The New Yorker smirked. “And I’m sooo going to tell him how you reacted.”

“I’m rethinking my gratitude for you all,” Audrey muttered—and grinned as they laughed.

At the Hermitage, Hawk glanced around the gazebo. Interesting evening. The kids were in bed, and the gazebo was filled with his brothers along with Dante, Knox, and Chevy whose women were at Audrey’s celebration.

Leaning forward, Hawk warmed his chilled fingers at the fire pit. In his lap, Sirius gave him an affronted stare before settling back to sleep. Damn cat.

On the other side of the fire, Bull pulled his jacket closed. “Feels like winter will be early this year. But we’re ready.”

“The woodshed is almost full,” Caz agreed.

They all liked being prepared, but Mako’s survivalist preparations especially suited Hawk. His parents had often punished him by locking him up without food for a couple of days. He’d learned to keep a hidden stash of food.

Fingers now warm, Hawk sat back in his chair, jostling the cat again, and earning another stare. “Food storage is almost finished.”

With everyone working, they had a good haul of salmon—smoked, canned, and in the freezers. Berries had been frozen or made into jam. Garden produce was getting put up. Bull and Frankie had made up spaghetti sauce and canned it for quick meals.

The apple trees Mako had planted years ago should yield a good harvest in September. Finally. As with most fruit trees, apples didn’t particularly like Alaska.

They’d do some hunting to top things off.

“We’re about ready too. A moose in the freezer would help.” Chevy glanced at Gabe and added hastily, “once the season opens.”

Gabe grinned. Poaching in the area decreased after he took over as police chief.

Smiling, Hawk picked up his mug of hot chocolate that, unfortunately, lacked rum. But he’d lost the rock, paper, scissors game and was designated driver to retrieve Kit, Audrey, and Frankie from the roadhouse later. JJ, too, if she joined them after her shift. His pickup would be filled with drunken women.

Or maybe not. Kit said she never had more than two, and Audrey wouldn’t be drinking.

Drunk or sober, he and Kit would enjoy some adult fun. Hawk glanced over at Caz’s where Aric was bunked down on the floor in Regan’s room.

Following his gaze, Caz grinned. “I don’t think either of them will wake before noon.”

“We wore them out good,” Bull said.

“They make a hell of a team.” Gabe rested his feet on the edge of the firepit. “Damn, they were cute. Like mini-soldiers.”

Hawk chuckled. Lillian had decided adorable clothing came under her grandmotherly purview and bought camo shirts and pants for Regan and Aric.