Page 113 of Cryptic Curse

“He doesn’t really understand me,” I say.

Ted smiles.“Oh, I think he understands you more than you know.”

“He doesn’t,” I say.“Neither does my mom.I seem to be so darned forgettable.”

Ted chuckles.

And I give him a stink eye.

“Oh, I’m not laughing at that, Hawk.I’m laughing because you sound exactly like I did when I was your age.”He sighs.“I was the middle kid too, and yeah, I pretty much felt invisible a lot of the time.But then I realized that my mom and dad both had their own lives.And you need to remember that too.Your dad has a huge business operation here.Not just the ranch, but all of his other holdings.All the land he owns.And your mom is overwhelmed with five children.It’s easy for the middle child to fall through the cracks.It’s normal.”

“But it isn’t fair.”

He tousles my hair.“No, it’s not fair.Very few things in lifearefair, Hawk.”

I roll my eyes.“They’re fair for Falcon.He gets to be oldest.They’re fair for Eagle.He gets to be the youngest.”

“Tell you what,” Ted says as he screws his earring back into his ear.“You can always depend on me, okay?”

“Like as a father?”

“Let’s say as a friend.”

“That’s great.”

Before I know what I’m doing, I give Ted a hug.

Then I hear a throat clear in the distance.

Ted releases me.

My father stands, watching us.“Go on outside,” Dad says to me.“Ted, I need to have a word with you in my office.”

* * *

I shovethe earring in my pocket.

I shouldn’t be surprised that I found it.

That day…

That terrible day…

Then my phone starts ringing.

Daniela again.

Fuck.

I knew I should’ve gone over there.

34

DANIELA

“Are you okay?”Hawk says into the phone.

“Oh, yeah.I’m fine.I just want to tell you that I have some good news.”

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