“Thank you so much for delivering them safely,” Lorrie said softly. “Hope they weren’t too much trouble.”
“Oh, well, you know kids,” Kennedy teased, looking in the direction the twins had headed. Braydon was pulling Jessie, the woman he was now engaged to, if the rumors were true, into his arms. Brendon was chattering on about footballs to Ethan and Beau, who were looking at him with matching smirks.
“I do know kids,” Lorrie said with a huge grin. “When Braydon texted to let us know you were bringin’ them, I’d hoped you’d come in.”
“Well, I really need to get home, but I wanted to make sure they made it safely. They keep spoutin’ off about footballs, so I didn’t know what kind of trouble they’d get into.”
Lorrie laughed softly. “My poor grandchild. If they give my grandbaby that nickname, I’m gonna have to break out the belt.”
Kennedy could actually picture Lorrie pulling out the belt on her grown boys. It was a highly amusing picture in her mind.
“Well, I better get goi—”
“Hey.” The deep, smoky voice that interrupted her had Kennedy’s entire body stilling. She was still looking at Lorrie, but she knew exactly who stood behind her and she didn’t want to turn around. She didn’t want to see what little floozy he might’ve dragged along with him to the hospital.
“Son,” Curtis greeted him. “Glad you could make it. Mom said you were at home.”
Kennedy fought the urge to roll her eyes.
“I was,” Sawyer said sternly. “Just got there when Gage called.”
When a strong, warm hand touched the small of her back, Kennedy let out an involuntary gasp, and the next thing she knew, Sawyer was standing directly beside her, his arm around her in a way that felt incredibly possessive. He leaned down and gave his mother a kiss on the cheek before standing to his full height and tossing her a sideways glance.
“I heard you were on taxi duty tonight,” Sawyer said.
“Right place, right time, I guess,” Kennedy replied, not sure what else she was supposed to say.
“We’re gonna go sit down,” Lorrie said softly, her delicate hand touching Kennedy’s arm briefly. “Thank you again for bringin’ them.”
“Anytime,” Kennedy said, unsure exactly why she said that.
When Lorrie and Curtis walked away, Kennedy started in the opposite direction, figuring that telling Sawyer good-bye wasn’t necessary. Unfortunately he didn’t let her get far before his hand landed on her arm. When he touched her, it was like he’d taken a cattle prod to her skin. She flinched, pulling back. It wasn’t that he’d hurt her, but she knew that his simple touch would likely render her stupid.
After all, she’d seen many women succumb to his touch and she definitely didn’t want to be the next victim.
chapter FOUR
Of all the people he would’ve expected to see at the hospital, Sawyer had not planned on seeing Kennedy. Fortunately, he managed to hide his surprise because he overheard his mother thanking her for bringing the twins, and Kennedy’s back had been to him when he joined them in the waiting room.
And yes, he had purposely put his hand on her when he approached, and again just now when she pulled away as though he’d hit her with an electrical current. Then again, maybe she had felt the same jolt he had when his skin met hers, he didn’t know. He wouldn’t get to find out either because he knew Kennedy. She was not going to let on that he affected her in any way.
“So you were at home, huh?” The incredulity in her tone was thick enough that he was surprised he didn’t see it dripping from her lips.
“I was at home. You can ask my dog,” he said, keeping his tone soft enough that the others passing by in the hallway didn’t hear him.
“So, what? You just left Greyson to fend for himself?”
“Greyson’s a big boy,” Sawyer countered. “Not to mention, what does it matter to you, Kennedy?” His own frustration was beginning to shine through and he felt like a shithead for taking it out on her, but the fact of the matter was, Kennedy wouldn’t take anything he said at face value.
Clearly she didn’t trust him. And that bothered him.
More than he wanted to admit.
“It doesn’t matter to me,” she bit out a little too loudly.
Kennedy’s eyes darted around them, probably checking to see just who’d seen her prim exterior slip.
“Could’ve fooled me,” he argued unnecessarily. He knew this wasn’t going to go anywhere, but the fact that she was there, talking to him . . . Well, Sawyer had learned that when it came to Kennedy, sometimes he would take what he could get, even if he knew it was hazardous to his health.