“Yeah.” She plunked onto her swing and began to pump. “It does. I miss it.”
More heat brewed low in his belly. “I miss it too. As for the New York thing, it’s what I’ve always planned on. My uncle’s one of the biggest real estate tycoons in the business, and he’s going to teach me everything he knows. Why not learn from the best?”
He swooshed past her a few times, back and forth, before finally matching her pace.
“Yeah, but you don’thaveto be rich.”
“Says the girl from the billionaire family. The one who just inherited her first million…”
“Iinvestedmy first million and…and you know that’s not important to me, right?”
Sawyer didn’t reply. What could he say, that he didn’t believe her? “I can still make you marry me either way,” he said, thinking back on the silly document they’d constructed years back.
“Are you talking about the marriage contract?” she said with a laugh. “Oh, I can’t believe we did that. I reeled you right in, didn’t I?”
Sawyer was about to lean back and pump the swing higher, but her words stopped him short. He let his feet hit the dirt once, then twice before he stopped. “What do you mean? The whole marriage contract wasmyidea.”
That cute little laugh of hers toppled from her lips. “That’show I reeled you in. I got you to do it,andthink it was your idea too.”
He’d have to consider that some more. The way he saw it, it was all his idea, all the way down to the determined age the marriage should take place—twenty-eight years old. Two significant events took place because of that contract, events that catapulted Sawyer toward one life-changing choice.
The first came when Sawyer boasted the contract to his wealthy Uncle Ryan.
Sawyer could hear his response even still.Oh, no, little buddy. You can’t marry into money unless you have money of your own. You better come work for me if you want to get a chick like that.
While he’d gotten crap from his uncle about the impossibilities of marrying Betzy, she was getting an earful from her mother. One Sawyer had, by accident, overheard.
I’m not mad about the contract, sweetie. I think it’s cute. We love Sawyer too. But you’re a Benton, don’t forget that. When you come from money, you don’t marry the housemaid’s son. You just don’t.
Sure, the woman was kind to him. Very. And Sawyer had told himself that Claudia had likely changed her position over the years, but he couldn’t be sure.
Either way, those two instances sparked a determination like none he’d ever known. Hewouldgo work for Uncle Ryan. And then, he’d come back and marry Betzy when he was ready.
“I’m going to jump,” Betzy announced, pulling him from his musings. “Should I do it?”
“I wouldn’t,” Sawyer said as he looked into the darkness. Sure, his eyes had adjusted enough to see her right beside him, but the wider part of the yard looked like one black hole.
Betzy started counting. “One…”
“What if you run into the lawn mower or something?” he asked.
“Two…” she continued.
Sawyer came to a stand and wiped his hands on his jeans. If Betzy said she was going to jump, that meant she would jump, alright.
“Three!” And there she went, flying right out of her swing and into the darkness. “Woo-hoo,” she hollered from a spot across the yard.
Sawyer squinted, trying to catch sight of her white, summer dress while an odd knot of longing pulled at him from the inside. He’d miss this. Miss hanging out with the girl who’d captured him in every possible way.
It had put him in a tough spot. He couldn’t date her until he had money. But how was he supposed to keep her in his life without getting permanently placed in the friend zone?
Inevitably, he’d dated other girls. She’d dated other guys, and they’d spent less time together over the years, which seemed to support Uncle Ryan’s notion—he needed to make money, make a name for himself, andthenmaybe he’d have a shot.
Well, that’s just what he planned to do.
But maybe…just maybe what his mom said was true. Heck, the friend zone was a very real thing, and if he was taking off the next few years, Sawyer may as well leave Betzy with something that went far beyond friendship.
* * *
