Be With Me(35)

“So you’re worried about what other people wil think?” Sawyer asked with a frown.

Hutch shrugged. “Maybe? I mean I don’t worry so much about me, but Reggie has a public service job.

Can you imagine what the citizens of our esteemed community are going to do when they get wind that she’s shacked up with the three of us? And her father. Jesus. There’l be no end to his screaming.

She could very wel lose her job over this.”

“We’l always take care of Reggie,” Sawyer said.

“But wil she be happy?” Hutch asked softly.

“Because I want her to be happy more than I want me to be happy or you or Cam.”

Sawyer rubbed a hand over his face. “That’s a good question,” he murmured. “But al we can do is try, Hutch. We all want her to be happy. I’m going to do everything in my power to make that happen, and I know you and Cam wil too. And maybe in the end, that’s al we can do.”

Hutch sighed. “I know you’re right, man. It’s just messed up. I mean even the fact that we’re sitting here discussing the pitfal s of sharing the same woman . . . it’s twisted.”

“I didn’t realize this bothered you so much,” Sawyer said quietly.

Hutch careful y ladled out the batter into smal circles on the skil et. “Most days it doesn’t. I won’t lie to you and say that like you said, in a perfect world, it would only be me and Reggie. I’m okay with this. I real y am. And I think that’s what bothers me. That I’m okay with it. When the sane part of me is screaming what the f**k at me.”

“Get over it,” Sawyer said. “It doesn’t do any good to let your sensibilities scream bloody murder. Yeah, it’s unorthodox as hel . No doubt it’s going to gain us a few raised eyebrows and public censure. But it’s our job to be above that and to protect Reggie from as much of it as possible.”

Hutch nodded. “You’re right. I know.” Then he leveled a stare at Sawyer. “I wasn’t jealous this morning. I’ve been up front with you from the beginning. You know I’d tel you if I was.”

“It’s okay, man, even if you were jealous. I don’t expect this to be some freaky utopia where we never have to work at things.” He rubbed a hand over his face. “Christ, I’m starting to sound like freaking Cam.

He’s the one who usual y does al the feather soothing. When did it become my job to babysit your asses?”

Hutch chuckled and relaxed. “Sorry, man. I think I just hit the panic button this morning.”

“Yeah wel , cut that shit out. We’ve got other things to worry about.”

“What are we worrying about?” Cam asked as he entered the kitchen. “And has anyone seen my glasses? I swear I left them in the living room but hel if I can find them.”

Sawyer grinned and picked up the wire frames from the counter and held them out to Cam.

“Thanks, man,” Cam mumbled. He slid the glasses on and shoved his hair back from his face. “Now what are we worrying about?”

“Yeah, do tel ,” Hutch said. He picked up the spatula and flipped the first pancake. Perfect.

“Hel o? There’s some freak out there stalking Reggie?”

Cam’s face darkened.

Hutch flipped another pancake and gripped the spatula a little tighter.

“It would figure that it’s some psycho trying to get at Peter Fal on. Why he just doesn’t go after the ass**le directly is beyond me,” Sawyer muttered.

“We couldn’t get that lucky. Besides, how’s psycho boy supposed to know that Peter Fal on could give a shit about Reggie?” Cam asked.

Hutch grimaced. “Good point.”

“Maybe we should hold a press conference and announce to the world that the best way to punish Peter Fal on has nothing to do with his daughter,” Reggie said in a bitter tone.

They al looked up to see Reggie standing in the doorway of the kitchen, her face pale and drawn.

“Shit,” Sawyer whispered.

Cam stood and crossed to where Reggie was standing and took her hand. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have opened my big mouth.”

She raised an eyebrow. “What are you apologizing for, tel ing the truth?”

He shook his head. “No, just for being an unfeeling jerk, for blurting it out like that.”

“You’re not the unfeeling jerk,” she said pointedly.

“My father holds that title.”

She moved past Cam and walked over to where Hutch was plating the first batch of pancakes.

“Smel s good. Are those mine?”

He stared baleful y at her. “You drag your ass out of bed last and expect to get the first plate of food?” She grinned. “Umm, yes?”

He dropped a kiss on her lips. “Sit down and I’l slap some ham on the plate and bring it over.”

“Don’t forget the syrup,” she added as she walked around to sit beside Sawyer.

Cam walked back over and slid onto the stool next to her. Hutch forked a piece of ham onto her plate and then set it on the counter in front of her. Then he reached into the drawer for a fork and snagged the syrup sitting by the skil et.

“Eat up,” he said as he placed the objects next to her plate.

She turned the bottle down and poured copious amounts of syrup over the stack of pancakes. Hutch tried not to wince, but even Sawyer, Mr. Sweet Tooth, was cringing.