by Addison Cole
“Sawy—” Her voice hitched in her throat.
He pressed his finger to her lips. “Let me finish,” he whispered. “I’m not saying we should get married, but I’m hoping that someday we’ll be ready to. Sky, I want to carve our initials in the rafters. I want to stand in that skycap and look out at the land below with you right there by my side—and one day with our children, if you’re willing—and create our own history. I want to wake up with you in my arms and know that at the end of the day, you’re right there with me, sharing our headaches and celebrating the best times in our lives. I want to grow old with you and watch you do tattoos and paint in your long flowing skirts with your windblown hair and that sparkle in your eyes, while I play the guitar and sing songs that I write for you and our family.”
“Oh, Sawyer.” Sky could hardly speak past the tightening in her throat. She wrapped her arms around him and pressed her lips to his. “I love you, too. I want all those things, too.”
He exhaled a long sigh of contentment. “This is my last fight, Sky. Once I win, my parents’ financial future will be secure, and then I’m going to retire. No more fighting. I’ll become a trainer so you won’t have to worry.”
“I don’t want you to give up fighting for me. I’m okay with it now, and I don’t want you to resent me.” She could hardly believe how much her feelings had grown for him, and part of that growth meant accepting his career.
“I could never resent you. Fighting has risks, and that might not have mattered before, but now that we have us? I don’t want to leave our future to chance.”
“You would do that for us?” Sky’s eyes dampened. “Sawyer…”
“Sky, I would do anything for you, and in turn, for us.”
Sky felt their worlds twining together, without hesitation or doubt, and when he drew her closer and whispered his love for her, she sealed her lips over his, cutting him off midsentence, wanting to feel his words as they moved through her body and settled into her soul.
“You’ve turned my world around, Sky,” he said as he laid her down on the cushions. “I want everything with you. I want to make all your dreams come true, and I still don’t even know what they are. What do you want from life?”
She leaned up and pressed her lips to his. “I don’t have big wants, Sawyer. I want you, and I want to be happy. I want to get to know your family and have you get to know mine. I want to have a simple life where if we want to shut away the world for an afternoon, we can do so without the rest of our world falling apart. I want to love you and be loved by you.”
THERE WERE NO words for the emotions coursing through Sawyer. Love, happiness, and desire were all there, but they were wrapped in something more important, something bigger. They were wrapped in anticipation for a future with the woman he loved.
He gazed into Sky’s eyes and could feel her love for him. “I will always love you. I will cherish you, and I will spend the rest of my life making sure that you feel safe enough to be strong, or weepy, or silly, or whatever you want or need to be. Because I love you for you, Sky, and I want all of you.”
He gathered her close, kissing as they stripped each other bare, and when their bodies came together, he savored the bonding of their love.
Chapter Twenty-One
AFTER A MORNING of skinny-dipping, making love, and teasing each other about being eaten by sharks while naked, Sawyer and Sky showered in the cabin, then took a leisurely sail to Nantucket. It was a sunny morning, and there was a nice breeze as they crossed the harbor.
“I still can’t believe that neither of us has been to Nantucket,” Sawyer said as he docked the boat at the marina.
“I think that’s because we grew up here,” Sky said. “When I was growing up, my dad was running the store on the weekends and my brothers were in sports. There wasn’t much free time for us to go away for a whole afternoon.”
He tied off the boat and stepped onto the dock. He turned back and helped Sky out of the boat. “My dad is such a private person. He traveled for book signings, but he wasn’t really into exploring new places. When I was young, we spent afternoons on the beach, or at the cottage, but once they sold the cottage, we pretty much stuck close to home. And then I got into boxing, and nothing else mattered.”
He rolled an assessing gaze over the marina. “It looks like home.”
Sky wrapped her arms around his waist and said, “Only better. We have a whole day together before we need to return Pete’s boat.”
They walked along the marina hand in hand. Sky felt like she’d had new life breathed into her. The air felt lighter. She felt lighter. It wasn’t the sweet scent of flowers as they passed a little floral shop in the parking lot, or the summery dress she was wearing. It wasn’t the way the sun highlighted the happy glint in Sawyer’s eyes or the strength of his hand, holding hers. It was love. Pure, unadulterated love that had seeped inside her and made her feel rejuvenated. She couldn’t imagine being happier than she was right at that second.
“Hey,” Sawyer said, stopping in the middle of the street to gaze into her eyes. “I love you.”
She smiled and went up on her toes to kiss him. “I love you, too.”
“It feels so good to tell you that. I have a feeling I’m going to say it way too much, but I can’t help it.” He pulled her closer and kissed her. “I love your sweet little nose”—he kissed her nose—“and your beautiful lips”—he kissed her lips—“and the way you wrinkle your brow when you’re thinking.” He kissed her forehead. “I love the way your hand feels in mine, and”—he lowered his voice to a whisper—“that seductive look you get in your eyes right before our lips come together.”
He kissed her again, and she melted against him, reveling in his words, his touch, his love. She was still busy swooning when he took her hand and pulled her toward a cedar-sided building with scooters for rent parked out front.
“Come on,” he said. “Let’s go have some fun.”
They rented a double-seated scooter and tooled around town wearing their spiffy blue helmets. They window-shopped and ate in a café overlooking the water. The area reminded Sky of many small towns on the Cape, with cottage-type shops and old-fashioned light posts. Bikes were parked along the brick-paved sidewalks, giving the town an even quainter feel. There were flags and plants adorning many of the shops, with colorful blooms filling flower boxes beneath big picture windows.
One of the shop owners told them about a music festival taking place in the late afternoon and evening. They picked up a picnic dinner from a diner on the way and rode the scooter across the island to the festival grounds. As they were walking across the crowded lawn, already full of families sitting on blankets and children running around playing, Sawyer’s cell phone rang.
He pulled it from his pocket and glanced at the screen. “It’s my parents.”
Worry riddled his forehead as he answered the call.
“Hello?” He paused to listen and stopped walking. “When?” He squeezed Sky’s hand—hard. “I’m on my way.” When he ended the call, he headed back toward the parking lot. “My father’s fallen. We have to go back.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
SAWYER BURST THROUGH the emergency room entrance, making a beeline for the registration desk. They’d used the motor and powered through the harbor to get there as fast as they could, and even though his mother had assured him that his father was okay, he feared the worst. The idea of his father falling on the way to the bathroom slayed him.
After what felt like an hour, but in reality was only a few minutes, he and Sky were allowed into the room with his parents. His mother rose from a chair beside his father’s bed and embraced Sawyer.
“He’s okay, Sawyer. They did X-rays and he’s okay. Nothing’s broken.”
“Mom, are you okay?” His eyes locked on his father even as he embraced his mother again, to reassure her as much as to reassure himself.
“Yes. I’m shaken up, but fine.”
Sawyer glanced at Sky, and she motion
ed for him to go to his father and not worry about her. Even so, he was thankful she was with him. His father lay on the stark white sheets, looking frail and nonplussed. Wretched Parkinson’s. What Sawyer wouldn’t give to see his father’s smirk and hear him grumble about how a little fall wasn’t going to keep him down. His father’s facial expression didn’t change when Sawyer went to his bedside. Sawyer touched his arm and felt the underlying tremor, saw the purplish bruise on the side of his cheek, and nearly crumpled to his knees.
“Dad.” He couldn’t ask if he was okay—of course he wasn’t okay. He’d never be okay again. He was vaguely aware of his mother greeting Sky, but he was too focused on his father to take it in.
“Son.” His father held his gaze.
Sawyer wanted to climb inside his father’s head and find his voice. He wanted to know exactly what his father was thinking, what he was feeling. He missed that part of him so much that it burned in his gut.
“What can I do? What did the doctors say? Are they keeping you overnight?” Sawyer looked at his mother, who was talking quietly with Sky. Only then did he notice the look of sorrow on Sky’s face and realize that she and his mother were holding hands, comforting each other.
“They’re waiting for the doctor to sign off on the discharge papers,” his mother said.
Sky went to his side and placed a hand on his back as his mother reached for his father’s hand. His father’s stoic gaze shifted to Sky. Sawyer didn’t know if his father would be upset by having someone he didn’t know in the room with them. He kicked himself for not thinking about that sooner, but Sky was part of him now, and it wouldn’t have felt right not to have her by his side.
When Sky smiled kindly at his father, he felt the fissure in his heart heal up.
“Hi, Mr. Bass. I’m Sky, and I’m so sorry that you got hurt and that it took us so long to get here.” She reached for his father’s hand as if it were the most natural thing in the world and held it gently. She didn’t look away from him, and she didn’t seem bothered by his stoic gaze. “I’m glad they’re releasing you soon.”
His eyes shifted to Sawyer, then back to Sky. “Thank…you…for…” He paused, and Sawyer held his breath, hoping Sky would understand that he had more to say. Sky waited patiently. She didn’t rush his father or seem irritated by having to wait for him to speak, and that meant more to him than anything ever could.
When his father spoke again, Sawyer heard a crack in his voice, despite the slowness with which he spoke. “Showing my son there’s more to life than fighting.”
Sky smiled at Sawyer. “I think we’ve both learned a lot about life.”
He kissed Sky’s cheek and whispered, “Are you okay for a second while I talk to my mom?”
She nodded, and he led his mother to the other side of the room.
“Honey, she’s lovely,” his mother said.
“I know. I’m a lucky guy.” He glanced at Sky and saw that she was talking with his father again. “Mom, there’s still a month before I fight, and then it takes time to get the money. I have some savings. I want to hire a nurse to help you out.”
“Sawyer, you need money to live on. We’ll be fine.” She glanced at his father, and worry filled her eyes. “I won’t leave him alone again. You know how stubborn he is. I heard him get up while I was doing dishes and told him I was just going to dry my hands and I’d be right out. Seconds later I heard him fall.” Tears filled her eyes.
Sawyer folded her into his arms. “It’s okay, Mom. Dad’s okay. It’s not your fault, but he needs full-time care. It’s time.” And I’m going to train twice as hard to make sure I win.
“I’m going to ask Mrs. Petzhold and a few of the neighbors to help me out until we figure things out. We can also draw more from our retirement funds. We’ll be okay. I’ll keep a closer eye on him.” She drew in a breath and touched his cheek. “Honey, I’m sorry to call you away from your romantic weekend with Sky.”
“Don’t worry about that,” he assured her. “I’m sorry it took us so long to get here.”
He glanced across the room, Sky was sitting on the edge of the bed, holding his father’s hand and reciting one of his father’s poems. Her gaze was soft, her voice laden with emotion, and in that moment, his love for his family and his love for Sky coalesced.
Before crossing the room to be by Sky’s side, he stood with his mother by the door and said quietly, “I’m going to marry her one day, Mom.”
His mother reached for his hand. “Don’t wait, Sawyer. Life’s too short for one days.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
AFTER HIS FATHER was discharged from the hospital, Sawyer and Sky went to his parents’ house to help them get settled. By the time Sawyer and his mother had gotten his father comfortably into bed, it was well after midnight, and Sawyer and Sky were both exhausted. They decided to spend the night and leave in the morning instead of driving back out to return the boat.
Sawyer assured Sky that sleeping in his childhood bedroom together wasn’t an issue, even though he also admitted that he’d never brought a woman to his parents’ home for the night before. That both pleased and worried her. She didn’t want his parents to think poorly of her. But his mother had been gracious and kind the evening before, setting clean towels in the bathroom and offering her and Sawyer an extra pillow. She didn’t seem to mind that they’d spent the night in the same bedroom.
Sky got up extra early and took a quick shower, then went to the kitchen in search of caffeine.
“Good morning, Sky.” Sawyer’s mother was standing in her bathrobe, putting coffee in the coffeemaker. “You’re up early. It’s only six thirty.”
“Good morning. I thought I’d get up early to see if there was anything I could help with.”
“Thank you.” She pointed to a cabinet as she turned on the coffee machine. “You can grab a few mugs.”
“Sure. You’re up early, too.” Sky set four cups on the counter and took a moment to look around. From the moment she’d arrived last night at the hospital, she’d felt welcome. She knew from dealing with her father’s alcoholism that the one thing she could do to help Sawyer was to act normal. If she’d freaked out over his father’s fall, or his awful bruises, it would have only made Sawyer more upset. The strange thing was, there was something in his father’s eyes that was also comforting—at a time when she knew he needed it the most.
“I’m not taking any chances,” his mother said. “Tad is still asleep, but he’s awake by seven every day. I thought I’d get the coffee started, and then I’ll go get ready and read in the bedroom until he wakes.” She touched her dark hair and smiled at Sky. “Between last night and this morning, I must look a wreck.”
“You look beautiful,” Sky assured her.
“I’m sorry we met under such stressful circumstances, but I’m glad to finally meet you.”
“Thank you. So am I,” Sky said. “I’ve heard a lot about you both from Sawyer.”
“He’s a good boy. Man,” she corrected herself with a smile. She pulled out an address book and began flipping through it. “I need to start calling a few friends and neighbors to line up some coverage for the next few weeks.”
“Coverage?” Sky asked.
“People to stay with Tad when I have to go to the grocery store or pick up his medicines.”
“Oh, I see.” Sky tried to figure out how she could help. “Would you like me to cook breakfast for you and Mr. Bass?”
“Oh, honey, Lisa and Tad, please.” She tightened the belt on her robe, then lowered her voice. “Was Sawyer okay after he went up to bed? I worry about him so.”
Sawyer had been terribly upset and had spent a long while talking with Roach on the phone about amping up his training and trying to figure out how he was going to fit in extra training while trying to also spend more time with his parents. And then he’d stewed over their date being cut short, but of course she’d reassured him a million times that she wasn’t at all bothered by it. It should be the last thing
on his mind at a time like this—and yet he had such a big heart that he wanted to please everyone.
They’d talked half the night—Sawyer planning his training and Sky listening to the grief in his voice and wishing she could help him in some way. They’d eventually fallen asleep in each other’s arms, and when Sky awoke this morning, Sawyer had held tightly to her, trying to get her to stay in bed. As much as she’d wanted to lie in his arms, she thought his mother might need some help or comfort, too. Sky wasn’t about to tell his mother any of that. She didn’t need to worry more than she already was.
“He was okay, just tired. Why don’t I finish making coffee and take care of breakfast while you shower, so you don’t have to worry about being ready when Mr—Tad wakes up?”
“Thank you, Sky. That’s awfully kind of you.”
“She’s an amazingly kind woman,” Sawyer said as he came into the kitchen wearing his jeans from the night before and no shirt. He hugged his mother and kissed the top of her head. “Morning, Ma. Dad up yet?”
“I’m just going to check on him.”
Sawyer leaned in and kissed Sky. “Morning, beautiful.”
“Good morning. I was just going to make breakfast. Are you hungry?” Sky was mentally ticking off her day to see how else she could help his parents. She had to work, and with the grand opening coming up, she didn’t have much time off, but she was off work today, so maybe she could help now and then help out later as she was able.
Sawyer drew her into his arms and held her close as his mother went to shower. “Hungry for you,” he said. “I’m sorry about our date, Sky.”
“Would you stop? It’s fine. I was actually thinking that you could go return the boat to Pete and I’d stay here and help your mom for a few hours.”