Bull smiled at her. His woman was incredible with children. Someday, he hoped to talk her into a Frankie mini-me. Or two or three.
Frowning, Hawk made a give-me-more gesture.
“If he’s lonely, hurt, sad, or frustrated, it comes out as anger, and he throws things.” Bull shook his head. “Doesn’t yell much, doesn’t hit. I bet Obadiah threw shit a lot.” And kids learned from what they saw.
“What are we doing about it?” A muscle in Hawk’s cheek twitched. Bull realized Hawk’s whole body had gone tense.
Aric’s behavior probably brought some memories back, Bull figured. Because Hawk had been that kid once. Only Hawk had hit—and hit hard. Because of him, his brothers knew some of the steps to take.
“Right after you left, he started with counseling. He and Kit have sessions together.” Frankie idly stirred the leftover eggs on her plate. “It helps that he’s never doubted her love, and they weren’t in that PZ camp too long.”
Bull added, “We’re supposed to help him identify his emotions. Shit like getting him to talk about what he’s feeling and what caused it. Deep breathing.”
Hawk was listening intently. “Sounds familiar.”
“Like Doc Grayson’s assignments for you—and us?” Bull smiled, remembering the early days at Mako’s off-the-grid cabin. They’d experienced bad foster care homes and street living. At least, Bull, Gabe, and Caz had started with decent parents. Hawk’s father had liked beating the crap out of his kid, and from what they’d overheard when Hawk talked to Grayson, his mother had eventually joined her husband in being abusive.
“You know how…” Bull’s voice trailed off at the lack of expression in Hawk’s face.
No surprise, really. Bull had tried, hell, each of the brothers had tried to talk with Hawk about his past. And the reticent bastard had shut them down. Just like he was doing now.
Dammit.
Hawk rose. “Thanks for breakfast.” And headed out the door without another word.
Frankie looked over at Bull. “That didn’t go well.”
Over at Mako’s cabin, Kit tied her sneakers and looked for Aric.
He was in the bathroom, getting the grass out of his hair. He’d been playing with Sirius outside. “Are you ready, honey bear?”
“Uh-huh.” On his step stool, he admired himself in the mirror and put his comb down.
She stilled. Had her baby grown again?
He had. Now getting lots of food, sleeping well, and running around like a normal child, he’d had a growth spurt,
Her eyes started to burn, and she gave them a quick swipe. “Very nice job getting ready. That’s a great hoodie.” The black hooded shirt had a picture of a hawk soaring through a gray sky.
“Hawk got it for me in South ’Merica.” Aric patted his chest. “Cuz he was thinking of me.”
“Of course he was.” Kit lifted him off the step stool and kissed his soft hair. “I’m sure he missed you a lot.”
“Uh-huh.”
She adored Hawk for the certainty in her son’s voice. “Let’s get going. Hawk’s finished loading the pickup with our presents.”
Hawk was awfully quiet on the trip to town—more so than normal. But when he looked at her or at Aric, she could swear his hard face softened.
Maybe he’d just had a rough night?
Once in town, Hawk parked in front of Dante’s store. While he released Aric from the child seat in the back of the supercab, Kit slid out and paused.
Situational awareness. A car in the other lane held two gray-haired women. No one sat in the parked cars. A young couple stood hand-in-hand in front of the coffee shop. A man was walking into the municipal building. Two men came out of the sports store.
On previous trips, she’d searched out the safest escape routes. Nothing had changed there.
Finished, she gave herself a mental pat on the back. Good Kit.
She joined Hawk as he lowered the tailgate. The entire bed was filled with her plants.
Aric clapped his hands at the pretty sight.
The pansy seeds she’d sown at summer solstice had been transplanted a couple of times into bigger pots. Now, in full, glorious bloom, some were dark blue and white, some purple and violet, the rest a vivid yellow. With inexpensive pots, paint, and macramé cord, she’d created attractive hanging baskets.
Her timing was excellent, since petunias, the usual plant for hanging baskets, were getting scraggly. Her cold-loving pansies would keep flowering for a long time during the fall.
“Which one for Dante, Aric?” she asked.
“This.” Her son liked the bicolor blue-and-white flowers.
“All right.” Nerves jittering, she picked it up.
Hawk held the grocery store door open, and Aric trotted in with her.
Behind the counter, Dante held up a hand in greeting. “Kit, Aric, y’all are looking good. That’s a beautiful pot. Pansies?”
“Um, yes.” She pulled in a breath, and her carefully rehearsed speech disappeared. “I-ah-I grew these for you”—her voice cracked—“t-to try to say thank you for helping get me and Aric out of the PZ compound.”
For saving us.
Blinking back tears, she handed him the basket over the counter. This was a lot harder than she’d thought it would be.
Hawk’s rough voice broke in. “She’s been growing them out at the Hermitage. Fixed up the pots. Did the macramé herself.”
“Hey, now, that’s a purely fine thank you.” Dante smiled at her, then Aric. “And you’re very welcome. Both of you.”
Aric piped in, “We can pick Ms. Lillian a pretty one to match yours. Cuz we are thanking her too.”
The white-haired Okie’s expression turned soft. “Happens that blue is her favorite color.”
Aric’s chest puffed out.
“She’ll be tickled to have a hanging plant on each side of our door. She loves fancy flowers.”
Consulting her list, Kit and her crew continued handing out flowers to the people who’d helped during the rescue.
To her delight, Hawk spotted Chevy and Knox at the post office, fixing a gutter. During the rescue, Kit had been unconscious, but Chevy was the one who’d carried her down the long trail away from the PZ compound. Knox had been there too.
Knox was a tall lanky guy with a bushy red beard. Chevy was short and stocky. She’d gotten to know them when Principal Jones hired her to landscape the new school grounds. The guys had been spending their off hours there building a playground.
Presented with the bright yellow pansies, the two handymen looked flabbergasted, then Chevy grinned. “The missus will love these. I’ll be a hero when I get home.”
“Yeah? A hero?” Knox studied his plant thoughtfully.
Hawk chuckled. “You still seeing Erica at the summer school?”
Color rose in the handyman’s face until it was the same color as his beard. “Mebbe.”
Hawk glanced at Kit. “S’okay if he uses flowers to get the girl?”
Aww, the deadly mercenary wants to help Knox with his love life. How sweet is this? Kit smiled at Knox. “The pansies are a thank you for risking your life for me and Aric and should be used however you wish, especially to treat your women. Dante’s pot is going to Lillian so she can have one on each side of her door.”