Page 14 of Hawk

I got up from the table and made my way to the bar. I’d just let the bartender know I wanted twoShiner Bockswhen Mika stepped up to the bar next to me.

“Hey, Hawk.”

“Mika,” I said. “Are you having fun tonight?”

“I am.” He giggled—something I’d never heard before—and I wondered how much he’d had to drink. “It’s my friend Andy’s birthday celebration, so we’re going to dance the night away.”

“That sounds like a fun night.” I smiled at him, hoping I managed to be friendly and completely non-threatening. Maddox had told me that sometimes my smile looked creepy.

He smiled back at me warmly, so I assumed I’d done a decent job this time.

“It is. Are you here by yourself?” he asked.

“No, I’m with a couple of friends. You might’ve met them before.” I motioned over to the table where Wolfe and Crowe were sitting, both of them watching us to see what would happen next.

“I met Mr. Wolfe when I signed up for the class, but I don’t know the other one.”

I grinned at him, amused that he’d called JasonMr. Wolfe. “The other man is Crowe. He runs our tactical training camp out on the edge of town.”

He cocked his head to one side and looked at me. “Wolfe, Gator, Crowe, and Hawk? Do you guys have a weird rule about only hiring people who have animal names?”

I chuckled. “No, we don’t. It just kind of happened. Besides, my last name is Hawkins—not Hawk.”

“Really? What’s your first name?”

“Everyone just calls me Hawk.”

“Hmm.Hawk Hawkins. Interesting. You’ll tell me one of these days, but for now, I need to get back to my friends.”

He walked off without getting another drink, so I had to wonder—had he come over just to talk to me?

I couldn’t know for sure, but even the thought sent me back to my table with a smile on my face.

Chapter six

Mika

“This was one of his favorites.” Mary Ellen held up a blue and gray plaid hat. “He always looked so debonair when he wore it.”

“He did,” I agreed, because he really had. Even toward the end, he insisted on wearing it anytime he left the house.

She gave me a sad smile and added it to the basket of clothes to donate to charity as she reached for another item from the pile on the bed they’d shared—a pile that had been there for months.

“You know there’s no rush to do this. If you’re not ready, it can wait.”

“I know, but he would hate that I’m moping around the house surrounded by his things. He even made me promise to try to find someone else to spend my life with. Can you imagine me at my age dating?” She let out a little sigh and shook her head. “That was the only time I lied to him, you know? When I promised him I’d try to find love again.”

“He just wanted you to be happy,” I said simply.

She took a deep breath and blew it out slowly as a single tear trailed down her cheek. She swiped at the tear and reached for another item of clothing.

“Silly man. I’m perfectly happy on my own.”

“Why don’t you let me box all his clothes up? You can go through all his other things to see what you want to keep, but the clothes are all to be donated.”

“I appreciate the offer, but I think I need to do this. With your help, of course.”

“Of course. Anything you need, I’m here.”

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