Chapter 9 #2
He and Garrett had had a frank discussion about how Walker and Last Light Security could help.
As suspected, Garrett needed manpower, specifically, someone to keep an eye on the area and Serena.
As far as law enforcement was concerned, Garrett couldn’t do much more than sit surveillance, especially since they couldn’t identify anything that’d been taken, and Serena’s injuries weren’t severe enough to justify any more action.
Acting as a watchdog was something Walker would gladly do. He’d done more than his share of bodyguarding before he’d left private sector security to make Last Light its own official entity.
He was positive Serena wouldn’t be happy with him basically becoming her roommate, but he thought he knew her well enough to know that she’d choose logic over pique once she’d had a chance to think it through.
With that in mind, he barreled ahead, damn the torpedoes and all that.
“Garrett’s limited in what he can do, but Last Light isn’t. I want to stay at your place for awhile, upgrade your security and keep an eye on things, at least until we catch this guy or are satisfied he’s moved on.”
Her face pinched, like it had when they were teenagers. “I don’t need a babysitter,” she said. “I’m a grown woman and with everything you keep talking about installing, that should be enough, right?”
“I know you’re all grown up,” he said. “But this is the only way Garrett is willing to step back. Would you rather have me there or a deputy in a marked car parked outside your place of business? Your home?”
Quentin and Kujo were pointedly not saying a damn word. In fact, both were staring out the window, and Walker could almost hear them whistling a tune. It would have been amusing if it wasn’t so damn serious, at least in his head.
She blew out a frustrated breath. “Fine.” Then mumbled something that sounded distinctly like “freaking men” under her breath.
“Good. I’ll grab a bag.” And because he knew it chafed, he offered an olive branch. “How about a ride this morning before we head out? The horses need some exercise.”
That lit her up and melted away her irritation, as he’d hoped. “Oh, I would love that. It’s been too long since I’ve been out.”
Walker looked over at Kujo. “Do you ride? If you want, we can check the perimeter and see some of the additional countermeasures Tate and Quentin worked up after Benedict’s assault.”
Kujo nodded. “Yeah, that’d be good. Give me a better idea of what the rest of the ranch looks like as well.”
Walker turned to Quentin, who was already shaking his head.
“Nope. You know those things scare the hell out of me. I’ll get what I can done here without you, and then we can review it all when you get back.”
They all rose and were tackling the dishes when Jesse walked in, sending Serena a speculative look that then ping-ponged over to Walker. He wondered if they were that obvious.
“We’re going to go out for a ride,” he said. “Want to join us?”
She shook her head. “I’m good. Let me know who you want saddled up, and I’ll take care of it.”
Walker waved her offer away. “We can do that ourselves. Anybody in particular who needs to stretch their legs?”
“Texas Jack can always use some exercise. Tate hasn’t been here in a little bit.”
Out at the barn, despite their protests, Jesse helped them get the horses ready, watching with an eagle eye as Serena curried Miss Kate, then placed the saddle correctly without help. Apparently old habits died hard. Even twenty-year-old habits.
As the three of them rode out, Becker and Holmes took point with gleeful barks, cutting a frenzied path through the meadow grasses, the morning stretching wide around them.
It felt right to have Serena beside him as they rode the interior perimeter. More than right. And once they found out who’d assaulted her, he was going to take the next steps and see where it led.
He pointed out Quentin’s sensors and the nonfatal countermeasures Tate had dreamed up, earning noises of approval from Kujo
He glanced at Serena more than once, saw her bright face and her smile, with no discomfort from yesterday’s incident.
The ride was exactly what she needed. It centered her, grounded her in a way nothing else had lately.
Riding hadn’t been a luxury she’d allowed herself since moving back to Rimrock Creek and hadn’t been an activity she’d even considered when she’d lived in Dallas.
She couldn’t even remember the last time she’d saddled up, especially on a mount as special as Miss Kate, who was gentle as the day was long.
Maybe once, years ago, when she’d visited her aunt to get away from the grind and reconnect with her true roots.
Today’s ride in the fresh air, through the beautiful scenery, gave her time to think about Walker essentially moving into The Menagerie.
The sting came first. The idea that he felt the need to look after her, that she somehow lacked the wherewithal to take care of herself, still really rubbed her the wrong way.
But she had to admit, Walker and Garrett’s concerns were bleeding over to her, and having someone watch her back was sounding better and better, because she’d started to consider something she hadn’t yesterday, in the fray.
The intruder hadn’t found what he was looking for. What if he returned? It only made sense to have Walker there with her, especially since he seemed set on that path. But that wasn’t her only problem.
Having Walker under her roof was going to be a temptation. A big one.
Part of her wondered why that mattered so much. They knew each other. They were rebuilding something that resembled friendship. They already knew they were compatible. What was stopping them from scratching an itch?
And like last night, when she’d thought much the same, the answer was easy.
Walker wasn’t an itch. And he sure as hell wasn’t the kind of man who scratched one and walked away. He never had been, and she was sure he wasn’t now. Such a casual nature didn’t fit with everything she’d witnessed since she’d begun to get to know him as the man he was today.
Which meant the real question wasn’t about him.
It was about her.
Part of moving back had been about figuring out who she was now.
Nearly forty, no longer the dutiful daughter or the rebellious young woman.
She’d carved out a successful business life in a cutthroat field, broken hearts and had her own broken in return.
Coming here had been a pause, a chance to breathe.
She could’ve kept things small, run the curio shop, supplemented with online sales like her aunt had.
But she hadn’t.
She’d come here and seen the potential and felt the pull of simply being. Living in the present in a small town rather than a bustling city where sitting with your thoughts was a foreign concept.
Those were heavy thoughts for a morning ride, she decided with an inward smile as they headed back toward the stables.
Walker and Kujo had been talking the entire time, low and focused, clearly reaching some kind of agreement she’d missed. It wasn’t her business, but given what they’d explained about security and surveillance, it was hard not to be curious.
They were still chatting when they returned to the barn, but that didn’t stop Walker from helping her down, the heat of his hands at her waist both comforting and arousing at the same time.
They unsaddled the horses with Jesse’s help and headed back toward the main house. Serena thought about the quiet woman, about Garrett. Wondered what could have driven two seemingly nice people away from each other.
“I’ll leave you and Quentin to it,” Walker said, pulling her out of her thoughts as he shook Kujo’s hand. “It’s been a pleasure getting to know you better, even if you are a bit of a hardass.”
Kujo grinned in response. “Takes one to know one.”
That sealed it, Serena thought as she turned toward the cottage. Walker Landry was going to be living under her roof.