Only You (Love In Montana Book 6)

"Are you crazy? Talking to someone doesn't change your feelings for another," said Renée with disbelief.

"Yes, I'm crazy. You won't talk to or smile at Matt," gritted out Sawyer.

"Leave my hand Sawyer. You're hurting me," said Renée looking at his iron-like grip on her hand. Sawyer released her hand reluctantly.

"Are you going back to Matt?" He asked with an incredulous look on his face.

"No, why should I?" She glared at him, and then went to Rihanna's room to escape Sawyer. She couldn't understand why he was so worked up over who she talked to and who she didn't.

Sawyer saw her going to Rihanna's room and heaved a sigh of relief. He and Rex sat down at the living room watching Ryder's friends go one by one. It was dinner time and everyone tucked into the delicious food.

"Renée made the cheesy peas tonight," said aunt Katherine. Sawyer's eyes widened and he served himself a lot of it.

"Do you like it?" Asked his mom with a knowing look on her face. Sawyer nodded as his cheeks colored at her implication and so did Renée's.

"So Ryder, do you take back your words then?" Asked aunt Katherine.

"Absolutely! Hey Renée, I'm sorry. Okay? " said Ryder with a grin. The whole meal Renée avoided to look at Sawyer, knowing that he was staring at her.

The next few days Renée, Ryan and Ryder were busy taking admission into the Undergraduate Program in Psychology at the Great Falls College under Montana State University. Ryan and Ryder studied there and they knew the procedures better.

The next day Rhett saved a girl, Adelaide from Bearhead Creek and he was smitten with her. He needed Ryder, Ryan and Sawyer's help to look for her missing bracelet which had fallen into the river. So they all rode to Bearhead Creek and to the riverside where Rhett indicated that they should start their search. They scanned the banks first before going into the water. Even, after twenty minutes of search, they didn't find it. They were about to give up when Sawyer dived under the water.

"Leave it Saw, the water's getting colder now, " said Rhett, concerned that he would fall sick.

Sawyer emerged with a victorious grin on his face, holding out a shimmering, delicate diamond bracelet on his palm. "Found it bro," he said, with relief. Rhett grinned and took it from his hand.

"Thanks Saw. You deserve a treat for this," said Rhett. They all climbed out and wore their clothes and galloped away towards Wildcreek Ranch to change our of their wet clothes. Their granny at them with horror.

"Quickly get out of the wet clothes. I'll get you all hot chocolate," she offered.

"Granny, please not hot chocolate. We want coffee," said Ryder with an eye roll.

"What's in coffee? Hot chocolate's therapeutic," said aunt Katherine, rolling her eyes at him. Ryder grinned at her. He hated milk in all forms.

"Aunt Kathy, hot chocolate's for kids," he protested.

"I'll have hot chocolate, ma," said Sawyer, as he sneezed loudly. Everyone looked at him with concern. His nose and face was flushed red and he could sense his temperatures coming up.

"Goodness, boy, hurry and change. I'll come down with your hot chocolate, " said his ma. They all hurried inside to their rooms to freshen up and change out of their clothes.

Rihanna came home with her appointment letter. She had got the job of a primary school teacher at the nearby Bloomingdale Elementary School. She danced to her heart's content with excitement. Her first job!

"Congrats sweetie, " said granny, hugging her. Everyone congratulated her. It was the best day of her life. Renée walked into the living room and heard everyone congratulating Rihanna.

"What's the celebration all about?" She asked Rihanna.

"Hey Ren, guess what? I've got the job at Bloomingdale Elementary, " she informed on a sing song note. Renée knew how much this meant for her. She had always wanted to be a teacher so this clearly was the happiest day of her life.

Renée squealed with delight. "Yay, I told you. Now I want my treat," said Renée, hugging her sister. The sudden noise of Sawyer's sneeze echoed from the back of the house where his bedroom was located. Renée stilled.

"Who sneezed, granny?" She asked with a worried look on her beautiful face.

"Sawyer, as usual. He'd been swimming in the cold waters of Bearhead Creek," said granny, with a displeased look on her face as she made the hot chocolate for him. Renée was very worried about Sawyer by now.

"Is that hot chocolate for him?" Asked Renée, eyeing the hot chocolate.

"Yes, sweetie," said granny.

"I can take it to him. He needs a scolding anyway," said Renee. Granny chuckled and pushed the glass of hot chocolate towards her and she picked it up and walked towards Sawyer's room with purpose. She didn't know what he did all the time! She would surely give him a piece of her mind.

She walked up to his door and opened it wide, angrily. Why did he have to do such things when he knew that they would make him fall sick? She saw him lying on the bed and looking out of his window at the sun setting in the distance.

"Keep it Renée. I'll have it later," he told her without looking at her. She was puzzled as to how he knew that she had come into his room? He hadn't turned towards her even once. Was he angry? The last few days they both had been a little busy and didn't have much interaction other than at the dinner table.

"No, have it now, " she said stubbornly, sitting beside him. He looked at her, his eyes scanning her entire face, as if boring a hole there. He had missed her immensely and wanted to accompany her to college. He wanted to be the one to do things for her but he didn't get a chance.

"Leave it Renée, " he repeated huskily but Renee wasn't taking a no for an answer. She knew that he was stubborn and wouldn't drink it if not forced down his throat.

"Drink it Sawyer, else I'll feed you, " she told him, her eyes threatening him that she was serious.

"Feed me, then," he said quietly. Renée's eyes widened with surprise. He usually would either have ignored her or asked her weird questions. That was all he'd been doing ever since she'd returned home. She suddenly felt shy of his unwavering gaze. The last interaction that they had was the argument over Matt and she'd been actually trying to avoid him. She had no idea why he had made such a big issue out of it that day. But she had missed him immensely since then.

She brought the glass near his mouth and his rough hands covered hers as he drank it quietly, his eyes holding her gaze in a staring contest. Renée was shaken by his sudden change in behavior. The air was filled with a silent tension between them as she tried to calm her rapidly beating heart. She jumped up when he released her as if scalded by his touch.

"Lie down, I'll get you your medicine," she said, in a trembling voice. Sawyer nodded and lay down, watching her movements. She took out a pill and handed it over to him. He took the pill from her, his rough hands brushing against her creamy soft skin. Renée watched his Adam's apple move with fascination as he gulped it down with some water. After taking the medicine, Sawyer lay down.

Renée went closer and felt his forehead with her soft hand. She could feel his harsh intake of breath at her touch. It made her remove her hand immediately. She took out a duvet and covered him.

"Now rest and you should be better soon," she told him, turning to leave but he caught her hand to stop her from leaving.

"I don't want to get better," he told her, watching her with hooded eyes.

"Are you crazy? Why don't you want to recover?" She asked him with disbelief but he didn't answer her and kept on staring at her. Sawyer wanted to say so many things to her. He wanted to bare his soul to her but he couldn't. Theirs was a doomed relationship with no future whatsoever. He couldn't give her hope. She was so young now and would eventually get over him with time. But his heart beats increased seeing her take care of him. He wanted to hear her say that she still loved him. He had been dying to hear those words again for the last four years.

"Close your eyes Sawyer. Sleep. You need to get better," she said softly.

"Why do you still care about me?" He asked her earnestly.

She shrugged and looked at him. "Don't you know Sawyer?" She asked in return.

"I want to hear it," he whispered, his breath hitched as he waited to hear it.

"I love you, that's why," she told him, looking straight into his brilliant blue eyes.

"I'm not worthy of your love, believe me, " he told her, closing his eyes and releasing her hand.

"That's for me to decide, Sawyer. Go to sleep," she said, walking out of his room and closing it after her.