Savage Desires (1st in Savage Series)

Chapter Twenty

The ride back to the cabin was silent and tense. Jack wanted to say something but wasn't sure what to say. He knew that taking the candy had been stupid but five years of habit was hard to break.  And then Hawke had stuck up for him. Hawke could have let the deputy lock him up but he hadn't.

They were nearly home when Hawke finally spoke and his deep voice was hard and angry.

"I do not have many friends, Jack, and you just stole from one of them and put me in an uncomfortable situation."

"I'm sorry, sir." Jack replied while picking at his buckskins mane.

"You are a good kid, Jack. You talk too much but you are hardworking and kind and those are important qualities in a man but the most important qualities as far as I am concerned are honesty and trustworthiness."

"Yes sir." Jack replied and he feared that at any moment his head was going to turn into a giant donkey's ass.

"This family has to be able to count on you to do the right things. I trust that from now on you'll think before you act so stupidly."

"Yes sir. I promise you I won't steal nothing never again. You can trust me, Hawke. I promise you that." Jack said earnestly. Hawke just looked out over the forest and nodded.

"Lily and Allie do not need to know about what happened." he said knowing that that would only embarrass the boy more. He had faith that Jack was a good kid and that he would change his ways.

"Thanks." Jack said as his respect for Hawke grew. Jack wondered what his life would have been like if he had had a father like Hawke instead of the drunk, whore hopping, son of a bitch that he had been raised by.

888

"The new horses are beautiful!" Lily exclaimed. Hawke tilted his head toward Jack.

"He picked them." Allie smiled over at Jack and again he was struck with guilt for how he had acted and with gratitude for Hawke's forgiveness. Hawke could have very easily told him to get lost.

"It looks like you did a good job." she said.

"Maybe we could go for a ride later." Jack replied. "You could ride the palomino and see what you think about her."

"I would like that." Allie replied as her cheeks reddened. Hawke looked over at Lily. He could tell that she had been crying today and Doc's words came back to him

"You and I are going for a walk." he said holding his hand out for her. Lily nodded and placed her hand in his. She needed to tell him about Nathan and the divorce and she wanted to do that in private.

"Put the horses away." Hawke said to Jack and Jack nodded and quickly began walking the horses to the barn. Wolf stood and began to follow Hawke but Hawke stopped and shook his head.

"Wolf, stay." he said and wolf stopped in his tracks. Hawke pointed to Allie who was watching Jack struggle to lead all three horses at once. "Protect." Wolf walked over to Allie and sat down next to her on high alert.

"I think that you have something to tell me." Hawke said as he and Lily sat on the rocks beside the lake and looked out over the water. Lily sighed and looked down at her hands that were folded in her lap.

"I should have told you already, I just didn't want you to worry."

"And you think keeping secrets from me will make me worry less?" Hawke asked as he tossed a rock into the water, causing hundreds of ripples to dance in the sunlight.

"I can't divorce Nathan as simply as we thought." Lily said quietly. "Doc said that he has to agree to it and sign the papers as well. I'm supposed to let doc know when Nathan sends you word so that his friend can start on his way here." Lily looked over at Hawke's face but he was too good at masking his emotions for her to be able to tell what he was thinking.