Beautifully Broken Pieces (Sutter Lake, #1)(21)

I halted my steps and turned to face Walker. I expected his eyes to be sad, his face ravaged by grief and pain, but there was none of that. What I saw was a look of peace and maybe a little curiosity regarding what the hell I was doing at a cemetery on the outskirts of town.

“I’m so sorry.” My cheeks heated. “I didn’t mean to intrude.”

A small grin tipped his full lips. “You didn’t. Plus, I’m pretty sure this is public land.”

I twisted the ring on my right finger in circles. “I know. I just… You were having a moment, and it was private.”

Walker’s face softened. “It’s okay, Taylor. I was just visiting with someone.”

My gaze jumped around, not quite sure where to settle. “That’s nice. That’s good that you visit whoever it is.” To my absolute horror, my eyes began to fill with tears.

“Hey, hey now. It’s all right.” Walker strode two steps forward and pulled me into him. His muscled arms held me tightly in what could only be called a bear hug. His embrace didn’t make my skin crawl like so many of the other comforting gestures directed my way had begun to do. Maybe because it was firm and strong when so many of my friends’ affections seemed unsure. Maybe it was because this man clearly knew what it meant to lose someone he loved.

I let myself relax into Walker’s embrace. Just for a few moments. Just so I could pull myself together. I bit the inside of my cheek until I tasted blood. The flare of pain helped the tears to recede, and I pushed away from Walker’s hard chest.

“I’m sorry,” I mumbled, wiping at my tears while I stared at the ground. “I’ve just had a long day. I didn’t mean to get weepy on you. I’ll just get back to my car.”

Walker’s hand caught my elbow as I turned to go. “Slow down.” He turned me back to him, but I refused to meet his eyes. He placed two fingers under my chin and lifted. The pads of his fingertips were rough against my soft skin. I swallowed hard.

His eyes searched mine, looking for something, peering into my soul. “There’s nothing to be ashamed about when it comes to feeling deeply.”

I pressed my lips together and nodded. His hand fell away.

“I’ll walk you back to your car.”

He was too close. He saw too much. “That’s not necessary. I’m fine now. Promise.” I forced a smile that felt wonky.

“I could use an excuse to stretch my legs. Honestly, you’d be doing me a favor.”

My nails dug into my palms. He didn’t play fair. “Fine.”

Walker let out a chuckle that seemed to rumble through my body. “Thank you.”

We were quiet for the first few minutes of our walk, only the wind and the beginnings of the crickets’ evening song keeping us company. Then, Walker had to go and ruin it. “What gave you the tough day?”

My muscles tensed, and I fought to keep my face neutral. “I didn’t say tough, I said long. I’m just tired. I get emotional when I’m tired.”

“Mmm-hmm.” He might as well have said, “bullshit.”

I clenched my fists and picked up my pace. Unfortunately, my short strides, no matter how quick, were no match for Walker’s long ones.

As we approached The Tea Kettle, my buddies from earlier appeared. Arthur and Clint wore mischievous grins, but it was Art who spoke. “Now, Mr. Cole, what are you doing with our Taylor this evening?”

Walker’s brows rose. “Your Taylor?”

“Yes, our Taylor. We’ve taken her under our wing and are going to show her the ropes.”

Walker’s gaze turned to me. “I think that sounds like a great plan.”

My skin began to itch as Art’s and Clint’s gazes traveled from me to Walker and back again. I needed to get out of here. Too many eyes. Too much attention. “It was nice to see you gentlemen again. Great running into you, Walker. I need to get home now. See you later.”

I didn’t wait for an answer, just took off for the parking lot behind the Kettle. I didn’t breathe a sigh of relief until there were at least ten blocks between the man who saw too much and me.





13





Walker





Dawn was just beginning to show its first glimmers of light as rocks crunched beneath my sneakers. I loved running in the early light. The air was cool, few cars were on the road, and I often spotted animals that usually liked to avoid human interaction.

Three miles outside the ranch’s main gate, I spotted a small form up ahead. Her strides were strong and purposeful but no match for my own. Before long, she glanced over her shoulder at the sound of my approaching steps, her golden ponytail swinging. Her head swiveled right back around, and she just kept running.

I quickened my pace until I was right beside her. “I thought you promised that you wouldn’t go walking or running while it was dark out.”

Taylor’s jaw tightened. “It was getting light when I left.”

“Bullshit.”

She blew out a harsh breath. “I have reflectors on my shoes and shorts. I even got a mini bear spray at the hardware store. I’ll be fine.”

I fell back a step and let my gaze fall to her delectable, heart-shaped ass. There was indeed a reflector there.

“Happy?” she bit out.