Page 59 of Heart of Stone
"Yeah, it was the utility company." I glance up at him. "The power and water will be back on today."
"That's good news," he says, his gaze steady on mine.
"Yeah," I echo, but my voice lacks the enthusiasm I think I should feel.
It is good news—great news, even. It means I can finally go home, settle back into my own space, and reclaim somenormalcy. But the thought doesn't fill me with the relief I'd expected. Instead, it leaves me torn.
Living here, with Hawk and the kids, has been...amazing. Messy and loud, yes, but also warm and full in a way I hadn't realized I'd been missing.
We feel like a family. Even if it is only temporary.
"You thinking of moving back in?" he asks.
Before I can respond, Abby lets out a shriek of delight. I glance over, finding her and Amy following a butterfly.
"You should stay. The house would be too quiet without you," he says, his thumb tracing circles on my palm. "Plus, Steel would be heartbroken. Pretty sure he's got tea parties booked through next month."
I try to laugh around the lump in my throat.
"We can't," I say, my voice rough. "It's too much to ask of you."
"Psh." Hawk pulls me closer, adjusting Adam on his hip. "Stay. At least until you find a better place."
The offer is casual, but there is weight behind it. Two weeks of living together has changed things between us. Changed me. I am starting to trust this—trust him—in ways that should terrify me.
Maybe they still do, a little.
"You're sure?" I ask. "We're not exactly low maintenance."
He snorts. "Babe, the clubhouse has more toys than the department store, our fridge is covered in finger paintings, andI know three different ways to braid hair. Pretty sure we're past that conversation."
"True." I watch the twins chase each other in circles. "It's a lot, Hawk. I feel bad asking that of you, of the club."
"Nah." His grin is wicked. "What do you think prospects are for? Babysitting and cleaning."
We reach the house, the twins racing up the steps ahead of us. Through the window, I can see evidence of our invasion everywhere—sippy cups on the counter, stuffed animals on the couch, a half-finished puzzle on the coffee table.
It looks like home.
"So?" Hawk asks as we reach the porch. "You staying?"
I think about my apartment, sitting empty except for the few things we'd brought here. Think about the life I'd built there, careful and controlled and lonely.
Think about this man who makes pancakes for my kids and knows how to handle nightmares and never once makes me feel like we are a burden.
"Yeah," I say softly. "We're staying."
"Thank fuck," he murmurs, kissing my temple. "Thought I was gonna have to kidnap you."
"Kidnap me, huh?" I tease, cocking an eyebrow. "I bet you say that to all the girls."
"Nah, just the really pretty ones with kids."
Laughing, I slap his butt as I move to open the door. "Promises, promises."
15
HAWK
