Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 86455 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 432(@200wpm)___ 346(@250wpm)___ 288(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86455 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 432(@200wpm)___ 346(@250wpm)___ 288(@300wpm)
“I’m fine,” Tildy declared.
“What are you doing here?” Slick asked, echoing Hawk.
“Just came for some excitement.” Tildy’s nose wrinkled. “Which I guess I got.”
“Yeah, you shouldn’t hook up with anyone here,” Slick advised.
Tildy gasped. “I wasn’t hooking up with him! We were just dancing!”
Slick grimaced. “Here that’s the same thing.”
Hawk watched as Tildy’s face turned red. “Well, I didn’t know,” she mumbled. “And anyway, Hawk saved me.”
Hawk was about to lecture her on making better decisions so she didn’t need saving when, to his right, a familiar voice interrupted.
“That’s my cousin. The white knight of Rapid City.”
Hawk turned to see Garrett. His cousin’s smirk belied any assumption that Garrett thought of Hawk as a stand-up guy. Hawk frowned and hoped Garrett wouldn’t start spouting off about things better left in the past.
“Should you be here?” he asked Garrett.
Garrett grinned. “Free country.”
“But not for you, is it?” Hawk replied, trying not to say too much in front of Tildy, who would be uncomfortable.
Garrett scowled and made a show of looking around. “Don’t see my P.O. here. Only see your cop friend. He gonna take me in?”
Hawk risked a glance at Tildy, who looked confused but not horrified. She’d clearly not quite understood everything. He turned back to Garrett. “Don’t screw this up. Go home. Keep your head down.”
Garrett grunted. “Nothing to do at home. Come with me. We’ll get some beers and hang out. Like old times.”
Hawk couldn’t tell if Garrett was threatening to blab about the ‘old times’ or if he just genuinely wished they could start over. Hawk wasn’t one to hide from his mistakes. As much as he didn’t want to upset Tildy, if Garrett wanted to run his mouth, then Hawk wouldn’t stop him.
Hawk did, however, feel a pang of guilt about the isolated situation in which his cousin now found himself. He wanted to support Garrett. But if memory served, Garrett and booze were a combo that almost always had a bad outcome, like being pulled over for erratic driving and getting popped for Grand Theft Auto on top of it.
“Why don’t you come to dinner tomorrow night?” Hawk offered. “With me, Raina, and the kids?”
Garrett nodded. “Sure. But why don’t you come with me now?”
Hawk sighed. “I can’t. Tildy’s here. I can’t leave her, not in a place like this.”
Garrett eyed Tildy. “So send her home. What’re you doing putting it to a girl like this, anyway?”
Tildy gasped. Hawk glowered. “She’s my friend, Garrett. I’m looking out for her tonight.” Hawk didn’t think it was any of Garrett’s business that Tildy was probably here precisely because she didn’t want to be home. He shook his head. “Sorry, Garrett. I can’t. But come to Raina’s tomorrow.”
Garrett stared at Hawk. “You’re throwing over family for your friends? For a girl who ain’t even your girl?”
“Garrett, you shouldn’t be here, anyway,” Hawk reminded him.
Garrett looked ready to start his own bar fight. “Fuck,” he muttered. Then louder, “Fuck you. Choosing friends over family. Yeah, I’d say you’ve changed. And not for the better.” He turned and stormed out of the bar.
Hawk turned to Tildy, who looked at the door and then at him. “Should you go after him?” she asked.
Hawk sighed and shook his head. “No.”
“Are you sure? He’s upset. And you’re his family?”
Hawk nodded. “He’s my cousin. He’s... having some problems.”
“Can you help him?”
“I want to. But I don’t know how,” Hawk confessed.
“Why can’t he be here?”
Hawk grimaced. He wouldn’t lie. “He’s on parole.”
Tildy stared at him. “For what?”
“Burglary. This time. The time before that it was stealing cars.”
“Oh, God,” Tildy breathed.
“He’s got a chance to go straight. I wish he’d take it.”
Tildy looked at the door. “I think... I think you can only save people from other things,” she told him quietly. “Never from themselves.”
Chapter 20
Hawk led Tildy to the dance floor. He pulled her in close and she rested her head on his chest. “Everything okay at home?” he asked her as he tucked a stray hair behind her ear.
She nodded. “Yes.”
“Would you tell me if it wasn’t?”
Instead of responding, she tightened her arms around him and snuggled closer. Hawk sighed. Tildy couldn’t lie, but she didn’t want to tell the truth and argue about it either. She was probably used to trying to avoid conflict. He could relate. He’d been trying to avoid a showdown with Garrett ever since he’d shown up at the barbecue. But she was here now, and no one could hurt her. He supposed that would have to be enough.
He held her close, and she closed her eyes. He figured if he could offer her nothing else, which he couldn’t, then he could at least let her forget for a while. For a while, Hawk forgot too. His difficulties getting Garrett straightened out momentarily faded away.
If Tildy didn’t want to talk, she didn’t have to. God knew Hawk didn’t really know how, anyway. He was better at solving problems with his fists, or even with just his intimidating size and demeanor. Words weren’t really his strong suit.