Page 167 of Wrecked
“Don’t you need the money to live on?” Hawk asked.
“Oh, no,” Grandmom replied. “We’ve always lived below our means. We’ve got plenty in savings and investments.”
Granddad put his arm around Grandmom. “When I married Grandmom sixty-three-years ago, I told her that she would always be the only thing that mattered to me. That held true, only now, we have all of you. The memories here are what made me a rich man.” Tears filled his eyes. “It’s hard to walk away from our home, but Grandmom threatened to leave me if we didn’t.” He wiped away a tear. “I can’t live without her, but I can live without this old building. It’s all of you who gave us our wonderful memories.”
“Dad, that’s beautiful,” Hawk’s mom said.
“I’ve baked some pies and too many cookies,” Grandmom said with a smile. “Let’s go onto the porch and have one more party.”
As everyone made their way toward the back of the house, Hawk’s parents intercepted him. “What do you think of their decision?” his mom asked.
“I wasn’t expecting that,” Hawk replied.
“They talked to an attorney months ago,” his dad said. “They’re so happy they don’t have to sell it. I think that would have been too difficult for them. What are you going to do with the farm?”
“Nothing at the moment. Addison and I have plans, so we gotta take off.” He glanced over, but no Addison. She’d been standing there a minute ago. He spotted her talking to Kerri and Lamar. After saying goodbye to his mom and dad, he headed toward her.
As if she could sense his gaze on her, she turned in his direction. Her loving smile told him everything he needed to know.
She’s my forever.
Tommy elbowed through the small crowd and joined the group, beside Addison.
“Welcome back,” Hawk said to Kerri and Lamar.
“I’m so happy you want to keep the farm,” Kerri said. “I love this place so much.”
“Me too, sis.” Hawk shifted toward Addison. “You ready to go?”
“Congrats on stealing the prize.” Tommy slapped Hawk’s back.
Hawk shook his head. “This house needs a shit-ton of work.” He slid his gaze to Addison. “We gotta stop at the henhouse on the way out.”
Her smile sent a bolt of adrenaline through him. “That’ll be fun.”
“Dude, you were just handed a multi-million-dollar property,” Tommy said.
“Every building, even the land, needs alotof work,” Hawk replied. “You get to enjoy the farm without the headaches.”
“Seriously Nicky, call a developer. It gets sold and we walk away with a bunch of cash,” Tommy said.
Hawk peered over at Addison. “Or I could make memories of my own here.”
* * *
Addison caressed Hawk’s back. Despite her fear of intimacy, she loved the direction things were going for them. Small steps that made her heart sing.
“We’ve got to leave,” Hawk said.
“You two look sharp,” Lamar said. “Where’re you headed?”
“We’re taking my dad to dinner,” Addison replied. “It’s his birthday.”
“Nice,” Tommy replied. “Maybe I’ll see you at Lost Souls this week. I’m looking forward to chatting with Liliana.” He shot them a grin. “She’s dope.”
On the way out, he and Addison stopped to say goodbye to his parents and grandparents. “We’re outta here,” Hawk said to them.
“There’s my number one,” Granddad exclaimed with a grin.
