A Place to Rest Part 25

Erica nodded, then told Sawyer, "Taylor fell asleep. She'll probably be out for a few hours."

"We'll be fi ne. Have a good time."

"The boys are playing in their room, but if they get too loud make them go in the family room so they don't wake her." Paige squeezed Sawyer's arm before she moved away.

After Sawyer closed the door behind them, she went to the boys' bedroom. Intent on the video game they played, neither of them appeared to notice her standing in the open doorway.

She watched in amazement as their little fi ngers manipulated the controllers while their onscreen characters battled in a fl urry of kicks and punches. Each boy gloated that he was going to win and tried to bait the other into making a mistake. Their interaction reminded Sawyer of herself and her siblings when she was younger. Erica especially had been fi ercely compet.i.tive, and the only thing that had changed over the years was the areas in which they competed. They weren't playing silly games now. Instead, Erica compared their lives and found Sawyer's lacking.

When Quintin bested his older brother, he jumped up and down chanting, then danced around, drawing his words out into multiple syllables. After the fourth refrain of "I won and you lost 'cause you're a big loser," Sawyer stepped in.

"Okay, boys. Let's go get ready for dinner. Wash your hands and meet me in the kitchen." Quintin was still whispering his taunt as he followed Daniel through the door. Sawyer palmed his head and slowed his progress. "Use soap. I'll know if you don't."

Sawyer had just fi nished washing the dishes when the doorbell rang. She grabbed a towel, wiping her hands as she headed for the door.

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"I'll get it," Daniel called from the next room.

"Look and see who it is before you open the door," she reminded him.

She reached the living room in time to see him peek out the gla.s.s panel alongside the door. Quintin hovered curiously at her side as Daniel pulled it open and stepped back to let Jori enter.

"Hi," Sawyer said. When Jori grinned back at her, she was surprised by a fl ood of pleasure just from seeing the spark in her eyes.

"Hi." Jori held up a plastic grocery bag and smiled down at Daniel. "I brought you guys something."

While Quintin clung to Sawyer's leg, Daniel rushed over and peered in the bag.

"Ice cream," he exclaimed.

"For sundaes," Jori said as she headed for the kitchen. "Who wants one?"

"Me!" Daniel followed and, lured by the promise of ice cream, Quintin trailed them.

As Sawyer walked into the kitchen and saw Jori unpack a carton of French vanilla ice cream, mason jars of topping, and a can of whipped cream, she wondered if the boys would ever go to sleep after ingesting so much sugar.

"Small sundaes, please," she said as she got out four bowls and spoons. "They just had dinner and bedtime isn't far off."

Jori twisted the cap off one of the jars and winked at Sawyer.

"I've got homemade chocolate and caramel sauces."

"From scratch?"

Nodding, Jori put the jars in the microwave. "I made them this afternoon."

"Good Lord, you really are a woman after my own heart."

Sawyer pressed a palm to her chest and stalked Jori across the kitchen, thinking, If we were alone...

"Help me up." Quintin's plea stopped Sawyer's progress.

He stood on tiptoes next to the stool pulled up to the edge of the * 205 *

island. Daniel had already climbed up and now leaned the entire upper half of his body across the counter to watch Jori a.s.semble the sundaes.

"Do you want chocolate or caramel?" Jori asked Quintin as Sawyer helped him scoot up to the counter.

"Can I have both?" he asked shyly.

"You certainly can." She spooned some of both sauces onto a small mound of ice cream.

"Oh, Lord, they'll never sleep," Sawyer muttered.

But they did. Two hours later, after watching the movie, she was tucking them into bed. Daniel had fallen asleep just before the credits rolled, so she had carried him and deposited him on the top bunk. Quintin climbed into the one below, then Sawyer sat down on the edge of his bed. He turned on his side and tucked one hand under his pillow.

"'Night, Aunt Sawyer." He looked at Jori standing in the doorway and said, "Thanks for the sundaes."

"You're welcome," she whispered.

"Sleep well." Sawyer smoothed a hand over his strawberry curls and kissed his forehead.

She stood and crossed to join Jori. "He gets his manners from Paige."

"He's sweet. They both are."

As they stepped into the hallway, Sawyer eased the door closed behind them, then led Jori back to the living room. "Would you like something to drink?"

"No, thanks. I should get going."

Jori turned toward the front door, but Sawyer grabbed her hand and pulled her back. She framed her face in her hands and kissed her lightly. "Stay. They'll be here soon. Stay, then come home with me."

When Sawyer's mouth moved to her neck, Jori's head dropped back and she moaned softly. "What do you have in mind?"

* 206 *

Sawyer nipped at her chin. "Do you have any of that chocolate sauce left?"

"Hmm, I think I do. But in that case, you'd better come home with me."

"Why's that?"

"Because I don't want to share with Matt and Davis."

Sawyer smiled and pulled her to the couch, tucking her against her side as they sat down. She picked up the remote and began to search for something to distract her until her family returned. Jori's head rested on her shoulder, and Jori's hand felt warm on her thigh even through her jeans.

A soft cry from the baby monitor sitting on the coffee table drew Sawyer's attention.

"It sounds like the princess is awake." She rose. "I'll be right back."

On her way to Paige and Brady's bedroom, she looked in on the boys, then, satisfi ed they were sleeping peacefully, she went into the room next door. Taylor lay in the portable crib fussing and waving her fi sts.

"Oh, what's the matter with my girl?" she whispered as she carefully picked her up. When she laid Taylor against her shoulder she knew what was wrong. "Ah, changing time."

As she put a fresh diaper on Taylor, she talked quietly to her. "Hey, little one, since I've got you here, there's something I've been meaning to talk to you about. You've got your mama's eyes, her nose, and it looks like you're going to have her hair, thank G.o.d." Taylor's father had jet-black hair, which he'd kept shaved. "You'll be a beauty, Taylor, like your mother and your grandmother. Nothing like your plain old Aunt Sawyer. You won't have to be a court jester like me. You'll attract all the women, or men, that you want without even trying."

Taylor scrunched her tiny features, then they smoothed and she cooed softly as if responding to Sawyer's words.

"But you really don't need to inherit your mother's * 207 *

stubbornness. Maybe you could follow Aunt Paige when it comes to that. She has the patience of a saint. She'd have to, to deal with this family."

When Sawyer fi nished bundling Taylor back up, she carried her into the living room and settled carefully on the couch, laying Taylor against her chest and shoulder closest to Jori.

"Hi, sweetheart." Jori smoothed Taylor's pale wisps of hair, then kissed her forehead.

As Sawyer watched Jori, the familiar shard of fear folded within her. The undisguised longing in Jori's eyes as she looked at the baby reminded Sawyer of all that Jori had never had in her life.

"You want kids?" She knew the answer before she asked.

She could see each moment of pain, loneliness, and envy burn across Jori's expression and end with wonder. Then Jori gazed at her wearing a careful mask of concealment that nearly broke her heart.

"Four or fi ve." Sawyer didn't think she imagined the emotion that choked Jori's words.

"Four or fi ve? That's a handful."

"I want a big family."

"You need to spend some more time with these three and see if you still feel the same." Sawyer forced a light tone while doubt churned inside her. Did she dare toy with these emotions?

She couldn't risk a relationship unless she was absolutely sure.

Jori deserved everything that no one had ever offered her. She deserved something, and someone, special. Panic spread through Sawyer's chest when she found herself wishing she could be that special someone.

"These three are angels. Your children, now they would be a handful."

"Are you saying I'm hard to handle?"

"A little." Jori grinned when Sawyer pretended to look offended. "But I do so like handling you."

* 208 *

Taylor had drifted back to sleep and Jori curled against Sawyer's side. She tucked one hand inside Sawyer's and touched Taylor's foot with the other. Sawyer laced her fi ngers through Jori's, as if by clinging to this moment she could stave off her fears.

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* 210 *

CHAPTER NINETEEN.

Neither of them had moved when, an hour later, the front door opened and Brady and Paige walked in.

"Hey, guys," Sawyer said as Brady sat in the chair nearby and Paige headed down the hall to look in on the boys. "How was dinner?"

"Good."

"Where's Erica?"

"Outside." He grinned. "Saying good-bye to Derrick."

Before Sawyer could comment further, the door opened and Erica came in with a fl ushed face and goofy smile.

"Brady," Paige called as she came back down the hall.

"Could you pack the crib and put it in Erica's car for her?"

"Sure thing."

Careful not to wake Taylor, Erica lifted her from Sawyer's arms, then sat in the chair Brady had just vacated. "How was she?"

"Perfect," Sawyer answered. "I'll go help Brady with your things."

Left alone with Erica, Jori shifted on the sofa and wondered if she should say anything to her. They hadn't really spoken since that night in the apartment, but earlier Sawyer had told her that Erica seemed content to let the awkward topic of their relationship drop.

* 211 *

Finally, she settled on polite conversation. "Did you have a nice night?"

Erica glanced at her, then back at her daughter, smoothing a hand over Taylor's fuzzy head. "I did."

"So? Are you going to see him again?"

Erica smiled faintly. "Yes, I think so. He asked if he could take Taylor and me for a walk in the park this weekend."

"He seems like a good guy." Having run out of small talk, Jori blurted, "I'm sorry we argued."

Erica regarded her with a thoughtful expression. "Perhaps it wasn't my place, but I was only looking out for you. You've obviously decided not to take my advice."