Stay with Me Forever by Farrah Rochon

Author:Farrah Rochon
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2015-09-09T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 7

“Hey, you okay over there?”

Despite his subdued tone, Paxton jumped at the sound of Sawyer’s voice coming from just over her shoulder. She didn’t turn, but continued to stare out the window, watching the breeze blow gently through the arching branches of the oak trees that peppered Heritage Park.

“I’m okay,” she said. “Just...thinking.” She took several steps back, realizing that she was crowding his work space. “Sorry for being in the way.”

“No,” he said. “You can stay where you are. I’ll be at the conference table for the rest of the afternoon, anyway. I just needed these.”

Paxton glanced over her shoulder to see him picking up the master materials list from his desk. A list that was based on maps that were likely unreliable and could lead to tragedy for her small hometown.

She shut her eyes tight and fought back the truth she could no longer deny. Turning to Sawyer, she folded her arms across her chest and ran her hands along them.

The smooth dark brown skin on his forehead creased as he frowned at her. “Are you sure you’re okay, Pax?”

She shook her head. “Not really. It’s hard to be okay after what we saw today.”

Sawyer set the binder back on his desk and took a couple of steps toward her. The concern in his gaze warmed her from the inside out, or maybe it was just her body’s reaction to the way his powerful, sinewy body moved, both purposeful and graceful.

To say he was handsome seemed woefully inadequate. His compelling brown eyes, generous mouth and sharp chin belonged in a magazine spread.

“It was a pretty heavy day,” Sawyer said.

“Sobering,” Paxton said. She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and soaked in the calming scene on the other side of the window before looking back at him. “Both Belinda and Shayla tried to describe how bad the flooding had been, but it took seeing it with my own eyes to truly understand.”

“Same here,” Sawyer said. He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the wall. “It’s scary to think of how much worse it could have been.”

Studying his strained expression, Paxton found the same worry that had been eating away at her since they left the animal shelter.

“What if that worst-case scenario happens, Sawyer? And what if it isn’t just a tropical storm the next time? This town could be devastated.”

“The possibility is there. If Gauthier is hit by a category three hurricane—hell, even a strong, slow-moving category two—the damage would be significant.”

“Some people in those low-lying areas could lose everything,” Paxton whispered. “The animal shelter...” She trailed off, unable to finish the thought.

She turned fully toward him.

“You’re right about the maps,” Paxton said. It was time she owned up to her mistake. “You tried to tell me, but I’m stubborn. And I don’t like anyone proving me wrong. But I’m also a realist, and it cannot be ignored. Not after what I saw today.”

Sawyer’s eyes shut. He blew out a relieved sigh, his shoulders going limp.

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