Sawyer paused and she could hear his disappointment in the silence. “I figured if you were going to get all fancied up for the ride, I should probably play the part of cowboy too.” He opened the boxes to reveal a set of boots and a hat for himself.
Lily laughed, pleased that he’d thought of it, and it somehow made accepting the generous gifts easier … although when he put on the cowboy hat, it didn’t make things any easier on her galloping heart. The brim of his hat tilted at the perfect angle to accentuate his chiseled jawline. She had to force her attention away to avoid a full-on gawk.
After they’d donned their hats and boots and Sawyer transferred their breakfast from the basket to the saddle bags, they left on their ride. He rode the black horse, Zeus, and she rode Copper. She teased him about wanting a horse with a powerful name, but truthfully, as much as she liked an adrenaline rush, Zeus was a bit high strung, and Sawyer handled him better than she would have.
She admired the firm but gentle way he rode, and how his broad shoulders stretched nicely beneath his shirt as his movements matched the back-and-forth sway of his horse as they followed the trail. The air still held the freshness of morning and the conversation flowed easily between them as birds flitted about in the trees. Lily couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt so content.
She’d left her phone in the truck, not wanting it to fall out of her pocket and break or get dirty. At first, she’d felt a little panicky without it. What if there was an emergency at work and someone needed to reach her? But Sawyer’s engaging conversation helped her take her mind off of the separation anxiety, and after a while, she found the absence of the constant ringing and notification alerts liberating.
They rode for a while before stopping in a clearing where Sawyer tied the horses to a nearby tree so they could eat breakfast in the meadow. He’d packed muffins, juice, and a container with fruit salad, which they polished off before heading back on the trail toward the truck.
Lily was reluctant to have the ride end. She could have stayed all day here with Sawyer in their own secret paradise—but they didn’t have all day. Her impending flight that evening kept nagging in the back of her mind. She kept the conversation light and Sawyer didn’t press her, but beneath the surface she knew they were both wondering the same thing: what would happen when it came time to say goodbye?
11
So far, so good, Sawyer thought as they drove back toward town. They’d thanked Boyd for the ride and helped him load the horses into the trailer before heading into Eureka Springs for lunch. The horseback ride had been a raving success, and they’d decided it would be fun to keep their hats and boots on. In fact, the way Lily had lit up with the horses made Sawyer consider using some of his acreage to build a barn and get a few horses of his own. That way whenever Lily came to visit, she could ride to her heart’s content.
But he was getting ahead of himself … even with the mind-blowing kisses they’d shared that morning, she’d been carefully avoiding any relationship talk. He wouldn’t rush her, but it was killing him not to reach for her every second he got. Would she welcome holding hands with him? Would she resist it? As the clock ticked down the minutes until she had to leave, it grew harder and harder to be patient.
He’d meant what he’d told her before: she was still the same Lily deep down. And yet, she was different. In some ways for the better, and in some not so much. He loved her newfound confidence and the way she carried herself with more authority now. Where the old Lily had only had big dreams and goals, now it was clear that she knew she had the ability to make them happen, and he found that confidence incredibly attractive.
What he liked less was the fact that she was constantly on her phone. He knew the time and energy that went into making a business, but that came at a cost. It was almost as if she’d become so absorbed in succeeding that she was forgetting how to live in the moment. That was the New York side of her he was seeing, and he wasn’t sure he liked it.
“You completely read my mind,” she said, breaking through his thoughts as he pulled into the parking lot of Amigo’s, the popular Mexican food restaurant in Eureka Springs.
He smiled. “I figured you would want to eat here at least once during your visit.” They had eaten here weekly back in high school, and Amigo’s was always her first choice.
She grinned. “You figured right. With all of the restaurants we have in New York, I still haven’t found anything that compares to this place.”
“I’m glad to hear that Eureka Springs still has a leg up on the big city in some respects,” he said, only half-teasing.
She looked at him, trying to gauge his mood. “It has its moments.”
He nodded and climbed out of the truck to get her door. He would have to be more careful. He’d forgotten how easily she could read him. He didn’t want his resentment of New York to come through right now, because deep down he did resent the city for stealing Lily away from him. He was happy for her, but he could still hold a grudge against the place that she’d chosen over Eureka Springs.
They walked into the restaurant and had only been seated for a few seconds when a familiar face approached the table.
“Well if it isn’t two of my favorite people in the whole world!” Mollie Sawyer, their friend from high school exclaimed.
“Mollie?!” Lily jumped up to give her a hug.
Sawyer smiled as the girls chatted giddily, getting caught up before Mollie turned to give him a hug.
“Hey there, Soy Sauce,” she teased, using the nickname she’d made up for him in middle school.
“Hey, Sawyer,” he teased back. They’d had an ongoing banter about the fact that his first name and her last name were the same. “I hoped you’d be working today so you and Lily could get caught up.”
“Yep.” Mollie nodded. “You can either find me here or running the ghost tours in town. I’m a busy girl these days.”
“Oh, I wish I had time to go on one of your ghost tours,” Lily lamented.
“You should!” Mollie encouraged. “I’ve got room in my tour tonight if you and Soy Sauce want to come.” She winked at him.
He smiled faintly but his gut twisted at the reminder that Lily was leaving.
Lily’s face fell. “I can’t. I’ve got a flight back to New York tonight.”
Mollie frowned. “Oh really? I thought for sure you’d be staying for the fall festival next week. That one was always your favorite.”
“I know.” Lily shrugged helplessly. “I’m sad to miss it, but I’m afraid I can’t be gone from work that long.”
“That’s right.” Mollie shifted, pointing at her. “You’re running that cosmetics line now—Lily O?”
Lily nodded.
“I wasn’t a bit surprised when I heard about it,” Mollie said with a knowing smile. “You were always so into makeup. Do you remember that makeover you gave me before junior prom?” She put her hands on her hips and shook her head. “I’ve never worn so much eye shadow in my life—and remember when my date tried to help fix my false eyelashes that were falling down?”
Lily snorted and covered her face with her hands. “Oh my gosh, I totally forgot about that!”
Sawyer’s eyes widened and he glanced at Lily, fighting back a laugh. “Wow, it sounds like you really did a number on her, Lil,” he teased.
“Yeah.” Mollie folded her arms, pretending to glare. “And I have the pictures to prove it. I looked like a clown.”
Lily peeked at Mollie through her fingers. “I’m so sorry! I’ll totally make it up to you. Here—” She rummaged around in her purse and pulled out a few samples. “I’ve got our new mascara that’s so good you won’t ever need false lashes. And here’s a lipstick shade that will be perfect on you.”
Mollie eyed the products. “It’s okay, you really don’t need to—”
“I insist,” Lily said, forcing the samples into her hands. “And the next time I’m in town, I’d love to give you another makeover.”
Mollie raised both
eyebrows. “I’ll take the products, but I think I’ll pass on the makeover.”
Sawyer lifted a fist to his mouth to hide a smirk.
“I promise I’ve gotten better!” Lily insisted. “Trust me, I’ve learned a lot about makeup application since high school, and I’m dying to work with your coloring. You’re a natural beauty.”
“We’ll see,” Mollie hedged, still looking uncertain. “When will you be in town again?”
Sawyer turned, eager to hear Lily’s answer.
Her eyes flicked to his before she looked back to Mollie and lifted a shoulder. “Well, I don’t know if you heard that Sadie is engaged now?”
“Everyone knows about that.” Mollie nodded emphatically. “I wanted to come to her book signing but I was working. Will you tell her congrats for me?”
“Definitely.” She glanced at Sawyer again and then back to Mollie. “Anyway, I’m sure I’ll be coming back soon to help plan the wedding, so I’ll let you know when I’ll be in town next and we can schedule the makeover.”
“Sounds good.” Mollie smiled, looking between them as if noticing their outfits for the first time. “What’s with the cowboy duds? Is there a rodeo in town I haven’t heard about?”
Sawyer shook his head. “We went horseback riding this morning and wanted to look legit.”
“I see.” Mollie glanced between them again, her eyes sparkling with interest. “It’s nice that the two of you have had a chance to spend time together.” She turned to Lily with a sly grin. “Maybe you’ll have more than one reason to come back and visit often, hmm?”
Sawyer’s heart beat fast at Lily’s blush.
She ducked her head behind the menu and cleared her throat. “Are the fajitas as amazing as I remember?” she asked, her voice higher pitched than normal as she changed the subject.
Mollie smirked and pulled out her order pad. “They’re still amazing,” she affirmed, and then she paused and added, “some things only get better with time.” She gave Sawyer a furtive wink before jotting down Lily’s order.
Sawyer smiled. It seemed like everyone else knew that he and Lily were good for each other—now he just needed Lily to realize it too.
12
Time was moving too fast. Lily glanced at her watch and her stomach fell. It was already two o’clock, which meant she only had four more hours until she had to leave for the airport. After lunch, Sawyer had swung by her house and told her to get her swimming suit. She’d grabbed her suit and then decided to just bring her whole suitcase in case Sawyer dropped her off at the flower shop instead of home afterward.
She wasn’t sure what he had in mind as a last surprise, but the day had already been like a dream. It wasn’t fair that he knew her well enough to know exactly the types of things she would want to do. He wasn’t making this easy on her. Her heart was a jumbled mess of questions and emotions she didn’t know what to do with.
They drove toward the Mountain Cove development, and Lily marveled again when Sawyer pulled up to the guard station and the guard waved him through with a smile. She turned to him. “You know, hanging out with you today I almost forgot about this new life you have. It’s kind of strange. It makes me feel like I don’t really know you as well as I thought I did.”
He glanced at her sideways. “What do you mean?”
She shrugged. “I mean, you’re still driving your old truck—albeit it’s new and improved. But you don’t wear fancy clothes. You don’t flaunt your wealth around. I don’t know … it just seems like you’re this paradox I can’t figure out.”
He faced forward again, a thoughtful turn to his mouth. “I guess I understand. I feel the same way about you.”
She raised both eyebrows. “You do?”
He nodded. “You’re the same Lily,” he turned to study her, “and yet there’s still so much I don’t know about you. You have this whole life in New York I’ve never seen.”
She swallowed, carefully weighing the words in her mind before she spoke them. “You could always come out and visit me there.”
His eyes darted to hers, but before he could answer, her phone rang. The moment felt charged, and she debated silencing it, but she couldn’t resist a glance at the screen. “Shoot. It’s my assistant. I’d better take this.”
He nodded once and faced forward, his expression flat. She felt a stab of guilt as she turned away from him and answered the call. “Hey, Deidre. What’s up?”
“Tell me you’re getting on that flight tonight,” Deidre pleaded without further greeting. “It’s only been twenty-four hours since you’ve been gone, and I need you here.”
Her stomach twisted. There was always some fire that needed to be put out. Maybe it had been a mistake to leave. “Why? What’s going on?”
“I need you to sign off on that new blush and finalize the color names for it so we can launch it with the fall products, and Clark from marketing keeps calling. I’ve done my best to field the calls while you’re away, but almost everyone insists on dealing with you directly.”
Lily pinched the bridge of her nose. “Okay. Thanks for holding down the fort while I’ve been gone. I’m planning to be on that flight tonight, so don’t stress.”
Deidre heaved a sigh. “I’m glad to hear it. I was half afraid you would fall in love with Arkansas again and decide to extend your trip.”
Lily bit her thumbnail and turned the volume down on her phone, glancing over her shoulder at Sawyer. He was looking out his window, pretending not to hear, but the set of his jaw said that he had.
“No,” she said, anxious to end the call. “I’ll be on the flight. I’m busy now but I’ll talk to you when I get back. Tell Clark I’ll call him as soon as I’m able to.”
“Okay. Safe travels.”
“Thanks.” The line went dead and she set the phone in her lap.
“Is everything alright?” Sawyer asked, forcing a casual tone.
“Yes … or at least it will be.” She hoped.
“I’m surprised you can’t get away for twenty-four hours without so many phone calls.” He leaned his elbow on the side panel. “Don’t you ever get vacations?”
She stiffened. “You said yourself that you know what it’s like to run a business. I’m the one in charge, and if I’m not invested, the company suffers.”
“Okay … but what about you?” He met her gaze, his brown eyes searching hers. “Don’t you think you’ll suffer if you never give yourself time off?”
She shook her head. “I’m fine. I have to make sacrifices for the sake of the company.”
His brow furrowed and he shifted before looking back at the road. “I hope it’s worth it.”
Her defenses flared and she crossed her arms. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
He blew out a breath. “Nothing. Forget I said anything.”
She was about to press him further when he pulled up the long drive to his estate. “About what you said before,” he said, changing the subject as he put the car in park and turned to her. “About not knowing this side of me … how about a tour of my house so you can get to know me better?”
She opened her mouth and closed it, feeling the heat of the argument slowly dissolve into curiosity. She’d been dying to see the inside of his house. “Okay … I’d like that.”
He gave her a slow smile and opened his door. “Come on in then.”
She didn’t wait for him to get her door, feeling that small gesture at least said something about her annoyance with their earlier conversation. That was the hard thing about Sawyer, he was nearly impossible to stay mad at. Whenever she’d gotten upset over something, he always had a way of removing the tension before she realized what was happening. It was infuriatingly effective.
She followed him through the garage into the door that led into the house, and as soon as she stepped inside, her anger dissipated. “Sawyer,” she said, staring in breathless awe. “This is stunning.”
He shook his head, his eyes playful. “This is only the mudroom.”
He scratched his eyebrow. “Yeah … when I built this place, I had my future family in mind. It’s too big for one person—but I’m hoping to grow into it someday.” His eyes moved to hers and her throat went dry.
Along with her dreams of starting a cosmetics company, Lily had always talked about wanting to have a big family with lots of kids. That dream had taken a backseat to her career, and after Sawyer broke her heart, the dream of a family was too painful to contemplate, so she’d pushed it aside and focused on growing her business.
There were enough cubbies here to accommodate several children as well as a wife. But it was ridiculous to think that he would have had her in mind when he built this house … wasn’t it? The look he gave her now made her wonder.
She shifted. “It certainly looks like it will be big enough to grow into,” she said meekly, unable to hold his gaze for fear of giving her thoughts away.
“I hope so.”
A blush rose to her cheeks, so she moved down the hall so he wouldn’t see. “What’s in here?”
“The kitchen.”
She stepped into the large, open room and her heart caught. White cabinets adorned the space, with an oversized island with a navy base and marble countertops. She’d always said white cabinets made the most cheerful kitchens, but it was the windows that caught her attention most. They were massive and offered unobstructed views of the lake.
“What do you think?” Sawyer asked, slipping his hands into his pockets as he came to stand beside her.
“It’s—” She shook her head, not wanting to read too much into this. Maybe it was just coincidence that he’d chosen so many of her favorite things. “It’s beyond words,” she finished.
The Billionaire's Second Chance: Billionaire Bachelor Mountain Cove Page 8