The Forever Girl (Wildstone, #6)(56)

And she was, in her own way. She loved to cook and would continue to do that in whatever capacity worked for her, and she wanted to build a family. Every time the question came up, her first instinct was to glance at Dillon, thinking he’d maybe deflect for her. She hoped he’d say, “Whatever she wants to do.” But in each instance, Dillon had turned to her as expectantly as his friends.

So she started taking a shot every time she was asked, and then she added a new game: making up answers. Her favorite had made Dillon flush with anger, but she still thought “teaching exotic dancing” was pretty damn funny. And okay, maybe she went overboard because Sara called her no fewer than three times to ask questions that she’d have no need to ask if she’d only read the notes Caitlin had left.

In any case, by the time they got back to the cabin, she was pretty sure she and Dillon were no longer speaking, but he surprised her when they all gathered in the kitchen for snacks because the food at the shower had sucked.

With both Roly and Poly following him like he was the Pied Piper, he took out the plate of burgers she’d had in the fridge for dinner. “I’ll light the grill.”

Walker looked at Caitlin in surprise. “You’re going to trust him to cook those?”

Dillon frowned. “Excuse me?”

“No offense,” Walker said with a laugh, “but she never trusts anyone to cook anything.”

Caitlin narrowed her eyes at Walker. “If you think you know everything, why don’t you go help him?”

Walker pointed at her, but he started out the door, because at least one of her people knew better than to argue with the bride.

“Wait,” she said. “If you’re ruler of the universe today, shouldn’t Maze have to do it for you?”

Walker’s eyebrows went up. “You want Maze to barbecue your burgers?”

“You’re right. What was I thinking?”

“Hey, standing right here,” Maze said, tossing up her hands.

Dillon was staring at them like they’d all lost their minds. “What’s wrong with Maze’s cooking? Is she going to burn another house down or something?”

Everyone sucked in a shocked breath.

“Babe, I told you that in confidence,” Cat finally said, horrified. “And it wasn’t her fault.” She turned to Maze, her heart stopping at the look on her face. “Honey—”

Maze shook her head and walked out of the room.

“What?” Dillon said when everyone glared at him.

“You know those double half lattes you love so much?” Walker asked him, voice very quiet—and as any of them knew, while most men got loud when they were furious, Walker just got quietly lethal.

Dillon nodded. “Yeah.”

“Get in your car and go to town to get yourself one before I forget that I’m an off-duty federal agent and put my fist through your face.”

Dillon turned to Caitlin in disbelief. “These are the people you want at our wedding? In our wedding? Seriously?” He tossed up his hands. “I’m going to catch up on some paperwork in the office. Let me know when the food’s ready.”

Caitlin swallowed her stress and turned to the doorway—not the one Dillon had gone out of, but the one Maze had. “I’m going after Maze to apologize.”

“You’re not the one who should apologize,” Walker said.

But she was. She’d brought them all here. She’d expected Dillon to play nice, to not act like he was . . . indifferent to those she considered family. It steamed her that she’d done her best with his family and friends all year and he couldn’t afford her the same courtesy for a week.

“I’ll go,” Walker said.

“Wait.” Cat was torn. “Maybe Jace should go?”

“No.” Jace met Walker’s gaze. “I think it should be someone who was there that night. Someone who loves her.”

Caitlin’s eyes widened as they met Walker’s. “Wait. What?”

Walker shook his head with a not now look and went out the door.

Caitlin turned to Heather.

“I didn’t like that Dillon said that to her,” Heather said softly. “It was mean.”

“I know.” Caitlin’s stomach was in knots over it. “And the Walker and Maze thing?”

“If it happens, I think it’d be amazing for both of them.”

Caitlin nodded slowly. Maze and Walker were both far overdue for having true love in their lives, and together they’d complement each other in ways that would be truly amazing to watch. But if things went south . . . what would happen? Would it break up the family she’d just put back together, for good this time?

And how was it that she felt far more worried about that than going after Dillon?

WALKER SEARCHED THE immediate surroundings—no Maze. Not a surprise. She was good at hiding in plain sight. She’d had to be. Standing at the water’s edge, he let out a breath. In both his professional and personal life, he tried very hard not to do anything stupid. He also tried to learn from his mistakes, of which he’d made many. It was important to him, given how he’d grown up, to be a good guy. But at his core, he was also an opportunist. He had a chance here to right some wrongs, and he was going to take it.

He did love Maze. He always had. But he held no illusions that she could love him back. And yet the way she’d looked at him earlier, how she’d allowed her body to melt into his . . . He drew a deep breath. At the very least, she wanted him, and he could work with that.