by Zoe Hart
The military had learned to never doubt me, but my father still didn’t believe in me. “Does the lawyer need a sealed college transcript too?” I asked. I wasn’t backing down. I’d worked hard to earn that money. And I couldn’t wait to tell Taryn my plans for it.
“Yes, I’ll email you the information for the law firm. You’ll need to provide a transcript from an accredited university.” He ignored me again and stared at his menu.
Pretty soon, he would no longer be able to control me. I’m sure that’s what he was thinking about as he feigned interest in his food options. I’d done everything that was ever expected of me and more with one goal in mind: independence in every sense, especially financial. I’d gone into the military. I’d managed to get a degree. And I’d even started grad school. I had an idea for a new branch of the business. If he wasn’t interested, I’d go out on my own…because with my inheritance, I could. After all, that’s how the entire company was built.
My dream was to train dogs for the military, for law enforcement, and for wounded veterans. While my friends spent their downtime drinking and keeping in touch with their families, I’d been researching it the last year I was in Afghanistan. Creating the business plan was my final project for my MBA.
We ate lunch mostly in silence until my father finally snapped out of it and started making superficial conversation. “I’m sure you are enjoying the weather here. Have you made it into the lake yet?” He folded his hands in his lap.
“Not yet. Still too cold.” I forced a smile. Really, I was analyzing every bit of our interactions. I didn’t trust him. I’d seen him turn on people so quickly for even the most miniscule of perceived slights.
“Maybe we can go out on the boat over Fourth of July weekend,” he commented absently as he stared out the windows overlooking the lake. “We have it at the Bessemer Bay Yacht Club.”
“Nice. I didn’t know you owned a yacht.” I took a final bite of my pasta. I didn’t need anything that heavy on my stomach. We ate earlier than I was used to in order to accommodate Lark.
“Yes, your mother and I discovered we like cruising the lake during the summer. You should join us.” He smiled, but as usual, there was no real joy in his mood.
“Thank you. I’ll see if I can make it happen.” I nodded.
Soon enough he signed for our bill and we made our way back to the limo. “I’m serious about the Fourth,” my father murmured once we were on the road.
I glanced at him. “I know.” I’d have to talk to Taryn. I wanted to spend time with her and Lark. We wouldn’t all have that much time together. And I wasn’t ready to share her with my family. I wanted to know we were solid first. My father had a way of scaring off anyone he didn’t approve of, and I knew how he’d view Taryn. He wouldn’t see that she’d managed to raise an amazing little girl on her own. He’d only see that she was a single mom without even so much as a professional degree. And I had to protect her from his judgement, even if this made life harder for me.
My phone vibrated in my hand. It was a text from Taryn.
English muffin pizza night. Don’t turn up your nose until you’ve tried it.
I grinned, which was saying something because my father had an uncanny ability to snuff out any happiness in those around him. I responded to her message.
I’m trusting you.
She replied with lightning speed.
Good, because I always trust you. See you in a few hours, Hawk. Miss you.
I never understood that before Taryn. I’d never missed anyone other than her. My heart thudded in my chest as I sent my response.
Can’t wait. Miss you too.
14
Taryn
That night felt different and special. I’m not sure if it was the way Hawk embraced making the English muffin pizzas with us, or the way he ate them, even though he didn’t like English muffins.
“Ever made bagel pizzas?” he asked hopefully.
Lark made a face. “No. Because these are English muffin pizzas. Haven’t you ever eaten them?”
I tried to hide my laugh. I couldn’t even picture Hawk eating a frozen pizza. When I pictured his life, I imagined a chef who shaved truffles onto a homemade crust with some fancy cheese, possibly made from scratch.
“So, this is all new to me, Lark, but I like it.” Hawk smiled at her and Lark wrapped her arms around his waist.
My poor sweet girl had been waiting forever to have a daddy figure in her life. I really wanted this to stick. One way to ensure it did was to tell Hawk the truth, but I was terrified. In Michigan, since we weren’t married, the paternity would need verification through a test. And I wasn’t ready to put Lark and Hawk through that quite yet.
After we ate a dinner that Hawk proclaimed a huge success, he did the dishes while I gave Lark a bath. “Can Hawk read me a story?” She gave me the pleading look that always melted me.
“Ask. I bet he’ll do it. He loves tucking you in.” I nodded my reassurance.
As soon as she was dressed, she brought him a Llama Llama book and he carried her up to bed while I followed. I listened as he read to her and then after, we gave Lark kisses and hugs before leaving the room so she could rest. I sank down on the couch and reached for my laptop.
“Whatcha working on?” he asked.
I didn’t know how to answer exactly. “This is what I’ve always done.” I blew out a breath. “I reserved an email for Lark after I’d picked her name. Starting with the pregnancy, I wrote letters to my baby bean and held them as drafts until I’d made the email. I didn’t write her every day, but often, about how I was doing, how she was growing and changing. And then I’d send them to her.”
Hawk shook his head. “Wow. That’s amazing. You’re brilliant.”
“Eh. It wasn’t my idea. I just saw it on social media and thought she might like this one day.” I smiled, my cheeks flushing. I knew the kinds of questions that could come next.
“When will she get it, the email?” he asked.
I shifted my body to lean against him and he moved his arm to pull me closer. “When she turns eighteen. It’s a surprise.” I looked up at him seriously. “Don’t ruin it.”
He held his hand up as if to surrender. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”
I started to type. I knew he was reading what I wrote, and I didn’t mind that he saw what I was saying about him in the email.
After several minutes, Hawk rested his chin on the top of my head. “Do you send emails to her father?”
I shook my head. “No. I don’t have his email.” It was partially true. See, I didn’t exactly look for it. Hawk barely had a social media presence and what he did have, Facebook and Instagram, had been set to private. I couldn’t see a thing. And after I found out I was pregnant I did the same with mine. Being in my life, seeing what I was doing, had to be a privilege.
What I didn’t tell him was that I had written him tons of emails through the years. They were all in the drafts of my email, waiting for an address to send them. Lately, I’d been thinking that time would come soon. I wasn’t even going to warn him. They’d just be there, waiting for him to read like some glorious surprise. Years of my hopes, dreams, and fears bled out on the screen.
After I finished my email to Lark, Hawk looked at me seriously. “I know that we’re taking this slow, but is there any chance you’d consider sharing a bed with me?”
I bit my lip and studied him a minute. “I’m not on birth control,” I murmured.
“Yeah. I said sharing a bed, not having sex.” He frowned.
“I know. It has been a really long time since I’ve been with anyone. And I don’t know how much restraint I’ll have. And I think I’ve effectively proven that I’m ridiculously fertile. And I never want to do that alone again. And…” I was prepared to go on with all the excuses.
“And I would never force myself on you. I understand why you’re nervous.” Hawk licked his lips. “I just want you close. You have no idea how much I’ve missed you, how long I�
�ve been thinking of you…” His voice trailed off and he looked away as if he was ashamed of showing his emotions.
“Oh, I know.” I straddled his lap and faced him. I felt his cock jump against his pants, hitting me just right. I could probably rub against him for less than twelve seconds and be satisfied. Dammit. I took a deep breath. “I’ve been thinking of you too. I mean it. You were the one who left. And I’ve wanted you to come home forever.”
His hands wrapped around my waist. “My God. You feel exactly the same.” He pulled me closer. “But different. You’re a woman, not a girl.” He cupped my cheek with one hand. “I’m not trying to pressure you. I’m sorry.” Hawk gently brushed my lips with his.
“Fine. You win,” I murmured when we finally pulled apart.
“You mean it?” he asked, as if he was afraid to get his hopes up.
I nodded. “I mean it. Let’s go. Before I change my mind.”
I was going to slip off his lap and stand, but Hawk had other plans. He stood with me still on him, and I wrapped my legs around his waist. This worked fine while we took a few steps toward the stairs, but the minute we reached the base of the steps, he somehow flipped me around until I was on his back. I grinned. “Nice move. I could’ve walked, you know.”
“I know. And I could’ve carried you like my wife, over the threshold.” He peeked over his shoulder at me. We had already mounted the stairs and were closing in on his door. Hawk chuckled as we entered his room. Then he dumped me on the bed and quickly turned to flop down on top of me, covering me with his body. “I promised we’d behave tonight. And I fully intend to keep that promise.” He kissed my neck before meeting my eyes. “So please tell me you wear granny jammies to bed.”
I practically snorted. “I don’t, but if you’d like, I won’t wear the usual.”
“What’s that?” he asked weakly.
“Booty shorts and a cami.” I bit my lower lip.
“Absolutely not.” He groaned and pushed himself off the bed. Hawk stopped before his dresser and pulled open the top drawer. He yanked out a pair of boxer shorts and then grabbed a T-shirt from the drawer below. He held the shirt up and shook his head. “Please be huge,” he muttered as he tossed the clothes in my direction. He flopped on the bed and murmured, “You can get changed in there.”
“And where will you change?” I whispered breathily in his ear. To my delight, he shivered.
“You’re awful. You’re doing this on purpose.” Hawk smirked. “And I like it.” He drew me close and kissed me. “I’ll change in here and be under the covers when you get back.”
I disappeared inside the bathroom, per his suggestion, and took my time changing. I really didn’t want to see his bare chest, his broad shoulders, and that tasty spot on his neck where I longed to rest my head and inhale the scent of him. I’d waited so long for this.
By the time I emerged, he was half asleep. I wasn’t upset. I figured this was probably safer than the alternative. I started to pull back the covers and he helped. Maybe he wasn’t as sleepy as I thought. “You’re not peeking?”
“I don’t dare. Just lay with me. Let me hold you.” He turned me on my side so that we could spoon.
I marveled over how well we fit. Hawk wrapped one arm around me and rested his palm over my lower abdomen. This was everything I had been dreaming about for five years.
“Maybe someday…my baby can be there,” he mumbled in his half sleep.
I waited until his breathing had slowed before responding. “One already was,” I whispered.
We were so comfortable that I struggled to wake up the next morning. In fact, the only sound that roused me was that of Lark calling for me. “Mommy, where are you?”
Hearing her frightened voice had me bounding out of bed. “Sweet little bird, I’m right here,” I announced after emerging from Hawk’s room.
Her brow furrowed. “Did you have a sleepover?” she asked. I realized she was pointing behind me and when I turned, I saw Hawk standing there, still half asleep.
“Yes, we did,” he replied. “Is that okay?”
Lark tilted her head. “I guess so. Is it time to go soon?”
I glanced at the cellphone Hawk held out to me. Sure enough, I had to leave in fifteen minutes. “Ouch. Yes. Let’s hurry.”
Thanks to help from Hawk, we somehow managed to leave on time. “Tonight, we set the alarms,” he suggested.
Then I kissed him goodbye in front of Lark without even thinking. She gave him a hug and we were off.
I dropped her at preschool and managed to make it to the vet clinic with all of two minutes to spare. I had prepared myself to greet Leslie, but she wasn’t there. I frowned as I pushed through the doors to the back.
“Leslie is sick,” Kate announced. “I’m afraid this is going to mean that you and I will have to handle everything.” She shook her head. “Can you get the front computer booted up and do the appointment reminder calls in between patients?”
“I’ll do my best.” I returned to the reception area to get started.
By lunchtime, all the calls had been made. The only real difference was that I had to manage the scheduling and payments all day long, in addition to my normal duties. Kate handled all the codes and the notes.
By four, we were beginning to think we might even get out on time. And then at quarter after five, an angry-looking man in a suit walked through the doors without a pet. I paused. That was unusual.
“I’m here to speak with Kate,” the man announced.
“I’m sorry. She’s busy. We’re understaffed today. Is there any way I can help you?” I tried to smile politely, but found the task challenging under his withering stare.
“I’m Stanton McKenzie.” He watched me for a reaction.
I swallowed hard, knowing this was Hawk’s father. In all the time I’d spent looking up Hawk, I’d never bothered to check out the rest of his family. They weren’t relevant. To me, only Hawk had mattered. Now I knew that he favored his father in the strong jaw and eye color.
Mr. McKenzie leaned over the counter. “I need to speak with Kate about who took the dog.” He considered me for a moment. “Maybe you can help me.”
Yeah, there was no way I was going to help him. I loved Hawk and Bishop. I loved my job. And I didn’t like this man one bit.
“I’m not sure how.” I stared back at him, hoping to appear strong while fearing this could provoke a bout of anxiety.
He looked more than a little annoyed. He glared at me. He held his jaw so tight that he developed a twitch. And I could see his knuckles turning white while he gripped the edge of the counter between us.
“Tell me who has the dog.” His lips pursed.
Behind me, I heard the door open and I knew that Kate had my back. “She can’t tell you. Neither can I. All we can tell you was that we followed protocol. We scanned every tag. One came up to an owner other than MK9. So, we called, and the handler came to claim the dog. That’s all we can share.”
“If that’s what I’m supposed to believe, then I’m going to have to cancel the contract. After all, you are in breach.” Mr. McKenzie’s eyebrow arched angrily. I could practically see steam coming from his nose.
“Of course. Do what you need to do. Our lawyer will be in touch.” Kate stood beside me and nodded. Her cue for him to leave.
He whipped around on his heels and stormed out. After he left, I realized I was shaking. Without saying a word, Kate pulled the chair up behind my legs and urged me to sit with a guiding hand on my shoulder.
“Thank you,” I whispered. I covered my face for a moment.
“For what? He’s an ass. He thought he could come here and bully us into releasing information he’s not entitled to.” She squatted down beside me. “You did good. You had everything under control. And even if you were scared, you didn’t show it. I’m proud of you. He’s not an easy man to deal with.”
For once, I had a taste of what life for Hawk must’ve been like growing up. No wonder he liked me so much. I
was nothing like that man. And thankfully, neither was Hawk.
We closed up at six and I drove back to the lake house. I knew that Braxton had already picked up Lark and dropped her there with Hawk. In my haste to leave in the morning, and my rush to get back after work today, I realized I’d never planned for dinner.
I shouldn’t have worried. When I walked in, Hawk and Lark were at the island making ham and cheese croissant sandwiches. “Just like you make, Mommy!” Lark announced proudly.
Hawk opened the oven door, deposited the cookie sheet, and turned to look at me for the first time. “Lark, would you like to watch television while dinner cooks?” he asked without ever taking his eyes off me.
“Can I turn it on all by myself?” she wondered as she started toward the great room.
“Yes, baby,” I replied.
He took two steps and pulled me against his chest. “What’s going on? You look…upset.”
For a few minutes, I worked to regulate my breathing. I didn’t want to come off as being overly emotional. I inhaled the scent of him and was soon soothed. Finally, I pulled back and looked up at him. “There’s something I need to tell you. Something that you obviously don’t know.”
15
Hawk
“What don’t I know?” I could feel my chest tighten. Usually, when that happened, my father was involved, but Taryn had only gone to work and come home. How could she possibly have had a brush with him? I watched her face and saw that she was trying to carefully choose her words.
“Well, your father showed up at the clinic today…”
I knew she had barely begun to recount what happened, but I couldn’t process what was going on yet. “Wait. My father? Stanton McKenzie?” I shook my head. “Why? They don’t have pets. They don’t like the mess.” I glanced around. Bishop had already come to stand by my side, so attuned to my emotions that he knew I was upset. Hell, right now, everyone knew I was upset. Taking a breath, I moved to sit at the table, and I grabbed Taryn’s hand to bring her with me. She didn’t protest.
