Page 28 of Natalie's Nighthawk

“I’ve got nothing on my schedule for the next couple of days unless an emergency comes up.” He was thrilled she seemed to want to spend more time with him.

“I still have a few things to finish up here, but I thought we could have dinner together when I’m done.”

“Sure, that sounds good. Or better yet,” he said as sudden inspiration hit him, “how ‘bout I cook for you?”

The sadness in her eyes was suddenly replaced with joy, the emerald irises sparkling. “Nobody’s ever cooked for me before.”

“Then it’s about time, isn’t it?” She smiled, handing him more of his gear. “While you finish up here, I’ll go shopping for the supplies I’ll need. If you don’t mind giving me the key to your place, I’ll get started cooking.”

“That sounds heavenly.” He packed the last of the gear and followed her back to her classroom. Kids were racing everywhere in the halls, rushing to grab their coats and backpacks and head to the waiting busses. It was a Friday, and the excitement of the coming weekend was palpable. With the promised snow on the way, the anticipation was elevated tenfold.

Natalie’s classroom was slightly messier than it was when he’d first seen it that morning, a sure sign that her students had been busy creating. She took her keys out of her purse, removed the house key from the fob, and handed it to him. “I shouldn’t be more than an hour,” she said as she looked across the room. Laughing flippantly, she added, “Maybe two.”

“Need help cleaning up?” he asked, feeling guilty at the thought of just leaving her here with the mess.

“Nah,” she answered. “I’ve got this down to … well … an art.” She smiled at her pun.

“Ha! You’re so punny,” he joked with a wink. “Okay then, I’ll see you at home.” He leaned toward her and kissed her cheek. Walking out the door, he wondered if she noticed his slip. He’d practically called her home his. Like they were living together. A couple.

Of course, nothing would give him more pleasure. Reuniting with Natalie had been kismet. They’d clicked instantly, just as they’d done twelve years ago at the lake. He had known all these years that something was missing, and he’d tried to find it with the women he’d dated, but they all seemed to fall short. With Natalie, things were different. Things felt different.Could she possibly be feeling the sameway?The thought that it could possibly be one-sided gave him pause. He knew instinctively that Natalie had the power to break him.

Graham was deep in thought as he got in his truck and drove across town to the local grocery store. There were few recipes in his arsenal, but he knew the exact one he wanted to make for her. And as the first snowflakes fell, he realized it would be perfect.

After letting himself in, Graham got to work, his mood light. She had one of those virtual assistant devices, so he asked it to play classic rock. As the beef stew simmered on the stove, he wandered around her place. The kitchen was spacious but not ostentatious. The cabinets were all white as was the granite counter, but the island that overlooked the living room was painted a slate blue. The contrast between colors was perfect.

He wandered into the living room where picture frames were scattered randomly. Most were of herself and Maddie, though he noticed one of her parents in a not so prominent spot on a high shelf. The furniture was in white and blue tones to match the kitchen, each piece comfortable and inviting. The colors in the throw rug in front of the couch complimented the furniture. Everything was perfect and homey; everything was Natalie.

But it was the framed art on the walls that drew his attention. Natalie had matted and framed some of her exquisite work. There were the birds, of course. Graham guessed that birds still fascinated her, which pleased him. The detailing in the feathers even more precise than he remembered.

The piece that attracted him most held a place of honor over her fireplace. A landscape, it was a view of the lake from the vantage point of the observer standing on the shore overlooking water. Storm clouds gathered on the horizon. Graham was stunned and drew in for a closer look. As more details coalesced in his mind, he recognized the spot. It was his spot. Their spot. It looked as it had that day. The light at the edge of the water was dappled as it shone through a canopy of trees. The water seemed alive, almost audible as it lapped at the shore. In the building storm clouds, he could hear the approaching thunder.

So lost was he in the painting, he didn’t hear Natalie enter. She came up beside him and slipped her tiny hand into his. “That day was special for me.”

He looked down at her in awe of her talent. “It’s exquisite.” It was all he could think to say. “I can almost smell the approaching storm.”

She smiled at him, pleasure shining in her eyes. “That’s exactly what I wanted it to be like. I wanted to go back there so many times. I wanted to go back to that afternoon before the tornado, to freeze time.”

Graham turned to face her. Cupping her cheek with his hand, his thumb caressing her skin. “You amaze me,” he said simply before leaning over to place his lips gently on hers. He meant it to be just a simple, chaste kiss, but as soon as their lips met and her lavender fragrance enveloped him, it turned into so much more. Before he knew it, his tongue was plundering her mouth. His hands slid around her to draw her closer while hers slid up around his neck. She moaned softly when their bodies met - breast to thigh - he could feel each curve, so different from twelve years ago.

His left hand slid slowly up her spine, drawing the back of her shirt with it. His right hand slipped beneath the edge of her shirt at the small of her back. Then … skin. Her soft skin was under his palm and he caressed his fingers across her lower back, feeling her body quiver against his.

His other hand moved of its own volition, lower and lower until he was cupping her ass, pushing her heat closer to his. They both moaned.

Slowly coming back to reality, Graham could hear the kitchen timer that had interrupted them. Dinner. He reluctantly withdrew from their shared passion. Resting his forehead against hers, they stared at each other a moment, breathing heavily, neither of them with the strength or motivation to speak coherently. He slid a hand up to caress her cheek again and found his voice, “Let’s eat.”

She nodded and followed him into the kitchen and together, they set the table. The action intimate, he knew he could get used to this. To have someone like Natalie to come home to and share a meal with every night, was an overwhelmingly enticing thought.

They chatted about mundane things mostly. He thought for sure she would bring up the compass, but she never did, and he was glad of that. He wasn’t sure if he was ready to share his darkness with her yet. The darknesswasstill there; he didn’t try to fool himself; he knew he could easily lose himself there again and fought hard every day to stay in the light. His family and his work with the Nighthawks helped with that tremendously. He wondered what having Natalie in his life would do to banish the darkness.

The stew was a perfect complement for the weather. Natalie had turned on the floodlights in the backyard, and they watched the falling snow as they ate. A few inches were already on the ground, and they were calling for more. It was a cozy night; Graham couldn’t remember the last time he felt so content.

Finished eating, they were cleaning up together when a buzzing in his pocket shattered the serenity. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” he muttered as he read David’s text.

“What is it?”

He looked at her in anguish. He didn’t want to have to do this to her again. He didn’t want to have to leave her. “My team has been mobilized.” His voice was heavy with regret.

“Oh,” she whispered. “I understand.”

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