Soul Dreams by Desiree Holt

door, excited to see company, and was running in and out between Hawk’s legs.
    “So, what brings you out my way?”
    “Checking on you to make sure you’re okay,” he told her. “Riley would have my ass if I didn’t.”
    “You tell Riley she needs to worry about the baby in her tummy and quit fussing over me. I’m fine. Can I offer you coffee?”
    “No, thanks. I need to get going. Like I said, I stopped to check on you and deliver this.” He lifted the box he was carrying.
    “What have you got?”
    He handed it to her. “Double fudge chocolate cake. Riley’s special recipe.”
    Nina laughed. “Everyone must think I’m too skinny, with all the fattening things I’m getting.
    “Oh?” He quirked an eyebrow. “Who else has been playing Good Samaritan?”
    “Believe it or not, when I delivered Blake Massie’s books to him last night, Grange handed me a fresh baked pie.”
    Hawk stared at her, amazement written on his face. “Are you kidding me?”
    She shook her head. “Nope. He was very nice about it, too.”
    “So, satisfy my curiosity or Riley will never let me hear the end of it. What’s the house like inside?”
    She described it—as much as she’d seen, anyway. “It seems to be well-cared for. The wood inside is absolutely beautiful.”
    “Maybe the guy has nothing to do all day except work on the house.”
    Nina shook her head. “No. I didn’t see any sign of that. Or of him, come to think of it.”
    “No? He didn’t come down to see you?”
    “All I saw was Grange. Oh, and I got a great apple pie out of it.”
    Hawk lifted an eyebrow. “Apple pie? Next you’ll be breaking bread with our mysterious resident.”
    “As if.” She snorted in disgust. “You’d better get going.”
    “You’re right.” Hawk bent down to kiss her cheek. “You take care. And if you change your mind about dinner, I’ll send someone to pick you up.”
    “I’m good,” she assured him.
    But an hour after he left, she wasn’t quite so sure. In the living room, she poked at the pitiful blaze in her fireplace. In ten years, she still hadn’t learned to build a good fire. She should probably have asked Hawk for some help when he stopped by, but she’d gotten used to doing everything on her own. By this time, she ought to be willing to open herself up to other people, make more friends. But the tear in her heart had never quite healed, and over the years, she’d grown more and more obsessive about protecting it.
    Will I spend the rest of my life doing exactly what I’m doing now ? Running the bookstore ? Getting a little older and a little more shriveled each year ? Living alone with Brutus and taking pleasure only in watching other people’s lives play out ?
    She was wallowing in her misery when the doorbell rang again.
    Brutus jumped up at the sound.
    “Wow, we’re really busy today, aren’t we, guy?”
    She was stunned when she peeked out the window to see Grange on the porch. Curious as to what had brought him to her porch, she opened her door and was hit by a blast of cold air. Like Hawk, he was carrying a package, only his was a large grocery bag.
    “Come in. Please. Get out of the cold.” She rubbed her arms briskly, the chill biting into her, and stepped back so he could enter. Brutus danced around her legs, barking a cheerful greeting. “He’s harmless,” she assured him.
    “Oh, yeah.” He grinned. So I can see.” Gripping the grocery bag with the other, he held a hand down for the dog to sniff and lick. “From what Blake said, I was expecting a snarling beast.”
    Nina blinked then remembered the picture she’d sent and laughed. “I use the picture as my cover story when people ask if I live alone. Although I think Brutus would actually get mad if he saw someone trying to hurt me.”
    Grange cleared his throat. “I—that is, we —I mean—” He thrust the bag at her. “I always cook way too much for two people, so I brought some for you.”
    Nina was stupefied. He’d