Page 44

McCoy

Eight Months Later

“When you two mentioned baking together, you said nothing about me and Sloane being some kind of judge,” Coy said, perched on one of the island stools beside her twin as Sawyer secured a blindfold over her eyes. Memories of the first time she’d done so brought a grin to Coy’s lips, and she puckered them for a kiss.

Sawyer obliged, her mouth caressing Coy’s before she uttered a quick, “Behave, darling, or you’ll leave me no choice but to punish you later.”

Coy’s grin only widened. Hell, if the punishment was anything like what she’d endured the night before, she was so down. She quickly reached for Sawyer, circling her arms around her waist. “You’re getting exceptional with those knots, ma’am.”

“I’m gonna barf,” Sloane grumbled, though she didn’t move off the stool to sprint to the bathroom. Instead, she swatted Coy hard on the thigh.

“Oow.” Coy jabbed her elbow in her sister’s direction but met nothing but air. “You can’t tell, but know that I’m glaring so hard at you right now.”

“Hold still while I tie this,” Bree instructed Sloane. Her melodic laughter rang through the kitchen. “You think you’ll barf? At least your bedroom isn’t a few doors down from theirs. No offense, Maman , but I think you and I have different ideas of what punishment means.”

“Bree Sophia.” There was a high, almost nasally pitch to Sawyer’s voice that hadn’t been there a moment ago. “Why didn’t you say anything? McCoy’s been living here for, like … five months now!”

A contented sigh left Coy. And what a fantastic five months those had been. Waking up wrapped around Sawyer each morning was not something she’d ever take for granted. Their relationship grew stronger each day, and what Coy loved the most was how they helped one another grow. Sawyer wasn’t clingy and still valued her alone time but also encouraged Coy to do the same. It made those moments they were together all the sweeter.

Not wanting to embarrass Sawyer further, Coy drummed her palms on the countertop. “Okay, ladies, back to the task at hand. My sniffer and stomach can’t take it anymore.”

The results of Sawyer and Bree’s bake-off that morning had left a drool worthy aroma throughout most of the downstairs. Sloane had shown up prior to and set up her camera equipment. Her beef with Sawyer was a thing of the past—most of the time, anyway. Coy suspected it didn’t help that her twin had a lowkey crush on Bree.

Coy shuddered just thinking about it.

“I figured since we’re on camera anyway, why not make a true game of it and give your viewers something entertaining to watch?” Bree’s voice sounded from across the kitchen somewhere. By the oven, perhaps. Coy had a terrible sense of direction once the blindfold went on.

“And you agreed, mon amour ?” Coy asked, her arms still wrapped around Sawyer. She tilted her face back as if she could see her through the blindfold.

“Reluctantly.” Sawyer let out a sigh that sounded suspiciously light considering her dry tone. Coy felt her bend at the hips, and seconds later, her lips were being kissed again. “I’m not the only one practicing a new skill, I see,” Sawyer practically purred against her ear, and Coy just hoped Sloane hadn’t overheard.

Her stomach did the little dip it always did when Sawyer got all flirty, and Coy inwardly groaned. Why now, when she wasn’t able to toss Sawyer over her shoulder firewoman style and rush her up the stairs? Coy cleared her throat. “So, I take it you haven’t told her about … you know?”

“Not yet. I thought we’d all have dinner tonight and chat.” The top of Coy’s blindfold came down, and Sawyer’s lovely face came into view. “I promise, darling.”

Coy smiled, knowing Sawyer didn’t make promises lightly. She yanked the blindfold back up and shooed Sawyer away. “Go. Win your bake-off. I’m starving.”

“I can’t even see you guys and still wanna barf,” Sloane grumbled. “Who’d have thought my sister would become this giant ball of cheesy goo when she fell in love?”

“Make fun all you want, but one day, you’ll understand.”

“I’ve been in love before,” Sloane sniffed, and Coy was so very glad her sister couldn’t see the way she rolled her eyes at the comment. When Sloane truly fell in love, she'd be knocked back on her ass.

“Move, or the sauce will burn.”

“Go around me!”

Sawyer and Bree were talking either at or to each other, Coy wasn’t certain which, and pots and pans were clanging. A beeper or timer went off every ten seconds. The only thing they were missing from their bake-off was the rest of Sawyer’s staff.

A hand touched Coy’s arm, and then Sloane whispered, “So what’s the big talk tonight about?”

There was no reason to keep it from Sloane since she’d know soon enough anyway. “Sawyer wants to put the house up for sale and buy one together. You know, something untouched by Olivier. She’s worried—omhmp,” Coy garbled as something semi-hot and chocolatey-sweet was stuffed whole into her mouth.

“ Calisse . Do you know that even your whispers are loud?” Sawyer hissed. “We can hear you two.”

“Shii …” Coy paused to awkwardly chew and swallow whatever Sawyer had silenced her with and tore off the blindfold. She saw the tic pulse in Sawyer’s jaw and darted her gaze to where Bree stood with a tray of butter tarts. “Damn, I’m sorry.”

“Hey, don’t be sorry.” Bree’s face lit up. She set the tray down and rushed over to throw her arms around Coy. “Ohmigod, you beautiful human. Je t’aime ,” she laughed, kissing Coy's cheek. When she pulled away, tears were in Bree’s eyes. She reached for both Coy and Sawyer’s hands, bringing them together. “Buying a house means you’re it, Coy. Maman chose you , and I’m here for it. Don’t worry about me for a second.”

“Well, we kinda hoped you might wanna move in with us.” Coy grinned awkwardly.

Sawyer cleared her throat, still looking a tad annoyed at Coy’s slip but not like she was about to throttle her. Oh, well, there’s always later . “It wouldn’t be until after we’re back from Europe, but we’d like it if things remained as they are now. Although, with a minor adjustment in the sleeping arrangements.”

Bree actually giggled. “No way. I’m twenty-one, you guys. I am well and capable of finding a roommate and living in an apartment. I even have a bit of money saved. Maybe you can help me car shop, though?” She directed the question to Coy.

“Erm …” Coy chewed her lip, spotted the fresh scowl Sawyer wore, and swung her gaze to the left where Sloane sat, blindfold still in place, with her hand up in the air. “We’re not in class, Sloane.”

Her sister flashed a smile. “Apologies. But just wanted to add my two cents in. I happen to be looking for a roommate.”

“No.” This time it was Coy’s turn to scowl. The thought of Sloane and Bree, together … She shuddered.

“Easy there, tiger.” Sloane removed the blindfold as well, and this time, held both hands up as she eyed Coy. “Remember who you’re talking to and who you used to be. A year ago, who would you trust around Bree more? Me or you?”

“Excuse me, this is getting out of hand. Bree is straight for one thing.” Sawyer arched an eyebrow at her daughter. “Right?”

“Um …” Bree giggled again, then began backing away. “Are we gonna kick this contest off or what?”

“This conversation is far from over.” Sawyer grabbed the blindfold and refastened it over Coy’s head, this time without all the fuss. Then she left to retie Sloane’s. Coy heard her muttering in French to her twin, likely nothing nice since Sloane was as poor at comprehending the language as Coy. When she left them alone again, she heard Sloane chuckle.

“I’m just saying.”

Coy groaned.

“Who was the one having threesomes and all-nighters in our apartment? It wasn’t me, Coy.”

Sawyer

From the balcony overlooking the picturesque Praia dos Ingleses shoreline, Sawyer closed her eyes and inhaled the fresh salty taste of the sea air. Seagulls squawked overhead, no doubt in search of their breakfast. In the distance, waves crashed gently against the rocks. Early mornings in Porto, Portugal were an absolute blessing. The heat of the sun on her face was enough to temporarily distract her from her numerous body aches and pains. But oh, how she’d received every one of them had been worth it.

Her eyes opened, and Sawyer picked up the coffee she’d made from the hotel carafe. She took a sip and sighed in contentment. These days, she felt freer than she’d ever been, like the weight of the past had finally lifted off her shoulders. She didn’t know if it was the vacation making her feel that way or the tattooed, soft-butch lesbian she was traveling with.

“I thought I smelled coffee.”

Strong arms wrapped loosely around Sawyer’s shoulders, and she peered up at her girlfriend’s sleepy smile. “Mornin’, beautiful.”

“ Bonjour, mon amour . Did you sleep well?” Sawyer murmured, raising her face to accept McCoy’s kiss. She breathed her in, melting into the embrace and the sure way McCoy led their lip-lock. Sharing life with a switch had to be one of Sawyer’s greatest joys. She appreciated that she didn’t need to be “on” all the time and could bring out a softer side.

“Like a baby. I think the crashing waves lulled me to sleep. How about you?”

Sawyer watched as McCoy headed for the breakfast cart that had been delivered maybe thirty minutes before. She had pulled on a pair of loose-fitting boxers and a sleeveless hoodie, but Sawyer fondly recalled how captivating a naked McCoy had been on her knees for her the night before.

“I slept well, actually, thank you.”

McCoy looked up from where she was stirring a pack of sugar into her coffee. “Yeah? No nightmares?”

Sawyer shook her head, one corner of her mouth lifting up, and held her hand out. “Come sit with me, darling.”

“Have you been awake long?” McCoy wondered. She set the creamer in the bucket of ice again before returning to Sawyer’s side, mug of coffee now in her hands.

“Only since five. You know I can’t sleep in.” Sawyer’s smile grew when McCoy took a seat on the chaise lounge, nestling between Sawyer’s open legs. She was a bit bulky for the position, but Sawyer loved having her close. Over the last several months, physical touch had become both their love language.

“Mm-hmm, I do know that.” McCoy leaned in to kiss Sawyer again. She rested her forehead against hers. “It’s benefited me in so many ways since we moved in together. There’s nothing like waking up mid-fuck, with your fingers in my pus—”

“Must you always be so crass, darling?” Sawyer stifled a laugh. “Not to mention the lie. We both know waking up to breakfast cooking is right up there with things you love.”

“Ugh, woman, you wound me.” Looking contrite, McCoy pretended she was holding a knife and “stabbed” it into her heart, falling backwards on the chair and spilling some of her coffee in the process.

“McCoy,” Sawyer protested when coffee slopped a little too close to her bare thigh. “You’re as melodramatic as your sister some days, I swear.”

“Cuter, though, I hope.” Coy rested her chin on the back of her hand and batted her eyelashes in a very feminine pose.

“Cute, yes, but also ridiculous.” Sawyer shook her head, smiling as she lifted her mug to her lips again.

They sat and drank in silence for several minutes before Sawyer said, “Let’s have breakfast and then take a walk on the beach before the tour this afternoon. How does that sound?”

“Perfect, sweetheart. Anything you want, I’m game.” McCoy got to her feet and held her hand out for Sawyer to take. She pulled Sawyer up gently, grinning into another kiss. Her lips found Sawyer’s ear at the same time her hand slid over her backside. “Nice outfit, by the way. I wish I could pull that off.”

Sawyer shivered, McCoy’s heated whisper shooting ripples of desire through her. She glanced down at the satiny silk emerald green lingerie dress McCoy had bought for her forty-fourth birthday. The cheesy come-on was a familiar one, and for a moment, Sawyer reminisced over the first night she’d laid eyes on her love. Carefully, she placed her coffee mug on the trolley. Then she slid her hands over McCoy’s back to her stomach, slipping them under her shirt to graze her hot skin.

“Why pull it off at all when you could take me like this, ma chérie ?”

“Fuck,” McCoy groaned, setting her coffee down as well. A surprised yelp escaped Sawyer when she scooped her up in her arms, followed by laughter, as McCoy marched them toward the bedroom. “How about I just eat you for breakfast?”

“Did you know Porto was the original capital of Portugal?” McCoy asked as they walked hand-in-hand along the beach. At 10 a.m., there were already fifty or more people lounging on the sand or in the water. Even after a week into their month-long vacation, it still felt strange at times that Sawyer wasn’t rushing to work. That she was willingly lazing about with McCoy, sipping cocktails and having sex like there was no tomorrow. “That’s how Portugal got its name. Lisbon became the capital at the end of the Portuguese Reconquista.”

“Is that right?” Sawyer bit back her smile, as she knew very well McCoy had been actively studying random information during the planning stages of their trip. McCoy’s desire to learn and prepare ahead had her friends and sister at their wit’s end at times, but for Sawyer, it was such an endearing quality. One of McCoy’s best quirks that she’d fallen in love with in the past year.

The tour guide this afternoon will no doubt get a run for their money.

“Ugh, sorry, I sound like a broken record. I’m just so excited, you know?” McCoy glanced up at her, her meadow green eyes brimming with joy and affection. “This gift you’ve given me is a trip of a lifetime. Seriously, Sawyer, have I told you lately how incredible you are?”

“Not bad as far as anniversary gifts go,” Sawyer agreed, giving McCoy’s hand a squeeze. Since they hadn’t been able to agree on when they’d started dating, they’d chosen their first date as a marker. No matter how much time passed, McCoy still somehow made each date night feel as special as the first. “Happy anniversary, darling.”

“Happy anniversary,” McCoy husked, pressing a kiss next to Sawyer’s ear. She whispered, “I wish I could fuck you right here on the beach.”

Sawyer’s answering laugh was low, husky, and as she buried her face in McCoy’s hair, thoughts of her soft butch on all fours the night before teased the forefront of Sawyer’s mind. “Ever the romantic, aren’t you? Besides, let’s not be shy, darling. We both know who has been fucking who lately.”

And never in my life would I have thought I’d be thanking Frankie for that heart-to-heart.

She heard McCoy’s breath hitch as if she was remembering the previous night as well. It turned out that once Sawyer worked up to wearing a strap-on, it was something they both enjoyed immensely.

They spent the rest of the morning walking the beach and sunbathing before heading back to the hotel for a shower. There, Sawyer checked in on Bree and Cindy at the restaurant while McCoy repacked their backpacks for the upcoming tour. She noticed that, once again, McCoy put all the heavier items and ice packs in her own bag and left Sawyer to carry the change of clothes and map. One of the reasons McCoy had been so adaptable at changing her dream trip from backpacking to traveling Europe on the last of Olivier’s dime was because she hadn’t wanted Sawyer to strain her heart more than it was.

“You’re a good person, darling,” Sawyer said softly, studying McCoy’s bashful response to her compliment. Most days, it was hard to believe McCoy was hers. That she could come from the life she did and find someone like her in the world. McCoy was so good, so gentle and loving, funny and silly. Sawyer didn’t regret a single moment since she’d asked McCoy to move in with her. Five months of waking and falling asleep together, sharing breakfast time and Sunday evening movies, and bubble baths and wine. Bree often joined them during movie nights or when Sawyer was also invited for Sunday games at Greg and Miranda’s house. It was all so wonderful. Hell, Sawyer and Bree had even come to know the twins’ nana, who was absolutely precious. It made Sawyer glad that, if nothing else, the decision to rebuild the McLaren helped McCoy’s nana financially.

“What are you thinking about?”

Sawyer smiled, leaning over to tuck her cell phone into the front pocket of her backpack. “Us, your family, and what a blessing this past year has been.”

McCoy lifted her bag off the mattress and carried it to the door. “They’re your family now too, sweetheart. Did you notice before we left, Bree called my dad Pops? Hell, I don’t even think she knows my nana’s name. So when are you going to embrace it?”

Sawyer considered McCoy’s words. She didn’t know the answer to that. Maybe when her house sold, after she and McCoy bought something that was just theirs, their life together would feel more tangible. Right now, Sawyer felt like if she pinched herself, it could all be ripped away and she’d be once again alone, with Bree living her best life in California. Now she had her baby back and the greatest love she could have ever hoped for.

“Maybe when you put a ring on my finger,” Sawyer heard herself say. Her eyes grew large the same time McCoy’s did, and she coughed, hastily adding, “I mean, that might work. Who can tell for certain.”

“I didn’t know you wanted to remarry. Every time I brought it up before, you changed the subject.” Happiness and a jovial, bubbly expression that was so endearing to McCoy’s personality sprung forth as she stared in disbelief.

Sawyer took a steadying breath, wishing she could kick herself. Admittedly, remarrying was a topic she hadn’t often allowed too much thought on. It hadn’t gone so well for her the first time, so why repeat more vows if they would be deserted not long after? But the more she thought about a marriage with McCoy, the more in love with the idea she became.

“I’ve changed my mind,” Sawyer replied, laughing when McCoy did a backwards, happy dance away from her.

“Wait ‘til Bree and the Fab Five hear about this. They’re gonna flip!” McCoy crowed, and Sawyer cringed as she toppled over the leather ottoman still sticking out in the middle of the room. Straddling McCoy on it that morning had seemed like a good idea at the time.

“ Tabarnak , McCoy, qu'est-ce qui te prend? You’d think I announced that we won the lottery.”

Grinning from ear to ear, those kissable dimples on full display, McCoy danced her way back over and swept Sawyer up in a tight embrace, effectively lifting her off the bed. “Sweetheart, I won the lottery the night I met you. Je t’aime, Sawyer. Forever and ever and ever.”

“Still with the cheesy pickup lines, I see.” Sawyer rolled her eyes, but another laugh bubbled up from her chest. She kissed McCoy deeply, longing for another fifty years of those same pickup lines.

“Je t’aime aussi, ma chérie.”

Thank you for reading For The Record!