SWNOVELS Finding Hayes: Chapter 5
I stirred the chili on the stovetop and peeked out to see Cutler working on a puzzle, with a large glass of chocolate milk beside him. Cutler Heart was the coolest little dude I’d ever known. His father had all these rules about chocolate milk and when he was allowed to have it, but that’s what uncles are for. Today it would be chocolate milk, and in high school, I’m sure we’d be buying him his first beer.
“You good, buddy? Dinner’s almost ready.”
“I love your house, Uncle Hayes. And you make the best chocolate milk.”
I chuckled. “It’s all about the chocolate, Beefcake. I double it up. I know how my boy likes his milk.”
He glanced over when the flames in the fireplace crackled. It was cold as hell outside, and the snow was still coming down hard. I was grateful for a night off to hang with Cutler. Nash and Emerson were having a date night, so he’d be sleeping over here tonight.
We’d already built a snowman out back, and I’d taken him cross-country skiing before it got dark.
There was a knock on my door, and I told Cutler to keep working on his puzzle.
I pulled the door open to see Savannah Abbott standing on my front porch with snow falling down all around her, looking like she wanted to murder me.
“Hey, Shortcake. What brings you out in this lovely weather?” I smirked. I’d gotten a call from Warner letting me know she wasn’t happy that I’d had her car fixed and delivered to her. I figured as much.
I just didn’t care.
She needed a car to live out there by herself.
She could be pissed if she wanted to. She wasn’t speaking to me anyway, so this wouldn’t really change anything.
“I came to see how much I owe you. You really shouldn’t have had my car fixed without talking to me.” There were puffs of white steam coming from her mouth when she spoke.
“Would you like to come inside and have this conversation? It’s much warmer in here.”
“Stop telling me what to do. I’m fine out here.” Her lips trembled as the lie left her mouth. She wore a white hat with an oversized pom-pom on the top of her head. Her white coat and white mittens matched, and she looked cute as hell, even if she was being a stubborn ass.
“Okay. Well, I’m cold standing by the door, so either you come in or you can call me—if you want to unblock me.” My voice was all tease, because damn, I was enjoying myself.
There was a peace that came over me, knowing that Savannah was here.
Home.
My world had always been better with her in it.
Maybe hers was worse with me in it.
“Unblock you? That’s your big concern?”
“Well, if you want to discuss the car, and you won’t come inside, yeah, that’s my concern.” My tongue slid across my bottom lip as she started bouncing up and down and rubbing her hands together.
“Look who’s here, Uncle Hayes.” Beefcake sauntered over from behind me.
I had to bite back a laugh when I turned around to see him standing there in his gray joggers, but he was no longer wearing his hoodie. He had a bare chest, which he didn’t have five minutes ago, so clearly, he’d heard a woman’s voice and decided to take off his sweatshirt.
It was a very Beefcake move to do that.
The kid had more swagger than all of us put together.
“Hey, Beefcake.” Savannah’s entire disposition changed as she took him in. They’d met at the funeral this morning, and of course, she was already putty in his hands.
Cutler moved forward, took her hand, and led her inside.
Just like that.
He walked her straight toward the family room, where the fire was blazing, and motioned for her to sit down.
Which she did.
This kid was everybody’s kryptonite.
“Let’s get you warmed up. How about some hot cocoa for our girl, Uncle Hayes?”
Was he for real?
She chuckled and then glanced over at me. “I could go for some cocoa.”
For fuck’s sake.
I moved to the kitchen and heated the milk before adding in the chocolate and listened to Beefcake fill her in on the dangers of being outside in this cold weather for too long.
I could barely drag the kid inside after we built that snowman. But he knew what to say, and I admired his game.
I came out with the mug and set it on the coffee table. “We’re about to eat. Do you want a bowl of chili?”
“Uncle Hayes makes the best chili. And we don’t even have to eat at a table like I do at home. We eat down here, and we talk shop.”
“I guess you can twist my arm into a bowl of chili.” She raised her brows as she tugged her mittens, hat, and coat off and set them beside her. “You talk shop? Like firefighter stuff?”
I continued to listen as I moved to the kitchen and ladled us each a bowl of chili and carried them out and set them on the coffee table before grabbing the cornbread that Emerson had sent over for us to have tonight. I was thankful that Nash’s fiancée loved to bake, because she was always sending treats over.
“Yep. But my uncle does lots of medical stuff, too, just like my Sunny. She’s a doctor. Uncle Hayes has to take care of sick people, too. When I grow up, I want to be like all my uncles.”
I dropped onto the couch beside Cutler, while Savannah sat on the other side of him. We all reached for our bowls and started eating.
“I think that’s nice that you love your uncles so much.”
“Yep. I think it’s how you loved Abe, right? I could tell you loved him when you talked about him today,” Cutler said over a mouthful of beefy goodness.
I chuckled and handed him a napkin.
She studied him for a long moment. “Yeah. I bet you’re right.”
“How come you seemed mad at Uncle Hayes when you got here? Did he do something to your car?” he asked, and I just sat back, enjoying the show. I’d let Cutler speak for me all day long. She didn’t seem to get as annoyed with him as she did with me.
“My car broke down, and he had it fixed without talking to me.” She shrugged, before taking a bite of the cornbread.
“What? That was so nice of you, Uncle Hayes.” Cutler beamed up at me, a little dribble of chili on his chest. I leaned forward and cleaned him up with my napkin and winked. “My pops does that for Sunny all the time. He gets her car cleaned, or he brings her her favorite drink from Aunt Demi’s coffee shop. She calls that acts of kindness.”
Savannah leaned back against the couch and processed his words. “I see your point, Beefcake. I normally love acts of kindness. But me and your uncle, we haven’t seen each other in a long time, so it just caught me off guard, I guess.”
“But Pops told me you two were best friends, like me and J.T. are best friends. So even if you don’t see each other, you’re still best friends.”
Let’s go, Beefcake!
“Well, a lot has changed. But you’re right. It was a nice thing for him to do. I’d just like to pay the bill. I don’t like owing anyone, you know?”
“How come? Friends do things for their friends. Me and J.T. always help each other. You worry too much, Savvy. Uncle Hayes, do you want her to pay you back?”
“Nope.”
“But it’s my car,” she said, her honey-brown eyes glowing in the firelight as they locked with mine. “I can pay my own way.”
“Listen, I know money’s tight right now until you get your inheritance. So how about you agree to let me just do this for you right now.”
“Why?”
“Because I can, Shortcake.”
Cutler’s head fell back in laughter after he set his bowl down on the coffee table. “I love that my uncle calls you Shortcake.”
“I’m not even short. He just happens to be a freaking giant.” Savannah covered her mouth and stared at me with wide eyes. “Oh, wait, can I say freaking around him?”
I barked out a laugh. “Yes. Freaking isn’t a bad word. Relax, Sav.”
“I say freaking all the freaking time!” Cutler shouted, and they both burst out into hysterical laughter.
“Okay. Anyway, you’re a giant. I’m normal sized.”
“To me, you’re a shortcake.”
“Well, thanks for the chili. Just tell me how much the car was, and when I have the money, I’ll get it back to you,” she said.
“How about this? When I need a favor, I’ll let you know.” I arched a brow.
“You’re ridiculous,” she said.
“And you’re stubborn. It wasn’t a big deal. He owed me a favor.”
“Fine. You fixed my car, and you fed me.” She reached for her hot chocolate. “Thank you.”
“Was that so hard?” I asked. Cutler had made his way back to his puzzle and was calling Savannah over to look at it.
“It was pretty hard, Woody,” she said, before hysterical laughter escaped her. “Oh, my gosh. That’s what she said!”
That had always been our inside joke when we were in high school. It used to bug the hell out of Kate that Savannah and I had this language that was all our own. I guess it should have been a big red flag that my girlfriend didn’t have a sense of humor at all.
“You nailed it.” I arched a brow and then followed it with the same joke. “That’s what she said.”
“Well played.” She pushed to her feet. “Okay, I’m going to check out this puzzle and head home.”
She walked over to where Cutler was intently working on his puzzle. Savannah ended up sitting beside him and helping him for the next hour.
I stayed out of their way and cleaned up the dishes and just listened to them talk and laugh.
“Okay, I’m going to get out of your hair. Thanks for dinner and for the car. I will pay you back when I get this money from Abe.” She shrugged as she slipped her coat on.
“River said he was going to meet with you on Monday morning. You sent the paperwork over to him?” I asked.
“Yep. Ruby made a copy and gave it to him. Hopefully, he can get me out of that whole marriage thing.” She pulled her hat onto her head.
“Why do you think Abe put that in there?” I asked as I walked her to the door.
She thought about the question. “Well, you remember how I used to always say I was going to get married someday and have lots of babies?”
“Yes. You definitely knew what you wanted, even when we were young.” I’d always admired that about her. The confidence and faith she had in others. In this grand plan for having the life she’d pictured for herself.
“Well, he knew that I wanted to be married and to have kids. That I always knew what I wanted for my life. But I haven’t had a lot of luck lately. He thought I was wasting time on dating apps and that I should do it the old-fashioned way and go out there and meet someone.” I shrugged. “He and Lily had that rare kind of love, and he didn’t want me to give up on that. But come on, putting that in the contract and forcing me to marry someone? That’s madness.”
“Yeah. It’s pretty crazy. Are you dating someone now? Is that why he thought he could speed things up?”
She studied me for the longest time before she spoke. “Are you curious about my life now, Woody?”
I’d always been honest with this girl. I wouldn’t start lying now.
“Yeah. Of course, I am. Just because you moved away doesn’t mean I don’t care what happens to you.”
And with those words, her gaze hardened. “Well, you need not worry. I don’t plan on marrying some random guy in the next thirty days. I’ll find a way out of it.”
She made her way out into the snowy night and climbed into her car.
I didn’t like her driving that piece of shit, especially in this weather.
But Savannah didn’t want my help, and she’d made that clear.
What I couldn’t figure out was why I couldn’t just stay the fuck out of her business.
That was my specialty.
I didn’t get involved.
I kept to myself.
I liked it that way.
But now that she was back in town, I couldn’t seem to stop thinking about her.
Maybe it was just our history or the shitty way things had ended.
Maybe it was the fact that I’d missed my best friend.
I’d definitely missed her.