Page 21 of Hawk

“Well, it’s a good thing she was there.”

“It was. It really was. I don’t think he would’ve left if she hadn’t been.”

“I’m almost there, mouse. Will she be okay with you letting me in?”

“I think so. She seems to have calmed down. But maybe I should put her out in the backyard just to be safe.”

“No,” I said firmly. “Don’t open that door. I’ll take my chances. Dogs love me. I’m turning onto Sycamore now, so I’m almost there.”

“Maybe I should put her in my bedroom, just to be safe. She was pretty wound up when he was banging on my door.”

“That’ll work. Just don’t open the doors to the outside until I’m there.”

“Okay, I need my hands to get her situated, so I’m going to hang up now.”

About a minute later, I pulled up in front of a cute little brick rancher and got out of my truck. He must’ve been watching for me because as soon as I stepped up on the porch, the front door swung open. The second I saw him, the training that had been keeping me focused and on task fell away, and without even thinking, I reached for him, pulling him into my arms.

Chapter eight

Mika

The last thing I’d expected was for Hawk to grab me and pull me to him, but the second his arms surrounded me, I felt safe in a way I don’t think I ever had. I let out a deep breath and soaked in the warm feeling of his big, strong body between me and the rest of the world. I’d been afraid he’d be annoyed with me for calling, but instead, he pushed me back and looked down at me with nothing but worry and concern.

“Let’s get you inside where it’s safe.”

I nodded and turned to go back into the house. He followed me in, closing and locking the door behind us.

“I should probably let Seph out. Are you ready to meet her?”

“I am. I want to give her all the pets and scratches for being so brave tonight.”

“I know. I’m so glad she was here. I don’t know what would’ve happened if she hadn’t been. He’s… well, he’s not a good guy and”—I swallowed the lump in my throat—“I don’t even want to think about it.”

“Hey, you’re okay now. She was here, and he’s gone.”

For the first time since he arrived, I actually looked at him. He wasn’t wearing his normal black jeans and a black t-shirt. Instead, he had on a pair of blue jeans, a western-styled button-up shirt, and a pair of boots. All he was missing was a cowboy hat.

“I’m sorry. I interrupted your evening, didn’t I? Tell me you weren’t on a date. You were on a date, weren’t you? I’m so sorry.”

“Mika, take a breath. I wasn’t on a date. We were working security at the rodeo. I was dressed to fit in with the crowd.”

“You were working. That’s even worse. What if your guys need you, and instead, you’re here with me? I’m fine now. You can go get back to work. I’m so sorry.”

“Listen to me. Don’t apologize for calling me when you needed help. I gave you my number, remember?”

“I know, but Seph scared him off, so it wasn’t as much of an emergency as I thought. I’m sor—”

He put a finger on my lips to shush me. “Nope. I told you to call me if you needed me. You needed me, so you called. End of story.”

“Well, thank you for coming, then. Now let’s get Seph some treats and let her out.” I went to the kitchen to get the bag of treats I kept for her when someone knocked on the door. My head whipped up, and my eyes met Hawk’s. He motioned for me to go into the kitchen, away from the door. The knock had been loud but not aggressive, so I didn’t think Butch was back, but I did as he said and went into the other room.

I heard the door open and voices talking. Then Hawk called out for me to come into the living room. I stuck my head around the corner and saw a police officer standing there. “I had Gator call this in before I left.”

“This is your house?” the officer asked.

“Yeah, my ex showed up and was banging on the door. He threatened to kill my friend’s dog”—and almost on cue, Seph barked from the bedroom—“she was out here with me and was barking at the door. She scared him away.”

“So you’re all good here then?” he asked.

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