Page 12 of Theirs for the Holidays

Lennox just sighs. “I’ll take the floor. You two can fight over the couch and the recliner if you want.”

“How magnanimous of you,” Rhett mutters.

“No, I’m just tired of listening to this, and it’s getting late. Make a fucking decision and be done with it.”

“Well, why do you get to be in a room by yourself?”

“That’s not the point.”

“Sure sounds like it is.”

It’s definitely awkward, standing there listening to them bicker with each other. None of it is cruel exactly, but their words are barbed.

It takes another few minutes for them to decide that Lennox will take the floor in the office, Rhett will take the couch, and Sawyer will sleep on the recliner.

“Okay, then,” I say, forcing a smile. “Blankets and pillows are in that closet there. Um… make yourselves at home?”

That’s definitely one of those easier said than done kind of things.

But Lennox was right that it’s getting late, and I can already feel the day wearing on me. I was tired before I even got to my parents’ house, and with everything that’s happened tonight, I am ready for bed.

There’s a bit more tension while we try to work out who’s going to use the bathroom first, and I force a smile and tell them they can go first. “Maybe in order of age just to keep things moving,” I say, an attempt at a joke that falls a little flat after the tension from just a bit ago.

No one laughs, and Lennox gestures for me to go ahead. “It’s your bathroom, and we don’t want to keep you up waiting for us,” he says. “You should go first.”

I do, trying not to take too much time. I’m very aware that they’re waiting for me, and it makes me rush through washingmy face, taking off my makeup and doing my skincare routine. I brush my teeth and try not to feel like I’m in over my head here.

It’s powerfully weird, having this many people in my space.

Ever since I stopped living with Andrew, I’ve gotten used to it being just me. Being able to use the bathroom when I want, and only taking up as much space as I need.

Having these three here is definitely going to take some getting used to. They’re so large, both in size and presence, and no matter where I go in the house, I’m aware of them.

“Okay, I’m done,” I say when I step out of the bathroom, and Rhett goes in next.

I walk into the kitchen just to get a little space, but a few seconds later, Sawyer comes in as well. He’s changed out of his clothes from dinner into something more comfortable, and he’s wearing baggy sweatpants and a worn t-shirt. It’s a good look on him, and I try not to stare.

“Is it cool if I grab some water?” he asks.

“Oh yeah, of course. Glasses are over here.” I open the cabinet to the right of the sink.

He moves in to get one, and I’m very aware of the smell of his body wash and shampoo this close. It’s something woodsy and warm, like a campfire in a pine forest.

He fills up his glass from the pitcher in the fridge and leans against the counter to sip at it.

It feels awkward to just stand there, not saying anything, so I glance at him and smile. “You know, it’s nice to have you back.” My words come out soft and fond. “People in Sweetwater Lake have missed you. I’m sure your dad did, and I…”

I trail off, flushing lightly. I was about to say thatImissed him, and he can probably tell.

Sawyer turns the glass around in his hands. “I meant to come back more often,” he says. “But things always come up.” He shrugs a shoulder, trying to brush it off, but I can tell there’smore to it than that. I don’t know what the truth is, but there’s something there.

Rhett said that Sawyer never stays in one place long enough to call it home, and it’s a mystery why he moves around so much. Maybe he just likes to be on the move, but maybe it also has something to do with the rift between him and his brothers.

“I get that,” I tell him, moving in a bit closer. “Sometimes you just get so busy, it’s easy to forget about everything else.”

“Yeah. Something like that.” He looks at me, and I hope the flush on my cheeks isn’t as intense as it felt a minute ago.

“Seeing you all together like this makes me think about the old days. How we all used to hang out all the time. We were good friends, right?”