Birdie looked over at the twins, who seemed as shocked as the rest of us. “I’m sorry I almost killed your mean mom, guys. I love you and I hope you still love me.”
Both boys grinned, but it was Silas who spoke. “’Course we still love you, Bird.”
I was searching my brain for what to say to keep our protective momma lion from ripping Stacey’s head clean off, but I was so floored—and turned on—that I couldn’t think clearly. Jack and Sawyer seemed to be in the same boat.
Winnie straightened and took a few steps back. I watched her take a deep breath and meet Sawyer’s gaze. “Were you really starving when you were having steak at home the last two nights?”
Birdie mumbled. “She’s the hot dog, Mom.”
“We’re going to go. Y’all have a good rest of your day.” Winnie knelt next to Arlo and kissed his cheek. “Happy birthday, smart guy. I left you a tiny surprise on the fridge.”
Sawyer jumped up and tried to follow Winnie, but Jack stopped him with a hard grip on his shirt. The look on his face probably matched mine. What the fuck had he done? “Move, Jack.”
Jack glared at him and pushed him away from the kids. “What did you do, Sawyer? What did she mean?”
Arlo’s happy cheers drew our attention away from pummeling each other for a moment. “Look, Dad! Look what Freddie did!”
Between the moment he’d waved his first A in math in her face that morning and the moment we dragged her home with us, Winnie had managed to take his paper, laminate it, frame it with a cute border, and put magnets on it so it would stay on the fridge. And on a sticky note, she’d written how proud she was of him.
I had to clear the emotion from my throat before I could talk. “She’s the best, isn’t she, buddy?”
Olive wrapped her arms around me, and I realized she was crying. “Is she going to come back? I’m sorry, Daddy. I shouldn’t have done that. I made her go.”
Sawyer’s anger was palpable as he spoke. “You didn’t do anything, honey. It wasn’t your fault at all.”
Stacey stood up silently and tried to inch away. She’d really just ruined things and was going to sneak away without any consequences. Birdie was right about her being an asshole.
“Stacey.” Sawyer shrugged Jack’s hand off him. “How about you take a seat and we adults can talk about your conversation with Winnie? When I'm finished with you, it seems like I need to have a talk with my best friends, too, for ever thinking so poorly of me to believe that I'd go behind Win's back."
Jack was still ready for a fight it seemed. "What did she mean?"
Sawyer leaned closer to Jack and lowered his voice. "She meant to cause damage. Thanks for having my back, though. After the conversation we just had, after you hearing me say I love Winnie, you'd still believe that I'd chance fucking that up by sleeping with someone else? Much less the woman I divorced and chose to untangle myself from?"
Stacey gasped. "You love her?Her?"
Sawyer jabbed his finger towards an area of the yard away from the kids. "Yeah,her. I love her and if you just messed things up with whatever lies and venom you spewed, I'll find a way to make you pay. Now, go over there and sit down."
"Sawyer!" Stacey's whine did her no good.
His face reddened and I followed him as he took her by the arm and led her away from the kids. I'd never seen him so angry as he dropped her arm like it was disease ridden.
"You have done nothing but make life miserable for everyone around you for most of your life, Stacey. You made me suffer through our entire marriage and the only reason it lasted as long as it did was because I was too depressed to get out. You aren't a nice person. You treat everyone around you like shit and the only reason you're nice to me, at all, now is because your family's disappointed in who you've become. Maybe remarrying the doctor you couldn't keep the first time around will make mommy and daddy happy? Too fucking bad. I'm done with you."
Stacey stammered and shook her head. "No, Sawyer. That's not-"
"Even if you hadn't cheated on me, I'd still have woken up and realized that being with you was snuffing the life right out of me. Until you come down to earth and realize that you're no better than anyone else, you're never going to find happiness. No one can deal with you. God knows I've tried. I've been nice, to my own detriment, clearly. Now you've hurt the woman I love and I'm done." Sawyer threw his hands up. "If you ever want to have any kind of cordial relationship with me again, I suggest you fix it. Fix whatever you've done to Win."
Realizing she was in a losing battle, Stacey narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. "Never. I don't need this. Fuck you, Sawyer. Honestly, I don't even know why I tried."
I snorted. "Maybe because he was the best thing to ever happen to you."
Sawyer narrowed his eyes at me. "I don't want to hear from you right now, either. You and Jack can both fuck off for a few days while I get over the fact that you think I'm a piece of shit."
Stacey stomped away, done with us, but I didn't give a shit. I blew out a breath and gripped Sawyer's shoulder. "I'm sorry."
He ran his hands down his face and I realized his eyes were red-rimmed. "I would never do anything to hurt Win. She stayed late to help with the boys, but her parents were also there."
"It'll be fine, Sawyer. Win will understand. It was just a shitty moment today. For all of us." I looked over at where the kids were staring at us and sighed. "We'll figure it out."