Only You (Love In Montana Book 6)

The next two weeks passed by quickly with everyone being busy yet Renée and Sawyer took time out after dinner when they went for their stroll. It was the best moments of their day and they both eagerly looked forward to it.

Rex was home and looked too overworked and tired. He announced Rhett and his uncle would return in another ten days to celebrate Renée's eighteenth birthday. Renée couldn't be happier to have all her brothers at home for her birthday. Ryan was a little different than before and no one knew why.

Georgia walked into the Applied Nutrition classroom, ready to face the humiliation. Her brother had crashed her laptop and along with it her incomplete project had also been destroyed. With Ryan not even responding to her, she lost all her hard work with absolutely no time to redo it again. She would fail miserably in the subject not to speak of the insults that professor Harrisburg would throw at her in front of the whole class.

She sat near the door so that if he threw her out of class, she could just slip out easily. She didn't look up when Ryan walked in, looking confident as ever. She didn't look up when the professor walked in.

After teaching a new chapter, towards the end of the class, professor Harrisburg started discussing the marking scheme of the project. Finally all the students were asked to submit their work but Georgia sat quietly, trying to draw as little attention to herself as possible. She wanted to disappear from the class but sadly it wasn't possible. Everybody submitted their work and settled back in their seats. The professor counted the number of submissions and found one short as expected.

He looked up at all the students. "There's one submission yet to come in. Who hasn't done the project work?" He asked, scanning all the students. Georgia's heart started beating fast with nervousness. She knew that he wouldn't let this go. She stood up slowly, with her eyes cast down. There was a pin dropped silence in the whole class.

"Ms McLean, may I ask why you didn't think it necessary to do the project assigned to you?" Asked the professor showing displeasure.

"I had  done it, sir. My older brother broke my laptop and now I lost everything that was saved there," she told him truthfully.

The professor laughed sarcastically, not believing a word she said. "A new excuse. Do you realize that you will have to repeat this semester? Your marks are so low that you would have to re-appear in all the exams taken so far," he growled out.

Georgia hung her head in shame.  "Yes sir. I know. I can complete it if you give me a few days time to redo it, " she asked hopefully.

"I've given enough time and I won't give more. Your partner had complained for your lack of enthusiasm in the project. He had to complete it on his own, so I don't think you even want to study. Stop wasting your parents money, Ms McLean, " shouted the professor. Georgia stared at him with disbelief. She wasn't enthusiastic about the project? How could Ryan lie about it? She had to battle at home to continue with her studies. For her everyday was a nightmare and yet she battled it out and attended college regularly. Tears accumulated in her eyes.

"That's not true sir, I'm very much interested in studies. I loved doing the project," she started but the professor shut her up.

"I can see your enthusiasm, Ms McLean. You will not get any marks for this which only means that you will repeat my subject in the next semester," said the professor, collecting his things. "That will be all for today, class. Ms McLean, meet your academic counselor today before you leave." He strode out of the classroom and Georgia sat slumped to the chair, as the tears fell from her eyes.

Ryan felt guilty for lying to the professor to get his way. He had no idea that she would have to repeat the semester because of him. He got up to talk to her but she just collected her stuff and ran out of the classroom, wiping her tears. That was the last time he saw her! She left college forever!

After ten days Rhett returned home at last with his uncle Kennedy but sadly life wasn't the same for him as Adelaide hadn't yet returned to Fordsville. He waited for her everyday, called her too but it didn't seem that she could return anytime soon. Two days later, there was a fire at granny Emma's ranch and Rhett and Sawyer went to help douse it. Granny Emma's ranch hand Willy called her and she returned from New York immediately. Rhett visited her excitedly expecting Adelaide too but sadly she hadn't come back yet. Life went on for Rhett and everyday, he looked more heart broken than before.

The family planned Renée's birthday and thankfully Matt and his mom wasn't invited. Sawyer bought all her birthday stuff and Ryder helped him load them into the truck. "Bro, that man has been observing us for a long time. I think he's a criminal, " said Ryder. Sawyer glanced briefly at the man he indicated and then froze realizing who it was. Antonio Cruz. He was back again. Was he a part of his family's mafia gang? For the first time in his life, Sawyer was scared. He suddenly wanted to escape from those watchful eyes.

"Don't look, Ryde, that's Antonio Cruz, " he muttered.

Ryder's eyes widened with alarm. "Let's get out of here, bro," said Ryder. They jumped into their truck and quickly drove away.

"Does he always watch you like that?" Asked Ryder, feeling a shudder go diwn his spine thinking of the creepy man.

"Yeah. Isn't it strange? I wonder what he wants, " said Sawyer.

"Why doesn't he approach you and talk it out?" Askec Ryder.

"Maybe he wants something more than that," said Sawyer. Did Antonio come to take him away with him? Did his family send Antonio to get him? The ground started slipping away from under him as a panic settled in his heart. He didn't want to be associated with any mafia. He loved it here with the Wilson family, with his Renée, at his home in Fordsville. He wouldn't go anywhere else.

The next few days, he noticed the man everywhere he went. It seemed that Antonio Cruz was stalking him. Sawyer tried to ignore his presence but it wasn't easy. With a day left for Renée's birthday, he was more excited than ever.

On the eve of Renée's birthday, when everyone accumulated after dinner at the living room with a drink, they talked about the neighborhood ranch. "It's going to be sold in a few years," said their granddad.

"I wish to buy it," said Sawyer.

"That's a great thought, Saw. Did they fix the price? We could arrange for the money and keep it handy," said Sawyer's dad.

Sawyer shook his head. "Please dad, I need to buy this on my own capabilites. I can't take help forever," said Sawyer.

"Where will you get so much money from, son?" Asked his dad.

"I'll find work somewhere and earn," said Sawyer.

"But you're already working with us," said uncle Kendrick. "You don't even accept any pay. If we would have paid you, the money would be enough to buy the ranch," he pointed out.

"No uncle Kendrick, you'll have done a lot for me. That's why I help at the stables and farm. I can't accept payment for that," Sawyer answered.

"We pay Rhett, Rex, Ryder and Ryan. How are you different from them?" Asked uncle Keith.

"So it's settled then. We will pay you for all these years that you've worked for us and you can use that money to buy that ranch," said their granddad.

"Why don't I have a say in this? I want to do something on my own, granny, please tell everyone. I don't want to be dependent for everything, " protested Sawyer.

"Okay, do what you want to do," said his mom, looking a little upset.

"Thank you, mom. I want to prove myself," he told everyone. Renée wasn't happy at the turn of events. She tried her best to change his mind but he didn't listen to anyone. He was adamant that he would buy the ranch with his own money.

"Where will you find work?" Asked Renée with a worried look on her face. "It'll take you ages to earn that much amount of money, " said Renée.

"I'll earn half the amount and take a loan of the rest," he told her.

"But that sort of work cannot be found in Fordsville. Are you planning to go elsewhere, Sawyer? Please don't. I'll die without you," said Renée with fear.

"Don't worry so much about it. I'm not going anywhere," he promised her yet Renée felt in her heart that he was hiding something from her. Something big!

"Let's sleep early, Ren. You'll be an adult tomorrow and we need to celebrate," he said to her, giving her a sweet kiss to deviate her mind from the topic at hand.