Page 27 of Break My Heart (The Haydon Falls #2)

Gina

‘What the hell was that?’ Ryder asks.

‘What?’

‘You and that guy? Are you dating him?’ Ryder says dating like it’s a crime.

‘We’re not dating. We’re just friends, not even that. We had dinner together, once, because of a bet.’

‘A bet? What kind of bet?’

‘It was nothing. Just forget it.’ I get up from the table. ‘Ryder, you should go. It’s getting late and you have to drive home.’

‘You’re lying to me.’ He points to the door Sawyer just walked out of. ‘That guy was pissed. A guy doesn’t act like that unless there’s something going on with you two. Did you see how he looked at me when he found out we used to date?’

‘Goodbye, Ryder. Thanks for your help with the cider. I’ll let you know how it turns out.’ I leave him there and go to the back.

He follows me. ‘Gina, wait.’

I turn to face him. ‘Why do you care who I’m with? You and I are over. ’

‘That guy is Sawyer Kanfield!’ Ryder comes up to me. ‘The guy who owns the other brewery!’

‘Yeah, I know who he is,’ I say, getting angry. I hate when Ryder talks to me like this, like I’m stupid and don’t know what I’m doing.

‘Gina, the guy could put you out of business! You shouldn’t even be talking to him.’

‘He’s not going to hurt my business. He’s a nice guy. He comes from a good family.’

‘Fuck, are you serious right now?’ Ryder walks away, then turns back.

‘Gina, I know you want to see the best in people, but the guy is going to do whatever’s necessary to make sure he’s the only brewery in town.

It doesn’t matter if he’s nice. Nice guys are the ones you have to look out for.

They use the nice act to get you to let your guard down so you’ll trust them and tell them stuff. ’

‘That’s not what he’s doing. And I don’t have to explain it to you. You don’t get to just show up here and tell me how to run my life or my business.’

‘You’re not going to have a business if you keep fucking that guy.’

‘I’m not—’ I take a breath. ‘Just go.’ I hurry to my office and shut the door. I lean against it and close my eyes, taking a deep breath. Ryder is wrong. Sawyer is not using me to get information. And he’s not trying to put me out of business.

‘Gina.’ Ryder knocks on the door. ‘Gina, please. Open the door.’

I open it, but just slightly. ‘What?’

‘I didn’t mean to yell at you. I’m just concerned. You worked hard to start this place and I’d hate to see it all go away because of some guy.’

‘It won’t. I’m not stupid. I know what I’m doing.’ I smile a little. ‘And maybe I’m the one using him to get information. ’

I’m not, but saying that may get Ryder to shut up and go away.

‘Just be careful.’ He reaches through the small opening in the door and takes my hand, giving it squeeze. ‘I really do care about you, Gina.’

I don’t respond.

‘Call me next week. Let me know how the cider is coming. I’d be happy to drive back here and try it. Have a good night.’ He finally leaves and I shut the door.

Grabbing my phone, I hurry to send Sawyer a text. Can we talk? Ryder just showed up here. I didn’t know he was coming.

Sawyer doesn’t text back. I doubt that he will, at least not tonight. He’s too angry.

Going out to the brewery, I see the food he brought me still sitting on the table. I get it and bring it back behind the bar.

‘What’s that?’ Aria asks as she fills a glass from the tap.

‘Sawyer brought me dinner since I wasn’t able to go.’

‘Aww, that’s so sweet,’ she gushes. ‘What is it?’

‘I don’t know.’ I lift the foil up and see pot roast, mashed potatoes, glazed carrots, and a roll that looks homemade.

‘That looks good,’ Aria says, peeking over my shoulder on her way to deliver the beer. When she’s back, she whispers to me, ‘What did he say to you when he was here? Did he think Ryder’s your boyfriend?’

‘I’m guessing he did. I told him Ryder was my ex, but I don’t think he believed me. And now he knows I lied to him about why I couldn’t come to dinner.’

‘Go talk to him.’

‘Now?’ I shake my head. ‘He’s working. And I don’t know what to say.’

‘Just explain what happened.’

‘I tried to and he didn’t believe me. ’

‘Then try again. He’s had time to cool off. He’ll be better able to listen now.’

‘Why do I even need to explain? Sawyer and I aren’t dating. I can go out with whoever I want. He shouldn’t be getting mad about it.’

‘I’ll take the Dirty Blonde,’ a guy says as he sits down at the bar.

‘Coming right up,’ Aria says, giving him a smile.

‘I’ll be in the back,’ I tell her.

‘Go talk to him. I can handle things here.’

I take the plate of food and go to my office. The food looks great, but I’m not hungry. I put it in the small fridge that’s next to my desk, then check my phone.

My pulse races when I see a text from Sawyer. Yeah, we can talk.

That’s all he wrote. What does that mean? Like now? Later?

Instead of asking him in a text, I grab my keys and go back to the bar. Aria’s talking to the guy who just ordered the beer.

‘Hey,’ I say. ‘Sorry to interrupt, but I need to leave for a few minutes.’

Aria smiles. ‘Go ahead.’

She goes back to talking to the guy as I race out to my truck.

When I get to Sawyer’s place, I see him working behind the bar. This was a bad idea. He’s busy. His place has twice as many customers as mine, probably because of all the giant TVs. Maybe Ryder is right and I need to switch mine out for bigger screens.

‘I’ll have the stout,’ I say, taking the last open seat at the bar.

‘Coming right up,’ Sawyer says, his back to me. He fills the glass, then turns to give it me. ‘Gina. Hey.’

‘You’re busy tonight.’

‘Yeah. Football.’ He nods toward the TV behind him. ‘You a fan? ’

‘You really have to ask? I grew up in Green Bay.’

He smiles a little as he grabs a bar mop from the counter. ‘How’d you like the dinner? My mom will ask.’

‘I didn’t eat it yet, but it looks really good.’

‘It was. Too bad you couldn’t make it.’

‘About that. I need to explain.’

He shakes his head as he wipes the counter. ‘Forget it. You don’t need to.’

‘I do. I don’t want you thinking—’

‘Gina, just forget it. It’s none of my business who you go out with.’

Miles, one of the servers, walks by and smiles at me. ‘Hey, Gina.’

‘Hi.’ I smile back.

Sawyer glances at Milo, then walks over to the sink and rinses out the bar mop.

‘Hey, Sawyer, I need to head out,’ a girl says, coming up next to me at the bar. She’s a tiny blonde, wearing a short skirt and tight red sweater that reveals a lot of cleavage.

‘See ya, Maci,’ he says, looking back at her.

‘Let me know about this week. I’m free on Wednesday, or we could go out next Friday.’

He nods. ‘I’ll let you know.’

When she’s gone, he turns back to the bar and starts collecting dirty glasses.

‘Who’s the girl?’ I ask.

‘Does it matter?’

I wait until he’s picking up the glass next to me, then lean over the bar, lowering my voice. ‘Would you please talk to me?’

He pauses for a beat, then yells over at Wade. ‘I need to go in back. You okay out here?’

‘Yeah, boss, I’m good. ’

‘Let’s go.’ Sawyer sets the glasses down and we go in the back to his office. He leaves the door open and remains standing. ‘Go ahead. Talk.’

‘Ryder and I aren’t together. We broke up months ago. I didn’t even know he was coming to town.’

‘You skipped out on dinner to be with him. That has to mean something.’

‘It doesn’t.’

Sawyer folds his arms over his chest and looks me in the eye. ‘Then why’d you do it?’

‘Because .?.?.’ I look away, not sure I should tell him Ryder was helping me with the cider.

Sawyer might consider that cheating and tell the judges.

I don’t think he would, but I can’t risk it.

Ryder’s comments about being careful around Sawyer got into my head and now I’m hesitant to reveal too much.

‘Because why? What’s the reason?’

I look back at Sawyer. ‘Because he knows the business better than I do. He’s been doing this for 15 years. He offered to look over my files and make sure everything was good.’

‘It didn’t look like he was going over your files when I was there.’

‘We’d just finished. He wanted a beer before he left.’

‘How long did you date him?’

‘A couple years.’

‘And you lived with him?’

‘For six months.’

‘Sounds serious.’

‘It wasn’t. He was never home. I saw him more at work than I did at home.’

‘Do you still talk to him?’

‘Yeah, but not very often. Usually only if I have a question about the brewery. Sawyer, why are you asking me all this? You’re acting like we’re dating, but we said that’s not what we—’

‘What if we did?’

‘Did what?’ I ask, my heart beating faster. ‘Date?’

‘Yeah. What if we did?’ He’s giving me this intense look like he really wants to do this, but do I?

‘What about our breweries? We’re competitors.’

‘We don’t talk about work. Problem solved.’

‘Sawyer, why do you want this? I thought you didn’t want to be in a relationship right now.’

‘I didn’t. But when you meet someone you really click with who isn’t like anyone you’ve met before, you don’t just throw that away.

Maybe this is a bad idea and we’ll find out later it was a huge mistake, but I’m willing to risk it.

I don’t know what it is about you, but you get to me in a way that drives me fucking crazy. ’ He shrugs. ‘In a good way.’

‘I know what you mean.’ I smile a little. ‘You drive me crazy too.’

‘So what do you say? Do we try this?’

‘Yes. But with a few rules.’

‘I’m listening.’

‘We don’t talk about our businesses.’

‘Which we already agreed to. What else?’

‘If we’re still together by the cider competition, there’s no hard feelings if one of us wins.’

‘That’s fair, but given how competitive we are, I can’t promise we won’t get angry about it.’

‘Then we’ll fight and follow it up with really hot make-up sex.’

‘Works for me. Anything else?’

‘Yes. You can’t go out with that girl who just hit on you at the bar. ’

‘I’m good with that.’

‘Who is she?’

‘Maci? Just a girl I went out with a few times.’

‘Went out with or slept with?’

‘I’m choosing not to answer that.’

I roll my eyes. ‘You just did.’

‘Does this mean we’re exclusive? Because if we are, the same rule goes for you. No other guys.’

‘I don’t have time for other guys. I’ll barely have time for you.’

‘I’m hoping you’ll make time.’

We look at each other, not saying anything, but I can feel the tension rising, the heat between us, the intense attraction.

‘Well, now that that’s settled,’ I say, ‘I guess I’ll be going.’

‘Not a chance.’ He grabs me and kisses me, then reaches behind me and slams the door shut.

We tear at each other’s clothes until they’re finally off, then he lifts me up against the door and thrusts inside me. The sex is fast and rough and just what we needed to move on from what happened earlier.

‘Stay with me tonight,’ Sawyer says as we’re getting dressed.

‘I need to go back. Aria’s the only one working tonight. Lexi has the night off.’

‘Then go there and come back.’ He kisses me as he puts on his belt. ‘I want to sleep next to you.’

‘Just sleep?’

‘We should at least try it. I don’t want our whole relationship to be about sex.’

‘Okay. I’ll come back, but it may not be until after two.’

‘Text me and let me know when you’re here. I’ll meet you at your truck. You shouldn’t be walking alone that time of night.’

‘It’s a small town. I’ll be fine. ’

‘Would you just do it? It’s a guy thing. We have a need to protect our women.’

‘Fine.’ I kiss him. ‘I’ll text you.’

He walks me out to my truck, giving me another kiss before I leave.

What is happening? How did I end up dating Sawyer? Why am I so drawn to him? It’s like camp all over again, but this time instead of an innocent little crush, I have full-on feelings for him.

Why couldn’t I fall for some other guy? A guy who didn’t own a brewery in Haydon Falls?

Later that night, I fall asleep next to Sawyer, tucked in his arms, feeling safe and at peace.

It’s a feeling I should’ve felt with Ryder but never did.

Was it because I didn’t really love him?

I thought I did, but now I’m questioning it.

What I’m feeling now feels more like love, but it can’t be.

I can’t love Sawyer. I’m just getting to know him.

*?*?*

The alarm goes off at six. I wake up with half my body draped over Sawyer. It feels good to sleep next to a man again, and even better when it’s Sawyer. I love feeling his strong arms wrapped around me.

‘Want some breakfast?’ he asks, kissing the top of my head.

‘What have you got?’

‘Eggs. Bacon. My mom’s pastries.’

‘Yes! To all of it.’

He laughs. ‘Just give me a minute.’ He starts to get up.

‘Wait.’ I lift up enough to kiss him. ‘Don’t you want to do something else first?’

‘I do, but I’m trying not to.’ He runs his hand up and down my arm.

‘I wasn’t kidding when I said I don’t want this to just be sex.

I’ve been doing that for years and it hasn’t worked out for me.

I want this to be a real relationship. I’ve only had that with one other person and I want it again, with you. ’

‘I’d like that.’ I look up at him. ‘But we can still have sex, right?’

‘Well, yeah, just not every second we’re together.’ He gets out of bed and goes to the kitchen.

I lay back in his bed, staring up at the ceiling, loving how it feels to be with someone who sparks so much passion and excitement in me, something I never felt with Ryder.

I know it’ll change. It always does. The first few weeks of any relationship are all sunshine and rainbows and then reality hits and you have to figure out how to make it work.

I usually assume it won’t, but with Sawyer maybe it will.

I’m just going to choose to think that because it’s better than thinking about this ending.