Axl said nothing.

He felt a number of things.

But he said nothing.

Hawk did.

“I got two boys,” Hawk told him something he knew. “If I knew Asher or Bruno went to another man for advice on anything, something important like this, or which protein powder worked best, I fuck you not, I’d die a little inside.”

It wasn’t easy, but Axl swallowed.

“What I’m sayin’ is, I get you’re flyin’ blind with this,” Hawk continued. “You don’t have a father who acts as a foundation for you, Hattie doesn’t either, so you gotta search for the path forward rather than knowing it or having your personal path lead to your father’s door for guidance. So I’m glad you took the time to come up here, man. I just caution you to realize you are lacking the same thing Hattie is and don’t get lost in that. You made the right choice today, coming up here. And as shit progresses with Hattie’s dad, remember, that path is always open to you. I don’t have all the answers. What I will always have is the time to listen and work shit through.”

His throat feeling tight, Axl nodded.

Hawk was older, but not old enough to be his father.

But fuck, he was glad he’d found a man like Hawk to be his mentor.

“Right. Later, Axl,” Hawk finished it for both of them.

“Later, Hawk.”

And with them exchanging chin lifts, Axl walked out of Hawk’s office.

Chapter Seventeen

Two Drawers

Axl

That evening, twenty minutes later than he wanted to do it, Axl walked in from his garage, calling, “Hattie, baby, I’m home.”

And within seconds, Hattie came flying into the kitchen, barefoot, wearing a long, yellow dress with little white flowers on it. It was fitted to her torso, had ruffles for the short sleeves, a flowy skirt and a slit up to the knee on her left leg.

Her hair was piled on top of her head and her face was panicked.

“Okay, I thought I had it together, but I didn’t,” she announced. “So I made Sly go shopping with me today and I bought seven dresses. I’ve switched out which one so many times, I think Sly might beg Brett to be taken off Hattie Detail. But I think this is the one. What do you think?”

He didn’t tell her what he thought.

He told her what he knew.

“You look beautiful.”

“No, seriously, what do you think?”

Axl was confused seeing as he’d just answered that question.

“Honey, you look beautiful.”

Looking down at herself, she shifted her hips side to side, which meant the skirt drifted around her legs.

Axl was watching that as she asked, “Is it too casual?” Then she decided for him. “It’s too casual. It doesn’t say Cherry Creek.”

He tore his eyes from her hips and stated firmly, “Hattie, look at me.”

She looked at him.

“You. Look. Beautiful,” he declared.