Chapter 11
ELEVEN
Walker sat down on his couch, wincing at the twinge in his back. He’d been running on empty for a few days only to fall face first in bed to get some shut eye before going back to work.
It didn’t help that on top of his hours at work and the caseload that came with it, he was also trying to figure out what was going on with Jerzek.
The man was going to be retiring soon, but instead of walking around with his head in the clouds, he was looking more and more pissed off with every damn day.
He’d talked to Kate about it, but she was planning things for Roan’s wedding and the last time he’d called her, she’d nagged him about the bachelor party.
“Don’t tell me you’re planning on missing this, Walker.”
“Fine. I’m not telling you.”
“You can’t miss the party!”
“I didn’t say I would. You told me I would.”
“But you’re going to miss it?”
He’d sighed and dropped his head into his free hand. “Kate. I don’t plan on missing it. What’s going on?”
“Nothing. I just want to make sure everything goes right. I don’t want this to suck.”
“What do you have planned?”
“I’ve rented out the party room at the Carver’s Stadium and we’re going to have drinks and food and music.”
“Okay.”
Kate had gone silent for a moment, but it wasn’t one of those natural silences. Kate was deathly quiet.
Until she wasn’t.
“What am I missing?”
Walker had suddenly developed a massive headache. “You’re asking me?”
“Well, you’re a guy!”
“Who’s never been to a bachelor party before.”
“Oh god.” She’d gone a little crazy at that point. It wasn’t until Rock took over the call and told Walker that he better be at the party or be ex-communicated from the family.
Now, he was struggling to find a smile to slap on his face as he stood outside the well lit entrance to the Center City Carvers Stadium.
He was late. Something Pilar would have called fashionably late, but he was just late because he couldn’t quite seem to put a smile on. This was his brother’s bachelor party, but Walker couldn’t ignore the feeling that something was wrong.
“Hey!”
He turned around and saw a very well dressed man walk out of the parking garage.
Walker raised his hand in greeting. “Hey Big Brother Bravo!”
Vicente Bravo grimaced a little. “Nice to see you, Little Bro.”
Walker rolled his eyes. It’s not so fun to get it thrown back at him. “How are things in San Antonio?”
“Busy,” he shrugged and the fit of his suit coat never changed. He must have a hell of a tailor. “Crime never sleeps no matter where you go.”
Walker nodded. “I guess it’s the same if you’re local PD or FBI, huh?”
“No matter how well they dress themselves up, bad people are bad people. My sister’s doing well though, right?”
Walker grinned at him. “She’s amazing. I keep teasing her that she’s going to end up on my side of the second floor, but she acts like it’s the last thing she’d want.”
Vicente shrugged. “I think she likes to forge her own path. It’s hard when all of her big brothers are also in law enforcement. I wonder if she ever thought of doing something else.”
“Well, Roan knew he was going into medicine forever. I was the one with the huge question mark over my head.”
As an FBI Agent, Walker expected Vicente to be pretty smart.
“Let me know when that question mark disappears?”
Walker folded his arms across his chest. “You sound like your sister.”
Vicente laughed and dropped his hand on Walker’s shoulder. “If I were you, I would keep that to yourself. The last thing Pilar wants to hear is that we remind you of each other.”
Walker shook his head. “I dunno. I think she might like to hear that.”
Vicente looked unconvinced. “Are you going in?”
Walker hesitated.
“I would think you’d be the life of the party, Walker.”
“Yeah, well, I don’t think my brother would like me to. I’ve been a bit of a wedding buzz kill lately.”
He wasn’t sure what kind of reaction he’d have from Vicente. Or if he’d have one at all.
“Still, he’s your brother and until he tells you to get lost, he’ll want you there.”
Reaching for the doorknob, Vicente gave him an expectant look. “You coming in?”
Walker hesitated again, Pilar’s words from the other day playing in his head. “You know, I think I need to make a phone call.”
“Something about work?” Vicente looked as if he would understand if that’s what it was. With almost everyone in his life involved in some kind of law enforcement or first responder, Walker knew how serious things could become in a heartbeat.
“No. I just realized that I hadn’t asked my date if she’ll be my date to the wedding.”
Vicente made a show of looking at his watch. “You haven’t asked her to be your date for the wedding that’s in two days?”
Walker shrugged. “What can I say? I’m a complete asshole.”
Vicente opened the door and paused just before he went in. “I don’t know you all that well, Walker. But I can agree that you’re an asshole. I just don’t think you’re a complete one, just yet.”
“Uh.. thanks?”
Vicente gave him a little mock salute. “You’re welcome. Don’t take too long out here, or I’ll send your sister out.”
Ah, fuck. Walker groaned inwardly. Vicente was playing hardball and they both knew it.
“I’ll be in. I promise.” He raised his right hand in the Boy Scout salute. “Okay?”
Vicente nodded and walked into the building.
As soon as the door shut, Walker dialed Kennedy.
The phone picked up after the third ring.
“Walker? Hey!”
He smiled.
How could he not?
“Hey, Kennedy. I can’t believe I got you on the phone.”
“I know, right? I’ve been horribly busy. You must be too.”
He heard the smile in her voice. “I bet you’d know just as much as I do. I bet you have a few sources in the CCPD.”
“A few.” Her soft sing-song voice made him feel… better. “I know that you’ve been working hard on and off the clock.”
Walker felt a strange tug at his heart. “Where have you heard that?”
“Hey,” her voice felt like a soft touch on his cheek and he lifted his head into the cool night air, “is something wrong?”
He felt like she was standing right there with him in the darkness. “Not wrong. I just… I miss you.”
He swore he heard her draw in a breath.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.” He let out a breath. “I wanted to talk to you but we’re always leaving messages for each other.”
He imagined her smiling. “It’s not the same, is it?”
“Not nearly.” He sighed. “It’s not enough. Especially because I didn’t want you to think that I didn’t want to see you after…”
“After that night?”
They both laughed softly.
“Especially after that night. And that morning.” He shook his head. “That’s not usual for me.”
“Oh? Morning cuddles?”
“Morning anything, Kennedy. That’s not the norm. Hell, it’s not anything for me… People know me as a player, but I haven’t been that in a long time. I’m mostly a boring guy. Work. Sleep.”
“And eat, right? You make sure to eat regularly.”
“Sometimes.” He sighed. “But that’s not why I called. I was wondering what you were planning to do this Saturday.”
“Saturday, nothing. Why… wait a minute. Your brother is getting married on Saturday!”
“Yeah. And I just realized that I didn’t ask anyone to come with me. And the only person I could think of, that I wanted to come, was you.”
There was a long moment of quiet on the other end of the phone.
Just before he spoke up again to ask if she was still there, she spoke. “I’m not sure what to say.”
“This isn’t… this is weird isn’t it? Asking you to a wedding?”
“It’s… different. I’ve never had anyone ask me to a wedding as a plus one.”
“You’re not just a plus one, Kennedy. I don’t even know what to say to that. Or what to say to you. You have me tied up in knots and I’m not sure I don’t enjoy it.”
He chuckled at his own admission.
“I just don’t want this to mess up… mess up where I think we’re going. I don’t want to do that, but it’s the first day I have off and… I don’t know how to say it-”
“I want to spend time with you, too, Walker. It’s been hard for me. Missing you. I’m not… I’m not good with things like this. With a guy like you or any guy. I’m always the one working too hard to go out much.”
“Then come with me on Saturday.” He felt an odd ache in his chest. “You can make fun of me in my suit and I can dance a little too close with you at the reception. It’s been awhile since I scandalized my family.”
“Scandalize?” She laughed softly and her laughter made him feel lighter. “You say the sweetest things to me Mister Ashley.” She’d loosened her tongue and let her accent tease him with its sweet Southern lilt.
He groaned. “Your accent is sweet, sugar.”
He swore he heard her hum under her breath.
“So sweet I’d like to taste it in your mouth.”
Walker imagined that he could see her eyes widen and her chest rise with her next indrawn breath. That amazing chest. Her beautiful breasts.
“Are you thinking about it, Kennedy? Are you thinking about me tasting you?”
Her soft breaths came through the phone and tickled his ear. “Y-yes… I’m thinking about it. I wish I could… I could feel it.”
“I can’t wait to feel you, Kennedy. Say you’ll come with me on Saturday. Say you’ll come to my brother’s wedding so I can spend some time with you.”
“God, yes. I can’t wait for Saturday.”
He smiled and saw the door to the party room open up. His brother, Roan, was standing there watching him and Walker pointed at the phone.
“I’ve got to go, sweetness. I’ll text you the information later tonight.”
“Bye, Walker.”
“Bye, baby.”
He hung up the call and caught the surprise on Roan’s face. “What?”
Roan stared at him. “What was that?”
“That, dear brother,” Walker closed the distance between them and gave his brother a big hug, “is me making sure my date is going to come to the wedding on Saturday.”
He tried to move past Roan into the building, but Roan’s hand clamped down on his shoulder.
Walker turned around to look at him.
“Your what is coming to the wedding?”
“My date. You told me to get with the program. I got myself a date. Is there something wrong with that?”
“Wrong… no. I’m just… confused.”
Walker gave his brother a smile, more at ease with him than he’d been in months. “Join the club, brother. Join the club.”