Royce’s cadets were waiting for him in the cafeteria so they could file into the room together, and Sawyer needed to find a seat among the family members and supporters in attendance.
Sawyer winked at his husband before ducking inside the packed room.
It looked like every seat was taken, and he’d resigned himself to standing at the back of the room when a familiar face snagged his attention.
Her stunning images had graced magazine covers for five decades, and she used her success and fame to make the world a better place through activism.
The world called this paragon of perfection Evangeline O’Neal, one of the first women to put the super in supermodel, but Sawyer called her Mom.
She stuck her arm up in the air and waved him over.
That’s when he noticed the empty chair beside her and the rest of the occupants in the row.
Barron Key, his newly retired father, wasn’t a surprise, and neither were Jace and Holly.
When Sawyer first started working for Savannah PD, he’d resented Holly, thinking she and Royce had something romantic going on.
Then Sawyer had discovered they were childhood best friends, and Holly was head over heels in love with a different Locke brother.
Now, she investigated cold cases with Sawyer and was the one who’d convinced him to give a presentation at the conference.
When he reached the end of the aisle, Sawyer’s gaze locked on the seventy-year-old version of his husband sitting beside Jace.
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 jalapeno 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.
“It always surprises me just how much Royce looks like his dad,” Evangeline said.
Sawyer watched Eddie walk away, noting Royce even carried himself like his dad. “All his kids favor him in one way or another.”
“Strong genes,” Evangeline said.
“Very.”
Sawyer forced his attention away from Eddie to find his mother studying him closely. He hadn’t told Evangeline about their appointment at the fertility clinic, but she possessed a sixth sense where her children were concerned. Had something in Sawyer’s voice given him away? Evangeline would be so excited for them if she knew what they had planned. Her brow rose inquisitively, and Sawyer was on the verge of confessing when Commissioner Rigby approached. He used the interruption to make a break for it and was relieved when Chief Mendoza struck up a conversation with him about the convention. His father caught his attention a few minutes later, gesturing that they were heading out. Sawyer waved goodbye and breathed easier. He continued to make small talk until Royce finished taking photos.
“I’m ready to get out of this uniform,” Royce said when he joined Sawyer. “Did you still want to go to Joe’s, or…”
Sawyer followed him out of the community center and back toward the locker room. Or meant going home alone, where they couldn’t have sex. It was better to kill a few hours in public where they’d have to keep their hands to themselves.
“My mom got me in the mood for wings and jalapeno poppers now,” Sawyer said.
“You don’t like junk food.”
“It’s the only vice I can indulge in tonight,” Sawyer pointed out. “I can’t drink a beer. I can’t have you. There’s no way I’m going to eat a damn salad with grilled chicken on it.”
Royce chuckled and patted him on the back. “Do you think anyone will notice if neither of us has a beer?”
“Maybe, but we’ll come up with an excuse if someone mentions it,” Sawyer said.
“I saw your parents in the audience. They’re so thoughtful.”
“They weren’t the only parental support you had tonight,” Sawyer said.
Royce nudged him with his elbow. “Stop gloating. I’ll text Eddie and thank him for coming.”
“Or you can tell him in person on Sunday when he comes to the cookout at my parents’ house.”
Royce stopped suddenly. “Eddie is coming to their Memorial Day party?”
“Yep.”
“Evangeline has invited him to every occasion at her house, but he’s never attended before. Why now?”
Sawyer rolled his eyes. “Stop being so suspicious. He’s not casing the joint to rob my parents blind. I keep telling you. He’s—”
“Trying. I know.” Royce continued down the hallway, and Sawyer naturally followed him. Stopping at the locker room door, Royce turned to face him. “You can’t come in here with me.”
“Because you’re mad at me about Eddie?”
“Because I’m mad with lust,” Royce countered. “Six. Damn. Days.”
Longing knotted Sawyer’s guts. “It’s been torture.”
Royce rested his hand on Sawyer’s hip and squeezed. “I’ll only be a few minutes.”
“Be back in five minutes, or I’ll come looking for you.”
“Don’t threaten me with a good time,” Royce said with a wink before disappearing into the locker room. He had thirty seconds to spare when he returned with a duffle bag slung over his shoulder and a cocky grin on his face. “Let’s enjoy some wings and darts.”
“And jalapeno poppers.”
The usual suspects were at Joe’s, helping to distract Sawyer from the lust clawing at his guts. He assuaged some of his hunger with tasty bar food he’d probably regret later. No one asked why they weren’t drinking or commented on their early departure. Sawyer would take his wins where he could get them. They drove home in separate vehicles since Sawyer had come straight from the airport. Royce snagged his suitcase from the trunk and rolled it into the laundry room. Sawyer was usually the one who insisted on throwing the clothes in the washing machine as soon as he walked through the door, but he figured Royce was just trying to stay busy.
“Where are my babies?” Sawyer said when he entered the living room.
Dolly, the Yorkie that had adopted them, jumped off the couch and hurled herself at Sawyer. She released a series of high-pitched barks until he squatted down and picked her up. FaceTime chats with Royce had included the pets, so he’d seen the adorable Americana-themed hair ribbon the groomer had used to keep Dolly’s long bangs out of her eyes. It looked even cuter in person though.
“Evangeline is going to eat you up on Monday.”
She called Dolly and Bones her grandpup and grandkitty and spoiled them rotten, but Sawyer knew she was eager for them to have a baby. And just where was the king of the house? Sawyer called Bones’ name, and the massive gray Maine coon cat strolled out of the hallway.
“There’s my best boy.” Sawyer set Dolly on the ground and picked up Bones. Maybe it was the drastic change between the tiny dog and massive cat, but it felt like Bones had gained weight in his absence. “How many treats have you gone through since Saturday?” Bones responded with a head butt to the chin and a loud purring that rumbled his massive body.
“He missed you,” Royce said. “We all did.”
Sawyer turned and found Royce watching him with a fond smile on his face. “I missed you guys too.” He set Bones down and moved toward Royce but stopped when his husband held up a hand.
“I think we should probably sleep in different beds. I don’t trust myself.”
Sawyer wanted to protest, but Royce looked like he was barely hanging on to his control. “Okay.” He sounded as miserable as Royce looked. “Just one more night.”
Royce closed the gap between them and kissed Sawyer’s lips. “Then I’m taking you to bed, and we’re going to stay there until the pool party on Saturday night.”