Page 41 of Hawk
I leaned back and looked up at him without breaking our embrace. “I’m sorry too. I hope Matthew is feeling better.”
He began to say something but closed his mouth and shook his head. It was my turn to raise my eyebrows expectantly as I waited for him to speak. Zeus walked in from outside and pushed his body between us as we stood there and looked at each other.
“So, you’re leaving tomorrow?” he asked, and I offered him a reassuring smile.
“As soon as I get someone to cover my shifts at work for the next few days, Zeus and I will be on the road.” I paused before saying the next part. “I promise I’ll be there as quickly as I can.”
He nodded and pulled me back to him briefly before releasing his hold on me and stepping back. “I’ve got to get on the road, but before I do, I want you to have my phone number so you can call me if you need anything.”
My phone was still on the dining room table, so I picked it up and handed it to him. There was no lock since I was safely inside my home, and he quickly punched his number into the device and I heard his phone ringing from his back pocket. He handed it back to me, and I looked at the call log, only to chuckle.
“Colton,” I remarked, and he lifted one shoulder with a smile on his face. “It’s hard to not call you Hawkins.”
He brought both of his hands to my cheeks and lifted my gaze to him. “Hawkins is the man from the past. I want Colton to be the man in your future.”
The blush was hot on my face, and I watched as he slowly leaned over and placed the softest kiss on my lips. It felt like barely a whisper against my skin as he released my face and stepped back. Smiling down at me, he said, “I’ll see you tomorrow, but I’m calling you tonight.”
“Okay,” I responded like a silly schoolgirl.
He turned to the living room, and I absently followed him as he grabbed his duffle bag from the couch and hoisted it over his shoulder. The gun he carried was sitting on the coffee table, and he placed it in the back of his jeans before pulling his shirt over it and slipping his leather vest over top.
His eyes turned to me, and we silently stood looking at each other across the room before he broke the spell we were under. “I’ll call you in a few hours and see how you’re doing.”
As he walked to the front door, I followed him and stopped just behind him. With his hand on the door, he tilted his head down and admitted, “I don’t want to leave you.”
“I’ll be okay, Colton. I promise.”
With a deep exhale, he opened the door and walked outside without looking back. I stood, leaning against the doorway as he climbed onto his motorcycle and cranked up the loud machine. My closest neighbors were halfway down the street, so I didn’t worry about him disturbing anyone.
After a moment of the bike idling, he walked it back to the small parking pad on the side of the driveway and began to pull away. His head turned back to the house just before he pulled into the street, and I prayed he didn’t see the tears in my eyes.
I was going to keep my promise to him. I was going to go to Portstill and meet my daughter. I just prayed she could forgive me for all my past mistakes.
But before I met her, I was going to pay a visit to my brother, the madman. If he caused me any problems, I would kick his ass up over his head. And if anyone tried to stop me, they wouldn’t be standing for long.
Chapter 14
