33. Walker
Chapter thirty-three
Walker
Today marks ten months since Dr. Trent Stone was murdered, and while there have been breaks in the case overall, we still don’t have the person responsible for his death. However, I now believe there is a single person behind his death and for whatever reason they hired the same professional assassin used in the other cases. It’s possible all of these murders were ordered by the same person or group, but I know in my gut that we just need to find the missing puzzle piece to have it all come together and we can hold this person responsible by solving this murder case. I rub my hand down my face before giving in to my continuous need to check on the most magnificent woman I’ve ever met in my life.
Me
Good morning, Viv. How are you doing today?
Vivian
Hey there Special Agent Man. I’m well … how are you?
Me
Glad to hear it. I’m well, thanks for asking. I can’t believe it’s already December though, time is flying by. How was Eloise’s Christmas program this morning?
Vivian
It was so cute. I wasn’t sure if Elosie would freak out with all the people watching them on stage or ham it up. I should’ve known better—she did fantastic. Although I can’t really believe how fast time goes and it’s already the holiday season. At the same time, last Christmas feels like a lifetime ago.
Me
Eloise is lucky to have such an incredible and strong mama.
Vivian
Everything I do is for her, so thank you. She deserves the best.
Me
It’s a good thing that’s exactly what she has in you then.
Vivian
You are too kind, Walker. Any updates on anything?
Me
Still chasing down any and all leads. I promise to call or come see you as soon as I have something substantial.
Vivian
You know … It’s ok if you don’t have a significant case update but just want to call or stop by to say hey…
Me
That’s the best thing I’ve heard all morning, Sugar. I’ll definitely keep that in mind.
Vivian
You do that, sir.
I groan and bite my hand as I throw my head back. She’s killing me. The ‘sir’ thing, I know it’s just proper manners but something about hearing Vivian call me sir makes me almost feral. Taking deep breaths, I decide to let the conversation drop at that, just to be safe. I don’t trust that I won’t overstep more than I already have, and I don’t trust that her intense brother won’t somehow find out. I’m not afraid of Liam Callahan, but I also don’t want family members of the woman I’m falling for to hate me before I even take her on a proper first date.
As beautiful and tempting of a distraction Vivian Stone is, I need to focus on the cases, and not my dick that only wants to focus on imagining her calling me sir in a very different scenario.
These unsolved cases hanging out there without resolution make my skin crawl, but the fact that I’m holding back on a personal level until her husband’s murderer is arrested feels like torture, specifically my self-induced blue balls. I may have already crossed the line when I kissed her, but I want to do so much more than that with her. I know she’s worth the wait, but waiting is not the only hard thing when I think about her.
Later that night, I’m sitting on my back porch throwing the ball for Ghost when my phone rings with an incoming call. I pick it up off the side table and immediately smile. Our evening phone calls only occur when my work and her schedule allow and that’s not nearly enough. My phone says that Vivian Callahan-Stone is calling, which means she must have updated her contact information today changing her display name from Vivian Stone to Vivian Callahan-Stone.
“Good evening, Ms. Vivian,” I answer after I take a deep breath.
“Hey there, Special Agent Man. How are you? I hope it’s okay I called instead of texting,” Vivian tells me. We have been texting daily for close to six months, but our schedules don’t always accommodate extended phone conversations.
“Of course, is something wrong? Are you alright?” I worry she’s calling because something bad has happened and sit up ready to grab the keys to my truck.
“Oh shoot, I should have led with that.” I relax back into the patio couch and resume throwing Ghost’s ball. “Yes, of course. I’m sorry, everything is fine. I was just sitting on the porch, trying to read a book on my phone and thought I would call to say hello ... Is that okay?” she tentatively asks, as if she wasn’t on my mind already.
“Always, Viv. Big reason, small reason, no reason, it’s always okay for you to call me.” I smile at the small sigh I hear in response; I think she was relieved to hear me say that. How low are her standards? She should be treated like the queen she is, and who would ever refuse a call from the queen? “Is the book not keeping your attention? ”
“Oh, it’s not that. Last week, Eloise accidentally knocked my Kindle off the kitchen counter right into the sink. I keep meaning to order a new one. I miss reading on my Kindle, especially in bed at night. My phone just isn’t the same.”
“I get it, I prefer reading on one more than my phone as well. Is anyone else sitting with you on the porch tonight, like a little girl who likes to bathe electronics?”
She laughs. Damn, that’s a beautiful sound. “I’m alone at the moment. Eloise is having a sleepover at her Papa’s tonight with her cousins, and my sister is at a work event for her husband’s firm.” Sometimes I forget Savannah is married as the guy is never around. I know his background check came back fine, but the guy is never home.
“I think Daddy may have a few reinforcements coming in the form of their uncles though. You know for big tough guys, those four little girls have each and every one of them wrapped around their little fingers,” Vivian says as she laughs again. Her sweet and melodic laughter brings an instant smile to my face. I can’t recall ever thinking a laugh was beautiful before tonight but Vivian’s is just that; I could use more of that sound in my life.
Like daily.
“I have to admit, I feel like Ghost would side with the girls too but can’t blame the guy. My dog can be swayed with a treat and a good throw of his favorite toy,” I tell her. I must have held onto the ball for too long as Ghost decides playing catch is over with a huff and lays down at my feet.
“Good to know I can buy his loyalty if necessary. He seems like such a good dog; Eloise has mentioned him multiple times since seeing y’all at the park. She even told me she thinks if she had a dog like Ghost, he would keep her safe from the nightmares.” Ghost suddenly lifts and tilts his head as if he can hear her side of the conversation. Clearly both Bennett men of the house have been completely taken by Vivian and Eloise. I would be happy to test Eloise’s theory, especially if it meant I got to have a sleepover with her mama down the hall.
“Say, I keep meaning to ask, how do you like Tennessee? I forget you haven’t lived in Nashville for long.”
“It’s been a great move, both professionally and personally. I know my family would prefer that I move back to Texas but I don’t know if that’s in my future. I know moving here was the right step on all fronts,” I say.
“Sounds like there’s more to that answer,” her voice trails off at the end of her statement.
“There is indeed a lot more to that answer. On the professional front, leading the task force has been a welcome challenge and I have a great team that I get to work with every day.”
“Hmm. And … on the personal front?” Vivian asks.
I take a deep and slow breath before responding, debating how much I want to reveal just yet. “And on the personal front, I no longer have to run into my ex-girlfriend or her current fiancé that happens to be whom she cheated on me with. I get to have a backyard again and live in more of a suburban feeling neighborhood, whereas when I lived in Atlanta I was in the concrete jungle. Having a dog in a condo wasn’t ideal in Atlanta, but it’s much easier with a backyard like I have now here in Nashville. I’ve also met some pretty incredible people since moving here.”
“Pretty incredible people or pretty people?” And there’s the beautiful laugh again.
“Both statements would be accurate, ma’am.” I shake my head at how cute she is fishing for more information. Fish away, darling. I’m not going to bite … yet.
“Anyone in particular?” She’s playing coy now.
“Indeed,” I reply without elaborating.
“Care to share more with the class, sir?” This little minx .
“I intend to do a lot of sharing amongst other things when the timing is more appropriate. But when the timing is right?” I groan as I try to find the words without taking this too far, wiping my hand down my face. “I will be extremely thorough and dedicated in those communication and exploration efforts. Including physically, verbally, and orally.” She sharply intakes her breath, and I love that this is torturing both of us.
But we need to move the conversation to a safer topic before my filter is completely gone and I admit that she dominates my thoughts like I want to dominate her in bed.
I clear my throat to try to calm my imagination down. “What does the rest of your evening look like? Also, to be safe, are you enjoying an adult beverage on the porch and if so, is the freezer stocked up with mint chocolate chip ice cream?”
She laughs. “I will have you know, sir, that I am enjoying a beverage, but it’s only a glass of sweet tea.” A laugh and a sir? Fuck me. “Any tipsy-induced snack foods are safe tonight. I called you without the influence of alcohol.”
“So, this phone call is not a drunk dial, got it,” I tease her just a little. “I’m enjoying a beer right now while we talk, but it’s my first and only for the evening.” I extend my feet up on the ottoman in front of the patio sofa. “I’m convinced beer always tastes better when enjoyed after a day’s hard work.” The sun creeps slower and slower down the horizon as our conversation continues.
“Once you finish your one and only beer, you’ll shuffle off in your slippers to bed, but the real question is do you allow Ghost to sleep on the bed or is he forced to sleep somewhere else all by his lonesome self?” Of course she has to give me a mental image of taking her to my bed. I adjust myself as I respond to her.
“Ghost has been known to sleep on the foot of my bed, but he enjoys his ridiculously expensive bed that my mama gave him for Christmas. I didn’t even know they made dog beds that were as bougie as his, but of course Ghost loves it,” I say as I shake my head while Ghost snores quietly at my feet. “And for the record, I may be a few years older than you Ms. Vivian, but I do not shuffle anywhere and I sure as hell have not, do not, and will not ever wear slippers.”
“Oh? And how many years are we talking about here, sir?” Vivian asks.
“My birthday is August 8, 1985,” I answer.
“Well, six years is not that many but yes, you are my elder.” She laughs in response. “I turned thirty-three this last fall.”
“That’s right, so please remember to mind your manners with your elders, young lady,” I tell her in a faux serious tone.
“But … no slippers, huh?” She circles back to my previous comment.
“No way, I’ve always hated slippers. I run hot in general, but slippers may have been designed by a masochist. They’re like little, hot, balmy sweaters for your feet, why would someone want that? If I need to cover my feet, I’ll wear socks like a normal person but most of the time I prefer to be barefoot when I’m home. Slippers remind me of this crotchety old lady that lived next to my elementary school growing up. She would always yell at us to play quieter during recess, sitting on her porch wearing her slippers and a scowl. To be honest, I don’t think I have ever even owned a pair. If I have, I never wore them,” I explain.
“Some people love slippers, but I loathed tripping over them,” Vivian says quietly, and I notice she said she loathed in the past tense, not a present tense use of the verb.
“No need to worry about tripping hazards in my house, other than maybe some of Ghost’s toys. I can’t claim that doesn’t happen on occasion.”
She laughs and our conversation turns to lighter topics like toys that dogs and children both love to play with or chew on. I find myself laughing more during this phone conversation than I have in a long while and before I know it, we’ve been talking for over forty-five minutes. A small yawn escapes from Vivian as I check the time.
“I really do hate to end this nice conversation, but I should probably let you go and call it a night.” I really mean that too, I could talk to her all night.
“I’m sorry, you must have heard my yawn,” Vivian replies. “You’re not boring, just so you know, I really enjoyed talking to you tonight. I think my day is just catching up with me.”
“You never need to apologize to me for what you need, Vivian,” I say with so much more meaning than just her being tired.
“I’m not sure why, but I believe you when you say that.”
“You can believe me and what I say, Vivian. I won’t ever lie to you, even if it isn’t what you want to hear or if I can’t tell you something, I still will never lie. It’s not who I am.”
“It’s really not, I can tell,” she softly replies.
“Good. I’m glad you know you can trust me.” Clearly we’re both talking about so much more than just little white lies. “It’s not in my DNA to be untruthful and I don’t have a high tolerance for liars in my life, professionally or personally.”
“That’s a good thing, Walker … a really good thing.” She casually says my name but something about her saying it steals my breath away. Hearing my name on her lips is the sweetest my name has ever sounded.
“Have a good night, Special Agent Man.”
“Good night, Sugar. I’ll talk to you soon.”
“I would like that, I think a lot actually,” she replies.
“That’s good because I would too,” I admit as I take another step closer to that frustrating professional line I’m already toeing down to the very last centimeter .
We hang up, and there’s a big smile on my face as I think about this incredible woman. Not only did I legitimately enjoy our conversation tonight, I felt like Vivian actually wanted to hear what I had to say. When I dated Gretchen, I always felt like our conversations were only based on what she wanted to talk about or what she thought about something. When I was talking, Gretchen wasn’t listening to me, not really, she was just waiting for her turn to say what she wanted.
But I’m discovering more and more that Vivian is definitely not Gretchen.
Vivian is smart, kind, and makes me laugh like very few people are able to do. She is soft and sweet, but also remarkably strong and brave at the same time. The timing may not be ideal, nor is how we came into each other’s lives, but I think something bigger is developing between us.
It may even be something epic.