He’d been thirteen, and raw from his father’s abuse. Cubby had found a place to hide under the jetty, and HRH had found him there. He didn’t know to this day why she’d been there, and she’d never asked why he was, but he guessed she’d somehow known. She had climbed under and started talking to him about choices and what his future held, and the direction she believed he should take. It was one of those moments you share with a person you will never again be close to, and he remembered to this day what she’d told him.
“Leave the past behind and walk forward with your head held high into the future.”
Her smile softened her face, and because of its rarity Cubby was momentarily speechless. She patted his cheek and then without another word she went back to the book club and he stood there wondering what the hell had just happened.
He fumbled for the door and finally got it open.I saw something in you from the beginning that your father never had.First Katie, then Jake, and now HRH, all telling him he was different; but believing their words was another matter. His father had told him, and his mom occasionally, that he was a replica of the man he’d hated since he was old enough to realize what a shithead he was. They’d thought it was their secret, him and Leigh, that no one else in Howling knew what went on behind the closed doors of the Hawker household, but as Cubby grew older he realized that wasn’t the case.
Jake, Buster, or Newman’s parents had often dropped by, asking his mom or dad to let him sleep over, and not just him; Leigh was always included in that invitation. Cubby knew now they were protecting the Hawker siblings as best they could. His mother too, she’d had friends, lots of them, always stopping by, and when Cubby had got over the humiliation, he’d been humbled to realize that these families had played a part in making him and his brother the men they were today. Patrick McBride used to tell them that being a gentleman was important.A man with manners is always one step above one without them, he used to say.
He should get in his cruiser and leave, but instead his feet carried him to the barn as he thought about HRH and what he now acknowledged was the protection they received from the people of Lake Howling. Maybe he had subconsciously known, and becoming a police officer was his way of paying them back. Shaking his head, he decided that was enough deep thinking for one day, especially as he still had two grieving families who wanted answers and a town on high alert.
Cubby told himself he needed to see Jake about something before heading back to the case. A child’s shriek greeted him at the door, and as Rose was less than a month old, it wasn’t hers. Entering, he found children in two lines, twelve of them, and the two McBride siblings standing before them. As their backs were to Cubby, he placed a finger on his lips to keep the kids quiet and slipped into the barn.
“Jake’s going to rush at me and I’m going to disarm him,” Katie said.
“Awww, do I have to?”
Jake’s whiny tone had the kids laughing.
Cubby saw Rose’s baby buggy and a small fist waving in the air, so he headed over to check she was okay. Her eyes looked at him, focused but not really, so he lowered his head till she locked on to him. He took the fist in his, rubbing a thumb over the soft skin of the back of her hand. So small, he thought, and fragile. How the hell did you keep something this size safe?
He let Rose grip his finger, then turned to watch the action. This close there was no mistaking the McBride siblings’ resemblance. Jake was taller and had a bigger frame, but they both had the broad shoulders and dark features. Cubby ran his eyes over the fitted white exercise top and down the line of Katie’s back, resting briefly on her cute ass encased in black stretchy tights.
“Just do it, Jake, for pity’s sake!”
Katie was acting up now, hands on hips as she glared at her brother, and the kids loved it. Especially Mikey Tucker in the front row. These were his people, so he was looking pretty proud.
“All right, but don’t hurt me.”
Katie rolled her eyes, then turned her back on her brother. She pretended to walk away from him, her body one fluid motion that had Cubby uncomfortable in seconds, then Jake crept up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. Katie jabbed him with her elbow, stomped on his foot, then brought her hand back into his groin, the latter luckily not hard, but it still had Cubby wincing as Jake released her and bent at the waist. The children all clapped loudly.
“Let me be clear here,” Katie said, ignoring her groaning brother. “A large part of self-defense has nothing to do with hitting or striking another person. It involves being aware of your surroundings, listening to your gut, leaving before a problem erupts, using a confident voice and carrying yourself with confidence. The stuff Jake and I are teaching you is a last resort or if you are attacked, and is not to be used in the playground at school.”
She was so sexy when she was in cop mode. Maybe it was because he was one, but whatever it was, she got to him. It was just lust, but hell, he had it bad.
Jake saw him as he straightened and came over.
“She nearly turned me into a eunuch.”
“I think if she’d wanted to, you’d be one.”
“Yeah.” He looked at his sister, who was showing the kids more moves. “She’s pretty impressive.” Cubby saw the pride.
“She is, and about that, Jake.” Cubby suddenly had all of Jake’s attention.
“Yes?”
“We’re spending some time together, and I don’t want you getting bent out of shape about it.”
“If I remember rightly, didn’t I all but give you my permission at the park to spend some time with my sister?”
“This is not the Victorian era, Jake; we don’t need your permission. We’re both consenting adults and this is no big deal. We both have our lives to live, so we’re just going to hang out a bit.”
“Hang out a bit?” Jake shook his head. “You’re real smooth, Sheriff.”
“Yeah, well I just don’t want you making more out of this, because when it’s done, we will still be friends.”
“What precisely is it?” Jake tilted his head slightly.
