Sawyer upended the tumbler of whiskey, draining the last drops and crunching the ice cubes. He was a little drunk, a little jet-lagged, and extremely fucking confused about the argument he’d had with Remy.

He sat up at the sleek black marble bar, an amenity of his hotel that he’d only just discovered. After he checked Remy’s room and found her gone, he’d come down here for a drink.

Which turned into three.

“There you are.”

He looked up to find Merissa sliding onto the bar stool beside him, wearing a skimpy little lace number. She leaned close, making sure he got an eyeful of her cleavage, then put her hand on his thigh.

“Merissa,” he said, removing her hand. “Speak of the Devil.”

“Oh, you flatter me,” she said, laughing. She was very proud of her dazzling white smile and her big fake tits, making the most she could of both. It worked on most men, always got her what she wanted.

Hell, it had worked on him for half a year.

Today, though, he looked at Merissa and just thought… phony.

“Why are you here?” he asked.

“You texted me last night.”

“Yeah, because I wanted to tell you in person that I’m with someone else,” he said, raising his hand to the bartender to order another round.

“Hmm, and yet….” Merissa glanced around. “No cute little country blonde present. What happened, you two have a fight?”

She pretended to pout, leaning close again to flash her half-bared breasts at him.

“Yeah. Thanks for that, by the way.”

“Sounds like a fairweather friend.”

He gave Merissa a sharp look. “You don’t know shit about it. That woman’s been through hell and back on my account.”

“Puh-lease,” Merissa said, rolling her eyes.

“She had my baby. Never asked me for anything. Not that you’d understand that.”

Merissa’s expression turned sullen. “I never asked you for anything, either.”

“No, but that didn’t stop you from meddling, did it?”

“How could I have known that I was meddling? It wasn’t like you ever told me you were together with someone. Just like you never told me you left D.C.”

He pulled a face, but she was right. “Fine. I’m sorry.”

Merissa’s brows rose. “An apology? Well, color me shocked.”

“I’m trying to learn from my mistakes.”

He knocked back half the whiskey in his glass, winced.

“Yeah, I don’t think you’re really on the righteous path right now,” Merissa said.

“You’re one to talk.”

Merissa’s dark eyes narrowed.

“Yeah,” Sawyer said. “I know you were Darren’s mistress, Merissa. I’m not stupid.”

Hurt flashed on her face. “You don’t know anything about it.”

“I know that you cared about him, and that he chose his wife and new baby over you.”

“Excuse me, bartender!” she called. “I’ll have what he’s having.”

“See, the righteous path is harder than it looks,” Sawyer said.

“Don’t gloat. It’s not a good quality for a father.”

Sawyer almost choked on the next sip of his drink.

A father, she’d called him. She wasn’t wrong, of course. It was just… he’d never considered himself that way before.

“Can I give you some advice?” Merissa asked.

He slid her a glance. “Do I have a choice?”

“No.”

“Go ahead,” he said with a shrug.

“Your blonde. Do you love her?”

He sat his glass down a little harder than he intended.

“It’s complicated.”

“No, it’s not. Not talking about the fact that she had your kid, or whatever past you have together. Do you love her? Could you spend your life with her?” Merissa asked, pinning him with an intense expression.

He thought about it. Remy was beautiful and kind. She was smart and funny, and determined. She cared about him, her capacity for love seemingly endless. When he was with her, he felt… lighter. Happier.

So yeah, maybe the whole kid and family thing was still stressing him the hell out. Enough that he couldn’t even delve into his feelings surrounding being a father, not quite yet.

But just Remy, herself?

“Yeah,” he said at last. “I love her.”

“Then what the hell are you doing here?” Merissa asked. “If you love someone, you don’t let anything or anyone keep you apart. Me and Darren? We had problems that couldn’t be fixed. You, though? From where I’m sitting, all you have to do is reach out and take what you want.”

He stared at her, dumbstruck for a minute. “Jesus. That’s… like, inspirational.”

“I’m fucking Yale educated,” Merissa said, standing up. “Being hot doesn’t preclude me from being intelligent.”

He couldn’t help the surprised chuckle that escaped his lips. Merissa shot back the last of her whiskey. “Thanks for the drink. Now get out of this bar, go get your girl. Life’s too short to waste sitting around looking like a kicked puppy.”

She turned and strutted off, leaving him more than a little stunned and impressed.

Pulling out his wallet, he tossed cash on the bar, shaking his head.

Damn. An unlikely source of wisdom, but… she was completely right. If Darren’s tragic passing had any true effect on his life, it should be to remind Sawyer to go after what he wanted, not wait around hoping that happiness would find him one day.

He checked his watch, wondering when the next flight to New Orleans took off.

It was time to take this bull by the horns, confront his fears, and see if he couldn’t make himself and Remy happy.

All he needed was all the courage in the world…