Page 38 of Infinite as They Come
“Aw, thank you.” She grabbed the flower with a smile and pressed a kiss to his head. “And who’s the other one for?”
“For Holly,” he whispered. He moved over to me, one hand holding the flower while the other pulled at the end of his shirt.
My heart warmed as I took the flower from him and sent him a smile. “You’re too sweet, Spencer. Thank you.”
“Why don’t we have lunch?” Kurt suggested. “Me and Linda packed sandwiches. Sawyer, Holly. Please join us.”
“Yes, let’s eat,” Linda said, eyes stuck on Sawyer’s face. “Unless… Unless you want to go?”
I looked at Sawyer. If he needed a break, if he needed time, then he deserved that. Our eyes locked and I waited for a sign, even just a hint of him needing some distance, but he nodded slowly.
“No, we’ll stay,” he drawled. “We can stay.”
The breath Linda let out was drenched with relief, her eyes closing for the tiniest of seconds. I could see her hands rushing to open the picnic basket on the table, pulling out a paper wrapped sandwich as she handed it Sawyer’s way.
“I made chicken and mayo,” she said, eyes all big. “You used to like chicken and mayo when you were little. Do you still like it?”
“Uh, yeah,” Sawyer said as he took the sandwich from her hand. I watched as his fingers brushed against hers before quickly pulling away, the sound of Linda’s breath hitching painfully loud. “Thanks.”
“Holly, would you like one too?” Linda asked, holding out another sandwich.
“Thank you,” I whispered as I took it from her. There was too much tension. Too much awkwardness. But it was bound to be that way. Bumps in the road, uncomfortable pauses, too long stares. I knew it was going to happen, and Sawyer probably did too, but there he was trying, doing his best despite how much it must have hurt. My free hand instinctively foundhis knee and he pressed his hand over mine.
Kurt seemed to sense the tension—God, even Spencer seemed to notice, his eyes darting back and forth between everyone—as he perked up in his seat. “So, Linda mentioned that you guys were in New York before coming back to Texas,” he said. “What’s it like there? I’ve never been. Sure seems busy.”
“Yeah, it’s pretty crazy. Holly went to Columbia,” Sawyer said. “She just finished up studying journalism. I fix cars up there.”
“Wow,” Spencer said with a little gasp, both hands grasping his sandwich as he took a bite.
“And he paints.” I nudged Sawyer. “He’s very talented.”
“It’s so nice that you still do it,” Linda said, sitting up a little straighter as a big smile stretched across her lips. “You did that all the time. You were so good, even back then. Used to make such a mess at the kitchen table, but it was always so lovely seeing all that stuff you’d come up with. You would have so much fun.”
“Yeah, it’s…” Sawyer shrugged. “It keeps me busy.”
“He’s being humble,” I said. “He’s had a lot of success in New York. There’s a studio he works in that displays his work. You should hear what people say about his art.”
Sawyer rubbed a thumb across my hand there on his knee. “I try, I guess.”
“I looked at just about every one of your paintings on your website,” Linda said. “They’re all gorgeous. I wish I could paint like that.”
That pride in her voice was more than obvious. She was looking over at Sawyer with big eyes, her hands resting on the table, fingers fidgeting like she wanted to reach out and grab him. One day, I hoped he’d be ready for that. For now, I just focused on her words. Soft, light, but coated with so much joy.
“You… You looked at the website?” Sawyer asked.
She nodded excitedly. “I did. I’ve been looking at it every day. So many beautiful paintings. I was wondering if you kept some of your older ones? You know, from when you were younger?”
Sawyer’s fingers squeezed at me, his brows knitting together. “Um, somefrom high school, yeah.”
“But what about any from when you were little?” She smiled, but it looked all hesitant, like it wasn’t quite reaching her eyes. “From when you were a kid? It would be so nice to see them.”
Sawyer shook his head. “Those are all gone.”
“Oh,” Linda said, disappointment clear as day in her voice. “That’s such a shame.”
“Can I see any?” Spencer asked softly.
“Uh, yeah,” Sawyer said, pushing a hand into his pocket. “I’ve got some newer ones on my phone.”
