Page 45 of Cryptic Curse

“They’re used to the place,” Hawk says quietly.“They know when it’s safe.Sometimes they drink from the same troughs as the cattle.Bed down in the brush at night.They’re part of the land, same as the rest of us.”

I glance over at them.“So you just let them be?”

“Sure,” he says.“Some folks even manage the land with deer in mind.Hunting leases, conservation.Falcon and I are big hunters.”

He pauses then, as if he’s thinking about something.

A moment later, he continues.“Out here, it’s not about controlling everything.It’s about balance.Learning to share what we’ve got.Working in collaboration with nature.”

The deer finally disappear, silent as shadows.I exhale slowly.

“They seem at home here,” I murmur.

Hawk smiles.“They’ve been here longer than we have.We’re the ones learning how to live withthem.”

We stay silent for a moment.

Then, “Are you excited to start culinary school?”

His question takes me by surprise.I nod.“Yes,” I say, my voice a little shaky.“I am.”

“What makes you most excited about it?”

I think for a moment, playing with the edges of my coffee cup.“It’s not just about the cooking,” I tell him.“It’s about creating something beautiful and enjoyable from scratch.It’s about seeing the joy on people’s faces when they taste something I’ve made.”

He smiles again, and the gentle curve of his lips sends warmth flooding through me.“That sounds wonderful, Daniela.”

I look down, shuffle my feet.“I’m honestly a little apprehensive too, though.My life has changed so much in such a short time.”

Hawk gives my hand an encouraging squeeze.“Change can be scary.But you strike me as someone who is capable of facing it head on.”

He’s not wrong.But it’s not as though I ever had a choice in the matter.

How much does he know about me?

Vinnie wouldn’t tell him everything, would he?

I certainly don’t want to ruin this moment by reliving the last few horrific years.

We walk in silence a while longer, our footfalls echoing in the quiet night.The ranch is tranquil under the blanket of darkness, the world around us reduced to gray and black.

Darkness used to frighten me.

Bad things happened in the dark.

But with Hawk beside me, all I feel is warmth.

And…arousal.

I need to tamp that down.He’s clearly attracted to me, but he’s a grown man.I’m barely eighteen.He’s just being nice.Welcoming me into the family.

“What exactly do you mean when you said I can face things head on?”I blurt out after a few moments.

He shrugs.“I said you strike me as that type of person.Are you?”

“I’m not sure, if I’m being honest.”I sigh.“I can’t stay with Raven and Vinnie forever.”

“Vinnie and Raven have plenty of money.I’m sure you can stay as long as you like.”