Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 83102 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 416(@200wpm)___ 332(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83102 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 416(@200wpm)___ 332(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
“I’ll be back,” I tell the group, heading down to join Cruz.
He’s very busy toddling after big kids, but once he sees me, he points to the swing, telling me in his sweet one-year-old babble what I can only assume means, “Swing me NOW.”
I plop him into the swing and get it going, then once the momentum is carrying him back and forth, I come around to the front and play peekaboo every time he swings close to me. Not to brag, but my silly faces get a laugh every single time, and my already overly emotional heart melts even more.
“Do you think I’d be a good mom, Cruz?”
Cruz kicks his feet with glee as I push him higher.
“I could have one of you, couldn’t I?”
I wouldn’t be alone. I know Queenie would basically act as a co-parent with me, helping if I ever needed it.
“Do you want a little cousin to play with?”
He claps his hands, which obviously means he’s on my side.
While I’m helping him climb up a short ladder to a slide, Lindsey joins us.
“You’re so good with him,” she says with a smile. “You know we’re all so glad you’re back in town. You’re not planning on leaving again, are you?”
Cruz squeezes my hand as he finishes climbing the last stair. “No, actually. I’m probably here to stay.”
“You hear that, Cruz?! Your auntie Maddie might be sticking around for good!”
My weekend without Sawyer starts out nice. I’m able to revel in all the joyful hope of what could be without feeling crushed by the weight of worry about what Sawyer is going to say once I finally tell him the truth. But by Sunday evening, I’m too antsy to appreciate the peace anymore. I want to get it over with, rip off the Band-Aid, endure the awkwardness and figure out a way to come out the other side.
My impatience has me driving Queenie’s car out to Starlight Vineyards first thing Monday morning. There’s probably a better time and place to have this conversation, but I can’t wait another minute. I need to talk to Sawyer and I want to do it in person, before I lose the nerve.
When I pull up and park, I find the vineyard busier than I’ve ever seen it. Men work efficiently, loading crates of wine into the back of Starlight Vineyards delivery trucks. A group of women are being led around on an early-morning vineyard tour, glasses already in hand. Small Gator UTVs haul in grapes freshly plucked from the vines. (They aren’t relegated to the metal buckets like I was. Ha.)
No one pays me any attention as I set off to look for Sawyer. The chapel’s empty and I’m too scared to go into the other industrial buildings where busy workers pour in and out. I don’t want to be in anyone’s way. The tasting room seems like as good a place to search as any, and I luck out when I tug the door open and peer inside. Sawyer’s standing with a small group. Seeing him in a button-down and blue slacks is an unexpected gift. Last time we were together together, we were disheveled in the front seat of his truck, and when I bumped into him on the sidewalk on Friday, he was in his usual work clothes.
This is Sawyer the businessman, the future heir to a wine empire. I almost forget he has that side of him, but he fully looks the part.
I recognize another person in the group, a handsome older man with deeply tanned skin and a stature that’s a perfect match for Sawyer’s. I haven’t seen Mr. Garnett in a few years. He used to be David and Sawyer’s Little League baseball coach and I remember him always being nice to me after the games, tousling my hair and making sure I got the same post-game treat the boys got: orange slices and Ring Pops, or if it was a morning game, a warm glazed donut.
The rest of the group has badges pinned on the lapels of their suits. I recognize the logo of the nationwide liquor store chain printed on them right away, as anyone would. This meeting is obviously significant, but it’s too late to slink off undetected now. Good going, Madison. The door creaked loud enough to call attention to me when I first peeked in, but I offer a small don’t-mind-me wave and make it clear I’ll hover near the entrance until they’re finished. I don’t want to screw up this opportunity for Sawyer.
It’s his dad who stares at me with curiosity after the others return to their discussion, and once the meeting wraps up, he walks straight to me with a big, welcoming smile.
“Madison McCall, your mama said you were back in town, but I didn’t believe it.”
I grin. “Sawyer didn’t tell you we’ve been hanging out?”