Over the Top

  He blinked and wiped blood off his head, turning to look down the embankment. “A seat belt wouldn’t have helped.” Shoving to his feet, he staggered for a moment before focusing on the two elderly ladies. “Everyone okay?”

  Mrs. Hudson and Mrs. Poppins huddled against a rock outcropping, snow blasting into their white hair. They were pale but appeared unharmed. Mrs. Hudson nodded.

  “I called 911,” Mrs. Poppins said. “Quinn’s on the way.”

  As if on cue, sirens trilled in the distance, and soon swirling lights came into view.

  Within seconds, Quinn Lodge leaned over the road above and caused snow to cascade in a sheet down the hill. “Dawn?”

  “We’re fine but might need a little help climbing up,” she yelled.

  Silence reigned for a moment. “Okay. An ambulance is on the way, and I’ll climb down in a second.”

  Hawk shook his head and winced. “I don’t think we need an ambulance.”

  “Good. But Henry Bullton is up here in a car, and it looks like he had a heart attack,” Quinn yelled back. “Phillips is performing CPR now.”

  Mrs. Hudson gasped and turned. “Henry!” She started to scramble up the snowy ground.

  Dawn launched into motion and slid an arm around the woman. “Slow down. It’ll be okay.” God, she hoped it would be okay. The embankment was icy and rocky, but they made decent progress, with Hawk assisting Mrs. Poppins. Quinn met them halfway and made sure nobody fell.

  The ambulance arrived slowly and came to a stop. The four of them reached the road just as the paramedics began to load Henry. Mrs. Hudson shuffled alongside the gurney, her little form barely visible in the strengthening storm. She clutched Henry’s hand.

  The elderly man was pale and unconscious but breathing on his own, thanks to the EMTs, one of whom Dawn recognized from high school. After they’d loaded Henry, Quinn picked up Mrs. Hudson and placed her inside the ambulance before turning back to them. “The EMT said that it looks like Henry had a minor heart attack and should be fine. You okay, Hawk?”

  “Yes,” Hawk said, wiping blood off his cheek. The red flicked down to mingle with the white snow.

  “No,” Dawn countered. “He was knocked out and probably has a concussion.” She shivered in the cold as the adrenaline surge ebbed in her body.

  Quinn glanced at all three of them. “In my truck, now. You’re all going to the hospital.”

  Hawk shook his head. “I’m fine. Your sister saved my ass.”

  “Doggone it,” Mrs. Poppins cursed and wiped snow off her face. “Rule number four.”

  Hawk turned toward her. “Huh?”

  The elderly woman sighed. “No matter. Somebody take me to the hospital so I can sit with Patty.”

  “Of course,” Dawn said, grasping Hawk’s arm. “To the hospital.”

  “No. I’m fine,” Hawk said. “We can drop off Mrs. Poppins, and then let’s get out of the storm and dry. Tomorrow morning, I need to get to the hospital to see Reese, so if my head still hurts, I’ll see a doctor then.”

  “I’m going to the hospital to see Reese, too,” Dawn muttered.

  Hawk huffed just as his phone buzzed. He lifted it to his ear, listening, and didn’t make a sound. “Thanks for the intel,” he finally said, and hung up.

  Quinn lifted an eyebrow as his deputy loaded up and jumped in the squad car. “Intel?”

  Hawk smiled, the sight a little garish with the blood still dripping down his face. “A different case, Quinn. Nothing related to here.”

  “Right.” Quinn pointed to his truck, his jaw visibly hardening. “Now. All of you.”

  Dawn glanced at Hawk. What had he just learned?

  Chapter Fourteen

  Love can come at any age, and only a fool would ignore it.

  ~ The Lady Elks Secret Archives

  The hospital smelled like wet snow and disinfectant and reminded Hawk of the days he’d spent in a bed one floor up. Christmas decorations covered the walls, but even a jolly cutout of Santa failed to calm him. He shoved a shiver away and finished escorting Mrs. Poppins to the exit, where a deputy waited to drive her home in the darkened blizzard.

  She’d sat with Mrs. Hudson for a short time, and once Henry was pronounced to be doing all right after a mild heart attack, she’d promised to return the next day. Hawk moved to the small hallway to glance inside the room where Mrs. Hudson rocked next to Henry’s bed, his gnarled hand encased in both of hers.

  Dawn stood outside the doorway, and Hawk slipped an arm over her shoulders, his ears still ringing a little from the crash. “You okay?”

  She nodded, her gaze on the sweet scene inside the room. “Fine. How’s your face?”

  It ached a little, but the bleeding had stopped. “All good.” What was one more little scar in the scheme of things? He brushed damp hair away from her face and took inventory, from her wet boots to her tired eyes. “Why don’t I get somebody to take you home?”

  She turned. “I’d like to see Reese.”

  Hawk drew her away from the room and toward the quiet waiting area, not having the energy to argue. “The doctor said we can’t see him for a few more minutes while they do more tests, and we can’t talk to the guy who was in the car with him because he’s out from the morphine.”

  “Reese had a partner?”

  “Or an employee.”

  Dawn rubbed her arms and dropped onto an orange plastic chair. “What was your phone call about earlier?”

  Hawk sat next to her and took her small hand in his. “Information from Reese’s crew on what they knew, which wasn’t much. I hope to get more from him.” None of the night was making a lot of sense, and he needed answers and now. If Meyer had found Reese outside of town, then the bastard knew where Hawk lived, which might put everyone he cared about in danger. But it was just as likely that something else had happened to Reese that had nothing to do with Meyer.

  Dawn shook her head. “The doctor said that Reese and the other guy were injured in a fight outside of town. I heard them talking to one of Quinn’s deputies. A fight with whom?”

  “I don’t know.” Frustration crawled like fire ants through his gut. He couldn’t relax until he discovered who’d hurt Reese.

  Doc Moon ambled into the waiting room, a tablet in his hands, his white coat wrinkled.

  Hawk stood. “Doc? I thought your rounds here were just once a month?”

  Doc glanced up from the tablet, his aged eyes focusing. With his hair braided down his back, his weathered Native American features and worn boots, he looked like he should be out riding horses and not studying charts. “We have a couple of local doctors gone at a conference, so I’m helping out.”

  Dawn stood and slipped her hand into Hawk’s. “How are Reese and his partner?”

  The simple touch somehow calmed Hawk’s turmoil and let him focus. “Can I see Reese?”

  Doc nodded. “They’ll both be fine, although the other guy, Lenny Zonas, is out from the morphine we gave him. Broken arm, square across the left bicep. Go see Reese. Damn, but he’s a cranky one. Almost as bad as you were, Hawk.”

  Hawk cleared his throat. “Thanks.” Keeping a hold of Dawn, he maneuvered down the hallway to a room in the back. There wasn’t a chance in hell the woman would stay in the waiting room, so he didn’t even ask.

  They found Reese propped up in a hospital bed, bruises along the right side of his face and his right arm in a cast. Even in the bed, he looked tougher than ever. Long, lean, and muscled. His dark hair had been cut shorter than last time he’d been in town. “Is Zonas conscious yet?” Reese spat out, fury in his eyes.

  Hawk shook his head and pulled Dawn into the room and away from the hall, just in case. “No. Is he in danger?” Maybe they should call the sheriff and get protection.

  “Hell yes, he’s in danger.” Reese rubbed his bruised jaw and winced. “I’m gonna fucking kill him.” He coughed. “Begging your pardon, Dawn.”

  Dawn hurried forward and pressed a kiss against his forehead. “What hap
pened?”

  Hawk narrowed his focus. Reese was injured on the right side, and Zonas on the left? He quickly calculated scenarios. “Are you kidding me?” he muttered. “You and Zonas fought with each other? In the damn car?”

  “Yes.” Reese leaned back against the pillows, his lips pinched in what appeared to be pain. “He’s a fairly new hire, and I liked him. Turns out he’s the one who has been sending information to Meyer. That’s how the crew was able to break Meyer out.”

  Hawk lifted his head. Hell. Well, at least that was one question answered. “What else has he told Meyer?”

  “I don’t know.” Reese scrubbed bruised knuckles down his face. “We were in the car, almost here, and something made me suspicious. The way he was asking questions. So I pulled a gun, we fought, and both ended up here.”

  Hawk breathed in slowly. “Does he know about me? That I live here?”

  Reese focused intelligent eyes. “I don’t think so. All I’ve told him is that I have contacts in Montana that we needed to reach, and I’ve never used your name.”

  That was good old Reese. The guy wouldn’t give his own mother unnecessary information. “You sure he doesn’t know?”

  “He shouldn’t, especially since all of your land holdings are currently in the Lodge-Freeze name.” Reese flexed his hand.

  Hawk’s shoulders relaxed. Even so, he’d have a nice chat with Zonas first thing in the morning, just to make sure.

  Dawn glanced toward Hawk. “That’s good, right?”

  He forced a smile. “Yes. We’re safe.”

  She smiled. “Good.” Then she turned back toward Reese. “It’s nice to see you here at home.”

  An instant smile transformed Reese from a deadly operative to a goofy guy in a hospital bed. “This isn’t home. I’m just visiting.”

  Dawn smoothed down the bedclothes. “Right. That’s what they all say. Everybody needs a home base and a place to relax, and you have that here. You feel it. Not only that, here you could have a great life, you know?”

  “I like your point of view,” Reese whispered, his voice beginning to slur. “Sometimes you gotta take a chance at enjoying life and forget fighting death, you know?”

  The words hit Hawk hard and dead center.

  Reese shut his eyes. “Damn morphine.”

  Dawn leaned over and kissed his forehead. “Go to sleep. We’ll be back tomorrow.” She straightened and headed over to Hawk to take his hand. The movement was so natural now, he felt something in his chest ease. Finally.

  Maybe it was time for him to take a chance on life. A real chance.

  …

  Dawn followed Hawk from the room, well accustomed to his way of scouting any new path before moving out of her way. He’d been a soldier, and he’d been on more than one protective detail, according to Colton. So Hawk would probably always scout the area.

  Worked for her.

  She also hadn’t missed the expression on Hawk’s face when Reese had talked about living instead of fighting death. Shock and maybe hope? Had Reese somehow, in his drug-induced chattiness, finally gotten through to Hawk Rain?

  “I want to check on Mrs. Hudson,” Dawn whispered.

  Hawk nodded and led the way down to Henry’s room, where hushed voices could be heard.

  “This is it, Patty. I wanna get married before I die,” Henry said, his legs moving restlessly under the blankets.

  Dawn paused before entering the room. Mrs. Hudson sat facing the bed, her small form barely filling the chair but blocking Henry’s face.

  “You’re not going to die, you old fool,” she murmured, leaning forward to smooth the blankets into place.

  “We’re all gonna die.” Henry coughed and then settled back down. “I’ve loved you my entire life, Patty Hudson. In grade school, when I was away in the service, and even when you married my best friend.”

  Hawk pulled Dawn back against his chest, and she settled in, knowing full well they should leave the older couple alone. But something about Henry’s tone and Mrs. Hudson’s posture kept Dawn in place and holding her breath.

  Please say yes.

  Mrs. Hudson shook her head. “Love is for younger folks.”

  “Love is for us,” Henry countered. “Please Patty. For whatever time we have left, let’s share a name.”

  Tears pricked Dawn’s eyes.

  “Well.” Mrs. Hudson patted his hand. “I guess I’m ready to settle down. You sure you’re ready for me all the time?”

  Henry chuckled. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

  Dawn bit back a laugh as Hawk turned her away from the door. She discreetly wiped her eyes. It looked like happily ever after had arrived for another couple in Maverick County. As she followed the stoic ex-soldier from the hospital, she had to wonder.

  Would she get hers with Hawk?

  Chapter Fifteen

  Men can get bossy, but usually we shouldn’t kill them. Note: If we do decided to kill them, an alibi is a must.

  ~ The Lady Elks Secret Archives.

  Hawk finished yanking on jeans in Dawn’s bedroom, his vision clear, his head still aching a little. If he kept staying the night at Dawn’s, he was gonna need a drawer. The sweetheart had thrown his bloody, wet, and dirty clothes in the wash the night before, after they’d left the hospital. Then they’d fallen into bed and slept like the dead.

  He glanced at the unmade bed. Hmm. He’d never just slept with a woman without sex before. It had felt…right. Although sex with Dawn felt better. He grinned at the thought.

  Dawn hustled in from the other room, clicking off her cell phone. “Henry Bullton is doing just fine and has announced his engagement to the entire world.”

  Hawk tugged on his clean shirt. “Good news. Is Mrs. Hudson still with him?”

  Dawn nodded, amusement filtering across her face. “Yes. Told the doctors they’d have to physically remove her last night, and nobody had the guts.”

  Hell, he wouldn’t try to move the woman, either. He eyed his woman. She’d thrown on faded jeans, a girly yellow sweater, and thick boots. Her dark hair tumbled down her shoulders, and even with minimal makeup, she was the prettiest woman he’d ever seen. Intelligence shone from her eyes, along with the spark of spirit that was all Dawn Freeze.

  She blinked. “What?”

  “Nothing.” He brushed back his hair, wet from his quick shower. Next time, he’d carry her into the shower with him, but for now, he had work to do. “Are you ready to go to Colton’s?”

  She rolled her eyes. “You’re being silly.”

  “No, I’m not. There’s nothing wrong with being careful.”

  She put her hands on her hips. “I’m not moving until you tell me what’s going on.” The smell of baking muffins wafted in behind her.

  He lifted his head. “Huckleberry.”

  “Yep, and you don’t get any unless you tell me what your plan is, as if I didn’t already know.”

  Damn, but she drove a hard bargain. He’d do almost anything for a huckleberry muffin. Thank God his strawberry allergy didn’t extend to huckleberries. “Fine. I’m going to talk to Zonas in the hospital to just make sure he hasn’t let Meyer know where I am. Now I get muffins,” Hawk retorted, brushing by her and all but jogging for the kitchen.

  Less than an hour later, they were on their way to Colton’s, driving over icy roads under a blackened sky.

  Hawk spent most of the journey on the phone, an irritated angel spitting at him from the passenger seat of one of his work trucks. His main truck was currently being dragged up an embankment by his ranch hands using heavy equipment, and was probably totaled for good. Damn, but he’d liked that truck.

  Right now, he didn’t give two fucks if he’d irritated Dawn. She’d stay safe, and she’d stay the hell out of the way, just as a precaution. He hadn’t been messing with her about the day at the funeral so many years ago, and now that he’d taken her, finally, he wasn’t letting any more danger into her little world.

  She was sweet, and she’d stay that w
ay.

  Hawk had to live with the fact that he may have put Dawn in danger by coming home. Not going to happen again—and he’d do what he had to do to make sure of it. It was time to move, and now with the guy in the hospital, yeah, he’d get to the bottom of this shit. These bastards had made a big mistake in betraying Reese.

  Hawk made the turn for Colton and Melanie’s house, for once not taking the moment to appreciate the snow-covered mountains standing as sentinels around them. He drove quietly, his body settling into a stillness he recognized from battle.

  Dawn crossed her arms. “I know you called the hospital this morning. How’s Reese doin’ in the light of day?”

  Hawk slowed down to allow a gaggle of wild turkeys to cross the road. “He’s pissed off and yelling at nurses, which I’m taking as a good sign.” Hawk hadn’t thought anybody could get to Reese.

  Dawn nodded. “So he’ll be out soon?”

  Hawk turned to pierce her with a hard look. “He’s beat up pretty bad.”

  Dawn’s chest moved. “But he’s going to be okay?”

  Hawk nodded and turned back to the icy road. “Yeah.” He cut his eyes to her. “Dawn, you understand that these guys are dangerous, right? I mean, I doubt they know to come here, but it pays to be cautious.”

  She lifted an eyebrow in true Lodge-Freeze defiance. “I know how to fight and shoot better than you think.”

  Hell, he knew exactly what a great shot she was because he’d practiced with her while on leave more than once. “Could you take me?” he asked quietly.

  She blinked. “Excuse me?”

  “All bullshit aside, all ego, all feminine outrage. You against me…guns, knives, or hand-to-hand. Give me the odds.” He didn’t want to scare her, but Dawn had a brain made for statistics, and she’d tell the truth.

  She settled back against the door. “Me and you? Hand-to-hand…with clothes on? Eighty to twenty—you.”

  He would’ve gone ninety-ten, but he had to appreciate her confidence. “Without clothes?” he asked, his lips twitching.

  “Me, 100 percent.”