Hawk shook his head, worry in his voice. “He hasn’t come in days, maybe even a week, and last time he was here, he seemed… off.”
“He’s a stray cat, babe. Who the heck knows what kind of health problems he, ah…” I broke off with a wince. The last thing I wanted was for Hawk to torture himself thinking of what might have befallen his feral friend. “I mean… he was probably adopted,” I declared. “By the family that bought the house over on Chicory.” I hooked a thumb down the mountain in the direction of town. “You know, I bet that’s exactly what happened. I bet he’s playing with their kids right now.”
Hawk turned his head to give me a withering look that said he knew exactly what I was doing. His lips twitched with amusement. “Golly gee, Jack, do you think so? Or maybe he and the Muellers’ dog have stowed away on a train and are headed out west for a big adventure!” He rolled his eyes. “Maybe with little hobo sticks on their shoulders?"
“Shush,” I grumbled, poking his ribs lightly to make him squirm. “I’d rather think of him that way than have either of us assume the worst.” I paused for a moment. “Though personally I’m voting no hobo sticks, given that Potato lacks opposable thumbs.”
He let out a burst of startled laughter, but a moment later, the laughter ended in a sigh. He pulled my arms more tightly around him. “I know you’re right. You are. But I can’t help worrying. And there’s a part of me that just wants toknow, you know? It’s really rough feeling like the one who’s always…” He swallowed. “Left behind.”
“Ah.” I propped my chin on his shoulder. “We’re not actually talking about Potato, are we?”
“We are!” he protested. Another sigh. “Partly.”
“No word from Reed, I’m guessing?”
Hawk shook his head. “Gage texted. I left him a message. Luke DM’d him on Instagram. Drew sent him an email. Even Porter called to ask him some advice about a literature professor at school he’s got a problem with. And Iknowit’s not super unusual for Reed to go radio silent, sometimes for a lot longer than two weeks. Iknowhe travels constantly and his work keeps him hopping doing...” He turned his head and wrinkled his nose. “What do think-tanks do exactly?”
I shrugged.
“Anyway, I’m sure he’s fine. But it was nice having himhome for a while there, and I… I miss him.” Hawk’s shoulders slumped. “A lot.”
“Uh huh. And?” I prompted.
“And…” Hawk sighed. “I miss Crys. She was a good friend. And I knew she didn’t plan to stay in the Hollow forever, but she left really abruptly.” He glanced up at me, eyes narrowed in annoyance. “She didn’t even give you two weeks’ notice at the diner.”
I stroked a hand down his forearm beneath our shared blanket. “I appreciate your loyalty, baby, but I’m not upset. Shit happens, and we made things work. Van and Ernie at the Bugle, though, they were way worse off. Crysandthat other kid quit right around the same time?—”
“Other-Chris,” he supplied.
“Right. Him. And Van and Ernie were down two barbacks at once."
“Yeah.” Hawk was silent for a moment. “And did you hear Mrs. Nordwick from the Hookers is moving in with her sister in Portsmouth? And Alan Tracey got a job down in Worcester, so he’s leaving too, which means he won’t be able to play Santa in the kids’ play in December and they might have to cancel it? I dunno.” He thumped his fist lightly into my knee. “Change sucks, that’s all.”
Christ. Even after months with Hawk in my life and in my bed, after weeks with my ring on his finger, there were moments when my feelings for this sweet man simply swamped me. He was the kindest, purest soul I’d ever met; a person who cared about not only every square centimeter of Little Pippin Hollow, but every being—whether crotchety human or feral cat—who lived here.
“Sometimes change does suck,” I agreed gently. “Sometimes when relationships change, it means you’re pulled away from the people and places you love, and that’s hard. But I’d argue that sometimes it’s necessary. Things have tochange so you can find the life, thelove, that’s meant for you. Sometimes change is a good thing, baby.”
I bit his shoulder lightly and felt his body come alive, primal need and deep affection arcing like electric currents between us as they always had… or, at least, as they had since I’d pulled my head out of my ass last summer and recognized the beauty in front of me for what it was.
“Welllll, when you put it that way...” Hawk arched his neck, giving me better access to lick over the place I’d bitten. “I suppose there arecertainchanges I approve of,” he conceded. He twisted in my arms and wrapped his arms around my neck. “For example, last year, I wouldn’t have been able to do this.” He pressed a soft kiss to my jaw.
“Mmm. So true. And last yearIwouldn’t have been able to dothis.” I nipped at his lower lip, and when he opened his mouth on a gasp, I cupped his jaw in my hand and tilted his head back to kiss him deeply, savoring the sweet-tart flavor of his moan on my tongue.
When Hawk pulled back, his eyes were glazed and his hands were tangled in my hair. “You make…” He sucked in a shuddery breath. “A compelling argument.”
I laughed. “Very open-minded of you,” I said solemnly, “to admit that you were wrong.”
“Hey! I didn’t saywrong.” He shifted further so he was straddling me. “Just that I’m willing to be convinced that change is good.” His hard cock rubbed against my stomach and he groaned. “Preferably someplace warmer. Preferablynow.”
I didn’t need to be told twice.
Hawk
“And then she fell from the horse, hit her head, and woke up with amnesia?—”
“Hold up,” Jack said from behind me. “Elizabeth Bennetfell from her horse—the spirited thoroughbred she’d insisted on buying because she’s a talented equestrian, with the money that she inherited because she’s secretly a nobleman’s daughter—and gotamnesia?Baby, how long is this book?”
I stifled a laugh as I clomped down the narrow trail in the forest behind our house, with Jack on my heels. The sun was warm enough that I’d stripped off my windbreaker on the wayupthe trail an hour ago, and although the weather forecasters claimed we were in for a cold and snowy November, there was no sign of it on this October day. The air was autumn-crisp, the trees had donned their most colorful leaf-peeping ‘fits, I was feeling pleasantly sore after spending the morning doing dirty things with my fiancé on the hardwood floor and the afternoon hiking—two of my favorite activities ever—and since Jack and I both had the day off, I was looking forward to an extended round two when we got home… in approximately five more minutes.
