“She’s a pescatarian,” Creed said.
“What the hell is a pescatarian?” Hank forked a piece of biscuit drenched in gravy.
“I only eat fish and vegetables.” Livvy’s diamond nose ring sparkled in the overhead light.
“I guess that leaves more for me,” Hank teased. “When did you get your nose pierced?”
“A few weeks ago,” the teen said proudly.
“I want to be a peskytare,” Freya said happily. “I don’t eat meat.”
Helena raised her brow. “That would be your choice, honey, but how does that gravy taste?”
“Delicious,” she spooned up a big bite.
“How about we discuss a pescatarian diet later,” Helena promised.
“It takes a lot of self-discipline.” Mindy shifted Nic in her arms. “I’m proud of Liv for sticking with it. I’ve known a lot of friends who couldn’t last. However, this little guy here is already proving that he’s a meat eater. There’s nothing more appealing than ground up meat.” She wrinkled her nose. “Kind of makes me want to change my diet too.”
“Just like his daddy,” Creed said as he peeked at his son. “Give me steak any day.” He rubbed his stomach.
“Not if I have anything to say about it,” Livvy said. “I’ll show Nic the right way.”
A cell phone beeped and they searched for who would dare bring one to the table at Ma’s house. They all finally turned their stares upon Livvy whose face turned three shades of red.
“Didn’t I tell you no phones at the table,” Creed said firmly.
“Sorry.” The redness disappeared in exchange for a stubborn tilt of her chin. “It’s Alex. I wanted him to call me as soon as he got back from vacation.”
“Well, then,” Abby said, “In that case you must answer Alex’s call.”
Livvy blinked, glancing from Creed to Abby as if they were playing a joke on her. “What?”
“Go on. Answer it,” Abby encouraged.
A delighted smile appeared on her face as she clicked the button. “Hi, Alex.” She pushed back her chair and Abby shook her head, motioning for her granddaughter to stay put.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
Livvy looked at her grandma earnestly. “You said I could speak to him.”
“Yes, I said you could, but I didn’t tell you that you could leave the table. If you feel it’s important enough to bring your phone to the table then it’s important for us all to hear. Put it on speaker, please,” Abby said.
“Dad,” Livvy whined. “Do I have to?”
“Did you hear your grandma?” Creed contained his laughter.
With a frown creasing her mouth, she did as requested. “You’re on speaker, Alex.”
“Hi, Alex,” everyone said from around the table.
“Uhh…hi,” came the boy’s frog-like reply.
“We decided since Livvy felt she couldn’t wait until after breakfast to speak to you that we’d all join in on the conversation,” Abby said.
Crickets.
“Cat got your tongue?” Boone teased.
“I-I…can I call you later, Liv?” Alex asked.
“Yes.” She clicked off and put her phone in her back pocket. “That was embarrassing.” She pushed her eggs around her plate.
“Honey, we’re your family. We’re supposed to embarrass you,” Abby said tenderly. “Now next time remember the rules. This is family time, and we don’t get this very often. Plus, we have guests. I want to welcome Helena and Freya to Hawke Farm.”
*****
Helena had grown up the only child so being at the farm amongst the Hawke brothers and others, she learned how much she missed out on not having siblings. Listening to them chatter about this and that, teasing each other relentlessly, and how they dealt with Livvy regarding breaking the rules about having her phone at the table proved it took a village to raise a child. The love they all had for each other, how much Abby loved each of them, brought a bittersweet tug on Helena’s emotions. What she wouldn’t give to have a piece of this for Freya.
But she could if she stayed. They’d welcomed her to their family.
Was she dreaming?
“You okay?” Hank asked.
“Yes. I’m fine. I love your family,” she admitted.
“We’re not too much?”
“Too much? No. I could listen to you all talk and pester each other all day.” She took a bite of egg and it lodged in her throat when he shifted and his knee brushed hers. He didn’t seem to be affected the same way. What was happening? She knew exactly what was going on.
“Livvy, finish up. We have to get you to the rink,” Mindy said, handing the baby into Creed’s awaiting arms.
The teen didn’t need to be told twice. She scooped up a forkful of egg and shoved it into her mouth then jumped up to make a mad dash for the door. Mindy cleared her throat. “Aren’t you forgetting something?”
“Sorry.” She swiveled on her sneakers and went to Abby and hugged her. “Thank you for breakfast.”
“Anytime, sweetheart.” Abby beamed.
Livvy then gave each of her uncles a fist bump before starting for the door again.
“Forget something else?” Creed thrummed the table.
“Oops.” She bounced over and gave her little brother a kiss on the cheek.
“The plate,” Mindy whispered, ruffling the teen’s hair.
“Fine,” she muttered then took her plate to the kitchen.
“Helena, would you be okay if Freya comes with us? Has she ever ice skated?” Mindy asked.
Helena felt that familiar hesitancy fill her. “No, she hasn’t.”
“I’d love to show her some basics if you’re okay with it. She was looking at Livvy’s old skates yesterday and she seemed interested.”
How could Helena say no? These were opportunities that most children deserved and Freya had been neglected the opportunities. “Freya? Would you like to join them?”
She’d politely held back her anticipation until this. She hopped off the chair, ran over to Helena and gave her a quick kiss and was out the door with Livvy.
“We’ll be back in a few hours.” Mindy bent to give Creed and her son a kiss. “Remember, I put breast milk in the refrigerator,” she reminded him.
“We’ll be fine,” Creed said, looking so fatherly holding the baby.
Helena imagined what Hank would look like holding his own child. A cotton ball lodged in her throat. Was she getting ahead of herself? Was there something in the air in Cooper’s Hawk that made her forget the past?
Once Mindy was gone, Creed got up. “I’m going to take Nic for a nap.”
“Bye, little guy,” Abby said.
“Mind if I steal you away for a bit?” Rusty asked her. “We won’t be too long.”
“Let me clean up this mess—”
“You can go ahead,” Helena offered. “I’ll do the cleaning. After all, it was kind of you to welcome me.”
“Hogwash. We can’t have our guest doing all the dishes,” Abby seemed almost offended.
“I’ll help,” Hank said.
Abby blinked. “Really?”
Rusty stood and opened his palm. “Come along, Miss Abby. I have something I want to show you.”
“Okay.” She stood and laid her napkin onto the table and she was laughing all the way outside.
“They’re a cute couple,” Helena said when she was alone with Hank.
“I don’t know about cute, but they’re definitely happy.”
She stood. “I guess we’d better get this place clean.” Together they gathered dishes and carried them to the sink.
Seventeen
“Ma doesn’t have a dishwasher. She doesn’t see the use.”
Helena laughed. “I don’t mind washing if you’d like to dry. Unless you prefer washing.”
“I’ll do whatever.” He reached for a dishtowel and she started running the water.
“Thank you for inviting Freya and me today. I enjoyed meeting every
one.” She handed him the plate.
“Do you have any brothers or sisters?”
“No.”
Did he catch a sadness to her tone? “Maybe you’re lucky. Mine give me a headache.”
“But you love them, and they love you, obviously.”
He rinsed and dried a glass she handed him then placed it in the cabinet. “Yeah, we like each other a bit.” He winked.
“What if I stay, Hank?” She continued to concentrate on running the sponge over the plate.
He flung the towel over his shoulder and leaned a hip against the edge of the counter so he could see her. “Are you truly considering it?”
“Freya is so happy, and so am I.” She seemed to ponder what she wanted to ask first. “Why are you still single?”
“You mean because an old man like me should be married by now unless there’s something seriously wrong with him?”
She snapped her chin up. “No…that’s not what I meant…”
He chuckled, enjoying the pink tinge that spread over her cheeks. For someone so brave she certainly did have a sliver of modesty. “I wouldn’t blame you for thinking that. Most forty-year olds are married or at least have been there and done that.” He gave a shrug. “I guess I haven’t found the right woman who can accept me for who I am.” He rinsed a glass and set it in the drainer.
“Someone who will accept you for your scars both the visible and invisible?” She kept her eyes lowered to the plate.
“I guess that’s a fair question after you got a glimpse into my…issues.”
“What if you find the right one?” She dropped the plate into the water and it splashed up, splattering them both. “I guess I’m simply curious. Will you still keep a wall up?”
He sighed. “What I witnessed over there was horrific. Terrible. I lost friends, brothers, members of my unit. Then I came home with baggage that most people can never understand. How can I expect anyone to take on those issues too,” he’d said too much. Opened the door to his psyche just a crack.
Then she surprised him by taking his wounded hand into her soft, warm palms. “Hank?”
Warning bells sounded. He should walk away, hurry and close any avenues into his emotions, but he couldn’t resist her. She was a temptation that he wanted, maybe even needed. “Don’t feel sorry for me. I don’t want anyone’s pity.”
“No, you want understanding. I don’t know what you experienced in the past, and I can’t compare my story with yours, but I promise that I do understand loss. First my mother, then Greyson and now my father because he’s in prison. I don’t know how long or if I’ll ever see him again. He made mistakes but I still love him. When I look at you, I don’t see any flaws.” She trailed the tips of her fingers along the back of his hand, pausing at the nubs of his missing fingers. “I see a man who fought for his country and experienced something excruciating. A man who is so generous that he wants to help those around him, although he won’t accept help himself. If a woman can’t handle a nightmare now and again, or a hero, then she doesn’t deserve you. So you’re right, you probably haven’t met the right woman.”
He swallowed against his emotions that were lodged in his throat. His temples ached. He hadn’t opened up to anyone outside of his therapist in years. “Believe it or not, I’m better, I’ve overcome a lot since I’ve been home. My biggest hurdle is—”
“Trusting someone. Right?”
“Damn. You’re right.”
She lessened the gap between them and he caught a whiff of her scent—a soft scent like fresh vanilla cookies or cotton candy. He wasn’t sure what was happening, but he wouldn’t have been strong enough to resist it. Didn’t want to resist it.
She laid her palm against his cheek and held his gaze. “Maybe it’s time to let someone in.”
A chain broke like a dam releasing inside his body. He slipped his hand inside the mass of her silken wavy hair, twisting the strands around his fingers, and gently lifting her face to his. They were within inches of each other and a magnetic draw seemed to wrap around them. He whispered, “You’ve been an enigma to me since the moment I saw you walk into Pelican, all wet and scrawny and defensive. You could hurt me. No, you could kill me with that look. But I’ve never wanted anyone like I want you.”
She stood on tiptoes and pressed her lips to his. At first it was just a simple pressing of lips like sticking a big toe into the water’s edge to test it for temperature. Then he parted her lips with his tongue, sampling the sweet nectar.
Her arms swept up around his neck, slowly and gently as if her own links were breaking free. He smoothed her waves, his fingers catching in the lustrous mass.
“Christ, Helena. You knock me for a loop,” he whispered against her lips, his chest heaving. He pressed his forehead against hers, breathing her in like a powerful inebriant.
“Every warning bell is sounding, telling me to run, but you feel amazing. I haven’t felt like this in so long.”
He lifted her hand to his mouth, kissing her pruned fingers. “You can trust me. I’d never hurt you, or Freya, even if that meant my own death.” Then he turned her hand over, palm up, and kissed the soft skin of her inner wrist. He could feel the fast-paced cadence of her pulse under his lips. The desire he felt seeped through him and into his bloodstream, taking respite in his veins and the thick-walled chambers of his cool heart.
The fingers of her free hand touched his wrist, then dipped into his rolled-up sleeve, her short nails grazing his skin. He let go of her hand and brought his other hand up to cup her cheek.
“I don’t think,” he said, “I’ve ever kissed a woman in my ma’s kitchen.” There was a bit of nervous laughter in his tone.
“I feel special,” she said.
“And truer words have never been spoken, sweetheart.”
Eighteen
Goosebumps splattered her skin, and she rested her cheeks against his chest, hearing the heavy beating of his heart. “I’m so afraid and yet so excited at the same time. Is this normal?”
“Hell, what do I know about normal?” he murmured against her hair.
The door came open and like the Red Sea she and Hank parted and she stuck her hands in the cooling water.
Abby said, “I have amazing news, Hank.”
Helena shifted her gaze to watch him. He didn’t seem the least bit unraveled from their confession while her insides were doing somersaults.
“Rusty has asked me to marry him.”
Laying the last dish in the sink, she gained her composure and turned to tell Abby, “Congratulations. I’m so happy for you.”
“Congrats, Ma.” Hank hugged her.
“I had no idea.” She waved her left hand, showing off the twinkling solitaire. She lowered her hand and looked from Hank to Helena and back to her son, her gaze narrowed and the creases deeper around her eyes. “Are you two okay? I haven’t seen you look so guilty since you broke my china plate, Hank.”
He chuckled. “Ma, we didn’t break anything.”
Rusty stepped forward and laid his hands-on Abby’s shoulders. “Honey, he already knew that I planned to ask. I asked your sons for their permission when I first got here this morning.”
She grinned. “What a gentleman. I guess this is as good a time any to let you know after the wedding we’ll be moving to Florida.”
“What’s that?” Creed asked from the doorway.
All eyes turned to him.
“Son, as you already knew, Rusty asked me to marry him and I said yes. We’ve wanted to mention it before, but no time seemed like the right time, but we’re planning to move to Florida. Rusty has already bought a home there.”
Creed looked like he’d swallowed a frog. “Ma, what about your grandkids?”
“Oh, Creed. We’ll come back to visit, but Livvy is doing great and Nic is still young. I’ll miss them, but Rusty and I both want to explore the sandy beaches and see what life in Florida has to offer. We hope you will understand.” Some of Abby’s joy diminished from her expression.
“Ma, it’s okay. We’re going to miss you, but we also understand you deserve your own life after you’ve given so much to us. Right, Creed?” Hank gave his brother a light push.
Creed shook his head and scraped his fingers down his whiskered jaw. Helena took a step back, feeing like this could very well be a private moment for the family.
“We will miss you, but I do understand. Mindy and I were wanting to tell you all at the right moment too, but I guess no time is as good as the present. Jane called a few days ago and she’s pregnant. She and Jonesy are having a baby. Mindy and I are going to be grandparents.”
“Oh Lord, I’m going to be a great-grandmother?” Abby wobbled and Rusty stepped forward to wrap his arms protectively around her.
“Are you okay, dear?”
“Yes. Yes. In fact, I’m wonderful.” Tears fell down her cheeks. “Creed, I’m so proud. You must be excited.”
“I guess congratulations are in order for you too, Grandpa.” Hank hugged him and pounded him on the back. “Damn, are you really that old?”
“I guess I am.” He looked blown away.
“You’ve added to my joy.” Abby hugged him.
Nineteen
“The avocado toast was a hit, Helena. Good idea,” George said.
“I told you. People love it.”
“Who would have thought adding avocado to the menu at Pelican?” He laughed and removed his apron. “How about I help you close up and we can get done faster.”
“No, you go ahead and go home. You have a wife and kids to get to. I have to wait on Hank any way.”
“I’ll go ahead and hit the road then. Patricia and I always like to take the kids on a Sunday drive since I get off earlier.” He rubbed his hands together.
“Sounds like a great way to spend some time. I’ll see you Tuesday.”
Once he left, she finished up a few things. She’d already turned the sign in the window and was behind the bar washing the last bit of glasses when she heard the bell ding above the door.
“Sorry. We’re closed.” When she didn’t get an answer, she peered across the space of the bar where a man stood in the shadows. She squinted to get a better look, not recognizing the man, or at least he’d never been into Pelican since she’d started working there.
Cowboy Hank (Cooper's Hawke Landing Book 3) Page 15