Chapter 18
A Little Birdie Told Me
The guys polished off lunch in fifteen minutes flat, and Walker asked if I’d be around after he finished for the day.
There’s no chance I could say no while he trailed kisses down my neck as he asked—it was pure extortion, and I happily volunteered as tribute to guarantee a few more seconds of his mouth on me.
To pass the time, I spent the afternoon at the cottage with Briar and Caleb.
We fed the kittens and played with Ziggy, Caleb’s fainting goat.
He also roped me into losing several rounds of Candy Land.
The kid is a pro. He even had the audacity to laugh when I got stuck in the gumdrop forest for the third time in a row.
I’m seriously considering drafting a formal complaint with Candy Land HQ for the emotional torment the game has inflicted.
As the afternoon eases into early evening, Walker texts me.
Walker: Where are you, pretty girl?
Birdie: At Briar’s. Please tell me you’re coming to my rescue. Caleb beat me at Candy Land five times straight, and my ego can’t take another loss.
Okay, maybe I stretched the truth a little for dramatic effect. Briar actually sent Caleb upstairs ten minutes ago for his bath, but I couldn’t pass up the chance to use my wounded pride as leverage if it means getting him here sooner.
Walker: We just finished. See you in a bit.
Birdie: Looking forward to it <3
I head out front to wait for him, settling into one of the rocking chairs on the porch. Briar went to put Ziggy away for the night before checking on Caleb, so it’s just me and my thoughts out here.
Keeping my head in the sand has run its course, and I’m forced to face the cold, hard truth: I have feelings for Walker Halstead.
The line between what’s real and fake was obliterated the second we kissed, and the intimacy of our first shared orgasm only cemented that.
I was just too naive to recognize the significance of those moments until it was too late.
The way I see it, I have two options: end things now before they escalate further, or continue our charade, fully aware there’s a good chance I’ll be heartbroken once this is over.
My first instinct is to break things off with Walker before things get messy. But I’m tired of running. Like Mama said, it’s time I start living my life—which means living in the moment and not letting fear hold me back.
While I wait for Walker, a message pops up in the group chat.
Backroads & Bad Decisions Group Chat
Charlie: Careful, Briar. At this rate, Birdie and Walker are going to beat you and Jensen down the aisle. Shotgun wedding, anyone?
Birdie: Care to enlighten us on how you cooked up this wild theory of yours?
Seriously, she loves gossip more than a sugar-laced red velvet latte. It doesn’t help that her boutique serves as a breeding ground for chatty women who can sniff out rumors faster than a bloodhound.
Briar: Oh boy. Here we go.
Charlie: A little birdie told me you brought Walker lunch today.
Briar: Just to be clear I am not said birdie.
Wren: Things must be getting serious if you’re taking him lunch at work.
Birdie: It’s not a big deal.
Briar: I don’t know… you seemed awfully into him when he was nuzzling his face in your neck.
Birdie: Not said birdie, huh??
Charlie: Don’t hold back now Briar. Proud of you.
Briar: I didn’t even mention how he got all possessive…
Wren: Facetime me later! I need all the details.
Charlie: Count me in, too!
Trying to stop them would be useless. When Briar and Jensen got together, Wren, Charlie, and I spent hours on late-night calls, gossiping about it, so I can’t blame them for doing the same to me.
That’s the price of public displays of affection—though I have zero regrets, especially after Walker staked his claim with that possessive kiss still living rent-free in my mind.
The crunch of gravel pulls me from the group chat, and I look up to see a blue pickup with Heath at the wheel and Walker and Jensen riding along.
Walker is the first to climb out, pulling off his hat and wiping the sweat from his forehead.
I push out of the rocking chair and rush down the porch steps to greet him.
“How’d it go?” I ask.
“Pretty boy put those new ranch hands to shame.” He nods to Jensen, getting out of the back seat. “A year on the ranch and we’ve finally made a real cowboy out of him.”
Jensen rolls his eyes. “Give me a break. I’ve been running circles around the whole crew since I got here.”
“Uh-huh. We all know city life went to your head, but I’m just glad you’re finally cured.” Walker winks.
Jensen used to live in New York and was CEO of DataLock Systems, a major cybersecurity firm.
When he discovered Caleb was his son and had lost his mom to cancer, they moved to Bluebell, where Jensen grew up, to have the support of the Halsteads.
He and Heath have been best friends their whole lives and Jensen spent most of his childhood at their place.
Not long after moving back, he fell madly in love with Briar, and the rest is history.
“I’m going inside to find Briar and Caleb,” Jensen says, heading for the house.
Heath rolls down the window, lips pressed into a thin line, and hands wrapped tightly around the steering wheel. “I’m going to the ranch house,” he grunts. “You two coming?”
Someone’s extra grumpy after a rough day in the fields, not that I’m about to call him out on it.
Walker shakes his head. “Nah. We’ve got to decide what we’re doing first. If we go there, I’ll borrow Briar’s Jeep.”
“Okay, I’m headed back then,” Heath says, rolling up the window and driving away.
I beam at Walker when he turns his attention to me. “You must be exhausted.”
“Between hauling posts into holes and standing in the heat, I think I’ve aged ten years.”
“Oh, you poor thing.” I pat his chest with exaggerated sympathy, my lips curling into a playful grin.
“I definitely could use some comforting.” He draws me into his arms, nuzzling my neck, and I giggle when his scruff tickles my skin. “I’m really glad you came by the field earlier,” he murmurs, his tone softening.
“Me too.”
I nearly let it slip that I miss him when we’re not together, but I bite my tongue—deciding some thoughts are better kept to myself.
I’m saved from saying something I might regret when Walker’s phone buzzes in his pocket. He takes it out, raising a brow as he scans the screen.
“Dammit,” he mutters, rubbing the back of his neck.
I frown. “What’s wrong?”
“Ma found out you’re here and wants to have you over for family dinner.” He sighs, dragging a hand along his jawline. “Nothing slips past that woman.”
My guess is that Ethel told her I was around. She’s the housekeeper for the Silver Saddle Ranch cabins and runs the general store in the afternoons after she’s finished cleaning. She was on the porch sweeping when Briar and I passed by on our way to the fields earlier.
“And what’s so bad about her asking me to join?”
Walker dips his head, nipping my earlobe. “Because I wanted you all to myself tonight.”
I let out a giggle. “Is that so? Weren’t you the one who suggested we wait until tomorrow to see each other? Surely you can survive a few more hours to have me alone.”
I pull back to meet his gaze, his eyes dancing with mischief.
“Better idea. Let’s sneak into my loft. Ma will be too distracted preparing dinner to notice.”
I roll my eyes, chuckling. “Your mom’s sixth sense is legendary. She always knew when Briar was running late for her curfew and would be waiting with the porch light on every time. I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s waiting outside now in case you try any funny business.”
Walker exhales with a resigned sigh. “You’re probably right. But if we do this, it means you’re coming to my place after.” He cups my chin, kissing me. “I’ll need extra alone time to recover from having to share you.”
How could I possibly say no to an offer like that?
Walker and I rode over to the Halsteads’ with Briar’s family. The second we arrived, Caleb disappeared to the craft room, clearly uninterested in hanging out with the adults.
“You came,” Julie exclaims, glancing up from the counter where she’s cutting watermelon into thick wedges.
The kitchen has wide-plank wood floors, a vaulted ceiling accented by exposed beams, and a butcher block island at its center.
A picture window above the farmhouse sink looks over the garden and the orchard beyond.
The space is stunning, but it’s the Halsteads’ generosity and kindness that makes their home feel so welcoming.
“Thanks for having me,” I say with a small wave. “Had I known about dinner sooner, I would’ve brought something.”
Julie never does anything halfway, and I hate showing up empty-handed without at least a bouquet of fresh flowers or a bottle of wine from town.
“If she had brought something, it totally would have been from the diner,” Briar quips.
“Says the woman whose macaroni salad is always the consistency of soup,” Walker retorts.
“I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again—soup salad is Briar’s claim to fame.” Jensen chuckles as he steps behind her, wrapping an arm around her waist.
“I’m just glad to have you all here,” Julie says, wiping her hands on a hand towel before coming over to greet us.
I’m not expecting her to come to me first and draw me in for a hug. I’ve been over for dinner plenty, and while she’s naturally warm, she usually reserves this level of affection for her family. I’m certain it’s because she’s over the moon that Walker and I are dating.
A pang of unease twists in my stomach, wondering if I’ll still be welcome when her son and I eventually go our separate ways.
I hope so. The Halstead ranch house is like a home away from home, and I’ve always seen Julie as another mother figure—a guiding light in my life, even though she doesn’t know all the struggles I carry or realize how much her comfort means to me.
Just then Caleb comes darting down the hall with a broad smile lighting up his face.