Chapter 21
BLAKE
Plotting through the half-melted snow covering the parking lot of Main Street diner, I make my way inside. The mouth-watering aroma of all-day breakfast mixed with lunch gives me just enough energy to make it to my usual booth.
After I finished the sketch with Mrs. Talbot, Jolene called Ridge and told him I needed a ride back to my car. It's past lunchtime now, and all I want to do is sleep, but I found myself turning to the diner parking lot I drove by.
Martha saunters over. “You look like hell.”
Lifting my head from the table, I barely open my eyes to respond. “Thanks, Martha.” “It’s been a long night.”
“It’s lunchtime.” Martha lifts a single brow.
I mimic finger guns in her direction. “My point exactly.”
Did I just use finger guns?
Martha chuckles. “French toast?”
Folding my arms on the table, I rest my head on top. “Please.”
I'm half asleep when I feel someone draw close and sit beside me. A familiar voice begins speaking. “I want to try something different.”
“At Falling Sky?” Another familiar voice.
Wearily, I crack open an eye and find that my table is now full. Santiago sits beside me, sharing the bench, our hips pressed together. Directly across from me is Levi, and next to him, Walker.
I try not to draw conclusions in my head, but it’s hard not to assume that Walker purposely sat as far away from me as possible.
“No, the menu.” Santiago holds up a menu so large it would give any other diner a run for its money.
Sitting up, I feel something slide off my shoulders, and I realize that one of them put their jacket on me like a blanket. With a quick glance, I notice that Levi wears his parka, and Santiago dons his thick thermal work coat.
Which leaves…
Walker sits upright on the bench, sporting the usual flannel and rolled sleeves.
But more importantly…
No jacket.
My mind whirls, and I choose to put aside Walker’s mixed signals.
My hands rub the sleep from my eyes. “What are—”
Before I have a chance to ask why all three of them are here, a familiar perfume wafts through the air.
Expensive, floral, and overbearing.
“Well,” Victoria Reynolds sneers, stopping beside our booth. “This is...cozy.”
I peer up at her, my expression bored.
She stands there in an ivory wool coat that probably costs more than my monthly rent back in New York, her copper curls perfectly styled despite the Wyoming wind outside. Her smile is pleasant enough that anyone passing by would think she’s stopping by to say hello.
I know better.
Her gaze drifts over the four of us.
“I didn’t realize you’d settled in quite so quickly.”
Levi leans back against the booth. “We're eating lunch.”
Victoria barely acknowledges him. “I'm talking to Blake.”
I sigh. “What can I do for you, Victoria?”
She folds her arms. “I just wanted to make sure you're adjusting.”
“How thoughtful,” Santiago comments.
Victoria doesn’t even look in Santiago’s direction. “It wouldn't do for you to find yourself in trouble.
If there’s one thing I know about Victoria, it’s that she likes to talk a big game. At the end of the day, she’d never get her hands dirty.
“I’ve managed several years without your guidance.” I retort. “I think it’d be best if you kept that long nose of yours in your own business.”
Her smile never wavers as she glances toward Walker. “I’d just hate to see the sheriff distracted.”
Walker barely gives Victoria a glance. “Tell your husband that if he wants my badge, he knows where he can find me.”
“I’ll be sure to relay the message,” Victoria replies sweetly.
The words sound polite, but her tone doesn’t.
She looks back at me. “Enjoy your stay, Blake.”
She turns on her heel and heads toward the exit, and I watch her leave. “Does she ever get tired?” I mutter.
“No.” Santiago snorts. “Back to the menu.”
“The menu hasn’t changed in years. What could you possibly get that you haven’t tried already?” Levi argues back.
“Pumpkin pancakes.” Santiago drops the menu on the table, emphasizing his answer.
Levi’s expression goes flat. “It’s January. Pumpkin is seasonal.”
“Excuse me.” I try speaking up again.
Levi turns his face toward me. “What’s up?”
“You see me sitting here, right?” I gesture to my spot.
Santiago makes a confused face. “Of course. Why do you think we sat down?”
My face scrunches. “Because you’re so tired that your legs were about to give out?”
Santiago snorts. “That’s a good joke.”
“Why are you here?” I ask all of them.
Unexpectedly, it's Walker who responds for all of them. “I’m hungry. I had a long night of interviews, collecting evidence, putting out a fire.”
I should be an adult about the situation. I should take the high road.
But the high road wasn't built into my DNA.
“I figured that after this morning, you’d ignore me.” My nostrils flare.
Santiago narrows his eyes at me with a hint of a grin on his lips. “Why would Walker ignore you?”
“No reason,” Walker answers for me, his tone cold and disapproving. “I'm going to head back to the station.”
Holding out Walker's coat to him, I don't realize how much I wanted it until it's about to be taken away. It's as if Walker can see the hesitation in my eyes. He holds his hand up, refusing the jacket.
With only his measly flannel to keep him warm, Walker heads out into the cold.
Levi raises his brows. What’s going on?”
Not ready to tell them about what happened, I play dumb. “There was another murder last night, and—”
Santiago cuts me off, clearly not buying my act. “Not what we meant. We know about that already.”
I try again. “But I was there and—”
Levi rests his forearms on the table. “Walker arrested you and interrogated you this morning. We know that.”
“We want to know what’s going on between you and Walker,” Santiago states, leaving no room for interpretation.
My gaze drops to my hands. “Oh. Um. Nothing.”
Santiago nudges me with his shoulder. “You’re a bad liar, mi Cielo.”
“I’m not lying.” I assert.
“That’s one, Butterfly.” Levi holds up his index finger. “Lie again, and that’s two.”
I can't stop the smirk that tugs on my lips as I interpret his tone and insinuation with my mind in the gutter. “What happens when I get to three?”
Levi lowers his voice to a sultry tone. “You don’t want to find out.”
I lean closer toward him. “What if I do?”
He smiles back at me, a playful glint in his eye. “We can talk about that later.”
Santiago shifts in his seat next to me and I realize the exchange he just witnessed. “Oh my God.” I bury my face in my hands. “What am I doing?”
“You and Walker hooked up.” Levi assumes out loud.
I peek through my fingers at both of them.
Santiago tilts his head. “No,” he states as if reading my mind. “But you wanted to.”
Levi snaps his fingers. “They kissed.”
Groaning, I drop my forehead to the table. “I’m just going to hide under the table now.”
Shame swarms me. What I wouldn't give for a cenote to open up right under my seat and swallow me whole.
Santiago rubs circles on my back. “Are you afraid that we’d be upset?”
Propping up, I rest my chin on my fist. “Honestly, I’m not sure I want to know what you guys think at all.”
Levi covers my free hand with his. The warmth of his touch soothes my anxious thoughts. “Why not?”
I sigh and close my eyes, not wanting their expressions to sway me from telling them the truth. “Because if you care, that’s not good. And if you don’t care, that’s still not good.”
Santiago shifts to playing with my hair. “How do you figure?”
“Caring means you’re angry with me. I can’t handle that.” I open my eyes and speak directly to Santiago. “Not caring means our night together didn’t mean anything.” I turn to Levi. “And our moment at the clinic doesn’t mean much either. Again, I can’t handle it.” I drop my gaze again.
Levi flips my hand over, tracing random lines on my palm. “You know, there’s a third option you’re overlooking.”
“What’s that?”
Levi lifts my hand, planting a tender kiss in the center. “We don’t care because we just want you to be happy.”
Martha interrupts the moment, setting my food in front of me, and Santiago and Levi place their own orders.
My meal remains untouched as I belabor Levi’s words.
Is he suggesting that they’d be fine with an unconventional arrangement?
Like the three of us together?
I’m not opposed to the idea. Quite the opposite actually. I just never thought it would be something Levi and Santiago would be interested in.
The thought of the three of us together stirs something in me.
Happiness.
Would I stay here in Evergreen Falls for them? Is that what I want?
Even if my answer is yes, a part of me would always yearn for a fourth to join our trio—a surly small town sheriff who drives me crazy in every way.