Page 99 of Wife Number One

I wanted the ground beneath the porch to open up so I could throw myself into it.

Hawk didn’t seem affected by it at all though. He straightened and jerked his head toward the main clubhouse. “Cops are here searching for the two of you. Can you come up? I don’t want them coming down here, knowing which cabin you’re staying in. Better that no one other than club members know that.”

My heart rate increased again, but this time it wasn’t because of the ridiculously attractive man waiting on me.

I stood, nodding my thanks to Hawk as I passed him.

Rebel followed me, though I doubt she acknowledged Hawk the way I had. She paused at the bottom of the steps. “Girls? We need to go back up to the main house, okay? There’s some police officers up there that Mommy and Aunty need to go talk to.”

Remi jogged over to her mother’s side and grinned. “We found five fairies!”

“Five?” Rebel asked. “That’s amazing!”

“I called one Pix. Like Daddy calls you.”

Rebel grinned at her daughter and ruffled her hair. “That’s very sweet, kiddo. What are the other ones called?”

“Madden, Wolf, and Lavender.”

Rebel chuckled. “Well, I’m sure your brothers and sister will all be pleased to have fairies named after them. You said five, though, and that’s only four. Did you ask Hayley Jade if she wanted to name the last one?”

Remi looked over at Hayley Jade, who shot a quick glance at Hawk.

Remi dissolved into giggles like Hayley Jade had just said the funniest thing ever. “She wants to call the last fairy Hawk,” Remi announced.

Hawk stopped and turned back, an eyebrow raised.

Rebel glanced at me, and we both looked down at Hayley Jade, who was watching for Hawk’s reaction with bated breath.

I didn’t know how Remi had worked out what Hayley Jade had wanted without a single verbal word spoken between the two of them, but it was clear she’d interpreted Hayley Jade’s meaning correctly.

I was very scared Hawk was not going to deal well with having a fairy named after him.

“A fairy named Hawk, huh, Hay Jay?” he asked slowly. “You want to name the dainty little fairy after me?”

Hayley Jade nodded.

Hawk’s grin widened. “Best fairy name ever.”

The expression on Hayley Jade’s rounded face was priceless. Her grin widened until it matched his. He took a few steps back toward the girls then he broke into a run, scooping the two of them up beneath his arms and spinning them around in circles while they squealed and giggled. “Fairies gotta fly!”

The two girls reached their arms out and kicked their legs in the air, their laughter contagious as Hawk flew them up the path to the clubhouse, where two police cars sat in the parking lot.

Rebel shook her head, watching them go. “Who was that, and what have they done with the real Hawk? He’s never paid Remi any attention, let alone flown her up the path so she could be a fairy.”

I smiled softly to myself. “I told you he’s not the worst.”

Rebel let out a soft sigh. “Or maybe he’s even worse than I thought. Because if he makes you fall for him and then he breaks your heart—”

“Stop saying things like that. It’s a sin.” What had happened between Hawk and I wasn’t going to happen again. There wasn’t going to be any opportunity to break my heart because I couldn’t have feelings for someone while I was married to someone else.

Rebel shook her head slowly. “I hope you don’t truly believe that, little sister. Because from the look on your face, you’re already halfway gone.”

29

KARA

Even without uniforms on, the police were so out of place in the Slayers’ clubhouse. The rumpled suits made from cheap material weren’t the only giveaway. It was the uncomfortable glances at the club members lingering around the room.

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