Total pages in book: 108
Estimated words: 100853 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 504(@200wpm)___ 403(@250wpm)___ 336(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 100853 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 504(@200wpm)___ 403(@250wpm)___ 336(@300wpm)
“Same for Hawk and Quinn,” Hope had said. “Parker just finished renovating the gatehouse last year. You’d have to blow it up to get them out of it.”
“True,” I said. “They’ve got the perfect setup, odd as it is.”
The gatehouse spanned both sides of Heartstone’s drive. Built in a porte cochere style, when entering the estate, you basically drove through Hawk and Quinn’s house. It had been abandoned for years by the time Hawk moved in—happy to share the space with mice and spider webs if it meant he didn’t have to live in Heartstone with the Sawyers.
These days, he shared the gatehouse with my sister Quinn, their enormous dog and monster cat, and their infant daughter, whom he carried around in a baby wrap, scowling fiercely at anyone who tried to get too close. It made everyone laugh—their daughter a carbon copy of her father, right down to the dark-eyed scowl. Parker, knowing that Hawk and Quinn loved the gatehouse but needed more room with a baby on the way, had redesigned the unused side of the building—a mirror to the space Hawk and Quinn had been living in.
Once we’d cleaned the other side of the gatehouse of the old broken furniture and junk the former groundskeeper had stored there, Parker had transformed it, turning the first floor into a huge family room and the upstairs into a bedroom suite perfect for two parents who sometimes needed a little space from their kid. The second floor on each side of the gatehouse, connected by the part of the building that spanned the road, so, with the new design, Hawk and Quinn would have privacy but also easy access to the baby once they moved her into her own room. Given Hawk’s newfound devotion to fatherhood, I had a feeling the baby was not going to be an only child, but the gatehouse now had three bedrooms, so they had room to grow.
I rested my chin on top of Hope’s head, rubbing it back and forth. The apple scent of her shampoo drifted up, comforting and familiar. “Ford said he and Paige are staying,” I said.
Hope turned in my arms and looked up at me, her eyes bright with surprise. “Did you think he was going to leave? For one thing, Paige wouldn’t like the commute.”
Despite their marriage and toddler, Paige was still the family nanny. She’d thought long and hard about what she wanted and came to the realization that the only change she was looking for was Ford. Otherwise, she loved taking care of the kids. She said that maybe, when all the Sawyers were done having babies and hers were in school, she’d think about going back to school herself or substituting in the classroom. But for now, she wanted to chase around her own two-year-old. And if she was doing that, she might as well take on the rest, too.
Ford had turned one of the former gallery rooms near my office into his own workspace and had done exactly what I expected him to when he took over the Sawyer Philanthropy Fund: he made it a force to be reckoned with. If you asked him, he’d probably say he still had a lot to atone for. But from where I was standing, he’d already brought more good to the world than he ever did wrong. He’d found ways to grow the fund while deploying it generously to charities that made a real impact. He had his fingers in everything from food banks to legal aid, rent assistance, and job training. These days, he’d left any trace of prison behind, the pallor and thin frame replaced with the healthy glow of a guy who spent as much time as possible outdoors, hiking, trail running, and playing soccer with the kids.
Hope, Royal, and I had made him another offer two years ago to come back to Sawyer Enterprises, and he’d turned us down, saying he had exactly the life he wanted. We didn’t argue. I would have loved working with him again, but having his office next door was good enough.
“Avery and West are going,” Hope said. “Is that what you’re really bummed about? That your best friend is moving out?”
“Maybe a little,” I admitted.
Having West living in Heartstone with Avery had been an added layer of fun. We’d had sleepovers now and then when we were kids, but nothing was quite like wandering in to play a game of pool with my best friend on a random Tuesday night.
“It makes more sense for both of them to be in town, and he’s got a great house,” I said. Both things were true, and they’d only be ten minutes away, but I still found myself wanting to talk them into staying. I kept my mouth shut, reminding myself that life is change and I’d see them all the time. “Are you okay with your BFF moving out?” I knew Hope had loved it when Daisy moved into Heartstone to be with Royal. They were married now, and not planning on kids. They liked being in the Manor, but it wasn’t exactly convenient.