71. Hawk
“Your server will be right with you.”
The hostess who had shown us to our table smiled at me, then turned to leave, but not before casting one more withering glare at Wren.
It was something I had noticed since we had left her place a little over thirty minutes ago. The people in this town were weird as fuck. Every single person that we passed all seemed to stare at Wren. The couple walking their dog outside her house paused their conversation, their eyes lingering on Wren and me as I helped her into the truck. The man and woman exiting the restaurant just as we were about to enter both actually froze halfway out the door, their surprised faces turning our way before they both scuttled off, their heads bent close together as they whispered furiously.
And then there was our hostess, a young woman who had seemed polite and professional enough when I’d first entered, but whose demeanor had shifted rapidly once she noticed Wren standing by my side.
I didn’t understand it, but I really didn’t fuckin’ like it.
“This place is so fancy,” Wren said, reaching out to run her fingers over the heavy silverware lined up on the table.
“It was the nicest place I could find without leaving the time zone,” I joked, but that wasn’t really far from the truth.
The town of Grand Rapids, Minnesota, was not exactly a hive of high society and bustling entertainment. The best restaurant in town was situated on the main floor of an old hotel, something with colonial vibes and dated black-and-white photos on every wall. The restaurant tried to pass itself off as somewhat Italian, but only ended up looking like it was trying too hard.
But they had clean plates and low lighting, and I was more than happy to sit at the table and stare at Wren in her killer dress no matter how shitty the food might end up being.
We sat awkwardly, like neither of us could come up with a way to start the conversation, so instead we just stared, Wren playing with the silverware, me, drumming a gentle beat on the table with my fingertips.
There was a soft hum of conversation around us, every person in the restaurant cutting their eyes to our table when they thought I wasn’t looking.
And for the first time in a very long time, I didn’t think it was me that they were looking at.
“That was very nice of you,” she said quietly after the waiter had introduced himself and then gave Wren an assessing look that held more surprise than contempt, so I didn’t feel the need to feed him my fist. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen Cooper that excited.”
“It was nothing,” I said, shrugging awkwardly.
“I know you think that,” she replied, looking at me with seriousness. “But it was absolutely something.”
I frowned, tilting my head to one side as I tried to gauge the tone of the conversation.
Because Wren seemed pissed.
“I just wanted to make her happy, Bird.”
“I know, Hawk. I get that. But we talked about you buying her affections.”
“I didn’t spend a dime,” I insisted, holding my hands up. “I literally just made a phone call to an acquaintance.”
“Well, what’s just a phone call to you is a life-changing event for a thirteen-year-old girl. Please, try to rein it in, alright?”
Shaking my head, I stared at her in disbelief.
“I don’t understand what the problem is, Wren. She likes the band. I know the guys, so I called them up.”
“The problem, Hawk,” she said, her words low, but filled with venom, “is that you used your connections and celebrity to give her something that no other kid in this state could possibly have. That’s damaging.”
“How is giving her something awesome damaging? I may have only been a parent for a hot minute, but I thought that was the idea. Give them all the shit you never got.”
“That is,” Wren started, then paused, looking around and noticing the wait staff standing by the kitchen door, staring. “Listen, I don’t want to hash this out publicly. This is supposed to be a pleasant evening.” She sounded like she thought the whole idea of a pleasant evening with me was a joke. “We can talk about it later.”
“Fine.”
“Fine.”
We didn’t speak again until the waiter came back over, standing next to the table in his vest and tie, ready to take our order. I ordered the ribeye with baked potato and a side of grilled veg.
Then it was Wren’s turn, but instead of placing her order, she stared at the menu, her nose scrunched up in concentration as she fidgeted in her seat.
“Do you have a question about the menu?” the server asked, his tone bored.
“It’s just...a lot,” she finally said, her gaze flicking to me and then back down to the leather folder in her hands.
It took me a second, but I finally caught on to what her issue was.
“Bring us an order of the lasagna,” I said, pulling the menu out of her hands and handing it back to the waiter. “And the pan seared halibut. We’ll also take the lamb chops, medium, and a second ribeye, same as the first order. Thanks.”
He stared at me in shock, his mouth open like a fish, before he finally nodded and hustled back to the kitchen to place our order.
“What the hell was that?” Wren demanded, her own face a bit shocked.
“You were having trouble deciding, so I just got you a little of everything.”
“That’s ridiculous, Hawk. We don’t need all that food! We’ll never eat it.”
“So you eat what you like and take the rest home. Everyone loves leftovers.”
She just stared at me, the cute little furrow between her eyebrows making me want to reach out and touch it.
“Hawk.” Her voice was softer this time. “It’s just too much. I can’t—I mean, you don’t have to—”
“Bird,” I said, cutting her off. “I told you I was taking you on a date, so that’s what I’m doin’.”
She frowned again, her eyes narrowed at me before she heaved a sigh and looked away.
“Why don’t you tell me what’s really bothering you so we can clear the air.” This date really wasn’t going the way I’d hoped. She’d gone from pissed at me to, well, pissed at me, but for a different reason.
“It’s just so expensive,” she finally admitted, her face heating. “I would never in my whole life spend frivolous money on a meal at this restaurant and you just ordered five.”
“Okay,” I said slowly. “And what about that bothers you?”
She took a deep breath, her shoulders rising sharply with the effort.
“I don’t like you spending money on me. On us.”
There it was. There was the reason she was being so antagonistic.
Wren was uncomfortable about money. Or, more likely, the fact that I happened to have more than she did.
“Bird,” I said, reaching across the table and placing my hand over hers, stilling her fingers where they had been continuously toying with the tines of her salad fork. “I have a lot of money.” She frowned at me, trying to pull her hand back, but I curled my fingers around hers, refusing to lose the connection between us. “I’m not saying that to be an asshole. It’s a simple fact. I have worked my ass off for the last twenty-five years, and the result of that shows in my bank balance.”
“You’re not making this better, Hawk,” she grumbled, giving me side-eye, and I chuckled.
“During all that time, I spent a lot of money on some seriously stupid shit.” More facts, unfortunately. Wren let out a derisive laugh. “No, I mean it. I’ve made and lost more money than most people could ever see in a lifetime. I’ve bought expensive shoes and beach houses and vintage guitars I’ll never play and over-sized watches I’ll never wear. All of it a complete and total waste. Aside from what I’ve spent on my mom, I have nothing of value to show for my life.”
I watched as her face softened, her surly discomfort morphing into tender compassion, and I smiled at her.
“There is nothing in the world I want more than to spoil you, Wren. You and Cooper. Please, don’t tell me I can’t, because I have missed so fuckin’ much, baby. So many moments and memories. Time I’ll never get back. Let me make it up to you guys the only way I know how.”
“Hawk,” she said, her voice breathy with emotion as her tear-filled eyes gleamed in the candlelight. “All we ever wanted was you. Your attention and your time. To us, that’s worth more than all the watches and fancy shoes in the world. Just be here.”
“You want my time? You got it, baby. Every fuckin’ second.”