20. Casey

Chapter 20

Casey

A Few Months Later

T he announcement crackled over the speakers, calling for all contestants in the three-legged race to gather at the race area.

"C'mon, let's go," Sawyer said, already pulling me forward.

"Wait!" I called out, trying to finish off the last bit of my ice cream.

I tossed the cone in the trash, wiping my hand on my jeans before letting Sawyer drag me along.

As we neared the race area, I couldn't help but take it all in.

The open field was buzzing with energy, with rows of spectators standing behind marked ropes.

Behind the starting line, participants were stretching, adjusting their race bibs, and fastening the thick bands around their legs.

There were more people participating than I expected. It looked like more than half the pack had shown up.

"Didn't know this race was going to be this popular," I said, looking around and strapping on my race number.

Sawyer smirked. "Yeah, well, with the prize this time around, I'm not surprised."

Apparently, the prizes used to be pretty low-key, at least according to what Miles and Sawyer had told me.

Things like fewer patrol shifts, a small trophy, or even just bragging rights for the year.

The biggest prize so far had been a coupon for all-you-can-eat and drink at Griffin's bar, but after the winners that year practically demolished his stock, Griffin never made the offer again.

This year, though, the stakes were high. A weekend stay at a five-star hotel.

With that kind of reward, everyone was eager to compete. Nobody even minded that there was an entry fee to participate for the first time.

Sawyer scanned the crowd, his eyes locked on the racers at the starting line.

He muttered something under his breath, then, without warning, took my hand.

"Let's stand here," he said, leading me toward a spot at the far end, between an older couple and Jake, one of the enforcers I'd met before.

I glanced over and saw Noah at the other side of the line. He waved me over with a grin.

"Let's go there instead," I suggested, taking a step toward Noah, but Sawyer didn't move.

He was too busy whispering something to the older couple next to us.

I frowned, tapping him on the shoulder. "Hey."

He turned, his expression innocent, like I hadn't just caught him scheming. "Hmm?"

"I know what you're doing," I said, crossing my arms.

A week ago, when they announced the prize, Sawyer had gotten a little obsessed with practicing for the race.

He had this wild idea about winning and using it as our honeymoon getaway.

Every evening, he'd drag me out to "practice," coming up with tactics that—let's just say—didn't exactly go as planned.

After a few failed attempts and one minor tripping incident, I thought he'd given up. But apparently, he had a Plan B.

Sawyer gestured to the couple next to us. "Look, these are my dad's old friends," he said, then jerked his thumb toward them. "They agreed to help us out—call it a wedding present."

Then he nodded at Jake, who was already stretching beside us. "And I promised I'd cover four of his patrol shifts next month."

I shook my head, half-laughing at how serious he was about all of this.

Sure, the idea of a free hotel stay was nice, but the way Sawyer was pulling strings and calling in favors just for a race was ridiculous.

And sweet. The thought that he'd go to these lengths for a little weekend getaway... well, it was hard not to be touched.

Sawyer leaned in, whispering, "So, is it alright?"

I bit the inside of my cheek, glancing around. A fancy hotel stay did sound pretty nice.

I pictured us lounging in one of those ridiculously oversized beds, wearing soft, matching robes, maybe taking a late-night swim in the pool, and enjoying room service breakfast in bed the next morning.

Yeah, we could definitely enjoy that.

I looked down as Sawyer knelt, fastening the band around our ankles for the race.

His hands brushed gently over my ankle, his fingers lingering just a moment longer than necessary.

Before I could react, he leaned in, resting his cheek against my thigh.

Then came a soft kiss—a brief press of his lips through my jeans that sent a warmth all the way up my spine. All I could do was nod.

Sawyer met my gaze and smiled as he stood up. His playful mood shifted to serious focus.

He placed a hand on my waist to steady himself, his eyes locked on the finish line. He looked ready to win.

I took a deep breath, copying his stance. Time to race.

The horn blared, signaling the start. Everyone shot forward—or at least tried to.

The first few steps were always awkward; balancing with another person bound to your ankle was never easy.

The trick was in the rhythm, and Sawyer and I had practiced enough that we quickly found ours.

Step, step, hop. Step, step, hop.

But it wasn't long before the chaos began.

At first, it seemed like harmless bumps and stumbles—people laughing as they tripped over each other or struggled to get into sync.

But soon, I noticed something else: subtle kicks, accidental-on-purpose tripping, and—was that someone untying the band around their ankles to cheat?

I squinted at one couple who kept conveniently falling just ahead of anyone catching up to them.

Has the three-legged race always been like this? Did Sawyer know this was going to happen the whole time?

Before I could think more about it, a shout caught my attention. Someone shoved Jake, and I watched him stumble but quickly regain his footing beside Sawyer.

I realized Sawyer's friends were there to flank us, creating a protective shield against the chaos.

The finish line was finally in sight, and by then, only a few teams were left. Most had fallen behind or been sabotaged by others.

I watched as couples around us started to drop back, struggling to keep up.

We weren't totally safe from those tactics either, but with our "bodyguards" handling the worst of it, we kept going.

Sawyer tightened his grip around me, and before I knew it, he was practically carrying me, our speed doubling as he powered ahead. We were almost there.

But then, out of nowhere, a couple from the far side of the field tripped someone right next to them and surged ahead, crossing the finish line first.

The horn sounded, marking the end of the race.

We stood there catching our breath, looking a lot cleaner than most of the other participants, who were covered in mud and bruises.

I heard Cooper's voice over the speakers. "Attention!"

The crowd's attention shifted to the booth where Cooper stood. His face was serious, eyes sweeping over the race participants.

"You're all cheaters," he said flatly.

For a second, silence hung in the air, but then he cracked into a grin, and the crowd burst out laughing.

"But no, seriously," Cooper continued, his tone lightening. "We're going to have to take a look at the video before we can officially announce the winner."

His eyes narrowed in the direction of the couple who crossed first.

There was a collective murmur, a few chuckles rippling through the crowd. Cooper, still at the booth with Miles, leaned over a laptop, checking the footage.

After a few minutes and what seemed like a rather serious discussion, Cooper's voice came back over the speakers.

"Alright folks, we've reviewed the tape, and the official winners of this year's race are…Sawyer and Casey!"

I blinked, staring at Cooper in shock. We won? How? Everyone cheated.

Did we win because we cheated the best, or because we cheated the least?

Before I could process it, Sawyer grabbed me, lifting me off the ground and kissing me hard on the lips.

I barely had time to react, my thoughts swirling between confusion and disbelief.

Cooper approached us with an envelope in hand, grinning as he handed it to Sawyer

"Congratulations, Sawyer," he said, patting him on the back.

Still feeling a bit dazed, I looked over at Cooper, my confusion clear.

He raised an eyebrow, catching on to what I was thinking. "Hey, at least you didn't hurt anyone to win," he said with a smirk.

I snorted, shaking my head. "Well, I guess that's fair," I said, not really knowing how else to respond.

Sawyer opened the envelope and pulled out the prize voucher. His smile faltered, then turned into a frown.

"Wait a minute, what's this?" Sawyer muttered, grabbing Cooper's arm before he could walk away.

"What?" Cooper asked, confused but looking a bit too innocent.

"This coupon expires at the end of the month! That's only a few weeks from now!" Sawyer said, his voice growing more exasperated.

I felt my stomach drop. Michael was coming over in a few weeks, and I'd already cleared my schedule for him.

There's no way we could use the coupon before then, and Sawyer knew it.

I wanted to laugh at how much trouble Sawyer had gone through just to win, but the look on his face stopped me. He was genuinely disappointed.

Cooper shrugged, clearly unfazed. "This was the cheapest option. If you're not happy with it, the rules say it goes back to the event organizer." He smirked as he glanced back at Miles, as if already picturing how they'd enjoy it together.

Sawyer shook his head, chuckling despite his frustration. "You cheap bastard," he muttered, tucking the envelope into his pocket.

"That's rich, coming from a cheater," Cooper shot back with a laugh, waving as he walked off.

"Well," I said, trying to lighten the mood, "we still won."

Sawyer wrapped his arms around me, pulling me close. "Sorry it didn't work out. No fancy hotel stay for our honeymoon."

I smiled, pressing my forehead against his. "Doesn't matter," I murmured. "I'm happy anywhere, as long as it's with you."

THE END

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