Chapter 33

33

HAWK

I had no idea what David needed my help with. We were setting up the turkey fryer but so far, he was doing a perfectly fine job of it on his own.

I drank the beer he’d handed over before he’d gotten to work, and watched him level the fryer after pacing it out to make sure it was fifteen feet away from the house. “Anything I can do yet?”

He shook his head. His tongue stuck out between his teeth as he concentrated on leveling it just right. “No, I’m all good. Thanks, though.”

I nodded slowly, taking another sip of my beer. I slid my free hand into my pocket, accepting that I wasn’t going to be helping much tonight. It was damn cold out. When I glanced up, I saw clouds rolling in from the water.

Figuring I might as well break the ice for whatever he’d brought me out here for before we both froze to death, I motioned up at the sky.

“What do you think? Rain or snow in the morning?”

David’s gaze darted up. He shrugged, glancing back down at the fryer. “It’ll be nice if it’s snow. Winnie will like it. She hasn’t seen any of the white stuff around here yet and I think she misses it.”

“Is it snowing in Stonehaven yet?” I asked, realizing I didn’t know all that much about the town they’d come from.

He straightened up, grabbed another part of the fryer out of the box, and shoved it at me. “It’s always fucking snowing in Stonehaven. Attach that for me, would ya?”

“Of course, I’ll attach it, but David?”

“Yep?”

“You don’t actually need help putting this thing together.” I didn’t phrase it as a question because it wasn’t one. “I don’t mind being out here with you anyway, but why did you ask me to come?”

He cursed under his breath and dropped to his haunches, a furious expression on his face while he assembled some more of the pieces. “Henry suggested it.”

“Why?”

“He thinks you’ve changed. Said we should spend some time together so I can see it for myself.”

I blinked hard, but then I chuckled. I started attaching the burner while also wondering if I should punch my dad when I got home or thank him. “It seems he’s got it in his head that Sutton and I are going to get serious. I suspect he wants you to give our relationship your blessing.”

“Is that what you want?” he shot back, finally reaching for his beer that he’d set down. “You want my blessing?”

“I’m not the one who suggested we spend some time together,” I said. “I’m glad we’re doing it, though. It’s way overdue.”

“Why’s that?” he asked. “I told you to stay away from her, and clearly, you didn’t do it.”

“No, I didn’t, but I’m not going to apologize for it. I straight up asked her if she wanted me to leave her alone and she said no.”

He blew out a long, heavy breath and glanced past me to drink in the lights of the port. He rose to his feet, and for a moment, I wondered if he was about to tackle me, but then he nodded toward their porch. “It’s freezing out here. Let’s go sit.”

“What about the fryer?”

“I’ll finish it in the morning.” Without looking at me, he strode over to the porch and sank down in one of the armchairs. Leaning back, he pulled a thick blanket that had been hanging over the back of it onto his lap. “Sit, Hawk. We need to talk.”

“We are talking.” I took a seat in the armchair next to his, pulling a blanket that smelled faintly like Sutton over my lap. I smiled a little as I imagined her bundled up out there, sipping her tea or wine and watching the lights just like I loved to do.

She and I had sat right here a lot back in the day, cuddling and making out while her parents slept upstairs. We’d thought they were oblivious, but I was starting to wonder how much they’d all known—my own father included.

Tension thrummed between David and me as we sat there, but I waited him out, knowing he was wrestling with his feelings about me being with his daughter and also knowing that this wasn’t the time to rush him.

“I hated Calen from the first moment she told me about him,” David finally said, residual anger tightening his tone. “Mindy and I were trying to get hold of her that whole damn weekend she met him, and when she didn’t pick up her phone, I knew something was coming.”

My stomach turned to stone. I really didn’t want to hear this, but it sounded like I was about to anyway. He took a long pull of his beer and groaned as if he was in pain just thinking about those days. “The fucking idiot made her turn her phone off that entire weekend. He told her all kinds of things about how nobody wanted to talk to her as badly as he did.” He scoffed. “We’re only her parents. I mean, it’s not like we worried something had happened to her.”

I grimaced. “I’m sorry.”

“I know.” He sighed, finally turning to face me, and blinked himself out of his thoughts. “Thing is, as soon as I figured out she actually liked the damn idiot, I blamed you.”

“Me?”

He nodded. “You. I kept thinking about how close you were as kids and I still don’t know what happened, but I just kept thinking that if you would just apologize, she would come home.”

“Sutton and I weren’t talking back then.”

“I know that too,” he said. “Mindy and I have been talking about it a lot and I think I’ve finally realized that it wasn’t your fault. You were just a kid yourself. Sutton made her own choices. I just hated the choices she was making and I needed someone to point the finger at who wasn’t my baby girl.”

My gut twisted. “If it helps, I’ve been pointing the finger at myself a lot lately too. Ultimately though, I’ve asked her about it and she said she wouldn’t change a thing because she wouldn’t have had Winnie if not for him, train wreck that he is.”

David exhaled loudly. “That’s what I’ve been thinking too. I love that little girl more than my own self, but I hate her fucking father. Do you know he never let her come home to see us? Discouraged her from working so she wouldn’t have her own money? For years, he was never home, always out drinking and partying, and, apparently, screwing around.”

The words were like hot swords slicing through my insides. “I knew about some of it, yeah.”

“Thank you for being there for my girls, Hawk. I know I told you to stay away, but I’m glad you didn’t listen. You saved the day for Winnie tonight and I want you to know I appreciate it.”

“Does that mean you’ve forgiven me?” I asked, but it seemed like too much to hope for.

He chuckled dryly. “I’m getting there. Don’t push your luck.” As he stood up, he glanced down at me again. “You’re really sticking around to help?”

“Meecham Maritime is as good as gone,” I promised. “My dad will finally be able to enjoy his retirement and Emery can become a lady of leisure if she wants.”

“I wouldn’t tell her that,” he joked lightly. “That sister of yours likes to keep busy, but I’m sure she’d appreciate having a little more flexibility.”

“Have you decided to set up the fryer tonight after all?” I asked, wondering why he’d gotten up.

He shook his head. “I’m going to bed. I’m frozen and it’s been a long day.”

As he started walking away, he turned to arch a brow at me. His eyes flashed with a warning even in the low light. “I don’t know what you did to my little girl back in high school, Hawk, but hear me when I say that you’d better not hurt her again. Or Winnie. Or I’ll fry your ass like tomorrow’s turkey”

Before I could even begin to formulate an appropriate response that would convey to him how serious I was about them, he nodded at me and walked into their house, but the door didn’t shut behind him. Instead, it swung open again and Sutton peeked out, shivering. She glanced up at the sky before looking at me.

“Will you stay tonight?”

“Of course.” I stood and drained the last few sips of my beer, then deposited the bottle in the trash as I followed her.

She wrapped her fingers around my own as we walked to her apartment together. I draped my arm around her shoulders and pulled her into my side, turning my head to press a kiss to her temple.

“Are you okay?” I murmured. “That was quite a night.”

“I’m okay now,” she whispered as we ascended the stairs. Then she turned toward me as soon as her front door shut behind us. “Thank you for everything you did for us tonight. It’s because of you that Winnie isn’t up there crying herself to sleep. Your support meant everything to her.”

“Anytime.” I slid my arms around her hips and gently brought her closer to me. “I meant it when I said that I wanted better for you both and that I wanted to be the one to give it to you. You can count on me, Sutton.”

“I’m starting to believe that.” She smiled softly and tipped her head back. “What did my dad want to talk to you about? I know he can set up the turkey fryer by himself, so what did he want?”

“Well, I don’t have to stay away from you anymore, for starters.” I grinned and wrapped my hand around her ponytail, gripping it tight, and I brought my mouth to hers. “I think he might just let us be together without castrating me now.”

She chuckled against my lips, then crashed into me, kissing me soundly. I walked us toward her bedroom, relishing the soft feel of her body pressed to mine and really looking forward to being able to take my time with her again.