Encountering Evil: Dark Horse Guardians Book Two (27 page)

Outside the tour continued with Lara in the lead. Hawk could not take his eyes off her feminine figure and hoped she did not notice he was staring once or twice. He felt he could listen to her voice all day and all night. He sketched and took notes as she spoke, "I'd like a patio area here…and what do you think should be planted there?" He'd give her one-word answers and they'd move on. The sun was moving closer to the horizon and the whole atmosphere of the saltwater farm took on a luminous glow. In this light, Hawk stood closely to Lara and noticed how beautiful she was when the sun bathed her face. Her skin was flawless and her lips shimmered with a sheer pink lipstick. As he examined her beautiful face in the sunlight, the thought of kissing her flitted through his mind. He hated himself for having such feelings.

He asked himself,
Why does it have to be
her
? There were plenty of good-looking women chasing him, but for some reason it was a turn-off to have a woman hanging all over him, telling him how "cute" he was. Lara was not that type of woman. She was dignified and elegant, yet down-to-earth and filled with humor and charm. He still couldn't take his eyes off her as the rays of the sunset illuminated her, he wanted nothing more than to take her into his arms. It was as if electricity traveled through him whenever he was in her presence. He did not want the tour of the property or the wonderful feeling to end.

~ Lara ~

She knew he lived alone and wanted to get to know Hawk better, especially if he'd be doing an extensive landscaping job at her home. Lillian and Rusty set up a dinner spot on the expansive screened porch overlooking the sunset beach view. They cooked on the grill as Hawk sat next to Lara in a wooden Adirondack chair. She could see Hawk's rugged form through the polo shirt and loose fit chinos. He was shy with her, almost to the point of being unable to make eye contact sometimes. She angled her chair toward him and he was forced to look into her eyes as they talked. She listened as he articulated the landscape design he envisioned. As she held the sketch in her lap, he spoke in a soft low voice and leaned toward her. His hand lightly brushed against her arm as he touched the piece of paper on her lap. His deep voice was passionate as he spoke about the
garden, "The patio would be here and I'd frame it with lilacs. They are hardy and would give you a bit of privacy. Eventually, they'd grow tall so you'd have to prune them, but they are very low maintenance and have a nice aroma." Lara leaned closer to him noticing his earthy masculine scent of sandalwood, suddenly missing Ben more than ever.

"I
love
the design…Hawk." Lara beamed when he was finished explaining every little detail. "I wouldn't change one thing. In fact, I think you are an incredibly talented designer. You have made the view from every window a masterpiece for me to enjoy." When his eyes met hers he blushed ever so slightly at the praise she lavished upon him. She could tell Hawk wasn't used to working with people like her – unafraid to give a compliment when it was due. She imagined most of his clients were rich snobs who made impossible demands. Finally, Hawk was making eye contact and she sensed him examining her face whenever she looked down. She found him to be polite and charming.

"Dinner is ready." Lillian chimed as she laid out the food on the porch table. "Just dive in. There's plenty here." Rusty added. The four of them sat at a round table on the porch and Lara noticed Hawk ate slowly at first, but filled up on the grilled chicken and potato salad and refused a beer. Instead, he sipped a ginger ale with Lara. Watching him eat, Lara wondered about the enigmatic man and wanted to interrogate him further. "Hawk, let's go sit by the water's edge and finish talking about the design." He seemed surprised by her offer, but insisted on helping with cleaning up the table first. Lillian and Rusty worked with Hawk to put all of the dishes in the kitchen sink and any leftover food in the fridge.

~
Grant Hawkins ~

Once his kitchen duty was finished, he turned his attention to Lara. Walking to the water's edge with her, Hawk noticed two chairs on the beach and they dragged them closer to the water. Hawk watched as Lara tossed her flip flops on the sandy beach and sunk her feet into the wet sand with the waves splashing around her ankles. "Go ahead. Kick those shoes off…give your dogs a break!" Lara laughed as she said it and Hawk complied. He felt as if he'd do anything she wanted at that moment. He pulled the sketch out of his waistband, unfolded it and went into more detail. Lara asked
more questions, "What color would you put here?" Hawk answered, "Forget-me-nots. The blue color would stand out among the other plantings and they are perennial." Lara asked, "How would you plant the roses, in beds or random patches?" Hawk answered every question thoroughly and enjoyed Lara's full attention while he spoke. He loved the way her eyes lit up with excitement as he described every color and plant.

Without notice, Hawk was overcome with shyness as Lara posed a few personal questions. "Tell me more about
you
, Hawk." Completely caught off guard, he didn't know what to say. The silence was awkward and he ruminated for a moment before answering, "I'm alone. My wife passed away a couple of years ago. I've always loved plants and nature, in general, and I had a green thumb. The design business just sort of evolved." He hoped that was enough, but sensed she'd probe more. He watched as her green eyes danced and a smile played upon her perfect lips and Lara whispered, "Tell me about
you, Hawk
. What are the things you like and dislike? How did you grow up?"

Although Hawk felt uncomfortable with this gentle interrogation, he found himself telling Lara about his childhood in East Hartford Connecticut. "My father was an alcoholic and a gambler and lost everything the family had, which wasn't much. My mother divorced and brought me and my two older sisters to live with an aunt in Maine. I was ten years old at that time. When I turned eighteen, I was on my own and
worked for a guy with a lawn-mowing business and worked at a gas station. I lived in an apartment in a seedy part of town and had two other guys for roommates." He noticed Lara's interest as she gently coaxed him, "Go on…I'm listening…" The two guys I lived with were rough around the edges. Well, actually it was worse than that. They were drug dealers…and they introduced me to something I wish I’d never seen…heroin."

He watched Lara's face for a reaction. She audibly sighed, "Oh
God, Hawk." But he stoically continued, "Needless to say, the addictive drug put me into a very bad place and I ended up in jail. I agreed to an in-patient rehab. That's where I met Ellen. She was a counselor there and once I was clean, she helped me set up my landscaping business." He watched Lara's facial expression as she relaxed a bit. "We were married and shortly after she was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer. Ellen has been gone for two years exactly. I've been living my life one day at a time…very much alone…but I prefer it that way. I spend a lot of time working. But it’s not like work to me. I love what I’m doing." Letting out a long breath, Hawk felt he had told Lara way too much about himself. He hoped she would still feel comfortable around him, even though he had a checkered past, as many people put it. He didn't want to instill fear in her.

~ Lara ~

Lara's eyes met his and she said the one thing she sensed he
so wanted to hear, "You deserve a second chance, Hawk." He no longer looked somber and she saw the tiniest hint of relaxation on his face. The cleft dimple in his chin was unique and he had a perfect smile. Lara instantly knew that Hawk had given her the encapsulated version of his life frankly and honestly. She compared his story to the information Ben had dug up and it matched. She never would have pegged him for a former drug addict or someone who grew up in poverty. His physical presence exuded tranquility. He did not seem to be a person who would be quick to anger. Sharp and witty, he had a terrific sense of humor. She also noticed he had perfectly white teeth, either good dental work or great genetics. For some reason, Lara felt the need to comfort him, not knowing why. "I'm sorry, Hawk, that all of those bad things happened to you. The loss of your father, the loss of your wife…" She couldn't find the right words. Momentarily, the look in his hazel eyes was one of anguish. Lara's hand automatically touched his and she felt her empathy was healing him somehow.

Her touch seemed to surprise Hawk. For the first time he looked into her eyes without the uncomfortable bashfulness. His gaze now had an intensity, "It's not that bad things happened to me. Bad things happen to a lot of people…it's how a person reacts that determines who they are. I reacted
poorly to those challenges…I was weak. I don't feel badly about my past, but I have a sense of disappointment in
myself
. I could have done better. I should have had the good sense to kick those roommates to the curb. I look back on my life and wonder
why
I wasn't a stronger person. I just let things happen. I'm not like that anymore. I'm in control of everything I do and painfully aware of the consequences of every decision I make." Lara appreciated his maturity and introspection. "If you don't mind my asking, Hawk, how old
are
you?" His hazel eyes held hers, "I'm thirty, well – I will be next week." Lara felt herself turning away from his gaze for the first time, "You look younger than that." But deep down Lara knew Hawk was an old soul, battered with pain from loss and emotional abandonment. On some level, she related to his story. Her young life was filled with challenges and she carried invisible scars, too.

~ Grant Hawkins ~

He couldn't believe he was having this conversation with
her
…the woman he dreamed about at night when he was most lonely. He never imagined she'd have any interest in him as a person. But she was kind and considerate and fed him dinner. He felt like an unwanted puppy rescued from the pound. He hadn't spoken this way with anyone since the grief counselor. He figured no one was interested in his problems. Breaking the momentary silence, Hawk spoke softly, "Thank you so much for the dinner tonight. I'll have the design plan ready to e-mail to you by tomorrow. I'll give you a discount because you didn't take any off the top for the job you gave me at the purple Victorian." He noticed the hint of a smile on Lara's shimmery lips. "Thank you, Hawk. I appreciate that. When can you start?" He looked down at his phone, not wanting to take his eyes off her face…tapped his calendar and scrolled past the next few days. He planned to move another client out to accommodate her, but didn’t say that. "How about a week from today"…he asked tentatively. He loved the way her green eyes lit up when she became enthusiastic, "Yes! That would be perfect!"

Hawk said a polite thank you and goodbye to Rusty and Lillian for inviting him to dinner. As he climbed into his truck, he smiled and waved to Lara as she stood in the yard. He watched her in his rearview mirror as he drove up the long driveway. She didn't move. He wondered if she was thinking about him as much as he was thinking about her at that moment. Hawk played the conversation with Lara over in his mind several times while driving home. There was something so soft and gentle about her, yet she seemed to have a core of strength inside. One thing he knew for sure, she had no idea of the effect she had on him. It was much deeper than a simple physical attraction, although that lingered for hours after he was in her presence. He loved
who
she was. He sensed that she was shy and introverted, too. But even though she seemed guarded, she let her guard down with him. She was open, friendly and sweet. These were the same qualities that attracted him to Ellen. The voice in his head reminded him once again,
she's married
.

~ Nadia ~

Tucked away in a quiet neighborhood in Newport Rhode Island, Nadia had never felt such freedom in her life. But along with the freedom came a nagging fear that someday she would be snatched up by her father's men and dragged back to him to be beaten and tortured. Her name was now Vanessa Jorgenson and she lived with a family that was kind to her. The man's name was Gus and his wife, Linda, was a former volleyball champion. Both of them were tall and blonde. Gus, a six-foot two former football player often played tennis with Nadia in the park. With his blonde hair shaved close to his head, Nadia thought he was handsome. He became her guardian and was her protector at all times. For the first time Nadia understood the definition of a gentleman. Gus was a gentle man. He ran a used car rental business and was gone a lot of the time, traveling for work. She imagined he attended auctions to buy used cars.

Nadia spent most of her time with Linda Jorgenson shopping, visiting school friends, and learning how to cook. Often Linda would invite Nadia's new found friends to the house for a sleepover. It was never a large crowd, only two or three of them at a time. Nadia loved her new life and attended
temple every Saturday with Linda. The Jorgenson family was Jewish and the synagogue they attended was the oldest one in the United States, which fascinated Nadia. With great enthusiasm, Nadia absorbed all of the knowledge she could about the Jewish faith. She had been taught many lies by her father and now she was seeing the truth for the first time in her life. With Linda's help, she was also making her own decisions and living in an environment filled with love and security.

For her safety, Nadia had no contact on social media and used a cell phone sparingly with a parental lock on it. To remain in hiding this way in plain view was dangerous and she knew it. Gus had explained to her early on that she would need to be an escape artist. He trained her how to blend in with others. Nadia changed her dark hair to blonde and pretended she was the niece of Gus Jorgenson. She often wished she
had
been born into this life of normalcy, where she could speak freely, make friends, learn about other faiths, and simply eat food whenever she wanted to. Her body was now returning to a normal weight after months of starvation. And, her bruises and scars were healing enough so that no one noticed them if she wore clothing that covered her arms and legs.