Chapter 7
CHAPTER SEVEN
JACK
“There are very few who have heart enough to be really in love without encouragement.”
~ Charlotte Lucas
I straightened up slowly from the table where I’d been delivering Betty Ann Wolff’s bill.
Everyone in the restaurant was shocked into silence at Hawk’s outburst, but I barely noticed anyone other than Hawk himself.
His anger radiated off him so much so that he reminded me of the prickly pinecones we’d fallen into on the trail to Balderdash Peak…
Only this particular pinecone had been launched fast-pitch-style at my heart.
He shot me a glare and stormed out of the restaurant, setting the bells on the door jangling, and disappeared down the street.
What the fuck had just happened?
If I’d hoped that Hawk’s outburst on the trail yesterday was a onetime thing or that his knife-throwing adventure might calm him down and get him back on track, today had shown me how naive that was. He’d been simmering all morning, and now…
Hawk Sunday didn’t make big dramatic exits. He didn’t lose his temper. And he most certainly didn’t tell the whole world he was a virgin in search of a… devirginator.
Webb’s eyes snapped to me.
I held up my hands. “I didn’t do anything. I promise!”
Instead of being angry like I assumed he would be, he looked confused. “Do anything about what? What was that all about?”
The reality of the situation pressed down on me until I felt like I could barely breathe. Hawk was going to be mortified by his public display as soon as he calmed down and realized what he’d said in front of half the town.
I also remembered him saying one of the things he was angry about was that everyone was making a big deal about his anger. I figured most people were surprised and worried like I was, but I wanted to put the other Hollowans on notice just in case.
“Nothing to see here, people,” I announced to the restaurant in a firm voice. “Please respect Hawk’s privacy and allow him to have a bad day without spreading it around town. Understood?”
A few people nodded half-heartedly.
I looked longingly toward the front door again, my heart urging me to go after Hawk and comfort him. But the look he’d given me suggested that Hawk wouldn’t find my presence comforting, and I couldn’t leave the rest of my employees and my business in the middle of the lunch rush.
I picked up Hawk’s apron and bolted for the kitchen. “Back to work,” I snapped at Crys as I passed her.
I headed for an empty prep table in the back corner of the room and started measuring out ingredients for cinnamon rolls. I could make this recipe on autopilot, and working the dough was the perfect way to keep my hands busy while I figured out what the hell I was supposed to do now.
I should have anticipated that I wouldn’t be alone for long.
“What the hell was that about?” Webb demanded, following me to the kitchen. He still looked confused and maybe a little outraged. “I’ve never in my life seen Hawk blow up like that, much less in public.”
Since a good offense was often the best defense, I crossed my arms and glared at him. “If I recall, he was angry at you for flaunting your new, energetic relationship with everyone.”
Webb’s eyes flared, but his neck turned red with embarrassment, which was confession enough.
“What the hell’s that supposed to mean? And don’t think for one minute that I’m going to feel guilty for loving my husband whenever and wherever he’ll let me because that man is the greatest gift of my life and—”
I held up a hand to stop him. “Yes, yes. Spare me, okay? We know you got drunk and tripped into the perfect life partner. Good for you. Not all of us are lucky enough to blow the bugle with a handsome stranger who just so happens to be our soul mate—”
“You make it sound dirty,” he muttered.
“—so forgive Hawk for having a moment of envy. He’s obviously ready for a relationship, and it’s not exactly easy to find one here in this tiny town.”
“Like you’d know,” Webb said with the hint of a grin. “You haven’t been interested in finding a partner since I’ve known you.”
I rolled my eyes. “I’ve dated plenty of people since moving here.”
“Hardly,” he scoffed. “You’ve had sex with people. There’s a difference. I tried to set you up with Knox, and you had zero interest—”
“In dating your brother who was already in love with Gage?” I folded my arms over my chest again. “How was that going to work?”
“Well, I didn’t know about his feelings for Gage at the time,” Webb said reasonably. “But there were other guys. People who would be interested in a relationship—”
I shook my head. “Nooo. Nope. I do not need or want a relationship, thank you. Plucking out your beating heart and handing it to someone is a recipe for disaster. I’ve seen it time and time again.
You struck gold with Luke, sure, but remember the debacle before that?
No.” I shook my head. “I have close friends who are there for me. I have my mom. I have this place, which takes up most of my time and energy.” I spread my hands to encompass the whole restaurant. “That’s plenty.”
Webb leaned back against a wall where a laminated placard of sanitation procedures hung. “Being a workaholic isn’t doing you any favors, Jack.”
“A refrain I hear often enough from my mother, thank you very much. Besides, why are we talking about me? Hawk is the one who needs our help, Webb. He’s having a rough time.”
Webb shook his head. “I just don’t know what’s gotten into him lately.
He’s consumed with stopping the Fogg Peak development, he’s spending all his time with this new server of yours, and now he’s telling the entire world he’s a virgin?
” He peered at me for a moment. “The way he said it, he kind of made it sound like it was your fault. Are you…?”
“What? No!” I barked immediately. “No, I swear it. I haven’t touched him.”
“Whoa!” Webb’s eyes widened. “Of course you haven’t!
God. I would never think that. I was gonna say, are you upset at him for taking out his anger on you?
It’s not cool, especially when you’ve gone above and beyond to bring him under your wing and be a mentor to him all these years.
I apologize on his behalf. I really thought the kid was more mature than that. ”
Oof. I’d known that Webb was overprotective, but hearing him talk about Hawk and our friendship that way made my heart squeeze.
“That man is mature as fuck,” I shot back.
“I don’t need or want you to apologize for him.
And don’t make it sound like I’ve been doing Hawk a favor for the past seven years because that’s bullshit.
He’s smart. And hilarious. Hardworking. Reliable.
Kind—and I mean, kind down to his bones, Webb.
I trust him more than anyone on this Earth, and I love spending time with him.
And if you were spending time with him rather than blowing bugles and fucking people in orchards, you might get to know the adult he’s become rather than assuming he’s the same sweet Hawklet your family’s always known—”
“Okay, hold up!” Webb raised both hands to stop my tirade. “What are you mad at me for? You make it sound like I’m running a one-man whorehouse in my own damn orchard. This was one time, and the only ‘people’ in question was my actual, legal husband.”
The satisfaction contained in that one word made me snicker, despite my annoyance. “You’re really getting off on that, aren’t you? Calling Luke your husband.”
“So freaking much, you have no idea.” Webb’s smile could not be contained.
I had some idea. Webb had been in a really dark place for a long while.
Luke was a good man, a great husband, and a wonderful stepfather to Webb’s son, Aiden.
I was truly happy for all of them. But Webb had been so focused on settling down with his new little family that he’d become a little blind to anything outside of that.
I sighed and moved over to a metal stool to lower myself onto it. “Webb… You need to stop treating Hawk like a kid. Your whole family, really, but especially you. It’s taking a toll on him.”
Webb moved closer and took the other stool. “What’s he said to you?”
“He hasn’t said anything about you specifically,” I hedged.
“But it’s come up in the context of other stuff he’s dealing with.
” I was glad now that I hadn’t told Webb about Hawk’s indecent proposal, but I still wanted to find a way to get the point across.
“He’s a grown man with needs and opinions of his own, and you’ve gotta respect that. ”
“If he wants to be treated like an adult, he needs to act like one,” Webb retorted. “Starting with talking to me about things that are bothering him instead of blowing up and causing a scene at his place of business—”
I shook my head. “Like the way he talked at the town meeting the other night? He said flat out how he felt about the Evola development, and how did you respond? Heck, how did any of us respond?”
Webb opened his mouth, then looked away and shut it again unhappily.
“Exactly. We shut him down and dismissed him. You know how important Fogg Peak was to your dad. It should be no surprise to any of us that it’s important to Hawk, too.”
He set his jaw, and his eyes met mine again. “Obsessing over something simply because our dad valued it isn’t adult behavior—”
“Now you’re just being an ass,” I said mildly. “I seem to recall you picking a fight with the guy who became your actual, legal husband just a few months back because you thought you were going to lose a few feet of land in Sunday Orchard. Remember?”
Webb pursed his lips and said nothing.
“Hawk loves the Hollow, and he’s proud of the Sunday heritage here the same way you are, Webb.
There’s nothing immature about him wanting to be a good steward of the land he feels connected to.
There’s nothing immature about him feeling especially raw because all this is happening right around your dad’s birthday—”
“Ah, shit.” Webb closed his eyes and ran a hand over his face. “I can’t believe I forgot.”
“Uh-huh. And there’s nothing immature about Hawk wanting to have a relationship of his own either… as long as he does it, you know, safely.” Without Grindr.
“Yeah, but still. The kid needs to understand—”
“The man, Webb.” I paused, then added, “And for the record, Hawk’s as much my friend as you are, so think carefully about how you’re gonna end that sentence. I’m not letting you insult him in front of me.”
Webb blinked at me, and I returned his look levelly.
I had no desire to get into an argument with him—having one Sunday pissed at me was plenty, thanks—but I wasn’t sure I could stand to hear Webb discussing Hawk like the man was still a moody teenager without losing my cool.
If Hawk dealt with this all the time… if he thought I was dismissing him the way Webb did…
well, maybe I understood where some of his anger was coming from.
“I’m not insulting Hawk! Jesus. He’s my brother. The very best of us.” Webb sounded horrified. “I love him.”
“I know you do,” I agreed. “Hawk knows it, too. And… maybe that’s why he hasn’t said anything to you.
You and he are more alike than either of you know.
He wants to protect the people he loves, too.
But he does it by keeping his mouth shut when he’s hurt or upset because he doesn’t want to worry anyone. ”
Webb nodded thoughtfully. “Okay, maybe so. I still think he needs to try to understand the benefits of the development, though—”
“I agree with you, and I told him so. It’s not cut and dried.
Hawk gets that there’s more to the issue, but I’m not sure he knows how to reconcile the financial concerns with the environmental.
To be frank… I’m not sure any of us do. We’re all so excited about the potential income and so worried about scaring Evola off, maybe we haven’t thought enough about the environmental aspects.
Maybe if we all listened as much as we talked,” I said pointedly, “we could come up with a good solution. Together.”
He sighed. “I see what you’re saying. I guess we’ve all been busy with other things this year and haven’t paid attention. I definitely haven’t noticed the toll it’s taken on Hawk.”
I reached out to squeeze his shoulder. “Understandable. You were busy getting accidentally hitched. It’s like a damned love fairy has infiltrated this town with how quickly you Sundays are falling these days.”
“True story.” Webb’s face brightened. “Be careful, or the fairy will get you next.”
“Oh, no. I’m not a Sunday,” I murmured, though my heart kicked up an uncomfortable notch. “I think I’m safe.”
“You’re an honorary one.” He smiled ruefully. “Seems like you’ve been a better brother to Hawk than I have these last few months.”
I thought of Hawk’s gorgeous face and the lean strength of his legs peeking out from beneath my sweatshirt.
The luscious curve of his ass and the potent thrill of his laughter.
His eyes gone gold with want and the needy catch in his voice on our last hike when he’d begged for my kiss with a whispered “Please.”
I could say with certainty that brotherhood was not what I felt for him.
“I’m glad he has you.” Webb ruffled my hair playfully and stood.
“And don’t worry too much about the fairy.
Maybe it’ll get Hawk instead. The way he’s putting his personal business out there, I’d be surprised if he doesn’t have several cherry-picking offers by sundown.
” He snorted and headed back toward the diner.
I stared at him in nauseated shock. “A-and you’d be okay with that?” I called. “With him just… just… finding some random guy, and…”
Webb turned before he reached the swinging door, grinning from ear to ear. “Jack, I was kidding! Come on. This is Hawk we’re talking about. The king of romance novels. He’s got standards. He’s not the random hookup type.”
“But—”
“And you call me overprotective.” Webb laughed lightly.
“I might have missed some changes in the ki—the man,” he corrected, “but of all my siblings, Hawk’s the one I’ve never worried about when it comes to dating.
No matter how upset or frustrated he is, unless Mr. Darcy himself comes to Little Pippin Hollow, Hawk’s not going to do anything rash. ”
Webb turned around and pushed his way through the swinging door while I couldn’t help but scream after him in my head, He already fucking has.