Page 29 of Hawk
Reaching out, I offered my hand to her as she stood. Zeus came from under the table and positioned himself directly next to her side as she contemplated my extended hand. Silently, she must have decided, and when she slipped her hand into mine, I felt my heart skip a beat.
“I’m not going anywhere until you tell me to,” I explained as we maneuvered around the running children and made our way back to the Jeep.
After opening her door and watching Zeus climb into the back, I waited for her to break the connection between us. She seemed reluctant to drop my hand, and I smiled before kissing the back of it and helping her into the front seat. She gave me a radiant smile as I waited for her to secure her seatbelt, then with a quickness, I walked around the front and got into the driver’s side.
“Why do I always feel so comfortable around you?” she asked as I backed out of the parking space and pulled away from the small park.
“Because you know, deep down, I’d never do anything to hurt you. You know I’m a safe person and that gives you the ability to relax and enjoy the moment.”
“I guess,” she said as I made my way back through town.
Pulling into her driveway, I turned the vehicle off and twisted in my seat so I could look at her. She seemed a little nervous, so I had to ask, “Are you afraid of me, darlin’?”
She snapped her head to me and responded, “Of course not. I . . . I just don’t know what to do next.”
“You don’t have to do anything. We’re going to go inside, grab something to drink, and have a smoke in the backyard. That way, we can talk, or not, but at least I know you’re relaxed. I never want to be a source of your pain or uncertainty. I never want to cause you stress. My only goal here is to reunite you and Hailey, and maybe in the process, heal some of the wounds you both carry.”
Without warning, she leaned over the center console and placed a soft kiss on my bearded cheek. It was a brief but powerful show of emotion and just as suddenly, she returned to her seat with a cute blush on her face.
“I’m sorry,” she explained and tried to turn her head away.
I kept her gaze on me as I gently replied, “Don’t apologize for such a pure showing of affection.”
“I . . . I don’t even know where that came from,” she quietly admitted, and I offered her a smile with a wink.
“It came from the heart, and I’ll never turn it down. Just so you know.”
She lightly smacked my shoulder, and I took that as my cue to break the tension. I opened the driver’s door and walked around the vehicle to open hers. She took my extended hand and climbed down before turning to wait for Zeus. The red Doberman followed closely behind us and onto the front porch.
Stella unlocked the door, and I followed her into the small living room. I hadn’t noticed when I first arrived but there was a picture on the wall of who I could only assume was Stella holding a young Hailey. She tracked my eyes and smiled.
“I found a picture of us at his house and I’ve taken it everywhere with me. It was the only picture I had of her.”
Slowly, I leaned over and whispered, “If you come back with me, I’ll take a thousand pictures of the two of you.”
“You make it tough to say no,” she reasoned and turned toward the kitchen.
Zeus was sitting patiently next to his bowl as she refilled it with food and fresh water while I watched. Leaning against the doorway, I observed as she gave her companion head scratches and removed his leash before turning her attention back to me.
“I may have some more questions. Is the offer still open to ask them?”
“Always. I’ll never lie to you, and I’ll always be here to help. Even if you decide not to come back right now.”
She walked to me and slowly reached her hand out. I smiled as I linked our hands, knowing each second together was bringing us closer. I wished we could have been closer all those years ago, but she was traumatized from years of abuse, and I was trying to find a path away from the darkness.
We weren’t ready for each other then, but if I had my say, we’d have forever to make up for lost time.
I opened the back door, and she walked outside and into the sunlight. She shielded her eyes from the brightness with her hand as she took a seat under the umbrella. She was so beautiful as she closed her eyes and let the light breeze blow over her.
“I need to grab something from my bike. Will you be okay for a few minutes?” I asked from the open doorway.
“I’ve survived this long alone, so I guess I’ll be okay for the next few minutes,” she returned, and I wrinkled my face with a smile.
She grinned, and I took that as my moment to run outside. I had two saddle bags on my bike and quickly, I reached inside and took out my duffle bag from one side and my weapon from the other. I never traveled unarmed, but I didn’t want to see her for the first time with a gun strapped to my hip. Letting myself back inside, I saw Zeus walk into the doorway then turn away, uninterested in me, apparently.
That was good. The dog already knew I wasn’t a threat, so now, I just had to work on tearing down some of the protective walls Stella had built around herself. Her phone was still on the dining room table, and I dropped my bag onto the kitchen floor, leaving my gun on the table and picked up her phone.
When I walked back outside, I saw her with her head resting against the back of the chair and her face tilted toward the shaded sun. She heard me and turned to watch as I walked to the table and took a seat next to her.
