Only Mine (Honey Mountain #5)(30)

“Good chat.” I threw open the door and stormed out to find Hawk showing Tawny pictures of Ever and Jackson.

“You ready? Ever’s blowing up my phone. Dinner’s ready, and she said she needs her Dilly fix.” He smiled.

“Let’s go, lover boy.” We made our way to the elevator.

We chatted all the way home, and he told me about the new cute faces Jackson was making since I’d been gone. It was amazing that in only two weeks, they could change so much.

When we got to their place, it smelled like garlic and warm bread, which made my stomach rumble.

“Hey!” Everly charged toward me with Jackson in her arms, and I reached for him as she kissed me on the cheek. “I missed you.”

“Missed you, too, sissy. But this guy…” I said as I breathed in all his sweetness. He smelled like baby powder and sweet potatoes. “I take it he’s liking the new food.”

Hawk hugged Everly from behind and kissed her neck as she giggled. “Yes. He and Hawk both love sweet potatoes.”

“Look how big you’re getting, little man.” I followed them into the kitchen as Jackson grabbed a fistful of my hair, and his eyes crossed when he did it, which made me laugh.

“Come on. Let’s eat.” Everly reached for Jackson and put him in his high chair, and I took the seat right beside him.

We spent the next hour eating lasagna, garlic bread, and salad while I caught them up on all that had happened. Jackson cooed and slapped his hands on his high chair as if he were taking part in the conversation.

“Well, it sounds like an amazing experience so far. Look at all you accomplished over the last two weeks. I’m sure they are going to sign you at the end of the temporary contract.” My sister set the plates in the sink, and Hawk jumped to his feet and started loading them into the dishwasher.

Damn, these two were so sweet together.

“Yeah, I don’t think there will be a problem. By the way he looks at you, I think you’ve won him over,” he said.

Everly and I both whipped our heads in his direction, and she spoke first. “How does he look at her?”

“Like he wants to kill me,” I said with a shrug.

“Nope. That’s not what I saw. It’s a dude thing. And I promise you, Wolfgang Wayburn does not want to kill you.”

“Really? They sort of hate each other,” Everly said over her laughter.

“I don’t know what to tell you. It didn’t look that way to me.”

“Trust me. You’re misreading it. We can’t stand one another.” My phone vibrated, and I moved to grab it from my purse as my sister lifted Jackson out of his chair.

Gallan ~ I’m parked outside of Hawk’s building. There is no rush. But I’m here whenever you’re ready.

“That bastard,” I groaned.

“What?” Everly asked before making her eyes all wide as she looked between me and Jackson, reminding me that I shouldn’t swear. The boy did not speak more than a few babbling words, so I highly doubted he knew what a bastard was.

“This is what I’m talking about. I told Wolf that you guys would take me home or I’d take an Uber. But he sent Gallan over to wait downstairs, even though I asked him not to. He’s doing it just to bother me.”

Hawk barked out a laugh. “Yeah. It sure sounds like it. How rude of him to make sure you get home safely.”

“It’s the point that counts. I asked him not to get involved in my business.”

Everly shrugged. “I don’t know. It doesn’t seem like he’s being rude by sending someone to pick you up.”

“Of course, he finds a way to make himself look like he’s being nice. Just trust me on this one. The man is crazy, and he’s trying to get under my skin.” I sent a quick text back to Gallan, letting him know that I was going to help my sister bathe the baby, and I’d be ready in an hour. It wasn’t his fault that his boss was a domineering asshole.

“Well, he seems to be doing a pretty good job of that.” Hawk winked at me.

Wolf Wayburn was used to getting his way.

But I wasn’t afraid of the big, bad Wolf, so he was going to be sorely disappointed.





twelve





Wolf





“See, this is why having you home is so nice. I can pop over whenever I want and see you,” Sabine said, as we settled onto the couch with a glass of wine.

“Lucky me.”

She swatted me with the back of her hand. “You’re so full of it. Deep down, you love being back. And just to see how relaxed Mom is now that you’re home, makes it even better.”

“Yeah. I know she’s happy, and it was time.”

“How about Bullet? Wasn’t he thinking of leaving, too?” she asked, as she reached for her wine glass that was sitting on the coffee table beside the couch.

“Yep. He’s the last one from our original team that’s still in. I know Jaqueline wants him to retire. He’s done his twenty years and then some. The boys are getting older, and they miss their dad.” Bullet was my closest friend, and he’d been my mentor when I first joined the SEALs. Jaqueline was his wife, and he had two sons that were four and six now, so it was time to spend more time at home.