Page 50 of Risking it All

“I can only try.”

“How about I make you some tea? It helps me sometimes.”

I shrugged. “I’ll try it.”

“How’s your head, mama?”

“All over the place,” I confessed.

“Well let me make us some tea. I bet some warm tea and one of my movies you can’t stand will knock you right out.”

I laughed, but he was probably right. Anything was better than tossing and turning, waiting to be found. There wasn’t much I could clean around here. Tea actually might help. If not, there was still more wine.

“Come on, mama. You might as well grab that bottle too,” he said, obviously reading my mind.

14

Sawyer

After three days of Zenia living at my place, I should have been the happiest man alive. Under any other circumstances, I would have been. I sat at my kitchen counter watching her make breakfast in one of my old Cashville security T-shirts and possibly nothing under it. I had never even used my waffle maker, but now I was being served a huge waffle with warm peaches and whipped cream on top.

“I don’t see how you drink black coffee,” Zenia said as she placed the plate in front of me.

“I’m usually on the move in the morning. I have my black coffee, and it makes me forget about breakfast.”

“So, you don’t eat breakfast, but you’re always on me about eating?”

“Pretty much.”

“Well now you do.”

“You don’t have to make me breakfast, Z.”

“I like taking care of you, Sawyer. Lord knows, somebody has to do it.”

“Thank you, mama. I’m not gonna argue with that.”

“Did you talk to Reed?”

“Not yet. I had to reach out to a few other people first. I knew you were right about his loyalty to his family. He might not have the same ideas as we do about those arrangements.”

“Thank you for listening.”

“If we’re going to be together, I’ll have to talk to him eventually.”

“I get all that bro code stuff. I just want you to move smart. If not for me, for you,” she advised.

“Noted,” I said as I watched as Zenia’s fine ass climbed onto the barstool next to me. Once she was situated, I dug into the warm crispy waffle. “Don’t come over here spoiling me and getting me used to having a beautiful woman making me breakfast and shit.”

“No you are not talking about me spoiling you with everything you’ve done for me. I want you to get used to it. You deserve whatever I do and more.”

“And you don’t think you deserve the same in return?”

“I haven’t done anything to deserve to be spoiled, but I plan to start.”

“I won’t argue with that.”

“Good, because I’m going to be so good to you as long as I live.”