Page 13 of Natalie's Nighthawk

Natalie tried to stifle a yawn as the conversations from the group buzzed around her, but of course, Graham noticed. He leaned in closer to her, his lips inches from her ear as he asked, “Tired?”

Suppressing a shiver, Natalie nodded. “How ‘bout I drive you home.”

“You don’t have to do that,” Natalie replied. “I live close by and don’t mind walking. You stay and enjoy your friends.”

“I’ll walk you then,” he insisted.

“But your friends …”

“I see them every day. I’d like to spend some time with you, catch up on what you’ve been doing over the years.” She was filled with pleasure at hearing those words. She would love nothing more than to be with him a bit longer. She’d get to know him and learn all he’d done over the last twelve years, but she was terrified thinking that he’d also want to learn about her. There were parts of her history that she’d rather not think about.

Giving her no room for argument, he stood up, drawing the attention of the group. Grabbing her elbow to help her stand, he explained to them all, “I’m going to walk Natalie home.” The Nighthawks nodded and returned to their conversations.

“You okay?” Maddie asked, concerned for her baby sister. She knew the ordeal of the last few days had been stressful.

“Just tired. I haven’t slept well since the kids went missing,” Natalie explained. “Do you want to come with us?” Natalie and Maddie shared a duplex, each with their own side and had worked hard to refurbish it to suit their needs.

“Do you mind if I stay here a bit longer?”

“I’ll make sure she gets home safely,” David supplied.

“Not at all,” Natalie assured. “Have fun. It was nice meeting all of you,” she said to the group of Nighthawks. They all returned the sentiment.

“Ready?” Graham held his hand out for her. As she slipped her fingers into his, her gaze once again met Lauren’s cold stare.

Before she could think more of it, he was steering them toward the door. Graham still held her hand as they walked to her house and chatted about nonsensical things. It was a perfect October evening. The kind of weather that was neither too warm nor too cold. But there was still a slight bite to the air that indicated winter was coming, especially in the breeze coming off Lake Michigan.

Lake Haven was a quaint town in southwest Michigan. During the summer, it was filled with tourists from big cities like Chicago, who were drawn to the sugar sand of the lakeshore. The charming shops at the top of the bluff that overlooked the lake only added to the delightful Lake Haven experience. All of them had some variation of the Haven name, which Natalie found utterly captivating. From Brew-tiful Haven, the coffee shop, to Haven in Ink, a tattoo parlor; Haven Vine, the wine tasting shop, was located next to Torch of Haven, a candle shop where customers could not only buy premade candles, but also mix their own wax colors and scents. The whimsical shop names always amused her.

When they approached the front steps of the duplex only two blocks from the main part of town, Natalie said, “This is me on the right. Maddie’s place is the left side.” She tried to see her home through Graham’s eyes. The porch stretched across the front of both halves. They had removed the fence that split it so that they both could enjoy the whole space. There was a welcoming assortment of seating spread across the deck, including a porch swing at the end of Natalie’s side. Since it was fall, Maddie had replaced the summer flowers in the pots scattered around with a few colorful mums and pumpkins sat on the steps waiting to be carved for Halloween. It was a quaint, welcoming space. Each spring, the sisters worked together to get their garden cleaned up and blooming. And each fall, they worked to put it to sleep for the winter. Natalie loved those simple days. It was hard work, but so worth it. Most of their summer evenings were spent lounging on this porch.

“I hadn’t realized you two lived together,” Graham said.

“Together but separate,” Natalie explained. “The duplex is technically two separate houses, but Maddie and I cut a doorway in our laundry rooms so we can easily get to each other’s place. And we share the front porch, the gardens, and the deck out back.”

“It’s nice.”

“It works for us. After the tornado, I spent so much time taking care of Maddie that it just made sense for us to share a place like this. We each have our own space but can still be there for each other when needed. And believe me, that has come in handy – for both of us.” She flashed briefly back over four years ago when Natalie had been the one to need Maddie’s help. For a moment, her vision clouded as she remembered that day. She could still taste the fear on her tongue. Still caught up in the questions. How had things gone bad so fast with her ex? How had she not seen the desperate madness that lived inside him until it was nearly too late?

“Do you want to come in?” Natalie asked, shaking herself out of her morose thoughts. She was holding her breath for his answer but not sure how she wanted him to answer. Her fears were embedded so deeply that she wasn’t sure she could ever escape them. After that experience, she’d never wanted anything more with anyone; but she thought that perhaps this man with his intense blue eyes that shone with kindness might finally be the one to help her heal.

She was shocked at where her thoughts were going, she must be more tired than she’d thought. It was the first time in twelve years that they’d seen each other. She might have fallen for him a little bit that day at the lake, but her feelings had had twelve years to cool down, fizzle, and die. Yet, when she looked into his eyes … when he smiled at her, she couldn’t help but wonder “what if.”

“It’s such a nice night. How ‘bout we sit on that great swing for a little while?”

“I’d like that.”

Graham sent the swing into a gentle motion as they sat in silence for a moment, his leg brushing against hers, sending little tremors through her body. Crickets serenaded them as they rocked. “I really can’t thank you enough for your help today.”

“I’m glad I could help. I could tell those kids meant a lot to you.”

“Most of my students mean the world to me but with Lucy, it’s different. She’s only five, but her talent is years beyond most masters. I look forward to harnessing and molding that talent, helping her grow.”

“Do you enjoy teaching?”

“I do, though I sometimes wish I had more time for my own work. I’d love to open my own studio someday, maybe give private lessons to kids like Lucy.”

“So why don’t you?”

---