Chapter 2
Tate: Does she know?
Will: Not yet.
Tate: Where are you?
Will: Ten minutes away
Tate: You going to tell her?
Will: I was hoping to just shove her out of the car towards you and drive away. She’ll get the hint.
The sun had risen on our drive, lighting the sky with pinks and purples as we passed through the covered bridge and entered Main Street.
To our left sat Autumn Ridge High with the football stadium just behind it.
Suddenly, the memories of chilly nights spent cheering and doing stunts under the bright lights seemed like another life. Another person.
Autumn Ridge boasted about two thousand people.
And even I had to admit, Main Street was the stuff of small-town dreams. We had an inn, a library, a bakery, and a restaurant.
Most of my childhood had been spent in that library.
And many of my nights were spent in the Maple Bar and Grill, grabbing a burger with friends after a big game.
All along Main Street, the store windows were decked out with fall decor. I had no doubt that if we were walking the street right now, it would be filled with the smells of pumpkin chai lattes and maple cinnamon sticky buns from Keller’s Bakehouse.
“Is the B it hadn’t happened that often, and 'rescued' felt generous. Still, whether I wanted him or not, he’d always been there. A few years later, at Will’s wedding, I’d seen a different, sexier, more grown-up Tate, and he’d helped me out again.
The idea of ducking into his childhood home and letting Tate play rescuer one more time made me want to disappear entirely.
More reasons were racing through my head just then, but only one that I was willing to tell him.
“After what happened at your wedding, I don’t want to face him again.”
Will’s head reared back. “Why?”
I rubbed at my temples. “Tate wanted to tell Leroy off, and I wouldn’t let him. And now, I have to be babysat by his family because I didn’t listen to him the first time. I don’t want to deal with that. He already thinks he had to rescue me all the time growing up.”
“He did rescue you a lot.”
When I glared at him, he held up his hands in a you know it’s true kind of way. “You’re both past all that now. Tate knows that. This is something else. And it’s absolutely not your fault.”
It was useless to argue, so I clamped my mouth shut and looked out the window.
I couldn’t control what Leroy did. Many online therapists had told me this.
But wondering if this whole thing could have been avoided if I’d unleashed Tate on him that night was part of the reason I had a hard time sleeping.
The road to the Walker family property began near the end of Main Street.
Their farmhouse was located three miles outside of town.
Along the way, both sides of the road were flanked by fields of hay and wheat.
As a friend to Jaxon Walker, I’d spent a bit of time there in high school, but many years had passed since I’d been a regular.
And now I’d be moving in. Dread filled my gut.
“What if I put them in danger?” I asked.
Mail and voicemails were one thing, but if Leroy got more unhinged and hurt somebody…I wouldn’t be able to handle it.
“They know the risk. They’re fine with it. Hopefully, your guy won’t even know you’re here. And you’ll have someone I trust watching you twenty-four seven, so maybe we’ll both get some sleep for the next while.”
Guilt burned inside of me. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s not your fault.” He gave me an exasperated glance as he turned off the road and drove down a long driveway leading past a small stream to a charming butter-yellow two-story farmhouse.
For a moment, I was taken in by the homey feel of the place. As much as I didn’t want to need this right now, something inside my heart lightened at being back here. Even the blue sky scattered with white clouds seemed like just the kind of cheery pickup my heart needed.
“Wait. How will they watch me twenty-four seven?” I asked.
“Someone will be with you at all times. Their room will be right next to yours. You’re not to go anywhere without him,” Will said as he parked the car in front of the house.
“Him?” I asked as Will got out of the car. He slammed his door before he could answer. I scrambled out after him.
“I’m not allowed to go anywhere without who?” I asked again, meeting him at the trunk as he threw my bags over his shoulder. “Jaxon? Luke?”
He slammed the trunk closed and finally met my eyes, and my suspicions were officially on alert. The skittish and almost sympathetic way he smiled and glanced away immediately wasn’t just him being his usual annoying self. It was…deeply troubling.
“What’s going on—”
“Hey, you two! Long time, no see!”
We both turned to see Ann Walker standing in the doorway, wearing jeans, a sleeveless red blouse, and a big welcoming smile.
Will threw me an obnoxious eyebrow raise and trotted over to greet her, giving her a big hug.
Good manners had me not far behind him, but now with an uncomfortable feeling that Will had something else afoot.
But soon, I was on the top step of the wraparound porch and being enveloped in the slender arms of Ann Walker.
I’d had lots of hugs before, but I couldn’t recall just how long it had been since I’d been held like this.
Like a mother would hold a child. A lot had happened in my life since my mom had married and moved halfway across the country.
A phone call wasn’t the same. I missed her being here.
I pulled back and found compassionate brown eyes trained on me.
“You poor thing. I’m so sorry this is happening to you.” Ann pulled me in for another quick hug. She was probably in her late fifties, with earthy brown hair lightened with streaks of gray.
I sucked in a deep breath through my nose, determined to put on a good face. Starting this whole thing off by bawling in Ann Walker’s arms wouldn’t do anybody any favors.
“It’s probably not as bad as what he told you,” I said, nodding toward Will. “I feel horrible to intrude like this.”
“Nonsense. We’re glad to help. Come on in.
” She opened the door and led us into a cozy living room.
Immediately, the place felt familiar to me, with the soft browns and inviting couches.
The walls were full of picture frames of the Walker boys fishing or flexing their muscles out by a tractor.
I wanted to linger and take in every buck tooth and broken arm in a cast, but I followed Ann as she led us past the living room and through a swinging doorway into the kitchen.
“Everyone is just finishing up breakfast,” she said.
The scent of coffee and bacon wafted through the air as we stepped through the doorway, the sounds of clinking glasses and low male voices greeting us. Sunlight streaked cheerily through the large windows surrounding the breakfast nook where three of the six Walkers were lounging at the table.
“Hey, Will! Liv! You finally made it!”
The voice came from Tom, the head of the Walker clan, who stood up from the table, wearing a flannel shirt, jeans, and a smile.
He shook Will’s hand first, a playful expression on his face.
“Before you come any closer, you’re not planning to streak around the yard this morning, right? I’ll have to give everyone a warning first.”
Will grinned. “That’s only if Tate does more pushups than me. That’s not likely to happen.”
Tom’s eyes crinkled in the most pleasant way when he laughed.
His hair, once a thick brown, had turned white, though much of the stubble that lined his face was still dark.
He had a natural easiness about him, similar to his wife, though Tom, by nature, was loud and robust in contrast to Ann’s quiet presence.
Tom turned to me, taking me in, his eyes warm and kind.
“I can see why this one has men causing trouble just to get to her.” He pulled me into a side hug.
I wasn’t sure what he saw besides an oversized sweatshirt and messy blonde hair hiding under a hat because it desperately needed a wash, but I squeezed him back.
“It’s not for her personality, that’s for sure,” Will quipped.
I scowled at him, causing Ann and Tom to chuckle.
“Thank you for having me. I’m so sorry he’s put you all up to this.” I pointed at Will, happily throwing him under the bus while he strode over to the table to greet Jaxon and Luke.
“Glad to have you.” Tom smiled and folded his arms. “The only problem is, I’ve got too many unmarried boys sniffing in and out of here all day long. It might not be much safer for you here.”
“You don’t have to worry about me. I’m off the market,” came a male voice from behind.
I turned to find Jaxon Walker making his way over to me, the same charming grin on his face as Tom’s.
He had grown up in the years since I’d seen him last. He had always been a bit of a wanderlust, but now, his eyes seemed settled.
Happy. And I was sure that had everything to do with his beautiful fiancée, Landrie.
He gave me a hug while I inhaled what I assumed a GQ model would smell like.
“Hey, Jax.” I smiled up at my old friend. “You smell more expensive than you used to.”
He sighed. “Landrie’s got me on a tight leash. She buys me cologne, makes me shower all the time—”
“Makes out with you a lot,” came the wry reply from the youngest Walker, Luke, still sitting at the table. He grinned over at me.
“The making out does help,” Jaxon said before he cleared his throat and folded his arms. “Alright. What’s this guy’s name and social security number? Maybe we can take care of this today. There are some things we can do that cops just can’t.” He lifted his eyebrows and turned to Will expectantly.
“If we knew that, we wouldn’t be here,” Will replied. “I’m hoping we’ll get him this week.”
“How are the wedding plans coming along?” I asked Jaxon, not wanting thoughts of Leroy to burst our happy reunion.
His fiancée, Landrie Langford, was my good friend Ari’s little sister.
She was younger than me but one of those types that everyone in town knew.
She had been a beauty queen, multi-talented, always volunteering…
the type of girl you wanted to hate but couldn’t because she was just so genuinely nice, with a wide, sunshine smile to boot.
Together, she and Jaxon were certified Autumn Ridge gold.
“It’s going great. But I was happy to go to work today, so I wouldn’t have to pick out bouquets or whatever it was on her list.”
I laughed while he nodded toward Tom. “So now my dad can use me as free labor.” He said the last few words aloud while his dad nodded along enthusiastically.
“Do you remember Luke?” Ann asked, motioning toward her youngest son sitting at the table.
Luke had been too young for me to know well.
But there was something cheeky about him that I’d always liked.
He sported his dad’s mischievous smile and his mom’s soft brown eyes.
His hair was lighter up top than his brothers, with a few curls that gave him just the right amount of rascal in his overall appearance.
“It’s been a while, but I remember hearing plenty of stories about him,” I said, giving him a friendly wave.
His eyes shot upward, and with an impish smile, he said, “Hopefully not all of them.”
Ann rolled her eyes heavenward. “I promise, Liv, they are good, hard-working boys, but when the workday’s over…I can’t keep track of them anymore. They’ve got too much of their dad in them.”
“What?! They’re not even close to as good-looking as me,” Tom laughed and pulled his wife in close by the shoulders.
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Will check his watch.
“Where’s…” he trailed off when I looked at him.
“Ben?” Tom asked. “He lives in town, but he usually sneaks over for some breakfast.”
While they conversed, I turned back to Jaxon.
“Sorry Will roped you into babysitting duty. I promise I’ll be good,” I told him as, somewhere behind me, a back door opened into the kitchen, flooding the room with the smell of fresh-cut hay and a late-summer dew.
Jaxon’s eyebrows furrowed. “Huh?”
I motioned to him and Luke. “I’m sorry you’re stuck watching me. Will’s going overboard with this whole thing.”
He wasn’t really, but as I’ve been suddenly thrust into this family’s life, the instinct to protect my dignity was strong.
He held up his hands in front of him. “I’m not the one watching you.”
I looked at Will, already knowing what was coming. And when those eyes flicked guiltily from mine to something behind me, it was confirmed.
“We’ll all be around to help, but we’re not in law,” Jaxon said.
He nodded toward something past my shoulder, speaking a little louder.
“Although, I could probably still outshoot him. And now that he’s on the injured list, I could definitely outrun him, but…
he’s your guy. Your babysitter? Is that what you called him? ” He started to laugh.
Somewhere deep inside, I’d known it was going to come to this. It was the only thing that made sense, though I’d spent the entire car ride trying not to see it.
Will was a dead man.
When there was nothing for it but to meet my fate, I turned to see Tate Walker leaning against the counter, his arms folded, watching me.
He was just like I remembered him, tall and strong and with an annoyingly confident air about him.
But to my surprise, instead of dread, the tiniest surge of anticipation ran through me at being in such close proximity to him again.
Until I flicked the feeling away. It didn’t make sense.
He was bossy. Arrogant. And even the current vision of him standing in front of me, looking boyish and wearing a worn-out baseball hat over tousled brown hair, couldn’t save him.
I mean…it helped. But it ultimately couldn’t save him.
He had too much power and would use it against me.
With an overall air of indifference to my obvious turmoil, Tate raised his eyebrows and waved.