Truthfully, she was still reeling a little from the “no dating” comment. She’d dated plenty in New York. Granted, she was busy with work and hadn’t dated anyone seriously since—well, that didn’t matter. It bothered her that Sadie wouldn’t even mention Gavin’s friend to her, treating her like she was a nun. After Sawyer had broken her heart all of those years ago, if she did see him, the last thing she wanted was for him to think that she hadn’t dated anyone seriously because she was scared of getting hurt again … even if it was true.
The crowds formed a line to get to the signing table, and then spilled over into the bookstore after they had their books signed. Bound and Determined hadn’t seen so much business since Grantham Robbins’ latest book release—and that was saying something.
She and her mom waited patiently by the table, greeting friends and acquaintances until Gavin finally began his speech. The plan was to get Sadie to do a reading of his memoir, but the copy Edith handed her was a special one with Gavin’s proposal written inside. As soon as Gavin started his speech, Meredith squeezed Lily’s hand and then they both started filming.
Cameras were everywhere, but Lily kept the shot focused on Sadie’s face. She wasn’t disappointed. As soon as Sadie read the new part Gavin had inserted, she started tearing up. And then when Gavin got on his knee, the entire shop erupted. Lily’s throat tightened and she squealed along with everyone else, but she kept filming. Sadie would want this footage. The proposal was so sweet and perfect that it could have been a love scene in one of Gavin’s movies—only better, because the love between them was anything but an act.
Lily kept filming for minutes after the proposal was over, until there were so many well-wishers for the engaged couple that she couldn’t get a clear shot of them anymore.
“I’m going to see if I can squeeze in there,” Meredith said, touching her arm.
“Okay. I think I’ll wait until the crush is over,” Lily said, eyeing the mass around Gavin and Sadie. Mike was even having to do his part by keeping fans back, but everyone was in good spirits. Lily smiled in contentment. She would have her chance to congratulate her sister in a more private setting.
She slipped her phone into her purse and enjoyed the moment … until she sensed someone’s eyes on her.
Sawyer.
Lily’s heart caught. She knew without turning that he was there. Her pulse hammered in her ears as she glanced over her shoulder. Sawyer’s brown eyes found hers from across the room, holding her gaze in a look so intimate it felt like a caress. Her mouth went dry and she forgot how to breathe. She stood, motionless and transfixed, as the rest of the room faded away and he was all she could see.
2
Sawyer’s heart beat so fast it threatened to pound right out of his chest. He’d been waiting for this moment for five years—the moment when he would see Lily O’Brien again. What he wasn’t prepared for was how radiant she looked.
She’d always been the prettiest girl he’d ever seen, and he’d intentionally avoided social media connections with her after their breakup because it would’ve been too hard. But he had followed her success online, catching the occasional headshot of the CEO of the up-and-coming Lily O Cosmetics—but a headshot was nothing compared to seeing Lily in person again.
He’d stepped into the bookshop before Gavin’s speech, catching sight of Lily right away but staying out of her line of sight so he could study her unnoticed. He couldn’t look away as she’d filmed Gavin’s proposal; her eyes glistening with happy tears and that gorgeous, heart-stopping smile he’d dreamed about for years.
Lily was here, in Eureka Springs. Countless times, Sawyer had imagined what it would be like to see her again, and now here she was, meeting his gaze from across the store. He gave her a half-smile and started walking toward her, trying to appear casual even as his pulse raced. People were everywhere, and he heard his name a few times from friends in the crowd, but he could only manage simple nods in return. His focus was entirely fixed on Lily—his Lily. Even though he had no right to think of her that way anymore, she would never be anything else to him.
A hesitant smile stole across her lips when he reached her. “Sawyer McCall … it’s been a long time.” She gazed up at him through her lashes, giving him a coy look that made his heart climb into his throat.
“It has been. How are you doing, Lil?” The nickname left his lips so effortlessly, as if he hadn’t gone a day without thinking it … and he hadn’t.
She blinked a few times. “I’m fine. Great actually. I guess you saw the proposal?” she asked, nodding toward Sadie and Gavin. “It was sweet of you to come support Sadie.”
“Oh. Yeah.” Sawyer rubbed the back of his neck. “I did want to support Sadie for sure … but Gavin was the one who actually invited me.”
“Gavin?” Lily’s delicate brows pulled together. “I don’t understand.”
Sawyer paused. Based on Lily’s reaction, Sadie hadn’t told her about their run-in on the lake in the Mountain Cove development where he lived. It had happened months ago, and he assumed she would have heard about it. But if she hadn’t, there had to be a reason. “Sadie didn’t tell you that Gavin and I know each other?” he hedged.
Her frown deepened. “No. She didn’t say anything about it.” She straightened, lifting her chin slightly. “How do you know Gavin?”
“I uh … helped him with his landscape.” He wanted to smack himself. Why were these words coming out of his mouth? It wasn’t like it was a lie. He had helped Gavin with some landscaping, but only as a friendly gesture. He could also add that he owned an estate in the same high-end lakefront neighborhood as Gavin, but for some reason, he didn’t want to. Probably for the same reason he hadn’t told any of his Eureka Springs friends and neighbors about his newfound wealth and status: he didn’t want anyone looking at him or treating him differently than they used to. He liked that when he visited his hometown, which he did fairly often, he was still plain old Sawyer McCall, the kid who’d played football and mowed lawns, the kid who used to date Lily O’Brien until she’d left to make it big in New York City.
She tipped her head to the side, studying him. “You’re still in the landscaping business? If you have clients like Gavin, you must be doing pretty well.”
“I’ve done all right.” He shrugged and gave her a crooked smile. “Nothing like a successful cosmetics company owner, though.” He’d made his fortune almost by accident when he’d discovered a chemical for safely treating lawns. A fertilizing company bought the patent formula, allowing him a percentage of every sale, and suddenly money was no longer an issue. The one person he’d wanted to call and tell about his new situation was the one person he’d chased away. Without Lily, the money, the house—none of it mattered. Of course, he had no one to blame but himself, but that didn’t make the longing any easier.
Lily had always dreamed big. He loved her passion and determination, even while knowing it would someday steal her away from him. She couldn’t wait to get out of sleepy Eureka Springs and move to the big city, but Sawyer couldn’t leave his mom the way his dad had left her, and he wouldn’t be the one to hold Lily back.
Even though his mom never said it out loud, he’d always sensed that she’d wanted a different life; one where she wasn’t a single mom tied down to her child. Trisha was a good mom and she loved him, Sawyer knew she did, but he’d refused to do that to Lily. They’d fallen in love so young that she didn’t know anything different. If they’d gotten married right out of high school like he’d secretly wanted to, she might have ended up resenting him for holding her back. And Sawyer couldn’t live with that.
If he’d told Lily all of this, she would have argued with him about it, so he’d done the hardest thing he’d ever done in his life—he’d let her go. He thought for sure she would have questioned him or called him a liar when he said he thought it was best for them to go their separate ways, that they needed to live their lives without holding each other back, but she hadn’t. She’d looked at hi
m with tears streaming down her face and an expression so hurt it nearly broke him. And then she’d walked away.
“It took me a while to get there with the company,” Lily said, pulling him out of his thoughts. “Things were touch-and-go for a while until some private investors stepped in. I certainly had my share of ups and downs, but things are going pretty well now.” She lifted a shoulder.
He nodded, afraid she would go into further detail and he’d give himself away. “I always knew you’d do it. I’m happy for you, Lil.”
“Thanks. ” Her eyes were wistful, almost sad before she straightened and cleared her throat. “And thanks again for coming today, whether it was for Gavin or Sadie. It means a lot that you came.” She shifted and looked at her hands. “I half expected to see you at my dad’s funeral three years ago.”
His stomach twisted. “I was there.”
She jerked her head up to meet his eyes. “I looked for you.”
He bit the edge of his lip. “I kept my distance. I wasn’t sure how you would feel about it after—” He hesitated, not wanting to mention the breakup. “—anyway … I didn’t know how you’d feel about my being there, so I held back.”
Her face softened. “You know how much my dad loved you. Of course you should have been there.”
The hurt in her expression gutted him. “I’m sorry, Lil. I should have come and talked to you.” His brows furrowed in apology. “And I’m so sorry for your loss. I miss your dad.” More than he could say. Patrick O’Brien had become the father he’d never had. Sawyer had visited him once or twice after the breakup, before the cancer diagnosis. He still couldn’t pick up a fishing pole without getting a little choked up about it.
Lily swallowed. “It’s nice to know that you were there.” She looked away, hugging her arms across her chest. “Dad would have wanted you there.”
Sawyer couldn’t stand it anymore. He reached for her, touching her arm just above the elbow. The contact sent a shockwave of memories through him. “Lily, I—”
“So, what did you think? Pretty crazy, huh?” a guy said, coming up to Lily and butting right into their conversation. He sized Sawyer up with an apprising look. “Don’t I know you?” he asked.
Sawyer scratched his eyebrow, annoyed by the interruption—and how close the guy stood to Lily. “I don’t think so.”
He snapped his fingers. “That’s right! I saw you when we were out boating with Gavin last spring. You were in that other boat with the blonde in the red bikini and that other couple.”
Sawyer felt the blood drain from his face as Lily turned to him with raised eyebrows.
“Oh … right,” he said, vaguely remembering seeing this guy in the other boat with Sadie. “We were just hanging out as a group of friends.” He made sure to emphasize the last word. How was it possible that one of the few double dates he’d agreed to in years was coming back to bite him? His friend Jeremy had set him up with his girlfriend’s friend Monica, and he hadn’t gone out with her again after that. But he’d wondered if Sadie had told Lily about it. She clearly hadn’t, which didn’t make sense. The two of them used to tell each other everything.
The guy was smirking at him now and he had half an urge to punch the look right off his face, but instead he forced a smile and stepped forward. “I don’t think we’ve officially met,” he said, extending his hand. “I’m Sawyer McCall.”
The guy nodded. “Gavin’s neighbor, right?”
Crap.
“Neighbor?” Lily repeated, frowning in confusion.
Sawyer’s stomach dropped. “Uh … yeah … I can explain about that,” he started, but Lily was already backing up a step.
“It’s fine.” A crease formed between her brows as she crossed her arms and scanned the room. “The crowd is thinning out a little, and I want to go congratulate Sadie.”
He winced, desperate to explain himself; to keep her from walking away. “Lil, wait.”
“I can help you get through the crowd,” the guy interrupted, offering his arm. “I am Gavin’s unofficial bodyguard, after all.”
Lily gave a light laugh and took his arm. “That’s true. Thanks, Mike.”
Mike. Sawyer clenched his fist. Lily looked back at him, her hazel eyes tight and guarded. “It was good to see you again, Sawyer.”
“You too.” He searched her face, wishing he could say more, but Mike was already guiding her away. He watched helplessly as they weaved through the crowd toward the signing table where Lily gave Sadie a tight hug. He would have to wait to explain himself. He ran a hand through his hair, frustrated that he’d been such an idiot. Why hadn’t he just told her the truth about how he knew Gavin in the first place?
“Well if it isn’t Sawyer McCall,” a woman said beside him.
Sawyer turned to see Bertie Johnson, one of his former clients he used to mow lawns for when he was in high school. He mustered a smile and gave her a sideways hug. “How are you, Mrs. Johnson?”
“I’m doing well, thanks—although I wish I could say the same for my lawn. It’s never been as good as it was back when you were taking care of it,” Bertie complained. She proceeded to tell him all of her grievances about everything she was unhappy about with her grass, bushes and trees.
Normally Sawyer would have offered suggestions on things she could try, but he was so distracted that he couldn’t give more than a few sympathetic grunts and a promise to stop by in the near future to see how he might help. As Bertie gushed her thanks, Sawyer turned and glanced in the direction of the signing table. Sadie and Gavin were still surrounded by fans and well-wishers, but there was no sign of Lily.
His pulse quickened. He excused himself to Bertie before searching the room, frantic for any sign of Lily’s blonde hair, but it was no use.
She was gone.
3
“Explain to me again how it happened?” Lily asked Mike as he drove her to her mom’s house.
“Sadie, Gavin, and I were out waterskiing when we saw Sawyer and his ‘friends,’” Mike took his hand off of the steering wheel to make air quotes, “on another boat.”
“And you’re sure that Sawyer is Gavin’s neighbor?” Lily still couldn’t believe it. What was Sawyer doing living in a place like Mountain Cove? And why hadn’t Sadie said anything to her about it?
“Positive.” Mike gave an affirmative nod. “He had a super nice boat too. I never asked Sawyer about the details, but he definitely lives there.” He took her quiet as an incentive to continue, “Sadie was embarrassed to see Sawyer at first—I think she was worried about the NDA she’d signed for the memoir or something. But she mentioned that he was your ex, and she kind of hinted that maybe the reason you don’t date much anymore is because of him.”
Lily’s stomach twisted. “She said that to Sawyer?”
“No, only to us,” Mike assured.
She blew out a relieved breath. Thank goodness for that. But still, it was mortifying to think that Sadie would tell Gavin and Mike about her dating life. She shook her head. “I can’t believe this.” She wanted to be mad, but at least it made more sense now—Sadie was playing the role of protective big sister again. She’d seen Sawyer with another woman and didn’t want Lily to be hurt by it … which if she were being honest with herself, she would have been. It was ridiculous, especially since she had no claim on Sawyer and assumed he’d dated over the years, but she’d lived in fear of the day she would hear that he had a serious girlfriend, or worse, was engaged. He’d insisted that that woman was only a friend, but could she trust him when he hadn’t been honest about how he knew Gavin?
“You said I take a left here?” Mike asked.
Lily nodded. “Yes, this is my street on the left. Thanks again for the ride.” She’d sent her mom a text that she’d had to leave so she wouldn’t be worried. She couldn’t stay in the same room with Sawyer for one more minute after he’d flat-out lied to her. Why hadn’t he told her the truth? It wasn’t like they were dating anymore, so what was his motivation in keeping secrets?
Mike cleared his throat, cutting through her thoughts as he glanced at her sideways. “I know we just met, and I hope I’m not being too forward—but how about going out with me sometime?”
Lily smiled faintly. “I’m only here until tomorrow night and then I fly back to New York.” She pointed to the navy-blue craftsman-style house with white shutters and window boxes overflowing with flowers. “That’s my mom’s house, right there.”
“Okay.” He pulled to the curb and parked the car, turning in his seat to look at her. “Even if you leave tomorrow, that still gives us tonight. We could double with Gavin and Sadie, or just the two of us go out to dinner? What do you say?” He gave her a cajoling smile.
Lily laughed and shook her head. “You really are persistent, aren’t you?”
He shrugged. “Only when it comes to gorgeous women.”
She rolled her eyes, but one date would be harmless enough … and Sadie clearly didn’t want her to go out with him. It was childish, but the idea of getting back at her sister for keeping secrets was too tempting to resist. She lifted her shoulders and sighed. “All right. See if Gavin and Sadie want to double, and we’ll call it a date.”
“Excellent.” Mike grinned and got her number before she climbed out of his car. He hadn’t gotten the door for her like Sawyer used to, but it didn’t matter. It was obvious that Mike was a player, so her expectations weren’t high.
She waved at him before he pulled away and then she went up the front walk of her mom’s house, finding the secret key in one of the many flowerpots before unlocking the door. Her mom owned Lily and Rose, the flower shop on main street in Eureka Springs named after Lily and Sadie Rose. Meredith had worked hard to make her shop successful, and she’d taught her daughters to dream big and follow their passions. Lily had done just that with her cosmetics line, often putting her work before anything else. Besides, pouring all of her energy into her company meant less time for thinking about the past … about Sawyer.
The Billionaire's Second Chance: Billionaire Bachelor Mountain Cove Page 2