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Chapter One

“With a show of hands, how many want to delay going public until after the summer?” Two of the three software engineers sitting at the table raised their hands along with Sawyer Middleton. “The ayes have it.” He saw the withering look Elena Ng-Fitzgerald gave her husband. Thom was the only one who hadn’t raised his hand, and they needed a majority vote to go from a privately held company to a public one.

If the decision of the majority of the partners had gone the other way, Sawyer had been mentally prepared to deal with the outcome of selling shares of their internet company.

He took a sip from an oversized mug filled with coffee. The meeting that began at six that morning was approaching the four-hour mark. He would have suggested breaking for a least an hour, but knew the other three did not want to lose their momentum. The meeting’s agenda focused on whether to take the software company public, and if not, then whether or not to go on hiatus while offering their employees the summer off with pay before starting up again after Labor Day.

The sixteen employees connected to the software company thought of themselves as an extended family, spending more time with one another than their own families. And it was normal for Sawyer to put in a seventy-hour workweek now that he was no longer dating.

His cell phone vibrated and he glanced at the number on the screen. A slight frown creased his forehead when he saw his sister’s number. Sawyer stood. “Sorry, guys, but I have to take this,” he said, picking up the phone. “What’s up, Rachel?” he asked quietly, as he walked out of the room.

“Dad had a heart attack last night. I’m at the hospital with him now.”

Sawyer sucked in a breath. “How is he?”

“The surgery was successful. He had two blocked arteries. Right now he’s in the ICU.”

Although he and Henry Middleton were like oil and water, Sawyer knew he had to be there, if not for his father, then for his mother and sister. “How’s Mom holding up?”

“She’s a mess, but she’s trying to keep it together for the boys. Colin and Dylan left yesterday afternoon for an overnight camping trip with their Boy Scout troop. They’re supposed to be back tonight around eight.”

“I’ll be there as soon as I can book a flight.”

“Text me when you get to the hospital. And thanks, Sawyer.”

“There’s no need to thank me, Rachel. Even though Dad and I don’t see eye-to-eye on a lot of things, he’s still my father. I don’t want you or Mom to tell him I’m coming.” He ended the call and then returned to the conference room. “I have to go home. My father had a heart attack, and I’m not sure when I’ll be back.”

Thom stood up. “Don’t worry about it, Saw. We’ve already delayed going public, and anyway we’re all going to take a break at the end of the month. I’m just sorry yours has to begin with a family emergency.”

One by one the others approached Sawyer, giving him a comforting pat on the back. Elena went on tiptoe and brushed a kiss on his stubble. “Go home and pack. I’ll call the travel agency and have Shirley schedule your flight and ground transportation. She’ll ring your cell as soon as everything is confirmed.”

Sawyer kissed her forehead. “Thanks, beautiful.” Elena blushed as she ducked her head.

“Let us know one way or the other about your father,” Darius said.

Sawyer forced a smile. “I will.”

* * *

Ninety minutes later Sawyer mounted the steps to the private jet at a New Jersey regional airport. He was one of a half-dozen passengers. The first stop was Charleston, West Virginia, where Sawyer would pick up a rental for the drive to Wickham Falls.

A flight attendant showed him to his seat. “As soon as we’re airborne lunch will be served. You’ll find the menu in the seat pocket.”

Sawyer flashed a polite smile. “Thanks, but I’m going to pass on lunch.”

He didn’t need food as much as he needed to sleep. It had been more than three years since he’d returned to Wickham Falls, and the day he walked out of the house where he’d grown up, his father forbade him to darken his door again. Sawyer experienced some guilt about staying away so long, despite his father’s mandate, because he missed seeing his mother, sister and nephews.

Sawyer closed his eyes as the jet taxied down the runway, and he didn’t open them again until they were airborne. Then he reclined his seat and fell asleep. It felt as if they had just lifted off when the pilot’s voice came throughout the cabin informing the flight crew to prepare for descent. The aircraft landed smoothly on a runway at the Charleston airport where a driver waited to take Sawyer to an area where he could pick up a rental car.

It was mid-May and his favorite time of the year in West Virginia. Everything was lush, and afternoon temperatures were warm enough for short sleeves. He stored his luggage in the back of the Jeep and drove south toward Wickham Falls. The familiar sight of mountains transported him back to his childhood, when he spent time fishing and swimming in a nearby lake and exploring Native American foot trails.

Sawyer had cherished every day, whether rain or shine, that his merchant-seaman father was out to sea. His mother hummed as she went about her housework, the house was filled with the mouth-watering aromas of baking cookies, and his younger sister and her girlfriends giggled uncontrollably at any-and everything. But that all changed the instant Henry came home.

An hour later he turned into visitor parking at the Johnson County Medical Center and sent Rachel a text that he was in the parking lot; seconds later she returned it indicating she was in the nurse’s lounge and would meet him at the front desk.

The instant Sawyer walked into the lobby and saw his sister he felt worse for not coming home sooner. She was thinner than the last time he saw her, and even at that time she could ill afford to lose weight. Her slight frame appeared lost in a pair of pink scrubs. And as he came closer he saw the dark shadows under her blue-gray eyes. Either she was working too hard or not getting enough sleep. He extended his arms and wasn’t disappointed when she moved into his embrace. Resting a hand on her back, Sawyer pressed a kiss to her mussed dark red hair.

“Hey, baby sister.”

Rachel Phelan smiled. “I didn’t expect you to get here until sometime tonight.”

“I was lucky to get a flight leaving this afternoon.”

Rachel gave Sawyer a lingering stare.

“Even though it’s not visiting hours I can get you up to see him. He probably won’t be able to talk because he’s been sedated.”

“I’ll see him when he’s alert.”

Rachel frowned. “Why can’t you forgive him for sending you away?”

“It’s not about forgiveness. He is who he is and I am who I am. I’ll stay until he’s medically cleared, then I’m going back to New York.”

“That may not be for several weeks.”

Resting a hand in the small of his sister’s back, he steered her toward the exit. “Then I’ll stay until he’s cleared.”

“Can you afford to stay away from your company for an extended period of time?”

Reaching for Rachel’s hand, Sawyer gave her fingers a gentle squeeze as he led her to the rental. “Have you forgotten I’m my own boss?”

Rachel nodded as she pulled her hand from his loose grip. “My car is in the employees’ lot. I volunteered to work a double tonight because the weekend neonatal nurse has a family emergency.”

“Leave it. I’ll drive you back in time for your shift. Besides, you look exhausted. When was the last time you had at least eight hours of sleep?” Sawyer asked.

Rachel closed her eyes for a few seconds. “I can’t remember. I come home to see the boys off to school, and then go to bed, but I don’t sleep well because sometime I can hear Dad and Mom fussing over nonsense.”

Opening the passenger-side door, Sawyer assisted Rachel up, and then slipped out of his jacket. “Do you want to leave?”

The seconds ticked as sister and brother stared at each other. “I don’t want to move to New York.”

“I’m not talking about New York. What if I help you buy a house here?”

Waiting until Sawyer rounded the Jeep and slipped behind the wheel, Rachel said, “No. I’m not going to borrow any more money from you.” She had moved out of the house she’d rented after her divorce and back in with her parents in order to make ends meet.

Punching the Start engine button, Sawyer shifted into gear. “Stop it, Rachel,” he admonished softly. “I’m fortunate enough to make a lot of money, and if I can’t help my sister and nephews then what good am I? I told you before, any money I give you, you don’t have to pay back.”

“I don’t want you to think of me as a charity case, Sawyer.”

Sawyer clamped his jaw tightly. He did not tell Rachel that he had set up custodial bank accounts in her sons’ names because he did not want her ex to slack off on his less-than-adequate child support payments. And he doubted whether he would ever have to pinch pennies. The four-story loft building had been his only big-ticket purchase. It was across the street from Enigma4For4; he occupied the two top floors and leased the two lower floors to an art gallery and an architectural design firm.

Out of the corner of his eye, Sawyer saw Rachel staring at him. “What’s the matter?”

“Are you dating anyone?”

He shook his head.

“What happened to that girl you saw for more than a couple of months?”

A derisive sneer twisted his mouth. “We broke up six months ago.”

“What happened?”

Sawyer’s fingers tightened on the steering wheel. “She wanted a baby and I told her I’m not ready to become a father.”

“When do you think you’re going to be ready? At forty? Or maybe fifty?”

“Very funny, Rachel.”

“I’m not trying to be funny. You’re thirty-three, and it seems as if you’re becoming more and more antimarriage. Do you even like women, other than to sleep with them?”

“I can assure you, little sister, that I like women a lot. Just not the ones who try to force me to do something I’m not ready to do.”

“So, you’re telling me if you met a woman you really like you’d marry her, like, yesterday?” She snapped her fingers.

“I’d have to do more than like her because I’d never marry a woman I didn’t love.”

“Are you saying there is the possibility that one of these days you’ll make me an auntie?” Rachel asked, smiling.

He returned her smile. “Maybe.”

“What aren’t you telling me, big brother?”

Sawyer sobered and concentrated on the road. He wanted to tell Rachel there was nothing to tell. He wasn’t dating anyone and he wondered whether he’d become too comfortable with his own company or just more discriminating.

“It’s going to be a while before I consider becoming a father.”

“How long is a while? And why wouldn’t you want to have children?”

A noticeable muscle twitched in Sawyer’s jaw when he clenched his teeth. “I didn’t say I don’t want children, it’s just that I don’t want to raise my kids like Dad.”

Rachel exhaled an audible breath. “Didn’t you say Dad is who he is and you are who you are? And that means you could never be like him.” She paused. “You should know he hasn’t been the same since you left The Falls.”

“And that means what?”

“That he’s mellowed. And when he barks at Mom she comes right back at him.”

Sawyer flashed a wide grin. “Wonders never cease. I figured after a while she’d get tired of being his doormat.”

“There are times when she’s like a junkyard dog barking at him and refusing to back down. She told me once she turned fifty-five she wasn’t taking it anymore.”

Although he avoided verbal confrontation, Sawyer would give anything to witness his mother standing up to her husband. “It looks as if you have company,” he said, as a late-model gray Ford Escape maneuvered into the driveway behind his father’s decades-old red pickup.

“That’s Jessica. She was the boys’ second grade teacher. She’s probably here to drop off the books I asked her to bring for their summer reading. Now that they’re going into middle school I don’t want them to lag behind.”

Sawyer pulled in alongside the SUV and shut off the engine. “I thought they were good students.”

“They’re above grade level in every subject but language arts. I preach until I’m blue in the face that they have to stop playing those darn computer games and read more.”

“That’s easy enough to fix. Use your parental controls,” Sawyer suggested. “I’ll...” His words trailed off when his nephews’ former teacher got out of her car and came around to the passenger-side door.

He was unable to pull his gaze away from the slender legs in sheer navy-blue stockings and matching silk-covered stilettos. His gaze moved up to a body-hugging sleeveless black dress ending at her knees, banded at the neckline and around a slightly flaring hem in the same shade as her footwear. Rachel was out of the rental and exchanging hugs with the young woman.

The brilliant afternoon sun glinted off Jessica’s black pixie-cut hairstyle, and when she turned to look at him Sawyer felt as if he had been punched in the gut. During his time in the military he’d seen countless beautiful women from every race and ethnic group, yet there was something about the woman smiling at him that made him feel like a gauche adolescent when he could not pull his gaze away from the perfection of the round brown face with large dark eyes, an enchanting button-like nose and generously curved lips outlined in a glossy red-orange lipstick. Her features were reminiscent of a delicate doll’s, and there was something about her face that reminded him of a darker version of Salma Hayek. His movements were robotic as he stepped out of the vehicle, unaware he had been holding his breath until he felt the constriction in his chest.

Looping an arm through Jessica’s, Rachel met Sawyer’s eyes. “Sawyer, I’d like you to meet Jessica Calhoun.”

Jessica’s smile grew wider as she extended her hand. “It’s nice to finally meet you. Rachel talks about you all the time.”

Sawyer took the proffered hand. Everything about her was sensual, including her perfume, along with her sultry voice. “I hope the talk has been more good than bad.”

There was beat, then Jessica said, “She adores you.”

His gaze swung to Rachel who appeared embarrassed as evidenced by the blush suffusing her cheeks. “And I adore her.”

“May I have my hand back please?” Jessica whispered, smiling.

Sawyer had forgotten he was still holding on to her hand. “Sorry about that,”

“I’m sorry to hear about your father.”

He inclined his head because he didn’t have a comeback. If his father had not had a heart attack Sawyer doubted he would have ever returned to Wickham Falls as long as Henry Middleton was alive.

Jessica turned, opened her SUV’s passenger-side door, scooped up the canvas bag resting on the seat and handed it to Rachel. “These are the books for Dylan and Colin. Sawyer, if you don’t mind, could you please get the picnic hamper from the cargo area?”

“No problem.” He walked to the rear of the vehicle and, grasping the handles on the covered wicker hamper, lifted it easily. “Where do you want this?”

“You can take it into the house.”

“What did you bring?” Rachel asked Jessica.

“I decided to make a few dishes for your mother. With your dad in the hospital I figured she’s not going to have a lot of time cooking for the family.”

Rachel glared at Jessica. “You didn’t have to do that,” she chided sotto voce.

A slight frown settled between Jessica’s eyes. “Please, Rachel. Don’t start. I told your mother about it. If I can’t help out friends in a family crisis then I’m not much of a friend. I only came by to drop off the books and the food. I have to head out now or I’ll be late for the retirement dinner. Nice meeting you, Sawyer,” she called out as he headed for the house.

Sawyer stopped, turned and flashed a warm smile at the same time he hoisted the hamper to a shoulder. “Nice meeting you, too.” He was still standing in the same spot when Jessica drove away.

“Be careful, brother. You were staring at Jessica like a deer caught in the headlights,” Rachel teased.

“That’s because she’s stunning,” he replied, walking toward the house, Rachel following.

“I thought you were partial to tall, skinny blondes. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I’ve never known you to date women from other races.”

“You are wrong. Since living in New York I’ve dated women across racial and ethnic lines.”

Rachel gave him a sidelong glance. “You’ve really changed.”

Sawyer opened his mouth to tell his sister that he really had not changed that much when the front door opened and his mother stepped out onto the porch. He knew his absence had impacted his mother more than Rachel or even his nephews because Mara Middleton told him that she sometimes cried after their telephone conversations ended. Those were the times when he had to force himself not to leave New York to return to his hometown. But now he was back to reconcile his past and make peace with his father. Even if it meant groveling, he would put aside his pride to make it a reality.

Taking long strides, he mounted the steps to the porch, set the hamper on a table and swept his mother up in his arms. Except for a few more silver strands in her dark hair, Mara Middleton hadn’t changed much.

“How long are you staying?” Mara asked.

Sawyer kissed her forehead. “How long do you want me to stay?”

Mara eased back, her smoky-gray eyes filling with tears. “You’re not playing with me, are you?” she asked.

He kissed her again, this time on both cheeks. “No, Mom. I’m not playing with you. I’ll stay as long as you need me.”

Her arms tightened around his neck. “What I’d really like is for you to move back to Wickham Falls.”

He would spend as much time needed to reunite and hopefully heal his fractured family, and when it came time for him to return to New York it would not be with the heavy heart he’d felt more than three years before. “Moving back is not an option, but I’m willing to stay for the summer.”

Mara pushed against her son’s shoulder. “I suppose the summer is better than nothing. Now, please put me down so I can get a good look at you. FaceTiming isn’t the same as seeing you in person.” She rested a hand along his jaw. “You look good, son.” She stroked the curling strands on his nape.

“So do you,” Sawyer countered. He hadn’t lied to his mother. The stress and turmoil of attempting to maintain a peaceful household had not taken a toll on her pretty face. He stared over her head, frowning. He rocked back and forth when the porch’s floorboards moved under his weight. He also noticed a few shutters had come loose from their fastenings and all were in need of a new coat of paint. “Why does this place look so run-down?”

Mara’s eyelids fluttered. “We’ll talk about that later. Let’s go inside and put away the food Jessica brought over. She volunteered to cook for us because she knew Rachel and I said we were going to take turns hanging out at the hospital until Henry’s discharged.”

His strained expression was replaced by astonishment. “She would do that?”

“Have you been away so long that you’ve forgotten that folks in The Falls look out for one another?”

Sawyer forced a smile. “I suppose you can say I have.”

Coming home this time would be different than when had been honorably discharged from the army. Then he had planned to stay and put down roots in his hometown. However, the constant warring between himself and his father had made that impossible.

Mara opened the screen door, holding it ajar as he picked up the hamper and walked back into the house he’d sworn he would never reenter.