Ford knelt beside him. “But we want you guys to know that if you want, you can write her and tell her about your lives.” Ford squeezed Sawyer’s thigh as he carried on, “We want you guys to be kids. We want you to have a good life, and like Sawyer said… if she gets better, we have no problem with you seeing her. If that’s what you want. You will each have a chance to make that decision.”
“We’re kids,” Gavin sniffed. “Are they really going to let us decide?”
Sawyer actually wasn’t sure how that worked. He would have to check. He read that parents who were convicted of kidnapping or child abduction could also lose rights to that child. So, if the kids were no longer legally hers... Yeah, they needed to talk to the lawyers.
“I will find all of that out and let you guys know. I promise.” Sawyer didn’t want to lie to them.
“Let’s worry about that when we get to it,” Ford was quick to chime in.
Ford. He was always there. He always knew what to say.
“We just really wanted you to know what was happening. We never will lie to you. You’re both old enough to hear the truth, but we also don’t want you worrying because you don’t have to.” Sawyer squeezed the kids hands. “Everything will be alright, okay?”
“Do you have any more questions for us,” Ford asked.
Gavin and Savanna shook their heads.
“Okay then, well, you can go back to your rooms,” Ford said.
They got up and started to leave, but then they turned around. Without a word, Savanna ran to Ford to hug him, while Gavin ran to Sawyer. Sawyer squeezed the kid tight, then he pulled back and left.
Sawyer turned to Ford, and he looked as relieved as Sawyer felt. Ford moved closer to him and he pulled him into his body.
“They are two amazing kids,” Ford said.
Sawyer nodded, but he couldn’t let go of the nagging thought that legally their position might be precarious. What if Cynthia got out? What would mean for the future of their family?
“Ford?”
“Yeah?” Ford looked up at him, and Sawyer closed his eyes, battling with himself, but the idea wouldn’t leave him.
“So, how do you feel about adoption?” Sawyer blurted before he chickened out.
Ford’s eyes widened. “You mean… adoption of a baby? Like a baby? Don’t you think it’s too soon with the three kids we have here?”
The baby part didn’t even scare him. Sawyer would happily take in more kids with Ford. “Let’s come back to the baby part, but I meant how would you feel adopting Savanna, Gavin, and Callum?”
Ford pulled back and studied him. “We love them, and I know I couldn’t imagine living without them now.”
“Me neither,” Sawyer said. Also I want to protect them, and that means I want to make sure Cynthia…” He shook his head. “No, I want to protect them and make sure they never doubt that they have us.” He didn’t want to hold anything back from Ford so he added, “I also hate the thought of Cynthia getting out and being able to hold the kids over our heads again, especially if they don’t want to go with her.” Sawyer met Ford’s eyes. “Does that make me a bad person?”
Ford cupped his cheek. “No, at the very least, protecting your kids is the greatest instinct of any parent.” Ford's hand fell to his side and he bit his lips, like he did when he was considering his words carefully, “Don’t you think adoption could complicate things though? What if we’re denied?”
“I doubt that would happen. Cynthia’s parental rights were revoked by the court when they sentenced her this last time. So she couldn’t object if she wanted to. I’ve been appointed the legal guardian by my father’s wishes and the court. She doesn’t want the kids, because if she did, well, none of this would have happened.” Sawyer’s jaw tightened just thinking about everything. “Besides, the charges against her work in our favor.” Sawyer should feel bad saying that, but he didn’t. Savanna, Gavin and Callum belonged with him and Ford. “She may have given birth to them, but that doesn’t mean she’s what's best for them. We are, and we love them like they’re our own. I think we should consider it.”
Ford sealed their lips together in a kiss. When he pulled back, he said, “There’s nothing to consider, I love them, too, so if you’re wondering what I think, I’m on board.” Ford put his head against Sawyer’s heart. “I love you, Sawyer, and I want what’s best for the kids, and I happen to think what’s best is us.”
Ford looked up, and Sawyer’s heart melted. He lowered his head, too, and brushed Ford’s lips in a kiss. He hadn’t doubted Ford for a moment, but still his pulse returned to normal hearing Ford say that.
Sawyer wasn’t sure what his father had in mind leaving the kids to him, but Sawyer wouldn’t change a thing. Even though his life was completely unrecognizable, it was also better than he ever imagined.
Epilogue
Sawyer
One Year and Eight Months Later
Sawyer stood back and looked first at the grand opening sign over the entrance and then to the front of the doors where there was a red ribbon that stretched across them on the outside, ready to be cut.
Even though this wasn’t his first opening, it might be his proudest since it had been done with the whole family involved, and now, they were twenty minutes away from cutting the ribbon.
This was kind of a soft opening for the people who lived in Amber Falls. They had planned this and then sent invitations all in one in a week. But somehow right now, maybe a thousand waited, anxious to get inside.
Ford walked up beside Sawyer and placed a hand on his shoulder.
“This is it.” Sawyer said, his face aching with how much he’d been smiling that day already.
“I know.” Ford shook his head. “I never thought I’d see this day come. But here we are.”
Sawyer grinned. “Yeah. We’re about to show the town what we’ve built. The place that brought us to each other.” He turned to face Ford. “If it fails, then at least I can say that.”
“I’ve never seen so many people.” Gavin walked up to Ford and Sawyer, his eyes shining.
Ford laughed and turned to Sawyer. “I don’t think this place is going to fail.”
“I never thought it would.” Sawyer winked at Ford.
He pulled his coat tighter around him and shivered. It was the perfect day to open. All that was left to do was to swing the doors wide and welcome in their first guests.
“Are you ready?” Sawyer asked.
“You betcha,” Ford nodded smiling.
They went to the doors, and Sawyer turned to Gavin. “Where’s your sister?” he asked.
“I’m here! I’m here!” Savanna hurried forward to one side of the large doors, with Gavin on the other.
“On the count of three,” Ford said.
“One…Two…Three…” Ford and Sawyer said in unison.
Both Gavin and Savanna pulled open their side of the door. The crowd cheered and Sawyer hurried over to the ribbon where there was a microphone set up, waiting for him to make a speech, along with a large pair of scissors that he needed to use for the ribbon cutting. He tested the microphone by tapping the top of it, and a hush fell over the crowd.
“Hello,” Sawyer said, his voice booming through the microphone. “I want to thank everyone for coming out to the Grand Opening of Amber Falls Ski Resort and Lodge. We are happy you could be here. As you enter beyond this ribbon, you will be able to get a map. It shows all the amenities of what the resort has to offer. You can take a self-guided tour, or one of our representatives will guide you through and show you in person what there is to do here. Make sure you check out our Winter Wonderland section and also our children’s section. Both of those areas will adapt to the various seasons and change periodically.”
He hesitated. He looked over to Ford, and Ford gave him two thumbs up. Sawyer smiled and turned back to the group.
“When Mark and I set out to make this place a reality, we didn’t know what to expect, and we certainly didn’t take into account th
e full impact all of you would have on this. If it wasn’t for many of you, this would not even be a possibility. So, thank you.
“Throughout the tour, you will find that there are several shops handing out gifts and mementos to each of the guests. Those are our thank you gifts. If you are wanting to reserve a room for your stay, whether it be this weekend or in the future, there will be several members of staff at the check-in desk that will be able to help you plan out your vacation. Your first two-night stay will be half off. That’s another token of our appreciation. If you have any questions throughout your visit today, you can reach out to one of our employees, and they will gladly help you out. Thank you so much for coming.”
Sawyer turned to Mark and in a lowered voice away from the mic, he asked, “Do you have anything to add?”
Mark nodded and Sawyer stepped aside giving space. “I just want to thank everyone, as Sawyer has done, for your hard work, dedication, and acceptance. This wasn’t an easy journey to get here, but from what I have heard, the support from all of you has been immeasurable. Give yourself a round of applause.”
The crowd erupted into applause.
Mark looked to Sawyer. “Now, Sawyer is going to do the honors of cutting this ribbon and celebrating the birth of Amber Falls Ski Resort.”
Again, everyone applauded. Mark stepped back and held out his hand gesturing to Sawyer. Sawyer moved forward, then stopped, he turned to his left and held a hand out to Ford. None of this would have been possible without his boyfriend too. Ford raised a brow, even as a smile appeared on his face, and walked over to him, slipping his hand into Sawyer’s, and the crowd clapped again.
“Hold on to one side, and I’ll do the same on the other, and we’ll cut it together, okay?” Sawyer whispered to Ford.
His boyfriend nodded, and together, they cut the ribbon. The crowd erupted into applause yet again.
Sawyer turned around and called out, “Enjoy yourselves!”
People moved forward, and Sawyer quickly darted out of their way, all while continuing to hold on to Ford.
“So, what’s next?” Sawyer whispered in Ford’s ears. It was all his planning, after all.
Ford’s eyes met his before going back to the guests that filtered past them. “I think I might have to help the staff. We aren’t at full opening capacity yet.” He shook his head. “This is crazy.”
Ford wore a proud smile on his face, and he deserved it. Being a project manager on such a large project your first time out was no small feat. And his wonderful boyfriend kicked it way out of the park.
“I’m gonna make sure everything is running smoothly,” Ford said.
“Let me know if you need anything.” Sawyer said but his boyfriend was already hurrying off.
Sawyer let his boyfriend go, even though they had already hired a very competent resort manager.
He turned and found Mark and Theresa headed towards him.
“I know that it felt like we were never going to see this day, but it happened,” Mark said. He laughed as he shook Sawyer’s hand. “Good job, man.”
Sawyer grinned widely. “Thanks for being here.”
Mark came in for a hug, “Wouldn’t miss it.” When he stepped back, Theresa hugged him, too, before they both walked away to enjoy the resort’s planned activities for the day.
He spotted Ford’s parents and walked in their direction.
“Good job, Son,” Doug said as Sawyer stopped next to them. Sawyer ruffled Callum’s hair, who was sitting in Ford’s mom’s arms.
That wouldn’t last. Callum had turned into quite the active, talkative one nowadays, and Sawyer couldn’t be happier.
“Thank you,” he said. “Are you guys going to stick around?” Sawyer asked.
“For a little bit,” Barbara said. “At least until we have to get home and get Callum to sleep. Does Ford know anything about the plans for tonight?” she asked.
Sawyer shook his head and smiled. “I appreciate you watching Callum tonight. Have fun with Grandma and Grandpa.” Sawyer kissed the top of Cal’s head. “Just in case I don’t see you guys before you leave, have a safe drive home,” he said.
He then moved past his family. There was no other way to think about Barb and Doug.
He strolled through the resort until he got to the far end where the old foundation had been located. And there it was, the one thing he couldn’t say no to the kids about.
Despite the frigid temperatures on the outside, the waterpark on the inside came with a heated pool, and at least thirty people, mostly kids, were running around the outer edges, with the others splashing around in the pool. It seemed to be going over well.
Sawyer hoped paying customers’ kids loved it as much. He was also grateful for the smaller cabins—although he wasn’t sure if the options of two, three-bedroom luxury chalets could be called cabins—still he was glad it was there for the guests that wanted privacy.
He double checked the lifeguards in the area and nodded when he saw them at their post.
“Sawyer!”
Sawyer turned around and saw Gavin hurrying over to him. Of course his brother was here. Gav had his swim shorts on, and he was already dripping wet. He was laughing and his eyes shone bright.
“Are you having a good time?” Sawyer asked.
“The best!” he said. “Watch this!” Without waiting for a response, Gavin hurried away from him. He practically ran up the stairs of the waterslide, then flew down it and into the waiting water. Sawyer cheered and clapped.
“Great job, bud!” Sawyer called out. Gavin grinned and got out of the pool and Sawyer moved on. Everyone was having a good time, kids of all ages, and adults too. This was definitely their company’s most kid friendly resort.
Sawyer tried to think of a project being completed giving him this immense level of satisfaction, and he came up blank.
Ford yawned, and Sawyer looked in his direction, and then Ford laughed and covered his mouth. “Sorry.”
Sawyer held his arms open for Ford. He could imagine Ford was exhausted. His boyfriend hadn’t stopped the whole night.
But the lodge was quiet now, and they actually had some guests staying.
“I’d say it was a success, and we should work on getting ready for the main opening. But not tonight,” Sawyer said.
Ford started to laugh, but yawned again, and Sawyer’s arms tightened around his exhausted boyfriend.
Gavin and Savanna walked in and sunk down into an oversized sofa.
“Are we going home?” Gavin asked. He leaned back against the sofa, and Sawyer looked over at Ford.
“Actually, I have a surprise,” Sawyer said, not breaking the hold on Ford’s eyes. “Follow me.” He walked over to the elevator, and Sawyer turned back to Ford and the kids.
“You have plans?” Ford asked. “What’s going on?”
“You’ll see.” Sawyer reached into his pocket and brought the key that felt like it had been burning a hole in his pocket all night. “So, I thought we should check out the hotel service,” he said. “What do you guys say?”
Gavin and Savanna were very vocal about how they felt about it. Ford seemed a little more hesitant. “We’re staying here?” he asked. “We’re about five minutes from home.”
Sawyer snickered. “More like fifteen, but who’s counting? I just think that we should see how things are, so we can without any uncertainty, give our recommendations to this place.”
Ford laughed. “Oh…is that so? You would give a bad review, even though you’re the owner?”
Sawyer laughed. Ford had a valid point there. “Just stop worrying about it. Do you not want to check this place out?” He pouted out his lips, and Ford laughed.
“Actually, I think it’s a brilliant idea.” He wrapped his arms around Sawyer’s neck, and they kissed.
Savanna cleared her throat, and they broke from the embrace, turning to face her. She arched an eyebrow and tapped her foot on the floor. Sawyer and Ford snort laughed, and she shrugged.
“Let
’s go check out the room,” Sawyer said.
Gavin rushed to the elevator. “What floor?”
“Top floor,” Sawyer said in response.
Gavin got on the elevator. He looked at the buttons and pressed the one for the floor which Sawyer had instructed. When the doors opened, they exited and walked down to one of two suites on that level. Sawyer slid the key card into the door, and when he opened it up, both Gavin and Savanna stared into the room, and their jaws dropped. Savanna was the first one to turn around.
“This is our hotel room?” she asked.
Sawyer grinned. “This here is our suite. It’s called the Presidential Suite, to be exact.”
Gavin looked at them, then walked over to another room. There were three extra rooms off of the main room. It was big enough that Sawyer and Ford could share a room, then Savanna and Gavin could each have their own room on the opposite side of the suite. Gavin came back out of the third room, shaking his head.
“Savanna, you have got to see this,” he said.
She hurried over, and Sawyer turned to Ford. “What do you think about the surprise?” he asked.
Ford lips curved. “Well, I’m used to you surprising me.” Ford walked over to Sawyer, and they kissed. “And Callum?” Ford checked.
“I offered a room to your parents, but they objected and said they would just take Callum back to their house. So, he’s with them.”
Ford nodded. “Well, this is pretty amazing.”
“Wow!” Savanna said, breaking into their conversation. They turned to face her. “That bed is bigger than my whole room.” She laughed. “I’m teasing, but not by much.”
Sawyer walked to one of the three bedrooms. He peeked his head inside and then nodded. “What do you think, Gav?”
“Does my face not say it all?” Gavin asked. “This is my room.”
“Savanna already agreed to it.” Sawyer smiled.
“No problem,” he said. Sawyer and Gavin left the bedroom and walked out into the main room where Savanna and Ford were talking. They stopped when they noticed Sawyer. At least that’s the way it felt.
Forever With His Boss Page 31