“I’m just surprised. I thought we were getting close. That you would share this with me.”
Nicole winced. “I didn’t mean to leave you out or anything.”
“I know. It’s not a problem.”
Claire spoke too quickly, which meant it
Just what Nicole needed-another screwed-up relationship.
“I’m really sorry. Please don’t be mad at me.”
“I’m not. I swear.”
“I’m not sure I believe you.”
“You should. We’ll go out,” Claire said. “The four of us.”
“Hawk’s a little pressed for time, what with this being football season, but I’ll talk to him.” Was dinner with her family part of their deal? Did it matter? She didn’t want to mess up her relationship with her sister.
“I’m looking forward to meeting him,” Claire said.
“You and Wyatt will really like him.”
Nicole wasn’t pretending about that. She was sure Hawk would get along great with them. Too bad nothing about their time together was real. It was just a game and when the season was up, it would all be over.
“WHAT DO YOU THINK?” Brittany asked as she held out a spoon. She was cooking chicken and noodles, which was actually pretty good.
Nicole nodded as she swallowed. “You’re getting the hang of this.”
“Cooking? It’s fun, but I don’t have to do it every day. I talked to my dad and said I would cook once a week if he let me stay out a half hour later.”
“Interesting negotiation. What did he say?”
She scrunched up her face. “He laughed for a really long time, then said my cooking wasn’t that good, but it was a nice try.”
Nicole bit back a smile. “Not buying it, huh?”
“No, and that really bugs me. I thought it was a great deal.” She stirred the mixture again. “You wouldn’t mind us having some wine with dinner, would you? It’s not like we’ll be driving.”
Nicole didn’t even blink. “I would mind, very much. You’re not even eighteen. The drinking age is twenty- one.”
“Sometimes you’re really parental.”
“Sometimes you’re really a brat.”
Brittany grinned. “I know, but I had to try. It’s like an honor thing.”
“Is that what we’re calling it?”
Nicole left the teenagers and went upstairs. She could hear the rumble of their voices, then a very long silence. The chicken and noodles had been good, but not that good.
“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” she asked Sheila, who had followed her into her bedroom and was now curled up on the bed. When Sheila didn’t answer, Nicole grabbed her phone.
“How closely am I supposed to watch them?” she asked Hawk when he answered.
“Where are you?”
“In my bedroom. They’re eating downstairs but it got really quiet.”
“For how long?”
“Fifteen minutes.”
“I’ll be right over.”
He arrived thirty minutes later, carrying bags of Mexican takeout. Brittany glared at her father.
“This is my private dinner.”
“Uh-huh. We’ll be in the kitchen.”
“I do not need a chaperone.”
Hawk only made kissy noises then retreated to the kitchen where Nicole had set the small table by the window. She opened two beers.
“Nervous about what they might get up to?” she asked.
“A little. I remember being Raoul’s age. I know about getting in trouble.” He passed her a plate. “You got a dog.”
“Sheila. She’s Raoul’s dog.”
“She’s spending a lot of time with you.”
It was true. Sheila seemed to follow her all over the house. “She knows I buy the groceries and she respects that.”
“I like dogs. I grew up with them. Serena never liked them, so we didn’t have one.”
“Sheila’s going to have puppies. Help yourself.”
“I like big dogs.”
“We don’t know the daddy. They could be huge.”
He eyed Sheila. “I hope not, for her sake.”
Nicole did her best to keep her attention on the dog, when what she really wanted to look at was Hawk.
He was casually dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, but that didn’t lessen his appeal. As always, he filled out his clothes and made them look good. He moved with the easy grace of an athlete, and watching him made her remember moving against him, having him move against her.
“How are things going with Raoul?” he asked. “Living with a teenager?”
“Good. He’s making it easy. He’s quiet, tidy, inhales my food. He works hard. He’s had a tough time and he’s making it. I respect that. I wish my sister had been more like him.”
“The piano player?”
“No, my baby sister. Jesse. She’s nothing like Raoul. I can’t figure out if she was born a screwup or if it just happened.”
“How old is she?”
“Twenty-two. She barely got through high school. She partied a lot, then discovered boys. I was constantly terrified she would show up pregnant. I tried lectures, bribes, tough love, forgiveness. Nothing worked. She’s going to inherit half the bakery when she turns twenty-five, which is going to be a nightmare for both of us. She’s not interested in the business, so I’m already saving to buy her out.”
She paused and grabbed a chip. “We should change the subject.”
“Why?”
“Jesse’s not very fun, in life or conversation.”
“Sounds like she’s troubled.”
In more ways than he knew.
“Where does she live now?” he asked.
“She’s got a place in the university district. She’s never held a job, except at the bakery and that doesn’t count. If she hadn’t been family, she would have been fired several times over. The thing is, I can’t figure out where I went wrong or what to do about fixing things.”
“Some problems can’t be fixed.”
She didn’t want to believe that, even though she knew it might be true.
She toyed with the idea of telling him about Drew and Jesse, then decided she couldn’t stand the humiliation. “She’s my sister. I practically raised her. I guess I’m afraid I did a bad job.”
He reached across the table and touched her hand. “I’ve seen you in action. Not possible.”
“You’ve seen me on my good days. I can be a real bitch.”
“You think I haven’t screwed up with Brittany?”
“You’re pretty smug about your relationship with her.”
He laughed. “Sometimes. She’s a good kid. You do your best and then you let ’em go.”
“Is that a coach thing?”
“Football is life.”
“Not in my world.”
“In everyone’s world.”
That made her smile.
“Want to come back home with me?” he asked, his gaze intense.
