The two spoke some more, and then Daisy came to a stand and snatched her bag off the nearby chair, hollering something to the bartender as he approached.
Betzy could hardly believe her eyes. “I can’t believe she used a shot fromthatscene.”
“It’s all she had,” Sawyer said with a shrug. “I’m afraid that moment might have set things in motion,” he said. “See, back in high school, I told her about that little contract we wrote up. When she didn’t believe me, I texted her proof of it. A detail I forgot until it appeared in the article.” He shook his head. “Anyway, because of everything I’d told her in the past, Daisy guessed why I wasn’t interested in her. She knew where my heart was.”
That last comment felt like a promise. “And where was it?” she asked, hope filling her chest once more.
“With you, of course. It’s always been you.”
A million parades marched in the beats of her heart, each heated thump filling her with an added burst of joy. “Really?”
Sawyer nodded, slipped a hand up the side of her neck, and kissed her.
Betzy had barely tuned in to the bliss of that kiss when he pulled back the slightest bit to speak against her lips. “I’m sorry I waited so long,” he said before kissing her again.
That brought another question to mind. One she asked after relishing his kiss a moment longer.
“Whydidyou take so long?”
He kissed her lips once more before pulling back to meet her gaze. “Long story short, I was an idiot,” he said. “I just…kept telling myself that I wasn’t enough for someone like you.”
“Sawyer,” she said, searching his face. “You’vealwaysbeen enough.Morethan enough. You’re the one I always dreamt of being with.”
He grinned. “You have no idea how nice it is to hear that. Especially since we don’t have an audience. Oh, except the one hiding outside, but I’m sure they can’t hear what we’re saying.”
Betzy tipped her head. “Whataudience?”
“Your family’s here. And mine too.”
Her eyes widened at the news. “You’re kidding.”
Sawyer’s phone buzzed. He glanced down to look at it. “No, I’m not kidding. And they’re already asking if they can come in. They’re probably worried about the two of us giving the kids a show.”
A fresh dash of excitement stirred in her heart. “Lilly and Link are here too?”
Sawyer nodded. “They sure are.”
A laugh sounded in her throat as Betzy came to a stand. “Oh my goodness, yes. Tell them to come in!” She spun to face the door when Sawyer spoke up from his spot on the couch.
“Maybe we should have taken a few more minutes to ourselves,” he said with a laugh. “I was just getting started.”
Betzy spun back around and took hold of his hand. “I’ll make sure we get some time alone,” she promised.
At once, the door swung open. “Ho, ho, ho!” Duke boomed as he stepped inside with fists full of suitcases and bags.
Zander was just behind him, Lilly in one arm, Link’s hand in the other.
“Thanks for making me carry your luggage, chump,” Duke grumbled.
“Hey,” Zander said with a shrug. “If the kids liked you, we could have done this in reverse.”
Duke rolled his eyes. “Kids hate me.”
“Idon’t hate you,” Lilly promised. “I just like Zan Zan better.”
A huge grin came over Duke’s face. “Zan Zan?”
“Shut up, man,” Zander warned, “or I’ll tell everyone the news.”
