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Maybe she was right. Maybe they could try and be friends during her limited time in Hawthorne. He had a job here. West intended to sink his roots deeply into Hawthorne’s soil. Kelby Blackstone would not be playing any role in his future.

He picked his cell and got out of the car, making sure to grab the playbook Coach Markham had given him.

Now, he was in a better frame of mind now to talk with Sawyer.

He definitely would have a lot to unpack in his FaceTime session with Dr. Linda tomorrow, though.

West had never mentioned Kelby in any of his sessions.

It was time he did so and resolved the conflict he now felt, having seen her today.

Opening the front door, he shouted, “Honey, I’m home,” hearing Sawyer’s laugh.

He had seen his cousin every now and then since they both lived in Dallas.

Curious about what a prosecutor did, West arranged to have dinner with Sawyer one night and asked if he could come to the trial that day.

Sawyer had agreed, asking that West don one of his usual incognito outfits.

West Sutherland showing up at a stranger’s murder trial wouldn’t just be distracting.

It would turn the proceedings into a zoo.

So, he’d put on an old flannel shirt, jeans, and cowboy boots. Added dark sunglasses and a cowboy hat, as well as a surgical mask. People still wore them sometimes, especially during the winter months when viruses spread quickly.

West had sat in the back row and saw an entirely different side to Sawyer.

Usually a kind, easygoing man, his cousin had been a barracuda during the courtroom’s proceedings as he cross-examined defense witnesses.

West had been fascinated by the change in his cousin, and his admiration for Sawyer grew exponentially as he listened to the closing summation.

Though West had not attended the trial every day, he thought Sawyer would easily gain a conviction, based upon the little he had seen that day and Sawyer’s irrefutable restatement of the facts in his closing.

Late the next day, the jury had returned with a guilty verdict, and the defendant was sentenced to thirty years in prison, with no chance of parole.

That’s what surprised him, Sawyer wanting to come back to Hawthorne.

His cousin was a rising star in the Dallas District Attorney’s office.

Then again, it might be similar circumstances to his own.

Sawyer may have achieved everything he wanted.

Or perhaps he had burned out because of the heavy case load placed upon him.

Maybe they would talk about it. Maybe they wouldn’t.

He was used to guys only conversing in surface talk.

That’s what Dr. Linda called it. West talked mostly football with his teammates and coaches.

Sometimes, they even ventured into discussing another sports, but they never seemed to talk about the nitty-gritty.

That was something Dr. Linda encouraged.

Hopefully, West could take her lessons to heart and get to know Sawyer—and other people—on more than a surface level.

Sawyer entered the room, his hair damp, and West guessed he had recently showered.

“Hey, West. Your two guys were here. Brought in all your boxes. They even helped me bring some stuff in.”

“Was it a productive day, Counselor?”

“I just got home a few minutes ago from my new office. That’s where a bulk of my things went.

All my law books. Copies of old case files for reference.

Hung a few prints to cheer the place up.

I’ll use all of Isaiah’s furniture for now.

It’s a little worn out but still serviceable.

My next step is to start going through his case files and get up to speed on current ones so I can be informed as I take over the practice and hopefully drum up new business.

I don’t think he left a lot of loose ends. Frankly, I’m ready for a slower pace.”

“You’re looking at a new teacher and coach at Hawthorne High School,” West shared, a tinge of pride evident in his voice. “Coach Markham offered me a position as his quarterbacks and receivers coach next year.”

His cousin’s face lit up. “Fantastic, West! I’m really happy for you. I know what Coach Markham meant to you.”

He held up the thick playbook. “I need to start familiarizing myself with this. Coach said he’d be in touch, but I can come to a few practices. Probably the spring game next month, too. It’s important to keep everything above board, though.”

Sawyer nodded. “UIL rules. I know them well.”

West set down the playbook on the coffee table, and the two cousins took a seat, catching up with one another.

Sawyer told West about his final case as an ADA and then said, “I think we might be in the same position. We’ve both reached a certain age and were at the top of our game. But that wasn’t enough, was it?”

“I agree. I had my health. I’m lucky I wasn’t concussion prone.

I came back from my knee injury, but that cloud was always hanging over me, thinking what if it happened again.

And that next time it might be career-ending and physically life-altering.

” He hesitated. “Then again, you know about that.”

Sawyer had been an outstanding basketball player in high school and had won a scholarship to play at the University of North Texas. A knee injury ended his college career.

“Yes, I wasn’t able to walk away from the game.

The game left me behind. That’s okay. I wasn’t good enough to turn pro.

UNT had to leave me on scholarship since I’d been injured on their watch, so at least my undergrad was paid for.

I had some financial assistance at Baylor Law School, but I racked up my fair share of loans.

I’ll still be paying them off for a while. ”

West frowned. “You graduated from law school years ago, Sawyer.”

His cousin shrugged. “If I would have gone into corporate law, they would easily be paid off by now, but public servants just don’t earn enough, Cuz.”

“Let me pay the balance,” he said quietly.

Shock filled Sawyer’s face. “Hell to the no. It’s my debt to carry. Why should you do that?”

“Because I can. Because you’re family. You need to start in Hawthorne with a clean slate, Sawyer.

I can make that happen. I made great money during my playing days, and I’ve invested wisely.

I don’t have to work for a living. You’ve never asked anything of me.

Please, let me do this for you. I want to. ”

“I’ll have to think about it, West. That’s a big ask. A big give, as well.”

He grinned shamelessly. “Well, I would expect to have free legal advice and representation for the rest of my life. You know, defending me for my speeding tickets, for example.”

“Are you still driving that fancy Jag? If so, it’s a cop magnet.”

“I thought on the drive up here that I needed to trade it in. For a truck.”

“Now, you’re talking. A small-town coach driving his Ford pickup truck.” Sawyer paused. “Is this truly the life you envision for yourself, West? You’ve lived high on the hog for over a decade now.”

Kelby had asked him the same question. Determination filled him as he responded, “It’s exactly what I want.

That life off the playing field wasn’t truly me.

I want what’s real, Sawyer, and I can find that here in Hawthorne.

I’ll be in a position where I can make a difference in the lives of others.

Hopefully, I can find someone who will put up with me and marry her. Raise a family together.”

His cell rang, which was unique in itself. People only texted West, and very few had this number beyond his immediate family and Jace. He pulled the phone from his pocket and glanced at the screen.

Looking at Sawyer, he said, “It’s Chance Blackstone.”