Protecting Her Secrets (Mountain Men of Culver Springs #1)

Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Walker

I don’t mean to keep piling guilt on Skylar, but every question she asks ties back to her leaving me. Every decision I’ve made to get me to where I am today stems from that day, whether it hurts her feelings or not.

Flopping onto my recliner, I try to think of something to keep us busy and avoid the talk she wants to have. It makes me an asshole to fight for her when I know she’s engaged, but since she’s technically still my wife, I figure I have the right.

Movies. I can talk her into watching movies we’ve seen together. That should help awaken some nostalgia. The drive-in theater used to be our favorite thing to do together. Granted, we spent most of the movie making out, but that only works in my favor. And I know exactly what movie to play. I’m thankful I randomly grabbed it out of the dollar DVD bin at the store.

I walk over to the credenza that houses all my DVDs. Streaming services are great and everything, but the internet up here is notoriously unreliable. Sometimes it’ll be out for days, and when you’re snowed in with nothing to do, Hulu doesn’t mean shit.

A cell phone ringing interrupts my perusal. I look over my shoulder to see Skylar dash for her purse and pull out her phone. Whatever she sees on the screen has her biting at her lip and furrowing her brows.

“Can I use your guest room to take this?” she asks, looking everywhere but at me.

“Sure.”

“Thanks.” She dashes down the hall as if her pants are on fire. The only word I hear before she shuts the door is a clipped, “Hello?”

Is it her fiancé? I clench my jaw, jealousy rearing its ugly head. A better man would give her privacy, but fuck that. I need information. So, even though it’s an invasion of privacy, I instruct Sprocket to stay put and follow her down the hall, where I stand outside the room. Thankfully, the doors in this house are particle board and do nothing to keep me from hearing her side of the conversation.

“I’ll be home soon,” she says, and my hands tighten to fists. “I told you, I just needed a break from all the wedding planning and everything.” She’s lying to him, but surely he knows about me. Or maybe he doesn’t. Skylar lived a double life when we were together, her family in one lane and me in the other. “I’m at a B I see it on her face. But after thinking for a long minute, a look of resignation comes over her. “Not exactly. He knows I’m up north, but he thinks I’m just clearing my mind before the wedding.”

“He doesn’t know you’re already married?”

“No one knows except Dee.”

This doesn’t surprise me or hurt my feelings. Up until recently, I hadn’t told anyone either. It was a secret tether between us. “You’re still friends with Dee, huh? How’s she doing?”

“She’s good. Married with a couple rugrats.” She smiles. “They’re adorable.”

“Wow. When I think of Dee, I think about her doing keg stands, not changing diapers.”

“Maturing will do that to you.” She stands awkwardly just outside the sitting area of the living room.

I should leave it alone. After all, wasn’t I the one who wanted to keep things easy tonight? But I have too many questions burning through me. “Why didn’t you tell anyone?”

“You know why.”

“Tell me anyway,” I say.

“My dad would’ve lost his mind and probably hunted you down and made me a widow.” Her tone is flippant, but we both know she’s not joking.

“What about your fiancé? What would he do if he knew you were married?”

“He would hunt you down, torture you to within an inch of your life, then make me a widow.”

I would’ve been scared of that threat fifteen years ago, but now, it doesn’t do anything but piss me off. “And you want to tie yourself to a man like that for the rest of your life?”

She narrows her eyes on me. “Fuck you, Walker. You don’t know shit about my life, so don’t sit there and pretend like you do.”

I can’t quite read her expression with her standing so far away, so I point to the sofa. “Come over here and sit down so we can have a proper conversation.”

“When did you get so bossy?” she asks but does as I say, plopping down with her arms folded.

“Maturing will do that to you.” I throw her words back at her as I sit on the opposite end of the couch. There’s nothing but a little air between us, but we’re not quite touching.

“Not sure I like it.”

I hold back from telling her that if she were in my bed, she’d see just how bossy I can be. “You’re right, I’m sorry. I don’t know about your life, so why don’t you tell me.”

My apology throws her off, and slowly, her arms unwind and lower to her lap. “What do you want to know?”

“Everything, but let’s start with where you work.”

“I work at a preschool.” She smiles softly. “I know it’s not finding missing hikers and rescuing them, but I love it.”

“That’s great. Being a good role model for impressionable youth is just as important.”

She absently strokes Sprocket’s back. The second she sat down, he was right next to her, resting his head in her lap. “I guess, but that’s not why I do it. Four-year-olds are the best. They’re old enough to have their own personalities, and they’re not jaded by life yet. Just optimistic and hopeful. Even on my worst days, the second I walk into the classroom, I can’t help but be in a good mood because fifteen little happy people are excited to see me. The only bad part is I only get them for a year, then they’re off to elementary school, but that’s not even so bad because I know fifteen more kids are coming in.”

“I’m glad you found something you love. Hell, I’m just glad your dad finally let you work.”

Her smile falls, and I regret my words. “I’ll be quitting once I get married.”

“What? Why?”

“Because I’m marrying a club member.”

“Who?”

“It’s not important.” Her evasion tells me exactly who it is.

I sneer. “Who?”

She steels her spine and looks me dead in the eye. “Klutch.”

“Are you joking? Skylar, he’s like twice your age. Not to mention, he’s a total asshole.”

Tears well in her eyes. “It’s just how it is, okay?”

“Be so fucking for real right now, especially after everything you’ve told me about him.” I never met the guy, but Skylar mentioned multiple times that he scared her, that the way he watched her made her uncomfortable.

“My dad has a way of getting what he wants.”

“Fuck your dad. Fuck him twice if he’s marrying you off to that asshole as if you’re his possession.” I’ve always hated how her dad never saw Skylar as a person and never took into consideration what she wanted for her life.

“You shouldn’t speak ill of the dead.”

“He died?” I ask, and she nods. Maybe it makes me an asshole, but that’s the best news she has given me so far. “Then why does it matter what he’d want?”

She rests an elbow on the arm of the couch and pinches the bridge of her nose. “Can we not do this, please? I’m tired.”

“It’s only fair since I told you about me.”

“It’s different. We’re different. Your story has a happy ending. Mine doesn’t. It’s harder to talk about.”

I want to tell her that, yes, I’ve had happy moments, but I haven’t been truly happy since we were together. It’s as if there’s a missing piece of my puzzle I can’t get back. I won’t admit all that, though. Not right now. Not until she tells me the rest of her story.

“I just need to know you’re okay.”

“I’m okay,” she says without any conviction. “Just leave it alone. Please? I’ll tell you everything, I promise. Just not right now.”

Wanting to know more but also knowing if I force it, I’ll just push her away more, I drop it. “Sure, sweetheart. We can drop it for now, but I want to know the rest before I sign those papers. I’m not giving you a divorce unless I know my wife is in a better place than the one I can give her.”

She stiffens. “Walker?—”

“And I’ll know if you’re lying, so don’t even try.”

“I’m not your wife. Not really.”

“Tell that to the certificate I have sitting in my safe.”

At that, she freezes. “You still have it?”

“Of course I do.” We stare at each other for a long moment before I break the tension and grab the DVD off the coffee table. “Want to watch a movie?”

“ He’s Just Not That Into You ? We loved that movie,” she says, looking over the jacket cover.

“No, you loved that movie. I loved that you let me feel you up while you watched it.” Snagging the plastic clamshell from her, I open it and pop the disc into the player. When I turn back around, she’s blushing profusely at my confession. It’s fucking adorable, and I shrug. “Just being honest.”

“I should’ve figured that out after the third time you agreed to see it.”

“Want some popcorn?” I ask, needing a little space because knowing she’s now thinking about my hands on her more-than-a-handful tits has my cock twitching.

“Sure.”

I make quick work of pulling out a pan, a bag of kernels, butter, and a carton of oil. I have the microwave stuff in my pantry, but making it this way is much better. As the oil heats, I look up as she pulls the blanket off the back of the sofa and settles in to watch the movie. There were so many winter nights I wished for this exact situation, and here it is. Sure, her situation isn’t ideal, but I wasn’t kidding. If she wants me to sign those papers, she better convince me Klutch is the love of her life and she’d rather be with him than here with me.

Opening my cupboard, I reach for one large bowl versus two smaller ones so I have a reason to sit close to her. I don’t even feel guilty about it when I take my place on the sofa. She’s sitting sideways with her legs bent, and I’m surprised when she automatically tucks her toes under my thigh. Her eyes are glued to the screen, so it was probably unintentional, but the casualness of it all feels good.

I hand her the bowl and she nestles it in her lap without thought. This pleases me because now I have to rest my forearm on her knee whenever I grab a handful. I want to comment on how nice this is, but I worry it’ll bring too much attention to our close proximity, so I kick my feet up onto the coffee table and keep my trap shut.

Not even an hour into the movie, Sprocket is spread out next to me, Skylar’s legs are draped across my thighs, and I’m rubbing her sock-covered feet. I’m not even sure how or when it happened; I just know with one hundred percent certainty that I want this for the rest of my life. It feels right, like that final puzzle piece is in place at last.

I should’ve known I was waiting for Skylar. There were plenty of times I thought about going back to Bakersfield and trying to get her back, but I was scared that instead of convincing her to come with me, she’d demand I sign the divorce papers right then. I knew it’d be better to wait until she came to me.

As if reading my mind, Skylar breaks our easy silence and asks, “How come you aren’t in a relationship?”

“I haven’t found anyone worth keeping around.” I give her the easy answer, knowing she’s not ready for the revelation I just had.

“Why not? I’ll bet women throw themselves at your feet.”

“I’ve dated on and off, but nothing serious.” I shrug. “I think my bar is set too high.”

She shifts so she’s lying on her back but doesn’t take her legs off me. “What kind of woman are you looking for?”

Five foot nothing with long, curly blonde hair and green eyes, named Skylar.

“I don’t have a type. I just think I’ll know when I meet her. Just like I knew we’d be good together the second I laid eyes on you.”

“We were good together, huh?”

“The best.”

It’s quiet for a long while, both of us looking at the TV screen but neither of us watching. Our thoughts are too loud and that truth was too painful. I wish she’d open up to me, tell me why she’s marrying that asshole, why we can’t try to get back what we lost. I don’t doubt she’d piss off her family if she didn’t marry within the club, but if they really cared about her and wanted her to be happy, they’d get over it.

“For what it’s worth, I’m sorry. I never should have broken up with you by text. I cheapened our relationship and disrespected you by doing that. If I could go back and do it again, I would’ve talked to you and made you understand.” I open my mouth to get more answers, but she holds up a hand, cutting me off. “I still don’t want to talk about it right now. I just needed you to know how sorry I am.”

“Thank you for apologizing.”

She gives me a small smile. “Now, shh. I’m watching the movie.”