Chapter 8
8
Walker
I jolted awake to the sound of someone hammering on my front door like it was their job. I blinked against the morning light that was too bright for my taste, and felt like my head’s been stuffed with cotton. The clock on the nightstand read a time that no self-respecting person should be up at unless there’s cattle to tend or fences to mend.
But today was my day off.
“Alright, alright, I’m comin’,” I muttered to nobody in particular as I dragged myself out of bed. My muscles protested from yesterday’s work on the ranch. You’d think I’d be used to it, but there were always days my body got worked harder than others. And I was getting to the age where I felt it dearly.
I shuffled towards the door, still wearing yesterday’s jeans and a black tee that’d seen better days.
I swung open the door, squinting into the sunlight, and there stood Sutton, like some kind of bakery angel armed with caffeine and sugar. She was a tiny thing, but the way she burst into my house let you know she had enough spirit to make up for it .
“Morning, Walker,” she chirped, pushing past me with that determined stride of hers. “Figured you’d need this.” She thrusted a steaming cup of coffee into my hand, and I swore I could feel my soul start to reanimate with the first sniff.
“Is that from Campfire?” I ask, eyeing the white paper bag she was holding with something akin to reverence. She forked it over, and I opened it eagerly to find my favorite of Sutton’s creations. The cinnamon roll.
The damn thing was practically the size of a dinner plate, dripping with icing, and it smelled like everything right in the world.
“Fresh out of the oven,” she said with a proud tilt of her chin, her gray eyes twinkling with the knowledge that she’d just delivered the hangover cure-all.
“Thanks, Sut. You’re a lifesaver.” I took a long gulp of the coffee, letting the rich, dark liquid kickstart my brain. It was good, strong enough to oil up a tractor engine.
“Anything for my favorite cousin,” she replied with a smile, setting her own cup of coffee down on the kitchen table before plopping herself into a chair. “And let’s face it, you look like you could use all the help you can get this morning.”
“I might have been drinkin’ doubles last night,” I admitted, scratching at the stubble on my jaw.
“Well that explains it.”
“Explains what?”
“Caroline said you spent the night at Mason’s.”
“Slept there for a couple hours but Abby had a nightmare and I didn’t want to be a bother. Came home since I’d sobered up by then.”
Mason’s daughter Abigail was the sweetest little spitfire you’d ever seen and was an honorary niece to us all. But Uncle Walk didn’t know shit about calming nightmares, so I’d made myself scarce while Mason took up Dad-duty.
“Figured as much when I didn’t see your truck at the Barrel.”
I set down the coffee mug, the rich aroma still teasing my senses as I caught Sutton’s gaze. Her gray eyes were like storm clouds, ready to rain down a whole heap of trouble or maybe just some good ol’ fashioned concern.
“What?”
“Are you serious about this thing with Caroline?” she asked, running a hand through her messy bangs.
“Uh . . . ” My brain was still booting up, slower than an old tractor on a cold morning. “What about her?”
“Caroline,” she pressed, leaning against the kitchen counter with her arms folded, the cinnamon roll forgotten for a moment. “You know, helping her out with . . . the thing she needs help with.”
“Right, right.” Memories from last night flickered through my mind like lightning bugs—Caroline’s sweet smile, the walk home, and the odd request that had me scratching my head. Damn. She really asked me to teach her how to get a man, didn’t she?
“Look, I didn’t shake hands on anything, Sutton. Just told her I’d think on it,” I said, finally finding the trail of thought I was looking for.
“Thinkin’ on it, huh?” She smirked, pushing off the counter to step closer. “And how’s that goin’ for you?”
“Still percolating,” I replied, matching her smirk with one of my own. “Like your coffee here.”
“Better not let it percolate too long, Walker. Caroline’s not the type to wait around forever,” she chided, but the twinkle in her eye told me she was enjoying this little morning interrogation. “ And while I don’t necessarily think it’s a great idea, I don’t want her going around and asking some dipshit to help her either.”
“So you don’t think it’s a disaster of an idea?” I questioned.
“Oh it’s wild for sure. But I know she needs a gentle nudge. She deserves to find happiness, and she’s been focused on other things for so long. I think it would be good for her.” She leaned forward, her eyes narrowing conspiratorially. “Besides, I watched her with three men last night, and you were the only one she had any kind of spark with.”
“Hey now, if I do this, it would just be a friend helping a friend. No sparks needed.”
“I know, I know. I’m just saying, she was more relaxed with you. I think she’d learn a lot and find her confidence is all. She needs this change of pace.”
“Change of pace,” I echoed, running a hand through my hair. That was something I could understand.
“Caroline’s been through a lot, you know,” Sutton said suddenly, breaking the comfortable silence. “Coming back here after all these years, taking over her old man’s practice . . . It’s a heap of responsibility on her shoulders.”
“Uh-huh,” I mumbled, my mind working overtime at the idea of what helping her meant. Yeah, I could teach her how to flirt and be appealing. She was already there, she just needed some practice to get out of her head. But spending time with the town’s respectable doctor might benefit me, too. Besides, she was a beautiful woman and last night proved she was fun to hang out with.
“It wouldn’t exactly be a hardship on my part.”
“Look, Walker,” Sutton pressed, her eyebrows knitting together. “She’s trying to fit into this place again, find her footing, and it isn’t easy. She could use a friend.” Her voice had that edge to it, the one that said she wasn’t just talking about friendship.
“I am her friend.” I sighed, feeling the weight of her words. Caroline had been a quiet force back in school, someone who blended into the background but somehow remained memorable. To me, at least. And now, she was this confident doctor who’d come home. It made me think, really think, about the Caroline I remembered. Funny how people grow up, change, but still tug on the same heartstrings they did when you were kids.
“Helpin’ her wouldn’t just be about . . . whatever it is she’s asking for,” Sutton continued, folding her arms tighter, as if she were hugging the concern right into herself. “It’s about giving her the chance to feel at home again, to belong.”
The way Sutton cared about Caroline—it was sweet, genuine. Made me wonder what it’d be like to have someone worry over me like that.
“If you decide to help her, just don’t mess with her, is all I’m saying.”
“Come on, Sut. I wouldn’t do that to her.”
“I don’t think you’d do it on purpose, but you’re charming and kind. People gravitate toward you, and most of the girls you spend time with understand you’re not interested in anything more than a roll in the hay. Caroline is practical, don’t get me wrong. But she’s also very new at all this. I don’t want her to inadvertently get hurt.”
I ambled over to the window, hands tucked into the pockets of my worn jeans, as I watched the morning sun kiss the horizon. The ranch sprawled before me, a patchwork of fence lines and grazing cattle. My gaze followed the familiar trails that wound through the property—trails I knew as well as the lines on my own palms. I knew Sutton’s heart was in the right place, so I tried not to take it personally. But her words had me wanting to prove I could truly help Caroline and not just lead her astray.
“I think I’m gonna do it,” I murmured to myself, the words hanging in the quiet air like a promise waiting to be fulfilled.
The notion wasn’t just about her; it was about me too. I’d spent years working this land, shoulder to shoulder with my brother. I put in my time and I deserved more now. If he didn’t believe that I was ready for responsibility, I’d show him otherwise.
“Maybe this is it,” I said, almost too low to hear. “My chance to step up.”
It was time to trade in some late nights for early mornings, to swap out the carefree playboy routine for something with substance. At least as far as everyone else was concerned.
“Ranching’s all about nurturing things until they’re strong enough to stand on their own,” I recalled Pa saying once, his voice echoing in my head.
Pa was gone now, but his words lingered, shaping my thoughts. Wasn’t this what he meant? Caroline needed support, guidance in a world she’d stepped away from for so long. And maybe, just maybe, I needed the purpose and focus that came with being that guide.
“Could be good for both of us,” I admitted, finally allowing myself to consider the full scope of the arrangement. It wasn’t just about Caroline learning to navigate the social waters of Whittier Falls—it was also about me finding my footing, proving I was more than just the Anderson who never grew up.
The weight of potential hung in the room, heavy and inviting. This could be the stepping stone to my own division on the ranch, a place where equine therapy and lessons could change lives. Where I could change lives—and in doing so, change my own .
I leaned forward, resting my forehead against the cool glass. The idea of helping Caroline wasn’t just an act of charity—it was an opportunity. If I could show that I was capable of settling down with a respected, responsible woman, Gray would have to take me seriously.
I’d settled it in my mind. I’d ask for an amendment to the plan. And do whatever it took to get Caroline to agree.