The Outskirts

out a scrap of fabric. She tossed it to me and it landed on my head covering my eyes. I pulled it off and examined the cobalt blue…what looked like a scarf. “This came out of your purse?” I eyed the evening bag she’d just tossed her lip gloss into.

“Mmmhmm,” she hummed. “Why?”

“Because it’s not even a big purse. It’s like a small purse. The fancy kind you carry around in your hand.”

“It’s called a clutch. You got a point coming, Say?”

I stood and walked over to the mirror, holding up the ‘dress’ in front of me. It wasn’t much but I admit, the color did wonders for my eyes. “My point is that if this fit in your CLUTCH, then how is it supposed to cover these.” I waved my hand over my breasts which were currently covered by a loose fitting t-shirt.

Josh flashed me a wicked smile and snatched the dress from me. “That’s the point. It’s not supposed to cover them.”

A few moments later, I was showered and wearing the dress. Josh tossed me a thick robe to wear while she fussed with my hair and makeup. She tamed the natural waves in my hair to something much lighter and more manageable she called ‘beachy waves.’ I paired the dress with a borrowed pair of black sandals that wrapped around my ankle with a delicate wedge heel just a couple of inches high. I wouldn’t cave when it came to the ridiculous giraffe heels Josh tried to get me to wear. I’m glad she gave in to my refusal or else I’m pretty sure I was moments away from her bending me over and nailing them to my feet like she was shooing a horse.

After Josh took a few minutes to apply some makeup to my face she turned me to face the mirror and I was shocked to find that I was still looking at me. Just a shined-up version.

“I played up your eyes with a little mascara and a little liner in the corners and I put a natural gloss on because your lips are already so pink and perfect,” Josh said, resting her chin on my shoulder.

“You didn’t cover them up.” I ran my fingers over my freckles.

Josh smiled and smoothed down my hair. The bangle bracelets on her arm clinked together. “I’m a cop, Say.” She ran the tip of her finger around the heaviest collection of them around my right eye. “Covering up these freckles? Now that would be a damn crime.”

“Thank you,” I said softly.

“Don’t thank me yet, you haven’t seen the dress on yourself yet. Stand up,” she ordered.

I stood and Josh pushed the robe from my shoulders.

“Hollyyyy shit,” she whispered, taking a step back to give me room to take it all in.

And the only thing I could say when coming face to face with a girl who was me, but not me at the same time, was an echo of Josh’s words.

“Hollyyy shit,” I whispered back. Slapping my hand over my mouth.

Josh laughed at my attempt to swear. “Those legs are everything.”

The fabric of the cobalt blue dress was stretchy and comfortable, but fitting, hugging my waist and breasts, but not squeezing the life from me. It was short sleeved and the hem was several inches above my knee, showing off my muscular legs and the curve of my butt. It was very feminine but almost like a t-shirt in style, complete with a small pocket right above my right breast. The neckline dropped into a soft V just low enough to see the curve of my breasts, but not too low where I’d be worrying about pulling it up all night. I felt…pretty, yet still me.

“So, are you going to tell me what we’re doing tonight?” Josh asked curiously as I started taking the food items I’d bought earlier from the refrigerator, placing them onto the counter.

“We’re having dinner,” I said, nodding toward the ingredients.

“We didn’t have to get so dressed up if we were going to be having dinner with just the two of us,” Josh said, looking amused.

“It’s not just the two of you,” Miller said, peeking in through the front door.

“My stance remains the same,” Josh muttered.

“Thank you for inviting me,” Miller said, handing me a bouquet of wild roses. Most of the stems were bent. “For you, madam.”

“Thank you,” I said, taking the flowers. “You look handsome tonight. Doesn’t Miller look handsome?” I asked Josh.

“He’s wearing a t-shirt,” she said flatly.

“It’s my fancy t-shirt,” Miller explained, pointing to the bow tie printed at the neck.

“It’s lovely,” I said with a laugh. “Can you help me carry this outside?” I handed Miller a basket of rolls and Josh a bottle of wine. I followed them to the deck with a cheese plate I’d cut up earlier.

“Is it just the three of us?” Josh asked.

“I’m not gonna lie, I’m thoroughly enjoying the girl to guy ratio in this scenario,” Miller said.

“I invited Critter but he said he already had plans.”

“That didn’t answer the question,” Josh said knowingly.

“No, it’s not just the three of us.” I set the wine glasses out on the table. I noticed movement out of the corner of my eye. My heart thumped hard against my rib cage. My palms began to sweat.

“Then who else is coming?” Miller asked.

Finn stepped out of the shadows into the moonlight wearing a tight black t-shirt and jeans, his blond hair slicked back from a recent shower, his dark jeans low on his hips.

“Me.”





Chapter Thirty-Two





Finn





My friends looked me over as if they’d seen a ghost and it was fair because in a way, they had.

They looked accusingly to Sawyer, only she smiled and pretended not to feel their questioning stares. She went about pulling out chairs for us to have a seat at the table like having the four of us together was a regular occurrence. “I made lasagna,” she said, biting her lower lip, “I’ve never made one before. I followed the instructions on the box. I hope it turned out okay.”

“What in the holy fuck is going on here?” Miller asked, sitting down on the little four-person table on Sawyer’s new deck. “Is this a friendervention?”

Sawyer popped a cube of cheese in her mouth and held out her hand as I approached. Once our hands connected it was as if I knew, despite everything, despite the looks of hurt and betrayal on my friends’ faces, despite the damage I’d caused, it was all going to be all right.

“It’s called a dinner party,” Sawyer started. “Kayla told me about them. It’s my first time ever hosting one. Isn’t it exciting?” She clapped her hands together and bounced on the balls of her feet.

If they were thinking of leaving or barking or even grumbling about the circumstances, Sawyer had pretty much made it impossible with her excitement. There was no way they were going to kill that for her. You’d have to be completely soulless to want to have any part in tearing that smile off her gorgeous face.

Miller and Josh both nodded slowly, neither one of them took their eyes off me as if at any moment I was going to be wielding a knife and taking both of them hostage.

“Sit, guys,” Sawyer said, as she turned to me. “Can you help me inside?”

I followed her inside leaving Josh and Miller on the deck with a confused look on their faces that was almost laughable if my gut wasn’t churning. “It’s going to be fine,” Sawyer said, smiling as she bent over and pulled a tray of lasagna from the oven. I couldn’t help staring at the back of her legs and her ass when her dress rose up. She grabbed a pot holder and removed the foil from the top. The most amazing smell rose with the steam.

The blue color she was wearing made her entire face and eyes light up. It didn’t hurt that she was the most beautiful girl I’d ever seen. Dress or not. “Before I forget to tell you, you look absolutely beautiful,” I said, coming up behind her and kissing her on the head. She leaned back and inhaled my scent.

“Thank you. You don’t look too bad either.”

She turned in my arms and handed me two of the four salad bowls on the counter. “It really is going to be okay,” she assured me.

I didn’t know if she was right or wrong but after I’d helped her see storms in a different light she insisted that she help me with my biggest fear.

My friends.

I laughed. “I’m a grown-ass man and I’m scared to fucking death because I have to apologize for being the world’s biggest dick to them for over two years. Why are you so confident that they’ll forgive me?”

“The reason why they’re so mad at you is because they love you so much. I know they’ll forgive you. You haven’t known me long but you let me in. You’ve known them almost your entire life. Let them in, too. They’ll forgive you.”

“When did you get so wise?” I asked, staring deeply into her beautiful golden-brown eyes. Eyes I could get lost in.

Eyes I was already lost in.

“Are you ready?” Sawyer asked, pushing open the door with her knee.

“Not even a little,” I muttered, stepping outside into the moonlight and into the scrutiny of my two former best friends.

We set the salad on the table. “Can you open this for me?” Sawyer asked as if she couldn’t sense the tension all around her.

“I think I need to say something,” I said before I sat down.

“I think that’s wise,” Miller quipped.

“This is Sawyer’s housewarming dinner. I think we should enjoy it and if you’re up for it, afterward I’d like to talk to both of you. If not, we enjoy a great meal and go our separate ways.”

“Did I mention it’s my first time making a lasagna?” Sawyer chimed in.

“It smells great,” Josh said, taking the wine glass Sawyer handed her. Seemingly agreeing to the offer I just made without acknowledging it. Miller opened a cooler by his feet and grabbed a beer. He twisted off the top and was about to take a sip when he paused and set it on the table, sliding it over to me.

“This is for you, shithead,” he muttered, grabbing another beer and cracking it open.

“Thanks,” I said, taking a sip and setting it back down.

“You should bash it over his fucking skull,” Josh muttered.

“What was that?” Sawyer asked.

Josh switched gears and smiled up at Sawyer. “I said I can’t wait to taste the lasagna. What kind of dressing is on the salad?”

Sawyer and I both sat and she beamed across the table, practically glowing with excitement. “It’s Bebe. She makes it and sells it at the farmer’s market in Brillhart County. She said it’s supposed to be like the dressing from one of those big chain Italian restaurants, but I’ve never been to one so I can’t really compare.”

“It’s better,” I offered, taking a bite. Bebe really did make the best dressing. It was slightly sweet with a tangy bite.

Miller and Josh both nodded and nobody spoke again until the salads were done and I helped Sawyer plate the lasagna and serve it.

“Are you not going to try the wine?” Josh said, pointing to Sawyer’s still full glass even though Josh’s was still full as well.

Sawyer smiled and turned her shoulders inward. “I’ve actually never had wine before. I saw a picture in the general store of a big feast and they had wine and I really liked the way it looked,” she admitted.

Her confession made my heart constrict. I coughed into my fist and pointed to my food like I had a bit of pasta caught in my throat.

“How have you never had wine?” Miller asked. “I mean, Josh told me that your family was all Waco and shit but don’t cult people drink?”

There was a bang under the table. The pasta sauce on my plate jumped.

“Ouch, what the hell?” Miller asked, glaring at Josh.

“It’s okay. My family wasn’t in a cult. They lived in regular society but they are what you’d call…” she searched for the word.

“Extremists?” I offered.

“That’s it,” she said and I could tell she didn’t want to talk any more about her past so I tried to think of something to change the subject but luckily Josh was thinking the same thing.

“I love your new house. How are you liking being a homeowner?” Josh asked.

“Honestly?” Sawyer looked up at the house. “I’d like it better knowing that Sterling wasn’t the one who bought it for me.”

“Sterling bought it for you?” Miller asked, scratching his head. He and Josh exchanged knowing glances. “What makes you think that?”

“He…he said the investor bought it for me. The one whose been helping all the people in town keep their houses. And since he and Finn were the only ones there that day when…” she trailed off as the realization took hold.

Miller winked and Josh chuckled.

“It was you,” Sawyer said, glancing over to me. “How? Is it your job or something?” Her confusion was downright adorable. “You bought me a house?”

All I could do in response was smile. My heart was swelling as her smile grew. Initially I had no plans to tell her, but I couldn’t let her think that shit-bag Sterling had bought it for her and associate it with him every time she looked at it.

“Finn don’t need to work, he’s the largest land owner in three counties. He leases land to the government,” Miller said between bites. He grabbed another roll from the basket and tore it open down the middle.

“What?” Sawyer gaped. “But you live in…” she looked over my shoulder toward the swamp shack.

“That’s not my house,” I said, pulling her down on my lap when she stood up from her chair.

“That’s just his hiding place,” Josh said. “And a lousy one at that. Miller and I have known where you were from day one.”

“We have?” Miller asked, sounding confused.

Josh just shook her head and chuckled. “Okay, I knew where you were,” she amended.

“So, is that your job? Or is it more of a passion of yours?” Sawyer asked innocently. I kissed her jaw and felt her shiver on my lap. I also felt the stares from across the table as Josh and Miller put their own two and two together and learned firsthand how serious I was about Sawyer.

“My passion is you,” I told her, watching her cheeks heat between the freckles. “I have a property management company that handles everything. I get a paycheck. And sometimes I use that paycheck to invest in other properties.”

“You bought me a house?” Sawyer repeated like she couldn’t believe it. “When?”

“The day you saw it in the junkyard. After I dropped you off at Critter’s, I went back and talked to Sterling. Set it all up that afternoon.”

“Thank you,” she said, her eyes dancing with wonderment. She looked up at her new house like she was seeing it again for the first time.

My heart swelled. Something inside me was shifting, and for once, I didn’t hate the way the new emotions were slowly moving guilt and self-hatred more and more to the background. I wanted Sawyer. And more than that?

I wanted to make Sawyer happy.

I also wanted to make her come again. And again, and again.

The vision of her coming apart in my arms during the storm was playing on a loop in my brain. I’d never seen anything so beautiful as when her body finally let go.

“Speaking of Sterling,” Josh started. “He won’t be bothering you ever again. You can be sure of it.”

“What did you do?” I asked.

Josh smiled and tossed her hair over her shoulders, her gold bracelets clanked together and her heavy earrings swayed. “Let’s just say I did the unthinkable. The darkest, dirtiest shit you can do to someone in the south,” she said, ending on a whisper.

“Oh shit,” Miller gasped, covering his mouth and speaking into his hand. “You told his mama, didn’t you?”

“I sure as shit did,” Josh smiled proudly. “She’ll do worse to him than I ever could by locking him up.”

“Thank you,” Sawyer said, reaching out and giving Josh’s hand a squeeze.

“No need to thank me. We’re family now.” Josh looked from Miller to Sawyer and then finally to me. “Right?” she asked with a tip of her chin.

“Right.”

It was a simple exchange. Only two words spoken. But with those