She grinned. “Thanks. Training housemaids and keeping track of their schedule beats cleaning house any day.”
“I bet it does.” He often thought back on all the hard work she’d done, cleaning houses, starting her own business, and raising him all on her own. He’d listed those very things in a card while gifting her a cherry red Dodge Challenger, AKA the car of her dreams, on Mother’s Day. He’d known she’d need a list of reasons she should accept the car. Thankfully, it had worked.
Just then his watch buzzed, letting him know he’d received a text. He’d left the connected phone in his bedroom upstairs, but one glance at the watch told him it was from Betzy.
Mom must have seen it too, because suddenly she said something that was very unlike her. “Do you want to go get that? I don’t mind.”
Had it been from anyone else, the text would be easy enough to delay. As it was, Sawyer was dying to see what Betzy had to say.
“Okay,” he said with a nod. “I’ll bring out some more iced tea if you’d like too.”
“That’d be great. Thanks, son.”
Sawyer hurried through the house, up the stairs, and into the room where his phone laid on the bedside table. It buzzed a second time as he secured the device and swiped the screen.
Betzy:Just curious, are you coming home for the holidays?
Sawyer:Who’s asking? Is this an admirer?He smiled as he waited for her response.
Betzy:Definitely.
Warmth stirred low in his belly. It was that same baited hook she lured him with every time.
Sawyer:What kind of admirer are you? Semi-interested or scary-interested?
Betzy:Somewhere in between.
Sawyer:What I’m asking is, will I be needing a bodyguard?
When her reply didn’t come right away, he hurried down the stairs, snatched the jar of iced tea off the counter, and headed back to the table. A quick look at Mom said she was on her phone too.
“Sorry,” he said. “I’m going back and forth with Betzy.” It was a cheap trick throwing her name out there, but since Mom liked Betzy, he knew she’d forgive him.
“No problem,” she said, tapping on her screen with a grin. She set it facedown on the table, but it took a moment for her to shift her gaze away from it.
She’s dating someone.It wasn’t just a question in his head. It was more of a realization.
His own phone buzzed, and he glanced down to see her reply.
Betzy:Sawyer, you’re not afraid of me, are you?
He stared at the screen for a beat. Then he typed out an honest reply.
Sawyer:Sometimes.
Betzy:Then I promise to be gentle. No bodyguard needed.
More belly heat. Promise to be gentle? And for what? Was she asking him to meet up someplace? Maybe this really would be his year.Theiryear.
“Is that still Betzy you’re talking to?” his mom asked from across the table.
“Uh, yeah,” he mumbled.
“Tell her hi for me, will you?”
Sawyer glanced up to see that Mom was on her phone again too. The sun was starting to set now. The brilliant tones of red and gold bounced off the surface of the lake. That might be what caused his mother’s face to blush. But he was pretty sure it had more to do with whomever she was texting.
“Why don’t you tell…the guy you’re texting right nowhifrom me too.”
