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The door swung open, and a much calmer looking Remy stood there. He cocked an eyebrow but all she said was “breathing exercises” and gave him a quick smile.
He entered, then handed her a plate along with some cutlery. She took a seat in the armchair across the room, and set the plate on the arm of the chair. Hawk closed the door and went and leaned his butt on the desk. He’d eaten standing up more times than he could count, and not just in the military. He lived alone. A lot of times he ate leftovers out of the carton while standing on his balcony. It was habit.
Remy didn’t touch her food. Instead, she played with what looked like a piece of cloth in her lap. “I think we need to walk the neighborhood like my grandfather.
He stopped chewing. “That’s—"
“I know what you’re going to say, but it’s the only place I can think of as to where his token could be.”
Hawk finished chewing. “I was going to say that’s a good idea.”
“Oh.” She blinked and ran the cloth through her hands one more time.
“What’s that in your hands?”
She glanced down. “It’s a handkerchief. My mother gave it to me the last time I…we were together. I fell off my bike and scraped my knee. She picked me up and gave me this to dry my tears. She told me to keep it when I tried to give it back to her. She said just in case I had any mishaps and she wasn’t there to wipe my tears, then I would have this to use and to remind me that she loved me.” She stopped talking.
“How old were you when you lost them?”
“Eight.”
Jesus.His heart hurt at the thought of a very young Remy losing her parents. He understood the pain to an extent. He’d been much older, but it was much the same thing. He had this insane urge to go over and pull her out of the chair and into his arms. To tell her she wouldn’t be alone ever again. He blinked. What kind of ridiculous thought was that?Shit.The lack of sleep and close proximity must be getting to him. He cleared his throat. “Back to the idea of walking around the neighborhood.”
She nodded as she put the cloth back into her pocket and then picked up a piece of bacon. “I know the route. I’ve walked it with him a few times. I know Gus also gave us the street names, but I know most of the shopkeepers he was friendly with. Maybe if we talk to them, we can figure it out.”
Hawk swallowed. “I think it’s a good idea, but I think I should go alone. You can tell me the names of the shopkeepers, and I’ll talk to them.”
She stopped eating again. “No. That’s just not going to work.” She put up a hand like a traffic cop to fend off the argument he started to make. “I know these people. They will talk to me. Do you think if my grandfather left his token with any of them they would just give it to you? A total stranger?”
Fuck.She had a point. “I just don’t want you out there risking your life unnecessarily.”
“Yeah, me too, but this is necessary.”
She was ready to continue arguing with him. The set of her jaw was a dead giveaway, but she was right. He would save his energy. He had a feeling there would be more arguments in their future, and he would need to pick his battles carefully.
“Okay, I get it. We’ll go, but I need to find you a disguise of some sort first. I’ll have to go out and get a new jacket and maybe a hat for both of us.”
She nodded. “That sounds like a good idea. Once we have that, we can go.” She dug into her food enthusiastically now. “I think we should start a few blocks down from the store,” she said as she chewed on her bacon. “He wasn’t close to too many people on the street where the shop is. The stores around him have all changed hands too many times. But two blocks down, he had more friends. We should start there.”
Hawk finished his meal and put his plate down on the desk. He was going to have to see if Connor was free. He didn’t want to do this alone. Just then, there was a knock at the door.
Hawk reached over and opened it. “Just the man I wanted to see.”
Connor walked in with coffee and tea. “Ya just love me for my coffee,” he said as he handed Hawk a mug. He walked over to Remy and handed her the tea.
“Thank you,” she said with a smile. “Breakfast was excellent.”
“Thank you, my darlin’.”
Hawk frowned. Why the hell was she smiling so big at Connor? He took a big gulp of coffee and promptly burnt his tongue. “Jesus,” he mumbled and put the mug down next to his empty plate. “Connor, you have any big plans for today?”
“Mondays are usually pretty quiet. What do ya need?”
“We need to go back to her shop and do a walk of the neighborhood. I could use another set of eyes and ears. Hell, another set of guns if it comes to it.”
“I’m your man. When do you want to go?”
Hawk glanced at his watch. “I need an hour or so. I have to get new jackets and hats.”
