Chapter Seven
After spending a bad day at college, Renée sat on the bleachers watching her brothers practice their game. Sawyer hadn't come to fetch her home and she had no other option than to wait for them to finish off. She knew that their team mates were trying to show off more than they should and the practice game started heating up, stretching longer than usual. She was about to die of hunger and boredom when a soft voice spoke near her.
"Ren c'mon, I'll take you home." She knew that voice, it was Sawyer's. She turned to see him standing beside her wearing the same clothes as he was in the morning. He looked very tired as if he had rushed here.
"Sawyer? I thought you weren't coming. You're twenty minutes late!" She said with displeasure.
"I know. I had to go to deliver a few horses at a ranch near San Antonio," he told her. "I'm coming directly from here."
"Oh but you shouldn't have Sawyer. You just recovered from fever," Renée reminded him, shaking her head. "Yiu could have asked Rex to do it instead."
"I don't say no to any sort of work," he said, catching hold of her hand and pulling her with him.
"Renée, leaving already?" Yelled Ryan.
"Yeah see you later," she yelled back. "Sawyer stop pulling me. What's the hurry?" She asked him running alongside him, trying hard to keep up.
"I'm not feeling too well. The fever might be coming back," he told her. Renée looked very worried.
"Oh, I knew it. You should have gone home then Sawyer, " she said, all her anger and resolution to stay away from him crumbling to dust.
"I had to come to take you home. I couldn't let you wait for two hours here on the bleachers with those guys watching you like hawks, " said Sawyer. Renée smiled. He was sugary sweet when he was sick!
"I could almost mistake that thought for jealousy, " she said smiling more.
"Yes right. I am jealous," he told her, opening the door for her. Renée's smile widened with glee. What was the logic behind this? Why did he become so sweet when he was sick?
"Why?" She asked with a permanent smile on her face. He started his truck and started driving home.
"I don't know," he mumbled looking uncomfortable. Renée sat with a smug expression on her face.
"No ice-cream treat since you're sick. We will go straight home and I'll make you my soup. I promise I'll make an edible one this time," said Renée.
"I don't mind. You can make anything as long as you feed it to me," he said quietly. Renée saw that his face was looking flushed and his eyes looking watery.
"Are you sure that you can drive us home? You're looking more sick than before, Sawyer, " said Renée looking alarmed.
"Don't worry. We'll reach home safely, " he said. The rest of the drive, he didn't seem to want to talk much. Renée was worried but to her relief, they reached Wildcreek Ranch safely. She walked inside with him as he walked towards his bedroom.
"Saw? Oh my God! I'll call Doctor Morgan immediately. I told you not to go to San Antonio today," scolded his mom. Sawyer looked guilty and didn't say a thing as his mom picked up her mobile phone to call the doctor.
Renée went to the kitchen to make something light for him. Her aunt Ruth was already there and she helped her make a delicious meal for Sawyer. Renée placed them on a tray along with his medicines and went towards his room.
He had freshened up and was lying in a pair of sweatpants and a white tee shirt. "Get up Sawyer. You need to eat and take your medicine. The doctor's on his way," she told him.
He sat up but picked up a spoonfull of chicken stew and rice and fed it to her. Renée was surprised as she chewed the food. She had thought that he was eating it himself but he instead fed her.
"It's for you. Why are you feeding me?" She asked with surprise.
"I know that you're very hungry," he told her softly.
Renée's heart filled with more love for him. Even in this condition he only thought about her. She fed him and he silently finished everything, all the time watching her like a hawk. She gave him his medicine.
"I want you to go and eat now, " he ordered. Renée nodded and went away.
The doctor arrived and checked upon Sawyer and prescribed medicines to him. He had flu and was asked to rest for two more days to get completely better. In the evening Rhett's crush Adelaide was invited to dinner and everyone was excited about it. She too helped with the cooking along with Rihanna. Sawyer was much better and he wouldn't rest at all, standing at the door of the kitchen watching them cook.
"Saw, why don't you sit down and relax?" Asked aunt Ruth. His eyes flew towards Renée and he didn't feel like going anywhere.
"No, I'm loving the delicious aroma of food from here," he told them. After Renée was done, she went to her room to change while Sawyer and Rex sat down in the living room teasing Rhett. With his interest hooked upon Renée, he failed to notice the silent communication between his mom, aunt and granny.
They all knew Adelaide since she was Rihanna's friend and had been living at the nearby ranch for the last three months with her grandma, granny Emma. She came from New York to Fordsville after her father's death and worked as a nurse at Fordsville Public Hospital. So dinner was fun as Rex tried to pull Rhett's legs all the time. When Rhett left to walk Adelaide home, they all sat discussing how wonderful it would be if Rhett married Adelaide.
"Yeah, I wish I could meet someone soon! I'm dying to get married, " said Rex. They all laughed at him.
"The heartthrob of Fordsville can't find a girl? I can't believe this," said his mom.
"He isn't looking for any girl, mom. He's looking someone with...," started Rihanna but Rex clamped her mouth with his palm.
"Shut up Anna, " he told her. His mom's interest was piqued. She gestured towards Rihanna to tell her later.
"Next is Sawyer's turn. So what have you thought of marriage Sawyer? Do you have anyone in your mind? A girlfriend or anybody else?" Asked his granny. Sawyer sputtered the water that he'd been drinking and looked towards Renée who gaped at him. Two bright spots appeared on his face.
"No. I have no plans of marrying now. Maybe in another six or seven years," he told them, glancing at Renée, deep in thought. Renée blushed and looked away from his piercing gaze. "How old are you, Ren? Seventeen or eighteen?" He asked. Everyone's jaws dropped and there was a pin dropped silence in the room. Sawyer got up after dropping that bombshell.
"I think I need to take those disgusting pills and sleep now," he said, walking away. Renée too ran into the kitchen with her cheeks flushed crimson. What did he mean by that? My God! I wish I could vanish into thin air! She was hiding in the kitchen and doing the dishes when Rihanna joined her.
"What's going on Renée?" She asked with interest.
"Nothing. What would go on?" She asked in return .
"Do you and Sawyer like one another?" She asked directly.
"No," said Renée. Rihanna looked at her with disbelief but didn't ask anything more. She decided to speak to her later. These matters of the heart couldn't be kept hidden for long. They washed the dishes talking about Rihanna's first day at school.
Later as she walked towards her room, she decided to check up on Sawyer. Opening his door, she peeped inside and saw him sitting with his mobile on the bed.
"Why didn't you sleep?" She asked him, going into the room. He looked up at her and kept staring.
"What?" She asked him, coming to a stop beside his bedside.
"Are you mad at me?" He asked in a guilty tone. Renée shook her head. Her had went to his hot forehead as she felt his temperature. It was a measure to know how long he'd be this sweet. It was still quite warm. So he was still sweet with her!
"Go to sleep, Sawyer, " she ordered, taking his phone away and keeping it on the side table. He didn't protest one bit and lay down. She covered him with a duvet. "Good night," she whispered. Before she could go away, he caught her hand.
"Stay please, Ren, " he pleaded.
"Why?" She asked. "You don't feel a thing for me, right?" She asked him. She was losing her mind with his sweet and bitter words. She couldn't figure him out one bit.
"Wrong, " he told her, closing his eyes and feigning sleep.
"Then?" She asked but he just smiled and pretended to snore to sleep. He wouldn't answer her.
"Sawyer?" She said loudly but his snores just got louder and so did his smile. She flailed her arms helplessly and stomped away towards her room.
Brind2y2
2021-05-09 19:53:38Awesome ch, update soon.😀