back there.

Had I made him uncomfortable? I mean, we didn’t even get to eat the food we ordered because I freaked out when I saw Garth.

I glanced at Sawyer as he drove, his face focused on the road. My stomach twisted a little with guilt. I felt bad that we had to leave early.

What if he’d been excited about showing me those nachos he was talking about? It felt like I had ruined the moment.

When we pulled up to the next bar, I let out a slow breath. It was a smaller place, with dim lighting and cozy booths tucked into corners.

We slid into a booth near the back, and the awkwardness from earlier still seemed to linger. I wasn’t sure how to bring us back to where we were before Garth showed up, but sitting in silence wasn’t helping.

To break the tension, I decided to bring up something lighter. “You know, the other day at the town meeting, people started talking about sandwiches.”

Sawyer glanced at me, eyebrow raised. “Sandwiches?”

I nodded, laughing. “Yeah. Out of nowhere, the whole shifter discussion was derailed by everyone comparing their favorite sandwiches.”

Sawyer’s lips quirked into a smile, and I could see the tension in his shoulders start to ease. “Small-town politics at its finest.”

As we continued talking, the mood between us lightened. Sawyer reached across the table at one point, brushing his thumb over my lip to wipe away a crumb.

The gesture was casual but sent a jolt through me. His hand lingered for a second before he sat back, his foot nudging mine lightly under the table.

Suddenly feeling too warm, I cleared my throat and rolled up my sleeves. As I did, Sawyer’s gaze fell on the long scar on my forearm.

“What happened here?” he asked.

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