Page 51 of Hawk
“I’ll call Elise and give her a heads up that she needs to keep him away for a bit.”
Matthew and Anna walked into the room, and I muttered to Sadie, “Good luck with that.”
She gave me a wink as Matthew and Anna walked up to her and engulfed her in a big hug. Sadie never had children, after raising Jacob from an infant and Dalton from a little boy. She was amazing with kids but never wanted any of her own. I think she saw some of the ugliness of the world and feared bringing another child into it, but I could be wrong.
“Tell Ms. Sadie thank you,” I instructed the kids, and they both replied with a chorus.
“Thank you.”
She gave me a hug and whispered, “I don’t know what’s going through your mind, and I don’t know the whole story, but give her time. She’ll come around and she’ll have all of us to make her feel welcome.
“Thanks, Sadie.”
We left her in the kitchen with her baked goods and walked out the front door. Matthew took one hand and Anna the other as we walked to the clubhouse and through the kitchen to the side parking lot. My car, which I used for the kids, was parked out there, and as I secured them into the back seat, I thought about what it would be like if I could persuade Stella to give me . . . us . . . a chance.
I was putting the cart before the horse, and I shook my head as I pulled out of the small parking lot. My phone chimed just before I got to the closed gate, and I raised one finger to the prospect, letting him know to hold on. Pulling it from my cut, I saw it was from Stella.
Stella:Sorry. I fell asleep. I hope the kids are feeling better and I’ll let you know when I’m getting on the road.
The message seemed a little off, but I chalked it up to everything that had transpired in the last twenty-four hours. Before I pulled through the gate, I sent Hatchet a message.
Me:Can you and Hailey meet me at the house in an hour? I need to get the kids settled and I’d like to talk to you both.
I let the prospect know to open the gate, and as I pulled through, I got a response. A simple ‘okay’ was all he replied, and I tossed the phone onto the seat as I drove the short distance home. We passed Doris, their grandmother’s house, and an out of state tag caught my eye. It said ‘New Mexico’ and I released a breath, afraid Araneta had returned to cause more trouble.
The kids were barely over her as it was, and I’d be damned if that bitch came back and caused them any more pain. I made a mental note to call Doris later after they were in bed to see who her company was. We arrived at the house a few minutes later, and the kids both unhooked their seatbelts and exited the car.
I followed them to the front porch and unlocked the door to let us in. The house felt cold and empty as we walked in, and I imagined Stella waiting for us with Zeus by her side. I knew it was unrealistic to dream about a life with her so quickly, but something about her always called to me. I just had to get her onboard.
“Put your bags in your rooms and you can watch TV while I make us some lunch,” I told the kids, and they diligently followed my request.
They were good kids, and I hoped I could keep them safe, knowing the world was full of predators just waiting to take advantage of people. I was in the kitchen, making the kids grilled cheese and soup for lunch when I heard the sound of a bike pulling into the driveway. Knowing Hailey and Hatchet were here, I plated the kids’ lunch and placed it at the dining room table.
“Lunch,” I called out, and they both ran into the room and took their seats.
Without a word, they dug into their food as I walked to the front door and opened it to let Hailey and Hatchet inside. I could see worry and hesitation on Hailey’s face as they climbed the steps. She hugged me, and I lifted my eyes to Hatchet behind her. He was trying to read me as he mouthed, ‘Did you find her?’
I released Hailey and gave him a nod as we knocked fists. They followed me inside, and I closed and locked the door behind us. Matthew was almost finished his lunch, and Anna was dipping her grilled cheese into her soup, making little progress on actually eating.
“Finish up and you can watch some TV.”
“Yes, sir,” they both responded as we walked through the dining room and out the back door to the patio.
Claw, the club’s VP, had built a nice deck on the back of the house with an awning for when it rains, so I guided us to the table and chairs under it to talk. Hailey took Hatchet’s hand into hers as she lifted her eyebrows to me.
I gave her a smile as I started to speak. “I talked to your mom yesterday.” Tears filled her eyes, and she placed her head against Hatchet’s shoulder as he kissed her head, offering me a nod of appreciation. I didn’t want her to get too excited, but I didn’t want to worry her either. “She’ll be here in a day or two, but I can tell you, she’s nervous.”
“Why?” Hailey asked, wiping her eyes.
“Truthfully, she’s afraid you blame her for . . . everything.”
“I don’t know what happened to her, but I can’t blame her for what happened to me. It wasn’t her fault . . . was it?”
“Absolutely not,” I said with a sternness in my voice I’d never used with Hailey before. Softening my tone, I continued, “It’s not my story to tell, but I want you to know she had no part of what happened. If anything, she’s just as much a victim of others’ . . . bad intentions.”
“See, baby,” Hatchet started, “I told you. Can you tell us anything about her life now?”
I shook my head. “I don’t want you to go into meeting her with anything but an open heart. Can you promise me that you’ll hear her out and understand, she may not be able to share everything with you? At least, not at first.”
