Page 101 of Sweet Temptation (Men of Honor 2)
Smiling, I shake my head, still not believing any of this. “How on earth did you do this? I mean, only eight weeks ago the diner was here.”
“My dad.”
“Your dad?” I repeat in shock.
“Yeah. Shortly after the fire I called him and told him about your drawing and asked him how do-able it would be to get it done by Christmas. He said he would make it happen. He called in every favor he had owed to him and brought a crew down here with him. They worked their asses off to get it done in time. I think it’s the first time my dad has been on the tools in over fifteen years.”
“Your dad helped build it?” I ask quietly.
Sawyer smiles, “Yeah, he said he wanted to build it with his own two hands just for you.”
Warmth explodes through my chest at hearing that.
“But I would have too, Cupcake, if I could have gotten away with it. So don’t go giving him too much credit. It’s still my present,” he adds teasingly.
“This had to cost a fortune, Sawyer,” I say guiltily.
“It doesn’t matter.”
“It’s too much.”
“The fuck it is! It’s my damn Christmas gift, I can spend however much I fucking want on it.”
Shaking my head I let it drop, knowing now is not the time to argue about this.
Wanting to see the rest of it, I walk further into the bakery but quickly come to an abrupt halt.
“Oh my god,” I cover my mouth as a sob rips from my chest. Everything around me fades away as I stare at what’s behind the counter.
Covering over half of the massive wall is my favorite photo of Mama and me at the state fair. Above it, in the same beautiful script as outside, reads:
In Loving Memory of Hope Morgan
Through blurred vision, I walk up to the picture and lay my hand on the side of my Mother’s face. The photo is so big and so clear; I’d swear she was here with me right now. On it’s own accord my forehead drops against her and I begin to cry harder than I ever have in my life. Every kind of emotion that exists plagues me at the moment: sadness at how much I miss her, guilt for us not being able to share our dream together and most of all love. Because even though she’s not here with me anymore I still love her, maybe even more than I did when she was alive.
I feel Sawyer come up behind me, his arms wrap around my waist and his big hard body covers mine, immediately bringing me warmth and comfort.
“Don’t cry, Cupcake,” he whispers in my ear before planting a soft kiss on the side of my neck.
“I miss her so much,” I choke out through my sobs.
“I know, baby, but soon everything will start to feel a little better because a part of her will always live on through you. Her memory will be kept alive through this bakery and a piece of her will be shared with everyone who comes in here and eats the pies that you and her created. You’re still going to share this with her, Grace, just in a different way.”
How does he always know what to say to make everything better?
Turning in his arms, I wrap mine around his waist and stare up into his handsome face. He looks down at me sadly and wipes my tears away with his thumb.
“You’re wrong. She will live on now, all because of you. You have no idea what you have done for me, Sawyer. Not just with this bakery, but with everything since coming into my life. There was a huge gaping hole in my heart after I lost her, and every day it got bigger until I came to Sunset Bay. Then I met Mac and my friends, and the hole suddenly stopped growing. Then I met you…” I step in closer, bringing myself flush against him. “And since the day you came into the diner to walk me home, that huge hole started getting a little smaller every day and now it barely exists. I love her and miss her more than I can ever say, but since you it doesn’t hurt as much anymore, you make it better… you seem to make everything better.”
Sawyer leans down and rests his forehead against mine. “I have a confession, Cupcake.”
“What?” I choke out.
“That day, when I said I just wanted to get to know you because our friends were married- I lied. I intended to rope in your sexy ass the whole time.”
I burst out laughing. Of course he makes me laugh at a time like this.
As he graces me with his perfect, sexy smile, I wipe my eyes and rest my head back against the wall to stare up at him. “I wish there was something I could say or do to make you understand just how much I love you.”
His smile spreads mischievously, “Well, Cupcake, there is something you can do…”
I throw my hand up, cutting him off, “Do not say have sex with you, not that I don’t like it, because I do… a lot. But I meant somethin’ different, something like…”
Sawyer covers my mouth with his hand and chuckles, “I was not thinking about sex… well, okay that’s a lie. I always think about fucking you.” I roll my eyes. “But I really do have something in mind that you could do for me, something that would make me really fucking happy.”
“What?” I mumble against his hand, knowing whatever he says I’ll do it, because I would do anythin’ for him.
Removing his hand from my mouth, he drops down on one knee. “You can marry me.”
My jaw drops and my hands go on either side of my face. “Oh my god!” I sob again for what is probably the thousandth time this morning. “Are you serious right now or are ya messin’ with me? Because if you’re messin’ with me, Sawyer, I’m goin’ to seriously hurt you.”
