Deceived: Devon Brothers, #2, page 11
“I’m looking forward to going over there. I’ve always wondered what the house was like inside,” she said, her face brightening once again.
“You’ve never been in the house?” he asked.
“No. I mean I’ve been to the farm a handful of times, but never had the pleasure.”
Sawyer chuckled at that and once again held his arm out as the elevator opened and he allowed her out in front of him.
“Well, if you had come over a few months ago, you would have seen the place just as I had as a kid. My mom never changed a thing and neither had Cade until Kit started grinding him down about upgrades. They’re in the process of remodeling.”
“Oh, how exciting! I love that kind of stuff.”
“And I’m sure Kit will pick your brain about organization when you get there, she’s always looking at posts online on how to do it.”
“I will be happy to help where I can,” Avalynn beamed and casually looped her hand into his elbow and at the moment, it felt so natural that he hadn’t even reacted. That was until he heard the shrieking from across the lobby.
“What the fuck is she doing here?” Micheline’s voice pierced his sunny mood instantly and he quickly removed Avalynn from his arm and moved in front of her as Micheline stomped toward them.
“What are you doing here, Mish?” he asked pointedly, not swayed by her anger.
“What...the fuck... is she doing here?” Micheline asked again, her hands defiantly on her hips as she stomped out her words.
“First of all, lower your voice and watch your language,” he growled, giving the manager behind the desk a wave. “Second, what I’m doing is none of your business. Why are you here?”
“I have every right to be here.”
Sawyer held out his hand and clenched his jaw.
“I’ll be needing my key back. You lost your right to be here at the fundraiser, remember? When you told me to fuck off?”
“I was being facetious,” she said, rolling her eyes, slapping his hand away.
“I’m serious. I’m not tolerating that kind of BS from you anymore. You told me to fuck off one too many times and now, this is me, fucking off. I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”
He watched the ire flare behind her eyes, and she straightened her spine. He knew that look. She wanted to fight, but this was not the time or the place.
“I’m asking you nicely. You can leave, or I can have you removed,” he offered, crossing his arms in front of him.
“You wouldn’t dare...” she bit out.
“Watch me,” he spat and stared her down. There was another flash of anger in her eyes, but when she saw the lobby security guard heading in their direction, she huffed out breath and glared at him as she handed him her key.
“My father will hear about this,” she ground out, giving Avalynn a pointed glare.
“Well, considering he already heard you tell me to fuck off, I’m not sure how far that’ll get you,” he said with a smirk, which pissed her off and she turned on a heel and left the lobby.
“Oh my God!” Avalynn blurted out.
Sawyer gave her a nod and brushed a thumb across her cheek.
“Give me a moment,” he offered, then headed to the front desk. “Can you bring the Volvo around? Also, Ms. Cartwright is no longer permitted in or near my apartment. And I’d like my locks changed as soon as possible. My door code as well, please.”
“Sure thing, Mr. Devon. We’ll have a key ready for you here at the desk when you return. Is there anything else you need?” the desk manager asked.
“No, that’s good for now. Just please make sure the staff knows Ms. Cartwright is to no longer have access. Call the authorities if you need to, but she is not to go to my apartment for any reason.”
“Understood, I’ll inform the staff,” the manager said.
“Thank you,” Sawyer said, shaking the man’s hand, and he turned to find Avalynn waiting silently. “I’m so sorry about all that.”
Avalynn took a step back from him and furrowed her brows.
“Was that your girlfriend?” she asked, looking mortified.
Sawyer shook his head adamantly and took her by the shoulders.
“No,” he stated firmly. “She was, but she broke things off. It’s over.”
“So why was she here?”
“Beats me. She’s used to getting her way, but that’s not going to fly anymore. I’m done putting up with her bullshit,” he said, taking Avalynn’s hand to lead her outside.
“What was that about her father? I mean... she’s going to tell her daddy on you?” Avalynn asked with a nervous laugh.
Sawyer chuckled as well. It did sound ridiculous.
“Yeah, she’s a spoiled brat. I’m surprised I put up with it for so long.”
“That long? I’m surprised you put up with her at all. No offense, but she seemed like a real bitch.”
“That’s because she was,” he offered with a nod. “Our time together has a lot to do with her father and my business. No more, thank God. It really wasn’t worth it.”
He opened the driver’s side door for her and shut it once she was inside, then he handed the valet some cash and got inside the car.
“This feels so weird, me driving you,” she said, adjusting the rear view mirror.
“Oh, I don’t know. I always did want a chauffeur,” he offered with a smirk, and she slapped him on the knee.
“I think you need to be sitting in the back for that.”
“Only if you come with me,” he said with an even bigger smirk and Avalynn gasped comically and shook her head.
“Just show me how to get to the farm and we’ll leave it at that for now.”
“Deal,” Sawyer said, “But I can’t promise anything after we get there.”
“Behave yourself,” she said. “I’ve never been to your home, and I’d rather not be distracted by all this while I’m there. Please.”
Sawyer gave her a genuine smile of assurance.
“I’ll behave. It’ll be difficult, but I will.”
The drive was uneventful and rather silent, which was good. Sawyer’s mind was reeling, and he kept going back to Micheline and her audacity of barging in and acting like nothing had happened. Her threat about going to her father hit a nerve, not only because that went beyond a personal attack, but because he wasn’t sure which side her father would take even though everyone at the benefit heard what she said. So to him, the threat held no water, but for a spoiled daughter like Micheline, she could easily sway her father to really ruin his day. And his career. He would need to nip this one in the bud before it got out of hand.
Pulling into the long drive leading to the farm, he could see the excitement in Avalynn’s eyes, and it cheered him, taking him away from the anger that Micheline had so unceremoniously gifted him earlier. He directed her where to park and found it adorable when she was concerned about ruining the grass when she parked on it.
“We drive equipment through here all the time. A car will hardly do any damage,” he offered with a laugh as he got out of the car and met her on the driver’s side. “Are you ready?”
Avalynn took a deep breath as she looked up at the house, then looked at him and gave him a nod.
“You’ll be fine, it’s not like you’re meeting my parents or anything. And Cade and Kit love you already,” he said, lacing his fingers with hers. He gave her a moment to compose herself then gestured toward the house and led her into the back door.
The kitchen had been the first thing Kit had remodeled with Cade’s blessing and Sawyer was happy to see that it had been brought into the 21st century. Gone were the worn linoleum floors and old Formica counters. In its place were smooth marble and an expertly laid plank flooring. Kit had given the room a chic country feel with her boho style which made it inviting and warm. And again Avalynn’s face lit up as she took it all in.
“Wow, this is beautiful,” she said as Kit came into the room and quickly went to her and gave her a hug. Cade came in behind her and gave Sawyer a chin lift and a quirk of a smile. He’d noted the two of them holding hands and raised his brows. Sawyer just shook his head and gave him a knowing look.
“Welcome to Shady Glade,” Cade said as he hugged Avalynn.
“Your place is beautiful,” she said, still looking around.
“That would be Kit’s work, not mine. If I’d gone my way it would still look like 1973 in here,” Cade said with a self-deprecating chuckle, throwing an arm around Kit and giving her a squeeze.
Kit rolled her eyes and gestured toward the kitchen table where Avalynn and Sawyer both sat.
“Can I get you something to drink? Iced tea, soda? Coffee?” Kit asked as she checked the food cooking in the oven.
“Iced tea would be fine,” Avalynn said with a smile. “Do you need any help?”
“No, you’ve served our brood for too many years already. Time we return the favor,” Cade offered as he grabbed the jug of tea from the fridge and set it on the counter. He looked to Sawyer, who gave him a nod, so Cade poured two glasses and handed them out before pouring one for himself and sitting with them.
“Dinner will be ready in a few minutes,” Kit said as she wiped her hands on a towel and sat with them.
“It smells delicious,” Avalynn said with a smile.
“Thought I’d try some of my grandmother’s recipes. Oh my God, are you allergic to anything? I should have checked,” Kit gasped, reaching out to touch Avalynn’s arm, but Avalynn waved her off.
“No, not at all. I’ll eat anything you put in front of me,” she said, reassuring Kit.
Sawyer smiled warmly at that but again was reminded of her past. Of course, she’d eat anything she was given. For a long time, she probably didn’t have a choice. He couldn’t even begin to think what she was forced to eat when she was struggling years back.
“I suppose it’s a good thing you work where you do,” he said. “They have great food there.”
Avalynn furrowed her brows for a moment, then gave him a nod.
“Isaac has always made wonderful food, but I don’t eat there as often as I used to. I actually enjoy cooking, so I try to cook for myself as often as possible.”
“Really?” Kit asked. “Maybe we could swap some recipes. I’m always looking to make new things.”
“That sounds fun. I’d like that,” Avalynn said, and Sawyer gave them both a big smile.
He was happy to see that perhaps Kit and Avalynn found a new friend in one another. He knew Kit was feeling out of place since she moved up from the south. Avalynn never mentioned any friends to him, so he wasn’t sure how secluded she really was. Either way, he loved that they were getting along.
The timer on the oven went off then, and Kit went back to the stove.
“Go ahead into the dining room, and I’ll bring the food out,” she said.
Sawyer looked to his brother and raised his brows.
“We have a dining room?” he asked with a laugh, and Cade gave him a chuckle in response and gestured toward the other room.
In all the years that Sawyer lived at home, they never used the dining room. From as far back as he could remember that room was used as a craft and junk storage area. There were always craft supplies, stacks of old newspapers, and his father’s hunting gear strewn around the room, but now...
“Holy shit,” he said, covering his mouth, and looking at his brother. The old clunky dining room set was gone, and in its place, a gorgeous rough-hewn table with tufted benches sat. It was like something out of a designer showroom.
“Yeah, she’s been hard at work all over the house. I’m really proud of her,” Cade said, beaming at Kit as she came in behind them with a covered dish.
“This is gorgeous,” Avalynn gushed, running her hand over the table. “Did you make this?”
“God no, I wish I had,” Cade said as he sat. “It cost a pretty penny. There’s a place out past Bellemont, a Mennonite place that does all this stuff by hand. We happened by there one weekend after a farm show and fell in love with their work.”
“Yeah, they did all of it on spec. I gave them my measurements, and it fits just perfectly in here,” Kit said as she set the large dish on a trivet in the middle of the table. “I highly recommend them.”
“I’ll keep them in mind,” Sawyer said as he sat next to Avalynn on the long bench facing Cade.
As Kit shuffled in and out of the room with dishes and trays, Avalynn stood.
“Please let me help,” she said, taking a dish from her and setting it on the table.
“This is the last one, please sit,” Kit waved her off. “It’s our turn to serve you for a change.”
Avalyn sighed at that and sat, laying her napkin on her lap as she waited for the meal to start.
“Go ahead and tuck in,” Cade offered, gesturing to the dish with a heap of luscious mashed potatoes piled in its center.
“This all looks so wonderful,” Sawyer offered, reaching for the dish of vegetables. “I didn’t know you were a cook.”
Kit made her way around the table and sat next to Cade, then dished some salad onto her plate.
“I prefer to bake, but I have always liked to cook. I just never had the space or the wherewithal to do it before I moved in here,” she said, turning to give Cade a loving smile.
“I swear I’ve gained twenty pounds since she did,” Cade said as he rubbed his stomach and immediately went for the meat. “Not that I’m complaining.”
“You haven’t gained a pound,” Kit said with a laugh. “All that work you put in every day, your body isn’t given a chance to pack on pounds.”
“And a good thing, too,” Cade said, shaking his head. “I mean, look at this.”
He had spiked his fork into the small mound of meat and dropped it onto his plate.
“What is that?” Avalynn asked.
“It’s a recipe of my grandmother's,” Kit offered with a nod. “It’s like a stuffed Salisbury steak.”
“Oh, like a stuffed burger?” Avalynn asked.
“Not quite. This is more like meatloaf, but with added ingredients to liven it up like cheese and mushrooms.”
“Ahhh,” Avalynn said as she grabbed her own helping.
“And there’s gravy here for it too, another family recipe,” Kit said as she passed Avalynn a small-handled crock.
“It smells fabulous,” Sawyer said as he waited his turn and finally got his own serving of the meaty morsels. “You should tell Isaac about these, they’d be a big hit at the restaurant.”
Avalynn nodded but didn’t answer, and Sawyer noted her sudden intake of breath.
“Is something wrong?” he asked.
She was silent for a moment, then gave him a shrug.
“Isaac isn’t one to tell me if anything is wrong, but I know the restaurant is struggling. I’ve heard him on the phone arguing with the landlord. I’m not sure how much longer we’ll be open.”
“You think there are real issues at the meeting house?” Cade asked.
Avalynn nodded as she began cutting up her food.
“Mostly monetary. I mean, business has definitely picked up since the pandemic, but I think he’s in a hole. From what I gathered, the landlord keeps jacking up the rent, and his investment guy is on his back constantly. I don’t often see Isaac stressed, but lately, he just seems helpless and haggard.”
“That’s not good. I wanted to dig into that and find out who invested to get a handle on it, but now I just want to find out for myself. I’ll definitely do some digging tomorrow at work.”
“Not sure how much good it will do, I think he’s pretty much used up his savings on the place. Having to close down during the pandemic didn’t help either.”
“No, it didn’t help anyone, but he should have qualified for federal grants. Most small businesses did,” Sawyer offered.
Avalynn gave him another shrug.
“Beats me. Like I said, he doesn’t discuss the finances with me.”
“Well, for now, let’s just enjoy our meal and this wonderful day and we’ll deal with that later,” Sawyer offered.
“I agree. Kit put all this work into this wonderful meal,” Avalynn said, offering Kit a sincere smile. “Thank you so much for having me over.”
“Any time, really, you are more than welcome here. It’ll be nice to have another female to talk to. Besides, I want to pick your brain about storage ideas for the rooms upstairs,” Kit said, and Cade gave a chuckle.
“You didn’t think the meal was free, did you?” he joked. “We’ll probably owe you money after she’s done picking your brain.”
Avalynn laughed at that.
“I’m happy to help wherever I can.”
“Which is another reason I wanted her to come over,” Sawyer offered. “I’ve lent her my camera and some of my gear. I think she should start a vlog, one that talks about that kind of stuff. She could make some good money on the side.”
“That’s a brilliant idea,” Kit said. “Organization vlogs are huge right now, and so are videos about dealing with storage issues. A lot of people are downsizing and have no idea how to do it. You would definitely be stepping into a great niche,” Kit said.
“I thought maybe you could help her with the creative end of things,” Sawyer said as he chewed on his mouthful of meatloaf.
“I will help where I can, but I’ve never done a vlog. I don’t know the first thing about it,” Kit said, then looked to Cade.
“Don’t look at me, I don’t even know how to use the camera on my phone.”
“It’s OK, I’ll figure it out,” Avalynn said with her ever-present smile. It was that kind of positivity that he loved and admired in her. She wasn’t a quitter, and she definitely seemed to love a good challenge.
“Have you talked to Parker at all?” Cade asked, sipping on his tea. “I mean, if anyone could help with that kind of stuff, you know he could.”
Sawyer tapped his forehead.
“Why didn’t I think of that,” he grumbled. “Of course. Parker already does all that stuff. I haven’t talked to him for a couple of weeks, but I will definitely call him after dinner.”
“Where is he these days?” Kit asked.
“Two weeks ago he was in Belize. Don’t know how long he was staying though,” Sawyer said.
