Page 3 of The Paternity Puzzle
When he reached the end of the aisle, Sawyer’s gaze locked on the seventy-year-old version of his husband sitting besideJace. Sawyer wasn’t sure if he was more surprised about Eddie’s attendance or the effort he’d put into his appearance. He’d only seen Royce’s father in T-shirts and faded jeans. Eddie wore a pale blue polo shirt with a pair of dark denim jeans. His hair was more gray than blond now, but it only made him more attractive. Eddie hadn’t noticed him yet because he was too busy talking to the infant he cradled in his arms. Harper stared intently at his grandfather’s face and appeared to be hanging on to his every word. Sawyer wished Royce was there to witness the interaction.
“I told you he liked me,” Eddie said, turning to look at Jace. That’s when he noticed Sawyer standing there. A hesitant smile curved the older man’s mouth. Eddie liked Sawyer well enough, but he still seemed uncomfortable around him and his family, though Evangeline went out of her way to include him. “You made it.”
“Barely,” Sawyer said with a smile. “It’s good to see you, Eddie. Thanks for coming.”
His father-in-law’s cheeks turned a little pink, and he nodded before returning his attention to the baby, who’d grabbed his beard with both his chubby hands.
Sawyer greeted everyone as he shuffled along the row until he reached the empty chair. He leaned down and kissed his mother’s cheek before sitting beside her. “Thanks for saving a seat for me,” he said.
“Of course. How was Denver?”
Before he could answer, Tara and Royce entered the front of the community room, and Sawyer’s full attention went straight to his husband. The nerves from earlier had completely disappeared. The man who approached the podium stood tall and proud as he smiled at the audience. Royce’s gaze landed on him and lingered for only a few seconds, but it was enough to make Sawyer’s pulse race.
Evangeline leaned closer and whispered, “Breathe, darling.”
Sawyer chuckled with his exhale. “I’m always in awe that he’s my husband.” His chest swelled with pride as Royce addressed the room.
“Wow, this is quite a crowd for a Thursday night.” He turned to Tara and said, “Sergeant South, we either grossly underestimated the turnout or some of these people wound up here by mistake.” He faced forward again. “If you’re here to see a concert, you probably meant to go to the Savannah Civic Center.” The remark earned a chuckle from the crowd, and when no one got up to leave, Royce said. “Note to self: find a larger venue next year. But seriously, thank you all for coming. It means a lot to Sergeant South and me, and I know the cadets will be thrilled to see how many people showed up to celebrate their achievements. And we probably shouldn’t keep them waiting any longer. Please stand and welcome your Explorer cadets.”
The kids strode proudly into the room to excited applause. Royce let them soak it in for a few minutes before asking everyone to take their seats. He led the commencement exercises with humor and heart, celebrating two years of the cadets’ training that included a video highlight reel of their finest moments. Commissioner Rigby spoke to the cadets about their bright futures, and Chief Mendoza passed out scholarships to some of them. Afterward, the chief remained at the podium to call out the cadets’ names so Tara and Royce could pass out the certificates and shake their hands. The ceremony only took an hour, but Sawyer suspected Royce would take just as long to pose for photos with his cadets and their families.
“Harper is getting a little fussy,” Holly said. “We’re going to head out so we can feed him.”
“Tell Royce we’ll call him later,” Jace added.
“Thanks for coming.” Sawyer smacked an exaggerated kiss against Harper’s chubby cheek before hugging the baby’s parents.
Eddie cooed something at Harper that made the baby smile at him. Eddie hugged Jace and Holly, and Sawyer noticed he held on to his oldest son longer than usual.He’s trying, damn it.Eddie watched the trio leave before meeting Sawyer’s gaze. “I’m probably going to head out too. Not sure Royce wanted me to be here, but it felt like the right thing to do.” He cleared his throat and rocked back on his heels. “And I wanted to be here.”
“He’s always happy to see you, Eddie,” Sawyer told him. And it was true, no matter what Royce said. Whenever Eddie showed up, it meant there was a chance for them. “He’s probably going to be a while though. Would you like to meet us at Joe’s and get a drink?”
Eddie lifted his hand and rubbed the back of his neck. His son had a similar gesture when presented with chores he didn’t want to do. Royce would rather remodel a room from the bare studs than do the dishes. “That’s the cop bar, right?”
“It’s a bar where some cops like to hang out. Joe’s isn’t exclusive to SPD. They serve amazing chicken wings.”
“And jalapeño poppers,” Evangeline said as she joined them.
Eddie looked surprised. Was it because Evangeline preferred bar food or that she was familiar with Joe’s? “Is the invitation to your family barbecue still good?”
“Of course,” Evangeline said, placing her hand on Barron’s back. “My husband has become quite the pit master since retiring.”
“Oh, I don’t know about that,” Barron replied. “But I give it my all.”
Eddie nodded. “Would you mind if I bring a guest?”
“Of course not. Who’s the lucky lady?” Evangeline asked.
Eddie shoved his hands in his front pockets, and he rocked back on his heels again. “A new friend.”
“A special friend?” Evangeline asked, waggling her brows.
Barron snorted and shook his head. “You don’t have to answer her.” But Eddie’s shy grin said his friend was definitely special, maybe even VIP. “You can bring whomever you like. The more the merrier.”
“Thanks, I appreciate it.” Eddie nodded in Sawyer’s direction. “Glad you made it home safely. I’ll see you guys on Sunday.”
“Thanks for coming,” Sawyer said.
Eddie held up a hand as he walked away.