Page 110 of Sawyer

“My turn to take over, and your turn to rest. That’s how this works. I’ll be there in an hour.”

She sighs. “You sure?”

“This is what you were talking about, Ava,” I tease. “Let people help you.”

CHAPTER26

Ava

PARTNERS IN CRIME

I’m buzzed.

I have a full belly, a delicious mezcal negroni in my hand—my second—and a crowded dinner table.

My daughter is smiling. My house smells delicious. The stars are just blinking awake in the lavender sky outside the windows beside my chair.

Best of all, the four of us, Sawyer, Ella, Junie, and me, worked together to make this meal happen. Sawyer brought the food and mixed the drinks. The girls and I set the table, and then we played several rounds of duck duck goose while he seared the steaks in a cast iron skillet he’d brought over.

Because of course he’d thought to bring it.

Andof courseit’s his mom’s skillet, the same one she seared steaks in for him and his brothers when they were kids.

I helped out Sawyer, and then he did the same for me—without having to be asked. Same as I’d noticed him fading back at his house, he noticed I’d need a hand with dinner after having the girls all afternoon.

The guy fucking noticed.

Not because he’s in trouble, or because he’s trying to get laid. I’m starting to realize that Sawyer notices because that’s just who he is. He’s a decent, thoughtful, deeply kind human. And tonight, I get to be with him.

Look upblissin the dictionary, and I’m pretty sure you’ll find a picture of this moment.

“Sawyer, that wassogood.” I motion to my empty plate before glancing at June’s. “I mean, even the kids ate it. A meal that appeals to the bigsandthe littles? That’s no small feat.”

Sawyer looks at me, his dimple coming out to play as he gives the ice in his glass a shake. “Bigs and littles?”

“Bigs are the big people, like you and Mommy,” Junie explains around a mouthful of potatoes. “Littles are little people, like me and Yella.”

“Yeah, Daddy, we’re little,” Ella says.

“You’re also such a big girl, coming over to our house today all by yourself.” I hold up my hand, and Ella gives me a high five. “I’m proud of you, Ella.”

I turn and see Sawyer still looking at me. The adoring, and very hot, gleam in his eyes has my stomach doing a backflip.

Oh, heavens, we areinit,aren’t we?

One date later—does this count as another date?—and all of a sudden, we’re looking at each other like this. Like I hung the moon, and he lassoed it. Because I know I have that look in my eyes too.

How could I not? Sawyer showed up at my house with an overflowing grocery bag of ingredients that he used to make the most amazing steak dinner ever. He remembered everything, right down to the butter, kosher salt, and sprigs of rosemary he used to season the meat.

He cookedvegetables. Several of them. Ones my child actually ate.

He turned me onto mezcal and a band named First Aid Kit, and then he introduced my daughter to the tickle monster. It was love at first sight for June.

Might’ve been love at first sight for me too. That’s the only explanation for how down bad I am for him at this point in our relationship. I’ve never fallen this hard, this fast. Not even when I was sixteen and falling in love with Dan.

Imagine that—those raging teenage hormones don’t hold a candle to whatever shit is coursing through my being right now.

I’m floating.

---