Chapter Four
After dancing for well over an hour, Hawk spun Katie toward the bar, where he ordered them a couple of extra sodas, as theirs had already disappeared. He didn’t know who had taken them, but he was not going to worry about it.
With a couple of sodas in hand, the inside of the bar was way too hot, and he took her hand, leading her out into the garden. There were a couple of empty tables, and he helped her sit down before sliding in opposite her.
“It’s a lovely night,” Katie said.
“Yeah, it is.” He wasn’t interested in looking up at the sky. His only focus was on the woman right in front of him.
The dress she wore was stunning and molded to the curves of her body, but it wasn’t too tight and not revealing.
He’d been around a lot of women who wore a hell of a lot less.
She looked amazing. Her hair was down, with a few strands pulled back from her head in a small clip.
He also loved the touch of the boots. Everything about her was stunning. He couldn’t get enough of her.
“You’re a good dancer,” Katie said.
“You’re not too bad yourself.”
She laughed. “This is fun. Have you been on many dates?”
“No.”
“No? You expect me to believe that? A big hotshot like you.”
“Uh, that’s the thing, I don’t need to go on dates. Women just kind of throw themselves at me.”
“Ah, and you don’t like that?” she asked.
“It was fun in the beginning. A lot of fun, but the thing is, without any real connection, there is nothing.” He shrugged.
That was the truth. He didn’t know exactly when he woke up.
He looked out of his penthouse apartment window at the world and realized he had a large company, and no one.
He didn’t have a wife or a family, nothing.
The women were there for the easy life. It was a harsh reality, but one he accepted.
He hadn’t been looking for deeper connections, unlike now.
There hadn’t been anyone that he wanted. Until now.
Well, he had wanted Katie, but he hadn’t given that a shot in high school. Besides, when he had been willing to give it a chance, he had realized Adam and Katie were more than just friends, they were a couple. He wasn’t going to do that to a friend. Leaving was the best way.
“That’s why I stopped dating. It was awful. I did the whole online dating, putting myself out there, thinking it was the right way to meet people, to meet the right guy, but so many people lie about who they are.” She sighed. “It’s hard out there.”
“Yeah, it makes me wonder how they did it in the past, you know? Did they just bump into someone, apologize, and go for coffee?”
She laughed. “You do realize that is what happened with us.”
“Yeah, but I bet now you’re wondering was that a genuine bump, or accidentally on purpose.”
“Oh,” she said. “Okay, now you have me thinking.”
“It was an accident.”
“Yeah, well, you used to bump into me all the time in high school. It was like you didn’t see me.”
“I saw you,” he said. He looked up and noticed the look of shock on her face. “Yeah, I saw you, Katie. It’s why I bumped into you. You didn’t see me, though, did you?”
“Hawk?”
“I liked you, you know, back in high school. I liked you a lot.”
“You had the cheerleaders wrapped around you.”
“True, but it wasn’t them I wanted.”
“You’re trying to tell me you wanted ... me?” Katie asked.
He could lie and tell her he was joking around, but why would he do that? Why would he lie? There was no point in lying or hiding from the facts. He wanted Katie more than anything.
“Yeah, I am,” he said.
She didn’t say anything at first. He had surprised her. “I have no idea what to say. That’s why you bumped into me?”
“I tried on several occasions to talk to you.” He chuckled. “You know what the crazy thing is? I even told Adam.”
“You told Adam that you ... wanted me?” This made her frown.
“Well, not exactly. Back then, you were this girl. I told him there was this girl I wanted to talk to—that I liked and was crazy about—but I couldn’t talk to her.
He said that no girl is hard to talk to.
Of course, when he learned it wasn’t one of the cheerleaders, he laughed at me and said I was being stupid.
If it wasn’t a cheerleader I was worried about, most girls would be ecstatic to have a guy like me wanting to talk to them. ”
“You were talking about me?”
“Yeah, and I didn’t know at the time that you and him were dating.”
“Adam was amazing,” she said.
He nodded. “That he was, but it didn’t matter, whenever I saw you, I was still an asshole, still just bumped into you or shoved your books to the floor. I never talked to you, or ... you know, told you I liked you.”
“Wow, I’m a little ... I really don’t have a clue what to say.”
“You don’t need to say anything.” He laughed. “I’m just letting you know how I felt, you know. Just letting it out there.”
“Thank you.” She reached across the table and placed her hand on top of his. “I feel really bad, because through high school, I really didn’t feel anything for you.” She winced. “You were an asshole.” She cringed. “I’m so sorry.”
He laughed. “Please, that is all water under the bridge, and honestly, I do not blame you at all. I was an asshole, and I accept that.” He winked at her. “Besides, I’m talking to you now, right? I finally got you on that date I always wanted.”
She smiled. “Yeah, I guess you did.”
“And I can tell you now that you looked amazing at prom.”
This made her look up. “What?”
“At prom. I saw you. You looked amazing. So beautiful, and you blew me away.”
“I was with Adam,” she said.
“I know. He was the luckiest guy in the world.”
Her smile, even now, lifted his whole heart and filled his world. He picked up his soda and took a drink. He had never intended to ever tell her about his feelings. That was all supposed to remain a secret, but the moment he started to talk, he couldn’t stop himself.
They finished their sodas in the beer garden, and rather than return to the bar, they made their way back to his truck.
“Isn’t this the truck you used to drive around in during high school?” she asked.
“It sure is. You recognize it?”
“Yeah, I do.”
“It’s my dad’s. I need to get a car of my own.”
“Why?”
“So I’m not always riding in my dad’s truck.”
“I don’t know, I think this is kind of cool.”
He helped her inside and rounded the car, loving the fact she thought his truck was cool.
Get over yourself. You’re a thirty-five-year-old man. Stop it.
Climbing behind the wheel, he pulled out of the bar. “Are you hungry?”
“Yeah, I am.”
“Let’s go and grab a couple of burgers.”
There was a small drive-thru just out of town that tended to be open through the night and early morning. They tended to the night shift customers, and anyone who had a craving for a juicy, grease-laden burger. Which happened to be him and Katie right now.
It was still warm out, so grabbing their burgers from the drive-thru, they moved to the trunk of the truck, and he lowered the back.
Hawk couldn’t believe that seventeen years later, he actually had Katie on a date, eating burgers out of the back of his truck.
They looked up at the stars, and there was not much conversation, just pointing out the constellations.
It was fun. Strangely calming. After they finished their food, they watched the sky for a while, but then it was time to take her home.
He didn’t want to, but he had no choice.
It was the adult, responsible thing to do.
He parked outside her house and walked her to the front door. She already had a key in hand.
“I had a great time tonight, Hawk. Thank you.”
He was going to turn around and just leave her, nod his head, play it cool. But after over seventeen years of wanting, that wasn’t going to cut it, so he put his hand on her waist, leaned in close, and finally kissed her.
****
“Mom, come on, stop it.”
“I cannot help it, Katie. I want to know all the details.”
“I told you the details. We had an amazing night, and then it ended with a kiss. That was all, just a kiss at the door.”
“And?” Ana asked.
“Mom, come on. Shouldn’t you be acting all overprotective and giving me a lecture on allowing a guy to kiss me on the first date?”
“No, that is your father’s domain,” Ana said.
“Don’t bring me into this. I, for one, am so freaking happy you went on a date, and that Hawk had the balls to actually kiss you,” Kyle, her loving father, said. He came into the kitchen and kissed her cheek. “I like Hawk. He’s a good man.”
“Dad, you barely know him.”
“He’s had some hard times just recently, and rather than think he can handle it all on his own, he’s back home.
He came home to his family, and you know he didn’t have to.
We all know what a success story he was, and the fact the kid hated this town.
Yet, he’s back. I think I heard him talking with Mayor Stevens about the upcoming summer fair, as well as the Halloween thing they’re planning. ”
“He shouldn’t be working,” Katie said.
“It’s not work if it is something you love, and it gets you out of the house. Trust me, Hawk looks damn happy.”
“And it’s probably because of that kiss,” Ana said.
“Good point,” Kyle said.
Katie looked between her two parents. “Are you kidding me right now? Shouldn’t you guys be panicking about your only daughter kissing a guy?”
“When you were under the age of eighteen and didn’t know what good choices were, then I could worry and threaten to kill every single asshole who walked through that door.
You married Adam, you made good choices.
You’re thirty-five years old, and I trust you to make good choices.
You don’t like Hawk, you won’t date him, and you won’t give him a chance to kiss you.
” Her dad moved closer to her. “I trust you, Katie, and if you let Hawk kiss you, then I know he’s a good guy. ” He kissed her cheek.
The doorbell rang.
It was Sunday. Her date with Hawk had been Friday.
He came by the shop on Saturday, but there hadn’t exactly been a chance to talk as it had been so busy.
The gift shop got like that from time to time, with so many visitors, and she wasn’t going to complain.
They didn’t even get their regular lunch break.
Hawk helped her out, and they had no choice but to have separate lunches.
“I’ll get it,” she said, leaving the kitchen where her mother was putting the finishing touches on the salad.
She went to the door, without even looking through the peephole to see who it was.
However, she was shocked as she opened the door, and there, standing before her, was the man himself.
Hawk Masters, dressed in jeans and a plain black shirt, with his hair pushed to the side. He held a small bouquet of flowers.
“Hawk,” she said.
“Your mom invited me to Sunday lunch.”
“Hawk, it is so nice to see you,” Ana said.
“Hello, Mrs. Smith.”
“Please call me Ana, and I know my husband, you can call him Kyle.”
Katie was more than a little surprised.
Her mother pulled Hawk inside the house and immediately wrapped her arms around him. With Hawk not able to see her, she mouthed words at her mother. What the hell. She glared at her mother, without making a single sound.
Ana rolled her eyes. Trust me.
Her own parents were attempting to set her up. Rather than be angry at them, she kept a smile on her lips as Hawk turned toward her.
“These are for your parents,” Hawk said, pushing the flowers away from his body.
“They’re beautiful,” Ana said, taking them. “Let me go and put these in some water.”
“Hawk, my boy, you want to come and watch the game with me?”
Katie had never gotten into sports with her father, but he loved it all.
“Uh, yeah, sure.” Hawk looked toward her.
“Katie will show you to the sitting room in a moment. I’ll let you get caught up.”
And just like that, she and Hawk were alone. “You never told me you were invited,” she said.
“It happened last night. There was no time to talk to you, and I don’t have your cell phone number, and it seemed really rude to ignore, you know?”
Her parents had cornered him.
“It’s okay that I’m here, right? If you would like me to come up with some excuse, I can do that, and you won’t have to see me.”
“No, no, it’s fine.” She smiled at him. “It’s good to see you.”
“It’s good to see you too.”
“I better take you to my dad,” she said, making her way toward the sitting room. She didn’t have to worry about her dad and Hawk, since the moment the two of them were in a room, it was like they hit it off right away.
She stayed for a moment to watch, then she made her way into the kitchen.
“I know you’re upset, but hear me out,” Ana said. “You’ve gotten into a rut. You stopped dating.”
“Mom, please.”
“There is no rule to say you can’t date a guy you like. Hawk is available, as are you.” Ana moved toward her. “I know at times you feel guilty. Adam was a big part of your life, but trust me on this, he asked us to take care of you.”
Katie looked to her mother. “He did?”
“Yes, Adam told us you would be stubborn and would probably try not to date, or you’d hold another person at arm’s length because you felt guilty.
That man loved and adored you, and he knew you better than you knew yourself.
He asked us to help you move on. I’ve never seen you so happy as I have in the past few weeks, with Hawk stopping by and working with you at the shop.
That means something.” Her mother kissed her cheek. “Give it time.”
Hawk was sending her body into a whirlwind. From the kiss she couldn’t stop obsessing about, to being able to talk to him about anything. She couldn’t help but glance across the room at the small table out in the hallway, which had her and Adam’s wedding photo. Adam looked back at her with a smile.
“You’re going to have to meet someone.”
“Adam, stop it.”
“You’re too damn young to not. I refuse to let you .
.. not fall in love. Katie, there is another man out there who needs to know how great you are.
A man who will fall madly in love with that damn smile.
Who will just ... they will want you, and you are going to want them, and that is exactly what I want you to do.
Fall in love with someone else. Not forget about me, because I’m unforgettable.
But love, have kids. Be with someone who has no fear like I do.
I didn’t want to leave you alone. I love you, Katie. ”
She pulled out of the memory and took a deep breath.
Katie never for a second thought she could ever feel anything for anyone else. All her life, it had all been Adam. He’d made her heart race, got the butterflies dancing in her stomach, and now she was feeling that way about Hawk, it was crazy.
But she couldn’t deny that she liked those feelings.