Page 47 of Hawk
Mostly, I blew men off, not wanting to go into detail about my past and refusing to be an easy piece of ass for them. If I was wrong about Colton, I feared it would devastate me, so I pushed the feeling deep into the pit of my stomach and began to change into appropriate attire. My job wasn’t glamorous, but it paid well.
I answered phones at a doctor’s office during the day and, occasionally, I served drinks at a small bar on the edge of town. It was run by a good friend, one of the only ones I had, and they always made sure to keep an eye on me. I tended to get defensive when touched, and twice, they’d stopped me from stabbing someone who thought I was on the menu.
I could call them later this afternoon, but after the last three years with the doctors, I felt it was only right to tell them in person I wasn’t coming back. Realistically, I wouldn’t return to this house once I left. It wasn’t a home, and there was nothing keeping me here. I had enough money to last three lifetimes, thanks to Adrik’s slip-up all those years ago, so work wasn’t a priority.
It was something I did to keep myself busy, but if Hailey and I would be able to build a relationship, I wanted to be close to her. After making myself presentable, I clipped Zeus into his harness and checked to make sure the house was locked up. Eager to go on a car ride, he practically dragged me to the front door.
I locked the front door behind us and walked to my Jeep in the driveway. Zeus took his spot, and I clipped him into the front seat before getting behind the wheel. As the vehicle warmed up, I felt the exhaustion building and knew I needed more coffee.
“Feel like a pup cup?” I asked him, and his tail wagged as I put the Jeep into reverse and backed out of the driveway.
Pulling into the national chain coffee shop, I got into the drive-thru line and waited to place my order. Just as I was about to get to the speaker, my phone rang. Thinking it was my redeemer, calling to be an asshole, I picked it up without looking at the caller ID.
“I told you to stop being an asshole.”
His honey-smooth voice filled my ear as he replied, “I didn’t realize I was being an asshole.”
I looked at the phone and saw it was Colton, and I suddenly felt embarrassed about my comment. “Sorry, I thought you were someone else. How’s Matthew?”
“Gunner, my President, says he’s doing better and finally getting some rest.”
“That’s good. I’m sorry he was sick,” I offered as I got to the window. “Hold on a minute.” After placing my order and asking for Zeus’s pup cup, I went back to the phone call. “How much longer until you’re home?”
I heard something in the background as he answered, “About two hours. I had to stop to get something to drink and gas up, so I wanted to check on you. How are you doing?”
“I’m doing okay. I’m on my way to work to let them know I’m taking time off, then I have a few errands to run before I can start packing.”
“Are you coming tonight or tomorrow?” he asked.
“I’m hoping for this afternoon, but it may be the morning before I get on the road. Give me a second to grab my coffee.”
After handing the girl a ten-dollar bill and telling her to keep the change, I took Zeus’s cup and placed it in the cup holder for him as she handed over my much-needed coffee. Pulling away, I put the call on speaker in the Jeep.
“I’m back,” I explained and listened as I turned onto the highway. My job was in the next town over, and it was about a twenty-minute drive to get there.
“How long are you telling them you need off?”
“Honestly, I planned on telling them I won’t be coming back.” I hesitated before asking, “Is that wrong? Should I just ask for a week off?”
“Hell no. Tell them you’re never coming back. I’ll find you a place here, and you can always stay with me and the kids or in one of the guest cabins at the Death Hounds compound until you find another place.”
I chuckled as I responded, “I don’t know how the kids would feel about me staying with you. I’m sure I can find a motel to stay at until I know if Hailey wants me around.”
“Of course, she does, darlin’.” There was a pause, and I feared the call dropped before he added, “And I do too.”
I smiled at the statement and said, “You say that now.”
“I said it ten years ago, and I’ll say it ten years from now.” His voice was deeper, and I could almost feel him holding me as he spoke.
I didn’t know how to respond to that statement, so I changed the subject. “Will you let me know when you get home and how Matthew and Anna are doing?”
“Most definitely. Be safe on the road and I’ll talk to you soon.”
“Bye, Colton.”
“Bye, beautiful.”
I felt myself blush as we disconnected and couldn’t help but smile the rest of the drive. Fate was giving me a second chance to find happiness, and I had to keep my issues out of the way to give us a real chance to become something.
