Page 15 of A Lifetime of Afters
“Well, Hawkley,” I retorted. “If you weren’t such a prude, you would have seen exactly where I put it.”
Spinning around, he jabbed a finger in the air. “Are we talking about this or not?” He threw his arms out to the sides and raised his eyebrows. “You don’t get to make snide comments and not let me speak.”
“Oh, I think you said enough,” I snapped back. “I think it was to the tune of five no’s, a fuck, and a sorry. But however ineloquent your words, your face expressed the rest.” I turned my face to the side and slammed my eyes shut to block him out.
My resolution to let it go lasted all of thirty seconds.
I heard the fridge door open and shut. Wished I could fall through a crack in the floorboards. Prayed for him to leave me so I could find my tattered dignity and pull it up around me.
After a moment, he slid a plate down in front of me. I didn’t lift my head until the last of his footsteps left the room.
Chapter Seven - Truce
Hawk disappeared in the time it took me to eat.
And I did eat. The first forkful proved tough to swallow, but I hadn’t eaten anything of substance for more than twenty-four hours and they were the best pancakes I’d ever tasted.
Bruce had also disappeared again as was his routine in new places. For the first several days, he would hide, coming out periodically to touch base with me, eating and drinking at night. Usually by the time he got comfortable in his new surroundings, it was time to go.
Which made him an excellent houseguest.
Strangely, his process had accelerated at Hawk’s house. Rather, his cabin. Because despite its sprawling size, it was designed like an old-fashioned log cabin.
Three bedrooms, including the master, lay along a hallway to the right of the front door with the living area to the left.
Only the cozy kitchen, situated at the front, boasted walls with two entrances, one off the front hall, one off the family room. The L-shaped great room began at the front of the house and swung around the kitchen to stretch luxuriously across the back.
Two adjacent walls of windows, broken only by the enormous brick fireplace, framed a breathtaking view. A view made more magnificent by the spectacle of great, fat snowflakes falling like gumdrops from a lavender sky.
My heart burst at the sweetness of the sight before my eyes.
Bruce stood on his hind legs on the back of the couch, his front paws braced against the window as squirrels attempted to rob the bird feeders. His tail swished back and forth like a metronome, his head on a swivel.
I cocked my head to the side. “We’ll have to make sure we get you a birdhouse at our new place. What do you think, Mr. Willis? Would you like a birdhouse?”
Hawk’s deep baritone startled me. “I thought his name was Bruce?”
I whipped around causing my hot coffee to slosh over the rim of my mug onto my hand. I sucked in a sharp breath, set the mug down on a side table, and shook the blistering hot liquid from my skin. “Mothertrucker, that hurt!”
Startled by my outburst, Bruce flew off the couch, his paws sliding across the floor as he torpedoed under the chair.
Hawk jumped back, his eyes wide, an unmanly cry erupting from his lips. “Fuck, he’s weird!”
I fought not to laugh. My goal was distance from Hawk, not laughing together over the antics of my cat.
The sting on the back of my hand in combination with the vivid recall of my earlier mortification snuffed out the rest of my humor.
Two long strides brought Hawk to my side. He lifted my hand to examine the injury.
My mind spun stupidly with possibilities and contradictions. I snatched my hand back. “I’ve got it.” Turning on my heel, I headed for the kitchen and stuck my hand under the faucet.
Unfortunately, I failed to test the water temperature and it was steaming. “Ah! Why is this so hot?” I demanded, swiveling to face Hawk.
“I was doing dishes,” he winced and rubbed his hand over his face. “I’m sorry, Noelle. Here.” He flipped the faucet to cold and tested it before drawing my hand beneath the cool stream.
With my attention centered completely on my hand, it took a moment before I noticed his proximity. His long fingers wrapped around my wrist. Holding me immobile. His wide chest barely brushing my back. His cheek at my temple.
I closed my eyes.
