Cryptic Curse (Bellamy Brothers #7) Read Online Helen Hardt

Categories Genre: Alpha Male, Billionaire, Contemporary, Dark Tags Authors: Series: Bellamy Brothers Series by Helen Hardt
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Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 72969 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 365(@200wpm)___ 292(@250wpm)___ 243(@300wpm)
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As we stroll along the quiet paths, Hawk continues to point out landmarks—a barn here, a cattle paddock there, an old windmill that’s been on the property for generations. His voice is low, soothing.

He stops suddenly and I almost bump into him.

“Look,” he says softly, pointing ahead of us.

Framed in the silvery moonlight are a family of deer grazing on a patch of grass. They raise their heads as we approach and then return to their meal, seemingly undisturbed by our presence.

I blink, a little stunned. “Deer? On a cattle ranch?”

He chuckles. “All the time. This land isn’t just for cows. The deer like it too—same pastures, same woods, same water. Plenty to eat and enough cover to feel safe.”

I watch as one takes a few tentative steps. The cows in the distance don’t even flinch.

“Do they ever get in the way?” I ask.

“Nah,” Hawk says. “Deer and cattle mostly stay out of each other’s way. Cows are grazers—grass, hay, stuff low to the ground. Deer are browsers. They go for leaves, shrubs, acorns. Different diets, different rhythms. Unless there’s a drought, the two don’t compete much.”

I follow the movement of the deer as they slip between fence posts. One pauses to sniff the air, and I hold my breath without meaning to.

“They’re used to the place,” Hawk says quietly. “They know when it’s safe. Sometimes they drink from the same troughs as the cattle. Bed down in the brush at night. They’re part of the land, same as the rest of us.”

I glance over at them. “So you just let them be?”

“Sure,” he says. “Some folks even manage the land with deer in mind. Hunting leases, conservation. Falcon and I are big hunters.”

He pauses then, as if he’s thinking about something.

A moment later, he continues. “Out here, it’s not about controlling everything. It’s about balance. Learning to share what we’ve got. Working in collaboration with nature.”

The deer finally disappear, silent as shadows. I exhale slowly.

“They seem at home here,” I murmur.

Hawk smiles. “They’ve been here longer than we have. We’re the ones learning how to live with them.”

We stay silent for a moment.

Then, “Are you excited to start culinary school?”

His question takes me by surprise. I nod. “Yes,” I say, my voice a little shaky. “I am.”

“What makes you most excited about it?”

I think for a moment, playing with the edges of my coffee cup. “It’s not just about the cooking,” I tell him. “It’s about creating something beautiful and enjoyable from scratch. It’s about seeing the joy on people’s faces when they taste something I’ve made.”

He smiles again, and the gentle curve of his lips sends warmth flooding through me. “That sounds wonderful, Daniela.”

I look down, shuffle my feet. “I’m honestly a little apprehensive too, though. My life has changed so much in such a short time.”

Hawk gives my hand an encouraging squeeze. “Change can be scary. But you strike me as someone who is capable of facing it head on.”

He’s not wrong. But it’s not as though I ever had a choice in the matter.

How much does he know about me?

Vinnie wouldn’t tell him everything, would he?

I certainly don’t want to ruin this moment by reliving the last few horrific years.

We walk in silence a while longer, our footfalls echoing in the quiet night. The ranch is tranquil under the blanket of darkness, the world around us reduced to gray and black.

Darkness used to frighten me.

Bad things happened in the dark.

But with Hawk beside me, all I feel is warmth.

And…arousal.

I need to tamp that down. He’s clearly attracted to me, but he’s a grown man. I’m barely eighteen. He’s just being nice. Welcoming me into the family.

“What exactly do you mean when you said I can face things head on?” I blurt out after a few moments.

He shrugs. “I said you strike me as that type of person. Are you?”

“I’m not sure, if I’m being honest.” I sigh. “I can’t stay with Raven and Vinnie forever.”

“Vinnie and Raven have plenty of money. I’m sure you can stay as long as you like.”

“I want to be there for Belinda, but Vinnie and Raven will start popping out babies soon, and I don’t want to be in the way. When my divorce from Vinnie is final, I should probably try to date or something. I want to set a good example for Belinda, you know. To show her it’s possible to have a healthy relationship with a man after the horrors her father put her through, and—” I clamp my hand over my mouth. “God, I’m babbling. I’m sorry for running my mouth without thinking.”

Hawk stops me with a gesture.

Then he cups my cheeks.

His hands are so big and warm.

The spark that spreads through me takes me from warm to hot.

And slowly, he leans down and touches his lips to mine.


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