Now, he looked toward Adam and knew his friend had been hurting.Adam had wanted a family.He’d wanted kids, he wanted it all.But out of fear, he’d sacrificed all he wanted.Hawk understood it and wished he had been there.
The only trouble with leaving town was, staying in touch happened less and less, and he had lost his friendship with Adam.He’d lost so much in his search to be number one.
Thinking about everything he had experienced, he had to wonder if it was all worth it.
****
The fair was a realhit, and as Katie walked around the storefronts, along with all the food on offer, it was the biggest turnout she had ever seen.She knew that was because of Hawk.She spotted Sarah, his sister, and made her way over to her.
“Hey,” she said.
“Katie, it is so good to see you,” she said, to which Sarah threw her arms around her.“My brother certainly knows how to throw an event, doesn’t he?It makes me think he should have been a wedding planner.”
“Where’s Harry and the boys?”
“Oh, we’re tag-teaming so we can tire them out, so they don’t cause any trouble.The plan is to keep them busy, moving from ride to ride, making them run around, avoiding too much candy, and when it looks like they’re going to fall asleep, plying them with more candy.When we get home, they should be too tired to even complain it is bedtime.”
The whole time Sarah was talking, she had this huge smile on her face and looked so damn happy.
“Boys sound exhausting.”
“Trust me, they are.So exhausting.My advice, if you have kids, try for girls.I don’t even know if there is a special wand, or a special anything, but if you can try it, do it.Girls the whole way, we’re not nearly half as exhausting.”
She couldn’t help but laugh, as Sarah took a bite of her corn dog.“Damn, that is good this year.You want a bite?”
“That’s okay,” Katie said, holding her hands up.
“So, I hear you and my brother are spending a lot of time together.Do you want to talk about that?”Sarah asked.
“He’s a great guy, and he certainly knows what he is doing.”
“That he does.”
Katie looked toward Sarah and saw the sadness sweep over the other woman’s face.“What’s wrong?”Katie asked.
“Nothing.I mean, it’s not nothing, I’m just, he’s always hated this town, yet look at what he can create.He’s a natural, and he nearly died.I think at times, I have to stop telling myself he’s sick, or that something is wrong.I mean, he’s here with us, but it’s just scary to think he might not have been.”
She had not thought of it like that.
“He’s strong, Sarah.I know that.”
“Yeah, he is strong, but that doesn’t mean he might not get bored with all of this and return to work.I know my parents are afraid he will change.”Sarah shrugged.“Sorry, I don’t mean to put this all on you.”
“It’s fine.”
“He cares about you, you know,” Sarah said, changing the subject.
“What?”
“My brother.He cares about you, and when he first came home, he was like the grumpiest bastard on the planet.Then he bumped into you, and I don’t know, you perked him right up.”
“I didn’t do anything.”
“I guess it doesn’t matter what you did.Whatever it was, you saved him.”Sarah glanced over her shoulder and gripped her arm.“That’s me, I’m up.Talk later.”
Katie watched as Sarah went toward Harry and their sons, and she was the one dragging them off to another ride, while Harry looked exhausted.He gave her a wave, then went to grab himself a corn dog.
She walked around the stands, seeing the games, and watching the rides.
