Page 12 of Break My Heart (The Haydon Falls #2)

Gina

When Sawyer showed up at my door yesterday to ask me out, I knew something was up. He was furious when he saw me at his parents’ orchard, and then less than an hour later, he’s bringing me fritters and inviting me to dinner? Did he really think I wouldn’t figure out what he’s doing?

He’s clearly trying to get on my good side, trying to get close to me so I’ll confide in him about my business.

I can’t believe he thinks I’m that stupid, but since he does, I’m going to play along.

I’m going to turn the tables on him and make him the one who confides in me .

It shouldn’t be hard. He’s a guy, and he thinks I’m hot, as evidenced by the fact that he keeps staring at my boobs.

When a guy’s distracted by a hot girl, you can get him to say most anything.

Girls are smarter than that. I think Sawyer’s hot, but I don’t let it distract me, at least not to the point I’d tell him stuff about my business.

‘Over here!’ I yell when I see Sawyer searching the parking lot.

He sees me and heads my way .

I arrived early and got the canoes down from the stand.

I almost laughed when I saw the shock on Sawyer’s face from my suggestion that we steal, or more like borrow, the canoes.

Did he think I’m all sweet and innocent?

That’s not me at all. I was taught to be tough by my Army sergeant dad and Army veteran grandfather.

My dad spent most of my childhood overseas, leaving my grandparents to raise me, but mostly my grandfather since my grandma died when I was four.

‘Good morning,’ I say, smiling when I see Sawyer already checking me out. I wore my sexiest pair of black yoga pants, the ones that make my ass look freaking amazing. I paired them with a black sports bra and hot pink zip-up jacket, the tight lycra one I wear when I go running.

‘Morning,’ Sawyer says, his gaze returning to my face. ‘What time did you get here?’

‘Like ten minutes ago.’

Sawyer looks really good, and since he checked me out, it’s only fair I do the same to him. He’s wearing black running pants that are fitted and cling to his muscular legs. He had a jacket on when he got out of the car, but took it off, leaving him in a tight long-sleeve workout tee.

‘You already got them in the water?’ he says, noticing the canoes at the edge of the lake. ‘Those are heavy. I could’ve helped you.’

‘I didn’t need help.’ I walk over to the canoes. ‘You ready?’

‘I need to stretch. I just got up.’ He twists side-to-side, then brings his arm across his chest. ‘How’s your ankle?’

‘Better.’ I watch as he stretches his other arm. ‘I tried one of those apples. They’re really good. I’ve always been a fan of the tart ones.’

‘Same here. I like the sweet ones too but the tart seem to have more flavor.’ He leans down to stretch his hamstrings .

‘Tell your mom those fritters were amazing. I’m embarrassed to admit this, but I ate the whole bag.’

‘You can go back and get more. She sells them in the barn.’

‘I didn’t think I was allowed back.’

He’s done stretching and walks up to me. ‘You can go there anytime. I was being stupid yesterday. I shouldn’t have reacted the way I did.’ He extends his hand to me. ‘Friends?’

‘We’ll see.’ I don’t shake his hand, but instead turn and walk to the edge of the lake where the canoes are waiting.

‘What does that mean?’ he says with a laugh, meeting me by the canoe. ‘You don’t want to be friends?’

‘I don’t even know you. I can’t be friends with someone I don’t know.’ I get in the canoe and grab the paddle. ‘Ready to race?’

He gets in the other canoe. ‘So what’s the plan?’

‘We paddle to the other side of the lake and back. Whoever gets back first wins.’

‘Did you decide on a place for breakfast?’ he asks, getting his paddle in place.

‘There’s not going to be a breakfast.’ I give him a smug grin. ‘Don’t you remember camp? I was three canoe lengths ahead of you. You didn’t even come close to catching up.’

‘Three lengths, huh?’ He smiles. ‘That’s a lot of detail for someone who claimed not to remember me from camp.’

‘I remember this annoying kid who complained when he didn’t win. I’m guessing that was you.’

‘I didn’t complain. I got angry. And you weren’t three canoe lengths ahead of me.’

‘Can we stop talking and just do this? I have a lot to get done this morning.’

‘Count of three. One. Two. Three.’ He takes off.

‘Hey! I wasn’t ready!’ I yell, struggling to get the canoe away from the shore.

When I finally do, Sawyer is a third of the way across the lake.

‘Shit,’ I mutter, paddling as fast as I can to catch up.

But Sawyer’s already at the end and turning around.

His muscular arms are moving the paddle through the water like it’s no effort at all.

‘Great weather this morning!’ he yells as he passes me on his way back to the shore, a smirk on his face and not even out of breath.

What was I thinking? We’re not seven anymore. He’s a grown man. He’s bigger and stronger than me. Of course he’s going to beat me. I should’ve picked a different activity, one that had us on a more level playing field.

By the time I make it back to shore, Sawyer’s canoe is on the stand and he’s relaxing on a bench.

‘I don’t want to hear it,’ I say, lugging my canoe out of the water.

‘Need some help with that?’

‘Nope.’ I take a moment to catch my breath, then drag the canoe across the shore and hoist it up on the stand.

‘Have a seat,’ Sawyer says.

I go over and sit next to him on the bench, my arms still burning from paddling so fast.

‘Good race,’ he says.

‘Of course you would say that.’ I stare out at the lake. ‘You won.’

‘You really thought I wouldn’t?’

‘I didn’t at first, but then I remembered we’re not seven anymore.’

‘Maybe I let you win back then.’

I look at him. ‘You didn’t let me win.’

He smiles at me. ‘How do you know I didn’t?’

‘You’re too competitive to let someone win.’

‘Maybe I was being nice. ’

‘To me?’ I laugh. ‘You hated me.’

‘I didn’t hate you.’

‘You didn’t like me.’

He looks away. ‘Yeah, I guess you’re right.’

We sit in silence for a moment. It’s peaceful being out here by the lake, feeling the warm sun, seeing it reflect off the water.

It reminds me of being at camp. They’d wake us up at dawn every morning for breakfast, then we’d go out by the lake for whatever activities the camp counselors had planned.

That was the only summer I went to camp.

I didn’t want to go. My dad made me. It was the summer after my mom died.

My dad said camp would be good for me, that I needed to be out in the fresh air instead of moping around the house.

But the real reason was that he had to go back overseas and didn’t know what else to do with me.

My grandpa was having health problems that year and couldn’t handle an energetic seven-year-old.

‘Let’s go to Maury’s for breakfast.’ I stand up. ‘I’ll meet you there.’

I walk off and hear Sawyer behind me. ‘You better not ditch me.’

‘I won’t. A deal’s a deal.’ I get in my truck and head to the restaurant.

‘Booth or a table?’ the hostess asks, looking at Sawyer and me like she’s trying to figure out why we’re together.

She was at G’s last week with her boyfriend so she knows who I am, and everyone in town knows Sawyer.

I hope she doesn’t think we’re on a date.

That’s just what I need, to have the town making up stories about Sawyer and me.

I want to be known as a business owner, not Sawyer’s girlfriend, but in a town this size and the way people gossip, I could totally see that rumor starting.

‘Table,’ I say to the girl. ‘This is a business meeting. ’

‘Right this way.’ She takes us to a square table near the back of the restaurant. ‘Enjoy your breakfast.’

‘Thank you.’ I sit down.

Sawyer sits across from me and smiles. ‘Business meeting?’

‘I didn’t want her thinking it was something else.’

‘Like what?’

‘A date. She was looking at us like we’re a couple.’

‘I didn’t think so. I don’t usually take my date to breakfast.’

‘Unless you spent the night with her.’

He laughs. ‘Oh, so now we spent the night together? Do you always make this many assumptions about what people are thinking?’

‘No, but she was definitely giving us a look, like she wondered what our story was.’

Sawyer glances at the hostess as she seats an older couple at a booth. ‘That’s Lisa. She went to school with Brody. The look she gave us is how she looks at everyone. It didn’t mean anything.’

I pick up the menu, feeling embarrassed and wishing I hadn’t said anything. ‘So what’s good here? Any recommendations?’

‘You haven’t been here?’

‘I came on a Saturday a few weeks ago but it was really busy so I left.’

‘Yeah, everyone comes here on Saturday morning but usually not this early. People start showing up around nine. I’d suggest the farmer’s breakfast. It has a little of everything.’

I find it on the menu. ‘Eggs, bacon, hash browns, and pancakes? I can’t eat that much.’

‘Just eat what you can.’

‘I’ll just order the pancakes.’ I close my menu and set it down.

‘Hey, Sawyer,’ the waitress says as she stops at our table, her order pad already out. ‘The usual? ’

‘Yeah, and add a couple more eggs.’ He smiles at me. ‘I just did a workout. Need to refuel.’

‘And for you?’ the waitress says to me.

‘Buttermilk pancakes and coffee.’

‘Would you like apple butter with your pancakes or just syrup?’

‘Just syrup. I’ve never had apple butter.’

‘It’s really good. It’s made locally at Kanfield Orchard. I could give you a sample.’

‘Thanks, but the syrup is fine.’

‘Oh, um, okay.’ She hurries off.

‘She seems disappointed I didn’t try the apple butter,’ I say to Sawyer.

‘It’s kind of a local favorite. My mom’s been making it forever. She jars it and sells it at the orchard and to local businesses. Next time you’re at the orchard, try a sample. My mom puts out samples of everything next to the baked goods.’