Just wow. At the start, she’d simply hoped she could manage to have sex with a man—with Hawk. Instead, the night had been amazing. She’d come so hard she could swear the tingles still ran over her nerve endings.

But what they’d shared had been more than mere sex. It was as if she’d asked for a flower, and he’d given her an entire garden. She’d never felt so safe and cared for and…cherished. Yes, that was the word.

Not loved, Kit. Don’t go there.

Dear God, was she really so foolish? She was.

I love him.

And who wouldn’t?

Not just because of the wonderful sex—or how he’d somehow calmed her panic attacks. It was because he was…kind. Thoughtful. Honest. Didn’t anyone realize how rare those traits were?

Tipping her head back, she watched the fog on the mountainsides silently wafting upward.

She no longer believed she needed a man to make her feel complete. At long last, she’d wiped out Uncle Duane’s misogynistic programming. She was complete, in and of herself.

She and Aric could manage fine on their own. The receptionist pay was good, and her next job would be even better. Besides, she still had most of her share of the PZ money.

So how she felt about Hawk wasn’t because she couldn’t manage without him. It was truly love, somewhat like her love for Aric and Frankie. Loving them made her happy.

He made her happy—and oh, so much more. Every time she saw him, it felt as if her heart had become the sun, radiating through her. When she heard his voice unexpectedly, every nerve in her body danced with joy. The way he held Aric turned her insides to mush. And the way he held her?

Mmm, bad Kit. Now she wanted to see if they could warm the sleeping bags again.

Another patch of fog lifted upward, revealing the deep green of the evergreen forest.

Wouldn’t Obadiah hate that she’d realized she was better off without him. That she’d moved on after he’d tried so hard to break her. He’d seen strong women as a threat. Probably Nabera and Parrish did too. But they were out of her life, and she’d never have to think of them again. And she wouldn’t. The bastards.

“Hey.”

She jumped at the rough sound.

Hawk had crouched beside her. He touched her cheek with the tips of his fingers. “You’re growling. Problem?”

Oh, oops? “Just thinking of the past.”

And wishing for a future that would let her have him. The chances for that were slim. He’d obviously never settled on one woman before. And what man would want a girlfriend who not only came with another man’s child but a ton of issues?