Page 32 of Mischievous Lies

“Did you put him up to this?” she whispers. “Much better than a cowboy.”

I try not to laugh. “No, he came willingly.”

We try not to laugh even more as my father glares at him when we enter the dining room, already set up with a spread. Idon’t know how to tell Hawke this, but my parents very rarely cook, much like myself.

“Oh, these are for you,” Hawke says, as if just remembering he’s still carrying the flowers, and hands them to my mother.

“You walk into my home with my daughter, but bring flowers for my wife?” Dad growls from the head of the table.

“Yes. And aren’t they beautiful? It’s been a while since I’ve received flowers, so thank you, Hawke,” she says pointedly.

My father’s jaw clenches as he quietly says to her, “Are you displeased? I’ll buy you a thousand blooms every day and far more beautiful ones than what this punk got you.”

I can see Hawke’s trying not to laugh, and I jab him in the side. It’s very possible my father might have a heart attack after this dinner. Hawke and I take a seat beside one another, and his eyes grow wide as he scans over the food. There’s enough to easily feed eight people, but I’m certain there won’t be any leftovers with this tank sitting beside me.

My father pours a glass of wine for my mother and then offers me some. My stomach rolls at the idea, and I politely decline. His eyebrows furrow because it’s very rare that I refuse a drink.

“I’m a little hungover,” I’m quick to explain. Because all of this is a nice distraction, but the reality is I don’t want to touch alcohol any time soon.

He looks at Hawke then, who gives him a cheesy grin. “Don’t worry, Will, I’m driving, so no, thank you.”

“That’s Mr. Walker to you,” Dad growls.

“Roger that, Captain.” Hawke salutes. My father’s left eye twitches again, and my mother and I are barely holding in our laughter. Suddenly, I’ve found a new appreciation for Hawke and his inability to think before he speaks.

“So what have you been doing with yourself, Hawke? It’s been a while since I’ve seen you. I think Dutton and Posie’swedding was the last time,” Mom says, serving herself. I follow suit, adding food to my own plate.

“Yes, you couldn’t be found for half of it, and I believe I saw you with two different women that night,” Dad sneers as he takes a sip of whiskey.

“It was actually three, sir,” Hawke corrects. “And I’ve just been doing my duties working for Eli. Buying property. Trying to stay out of trouble.”

“I didn’t know you were buying properties,” I say, surprised.

He looks at me and casually shrugs. “I’ve got to do something with the money, right?” I don’t know if it shocks me that Hawke does any type of investing, but I’m realizing there’s more to him than I’ve ever known. I guess I’ve never really looked beyond the surface with him before.

“And when did you get so chummy with my daughter?” Dad questions, draining the rest of his glass. He’s one to usually savor the taste of expensive liquor.

Hawke rests an arm over the back of my chair. “We’ve always been good friends.”

“Friends,” Dad repeats.

“Yes, Dad, friends. You should try it sometime,” I say, rolling my eyes and shoving Hawke’s arm away because I know he’s intentionally trying to piss him off.

“I have plenty of friends,” Dad replies, and my mother pats him on the back as if soothing him, and yet again, my mother and I try not to laugh.

We change the subject to their trip to Dubai and what Mom already has set up. My father watches her lovingly as she speaks about what she’s most passionate about. Besides the few jabs between my father and Hawke, the evening is actually the best I’ve had with my parents for a long time. Don’t get me wrong, I always have fun with them, but I was especially nervous about coming over tonight after the weekend I’d had.

My parents are perceptive and can tell when something’s wrong. And with a father who can knuckle down my every step in a matter of hours, I don’t want to give anything away. Not unless I want to tell them.Nothing happened, I keep reminding myself. But it doesn’t make me feel any less spooked by the situation and the what-ifs that play out in my imagination.

But I’m barely thinking of that as I listen to my mother explain color matching and interior design ideas to Hawke. He listens to her intently as he shovels food into his mouth, and I’m surprised by how right having him here feels. I never would’ve thought Hawke would be a knight in shining armor, not that I ever believed in those types of notions. It seems he’s full of surprises.

I catch my father watching us. I don’t know how long I’ve been staring at Hawke, but I’m quick to shovel a forkful into my mouth. I’ve never brought a guy home, not to our family dinners. To events, yes, but not like this. I don’t want my father reading into it because there is absolutely nothing happening between me and Hawke.

At least, I don’t think there is.

CHAPTER 21

Hawke

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