The woman swallowed hard, then pressed her lips together. “I didn’t need to know that.”
“I’m sure, but you were curious. Now you don’t have to be.”
Nicole turned away, thinking she would wait by the gate, when she ran into something tall and hard and muscled. She winced, then looked at Hawk.
“How much did you hear?”
He grinned. “I liked the god part. I’d make a great deity.”
Nicole groaned, then glanced over her shoulder to make sure the other woman had moved away. “She bugged me. She was so sure I couldn’t be going out with you because she’s damn near perfect. I had to do something.”
Hawk reached up and touched her face. “You okay?”
“I’m fine. I had a crappy day.”
“Want to talk about it?”
“No.”
He cupped her chin. “Want to talk about it?”
She sighed, liking him touching her. “Maybe. Just family stuff.”
“I’m a family kind of guy.”
“It’s my younger sister, Jesse. She came to the bakery today and said she was leaving town. She’s tired of always being a disappointment, so she’s running away. God forbid she should ever actually try to change her behavior. That’s not possible. She wants to leave and I didn’t know if I should stop her. There’s a part of me that says she needs to learn a lesson. Maybe being out on her own will do that.”
“How old is she?”
“Twenty-two.”
“She’s not a kid.”
“Actually, she kind of is. She’s never taken responsibility for anything. And now she’s pregnant.” Nicole drew in a breath and looked at Hawk. “She’s the reason Drew and I split up. Not that we shouldn’t have broken up before. He was a total jerk. I found him in bed with Jesse.”
Hawk’s eyes darkened and he swore. “I’m sorry.”
“Me, too. It was a hell of a shock. Drew tried to talk his way out of it, but I knew it was over. I felt worse about Jesse’s betrayal than his, which is saying something.”
“You’re supposed to be able to trust family.”
His words made her want to cry, but she was determined to be strong.
“I was so angry and hurt,” she admitted. “I’d been the one to insist Jesse live with us after we got married. I wasn’t going to kick out my baby sister. I guess I should have thought that through.”
“You did the right thing.”
“No good deed goes unpunished.” She’d thought she would hate telling him the truth, but it was surprisingly easy. Maybe because he seemed to be listening without judging her. “It’s even more complicated. She’s pregnant and it’s possible it’s Drew’s baby.”
“Does he know?”
“I haven’t a clue and I’m not going to be the one to tell him. That’s her problem.” She leaned against Hawk. He put his arms around her. “I worry about her being alone and pregnant. After all she’s done and how she acted, I still worry.”
“Because you’re a good sister.”
“Or a total idiot. It’s a toss-up.”
“No, it’s not. You going to let her go?”
“For now. I know she’ll be back. There’s no way she can make it on her own. Not with a baby coming. Maybe a few months in the real world will help her grow up.”
She closed her eyes and breathed in the scent of him. “The thing is, there’s a part of me that doesn’t want her to go. I can’t help worrying. How crazy is that? Shouldn’t I be grateful she’s about to get slapped in the face by reality?”
“You love her.”
“I know, but sometimes I hate her.”
“Understandable. But you love her more. She’s your sister.”
Nicole nodded. Funny how she’d always wanted a family of her own when she couldn’t seem to handle the one she already had.
He kissed the top of her head. “What can I do to help?”
“Sex would be good.”
He chuckled. “I agree, but parking lots have never been my style. How about pizza?”
“Not even a close second, but I’ll take it.”
“Anything else?”
“You could agree to have dinner with my other sister and her fiance.”
“Done.”
She stepped back and looked at him. “Really?”
He kissed her, his mouth lingering on hers. “Really.”
“I MET WYATT YEARS AGO,” Nicole said as they walked up the front path to the house. “He came into the bakery to place an order and we started talking.”
Hawk didn’t like the sound of that. “You dated.”
She laughed. “We tried. In theory, we’re perfect for each other. So we went out a couple of times, but it was a disaster. We’re destined to be friends. Then Claire moved here a few months ago and he fell hard for her. Which is good. He needs someone in his life.”
She reached for the doorbell. “He has a daughter from a previous marriage. Amy. She’s at a girlfriend’s tonight. You’ll meet her next time. She’s a sweetie and I adore her.”
The door opened before he could ask any other questions. A woman who looked a lot like Nicole smiled.
“You made it. We’re barbecuing, which may not be a good idea. Men and fire. They tend to bring out the worst in each other. I’m Claire,” she said, holding out her hand. “You must be Hawk.”
“Nice to meet you.”
“Same here.”
She looked at her sister and raised her eyebrows. Hawk wasn’t sure what that meant.
He followed Nicole into the house. As they walked through to the back patio, Nicole pointed out all the custom touches Wyatt-a contractor-had put into the house.
“Isn’t the woodwork amazing?” she said, running her hands along a door frame. “He has the best crew. He did the remodel in my house. It’s an old place so there were lots of really small rooms. He opened it up and redid the kitchen.”
Until that minute, Hawk had liked Nicole’s house. He’d thought it was homey and welcoming. Suddenly he never wanted to go there again.
They moved out onto the patio. It was big, with a slate floor and a wood cover. The built-in barbecue was large and stainless. Hawk had one that was bigger, not that he got to use it much. Summer was his busy time with work.
“Hawk, this is Wyatt,” Nicole said.
Hawk and the other man looked at each other. Wyatt was about Hawk’s height, but maybe twenty pounds of muscle lighter. Hawk knew he could take him.
They shook hands and Wyatt offered him a beer. The women returned to the house.
“Steaks all right?” Wyatt asked, pointing to the paper-wrapped package beside the barbecue.
“Sure. Can’t go wrong with a steak.”
“Good. Claire was telling me you’re a high school football coach.”
“Been doing it about five years now.”
“You like it?”
“More than I thought. Football is about more than winning. I like watching the kids grow up and head out into the real world.”
Wyatt’s gaze was steady, as if he were assessing Hawk. Hawk didn’t blink. He wasn’t afraid of what the other
