Page 88 of Zero Divergence
“He should be here soon,” Sawyer said. “We had to work our case today, following up on tips coming into the hotline.” To no avail. Bonita Brothers was in the wind. “We split up so we could cover more ground.”
They’d each taken a rookie with them. Sawyer chose Diego to give the guy a break from Royce’s matchmaking attempts. He hadn’t asked a single question about Diego and Levi’s relationship, even if he was dying to know what the hell was going on. He got lucky because Diego had voluntarily disclosed he had plans with Levi this weekend. The only bright spot during the past few days was confirming that Tiffany Humphries was still alive and in Mexico with her sister as Franco had claimed.
“Candi had a plumbing emergency too, so Royce was going to see if it was something simple he could fix to save her the hassle and expense of calling a plumber,” Sawyer added, following her through the house.
“He’s a good man,” Evangeline said warmly.
“Back off, cougar,” Sawyer teased, adding a little growl to his voice.
Everyone was outside enjoying the mild temperatures. The back of his parents’ home overlooked the Skidaway River. Each of the three stories had a porch extending the rear of the house. The first-floor porch was enclosed, allowing them to enjoy it all year. It opened to a vast expanse of lush, green grass leading to the river. To the left of the property was a boat dock where his brother-in-law sat fishing.
“I hope we’re not relying on Nick to catch our dinner,” Sawyer teased. He’d never met anyone with worse luck than Grace’s husband.
“We’d starve,” Grace said, seconding Sawyer’s opinion. She looped her arms around his waist. “How’s my favorite brother?” she asked.
“I’m standing right here,” Killian said. “Why is Sawyer everyone’s favorite?”
Evangeline snorted. “Let’s get this out of our systems before my real favorite arrives.”
“Royce,” Sawyer, Grace, and Killian said at once.
“Where’s Brianna and Dad?” Sawyer asked.
“I’m here,” Brianna said, stepping through the door. She sounded weak and looked a little green around the gills.
“Are you okay, Bree?” Sawyer asked, hugging her gently.
“I’ll be okay,” she said, pulling back and smiling feebly at him.
“In about six more months,” Killian said, reaching for his wife. “I’m sorry, baby. Want me to make you some ginger tea?”
“You’re having another baby?” Sawyer asked excitedly.
“Uh-huh,” Bree replied. Her tone was less than thrilled, but the brilliance of her smile kicked up about ten megawatts.
“Congratulations,” Sawyer said, hugging them both.
“Dad is in his office. He’s speaking to Senator Vincenzo about an upcoming fundraiser.”
Sawyer nodded. “I’m going to head inside and wait for him to finish. There’s something I want to discuss with him.”
Evangeline searched his gaze. “Is everything okay?”
He nodded. “Yes.” Or it would be. Sawyer kissed his mother on the cheek and retraced his steps through the house, turning left at the main hallway. His father’s study, a place he loved as a child, sat at the very end. His father had left the double doors open, and Sawyer could hear his father’s voice. Judging by his dad’s jovial tone, the senator hadn’t come clean with him yet.
Sawyer and Vincenzo hadn’t fully worked out their differences, and although the tension had eased by the end of the second interview, Sawyer hadn’t recanted his insistence that Jack stay clear of his parents. He didn’t want them to get caught up in the aftermath of a scandal. It could damage his father’s reputation with his clients. Now, Sawyer had to choose between warning his parents or honoring the senator’s privacy until the story about his relationship with Vivian Gross got out, and he believed it would. These types of things never stayed buried. Sawyer had interviewed the senator’s former fiancée over the phone, and Ms. Fairchild had emphatically stated she had no desire to leak the story to the press. He wasn’t sure if it was to protect herself from being front-page fodder or because she hoped there was a chance for reconciliation after Vincenzo recovered from his heartbreak. Sawyer figured she’d be waiting a while if that were the case.
Sawyer could personally attest that the human heart could love more than once in a lifetime. He’d read a poem, or a passage in a book, or maybe it was song lyrics, that referred to the human lifespan in terms of seasons. The creator claimed there was a love for every season, starting with parents in the spring of a newborn’s life. Each new love is part of a journey, propelling us toward the wintery end.
Sawyer paused in the hallway to look at the collage of family photos. His mother had chosen candid shots she’d taken over the years to adorn the walls instead of posed professional portraits. Each one told a different story and represented different seasons. There were snapshots of random holidays, ski trips in Vail, backyard campouts, birthday parties, and significant milestones such as getting their driver’s license and graduating.
His gaze snagged on a photo taken of him and Vic sitting on the edge of the boat dock with their feet dangling in the water. They’d been drinking beer and watching the sun set over the river, which reflected the beautiful hues of pink and purple and burnt orange. Vic’s arm was around his shoulders, pulling Sawyer tighter against his side. Sawyer could remember the conversation like it was yesterday.
“I’d hoped to beat this,” Vic had said softly. “I wanted many more sunsets like this one with you. I wasn’t ready to say goodbye. I’m still not.”
“Then, don’t,” Sawyer had said. “I just read about—”
Vic shut him up by kissing his lips. “Please don’t make this harder than it already is,” Vic said after he pulled back. “I’m dying, Sawyer. No experimental test will change that, and I don’t want to waste the time I have left traveling and feeling sicker than I already do. I just want to enjoy every last sunset with the man I love.”