Chapter Six
“Sophie mentioned that you stopped by the quilt shop yesterday.”
“I dropped off the costume.” Walker rubbed the microfiber cloth over the, just cleaned, fire truck with a little more gusto than he’d been doing prior to Cole’s comment. “Thanks again for letting me borrow it.”
“No problem. She also mentioned that you and Maggie seemed to be getting along well while you were at the shop.”
Well? Walker snorted.
“Not really.” He’d been the one doing most of the talking, had even opened up about Linda. When did he do that? Never. Talking about his ex wasn’t something he did, so why had he blabbered things Maggie didn’t want to know? “She’s not interested in me.”
“You didn’t ask to see her foot again, did you?” Ben piped up from where he wiped the gleaming truck with a soft cloth, too.
They took great pride in keeping the fire trucks looking great. Even if they hadn’t, Chief did so they’d have still washed them on a regular basis, just not with quite so much enthusiasm.
“At the time when I asked to see her foot, it was an appropriate request.” At least, Walker had thought so. He’d thought he’d been being clever. “I had the glass slipper that matched the one she was wearing, remember?”
“Just so long as you acknowledge that asking to see a woman’s foot might be the worst pickup line ever.”
Since the line had been a complete failure, Walker couldn’t really argue with Ben’s comment. “I wasn’t trying to pick her up.”
“Sure, you were.” Cole was staring at him from where he’d been wiping off the truck’s hubcaps.
“Maybe,” Walker conceded, wondering why his two friends had stopped working and were now just staring at him. Walker stared right back. “Doesn’t matter. She still isn’t interested.”
“So, you did ask to see her foot again?” Ben teased, chuckling while shaking his head.
Walker rolled his eyes. “I didn’t.”
“But you asked something, and she said no,” Ben pressed. “Or did she just volunteer that she wasn’t interested?”
“I asked her to dinner,” he admitted.
“And struck out again?” Cole grimaced. “That’s twice.”
“Once more and you’re out.” Ben made a baseball ump gesture by jerking his thumb back.
“Yep. Three strikes and I’m out. However, if Maggie’s not interested, then she’s not interested. No need for me to pester her with a third attempt.” Was that what he’d done?
Perhaps his going to the quilt shop had been pestering her.
Having guessed why Cole suggested he go at exactly two thirty, Walker had debated on whether to actually do so.
In the end, he’d gone because he’d wanted to see Maggie again.
Part of him had hoped that his Halloween party reaction to her and subsequently not being able to quit thinking about her had been a fluke.
If so, that same fluke had spiked again the moment he’d stepped into the quilt shop and seen her standing there in her jeans and long-sleeved T-shirt advertising Harvey Farms. Seeing her had made him as breathy as if he were in a smoke-filled house without his gear.
“But you’d ask her out again if you thought she was interested?” Cole pushed.
He did think she was interested. Perhaps that was part of the reason he’d gone to The Threaded Needle.
He’d seen it in Maggie’s eyes at the Halloween party, and he’d seen it again the previous day.
Maggie was interested. She just didn’t want to be.
For her, that was enough, so it had to be for him too.
“She isn’t interested. End of story.” Unfortunately, he didn’t really believe that.
They’d be seeing each other at the Grandma Games.
They’d be interacting and he’d have to put effort into making sure he didn’t make her uncomfortable because of his attraction to her.
He hadn’t been lying when he’d said he wasn’t interested in someone who was only in town for a short time, but with Maggie, even knowing she was leaving, he’d wanted to take her to dinner, to get her phone number and call her, perhaps while Zoie rested on his chest. He hadn’t asked where Maggie was going when she left Pine Hill, but he got the impression it wasn’t anywhere in Kentucky.
“Women are complicated,” Ben said as if he was the Yoda of dealing with women rather than a single guy close to thirty.
Maybe he was a dating guru as his friend had dated a lot of women and was always the one to walk away.
Although Walker preferred committed relationships that lasted, he’d obviously failed miserably at being married.
So, maybe Ben was on to something. As he thought it, Walker knew that wasn’t him, though.
Even knowing she wasn’t staying, he’d wanted Maggie to say yes to dinner.
Still, dinner was just dinner, not promises of forever.
Either way, she said no, which brought him full circle to his pals staring at him.
“Yeah, women are complicated,” he agreed.
On that one, he agreed with Ben. Not that he didn’t think men were just as complicated. They were. Maggie had even warned him that she was complicated.
“And you’re raising one.” Cole grimaced. “Good luck with that, pal.”
“Right? What was I thinking?” Even as he said it, Walker’s heart filled with pride at his beautiful daughter.
Ultimately, Zoie was all that mattered. Beyond that, everything was secondary. Maybe that was why women were complicated—because their daddies would move heaven and earth to keep them safe, healthy, and happy. They deserved no less.
“What’s on the agenda for the rest of our day once we finish this?” Which they essentially had. The truck was sparkly clean and dried.
“As long as no calls come in, we’ll be delivering more boxes for the Christmas toy drive.”
Walker’s cellphone rang. Glancing down, he saw Amy’s number. “Got to take this.”
Listening to his sister, he went outside, unlocked his SUV, and saw the reason for her call in the back seat.
Odd as he didn’t recall having left it there the night before.
He must have, though, since it was there.
Had he been so distracted that he’d not given Zoie her favorite comfort toy when he’d put her down for the night?
Going back inside the firehall, Walker slid the phone into his pants pocket.
“What’s up?” Real concern showed on Cole’s face.
For all their ribbing, Walker had no doubt that his pals would have his back in any real situation that arose.
In a short time, they’d become the brothers he’d never had.
Maybe it was a Pine Hill thing, because he and Andrew had hit it off just as quickly.
He’d have been out west fighting fires with his pal if Linda hadn’t gotten pregnant.
Fatherhood had changed the course of his life.
“Zo’s favorite lovey is in my SUV and she’s missing it. Amy’s going to swing by to pick it up.”
Thirty minutes later, his sister entered the firehall, his daughter in her arms. His heart swelled with pride at how perfect Zoie was from her big light brown eyes to her chubby cheeks to her perfectly bowed pink lips.
He was biased but he also knew she was the best baby ever and that he’d spend his life protecting her with all his might.
“What happened when they made you, dude? Your sister is a total knockout,” Ben said from where he stood behind Walker, interrupting his parental adoration.
“I’ve talked with her a few times at church.
She seems great.” Ben paused, then giving a look that almost appeared hopeful, added, “Maybe I should ask to see her foot.”
“Forget it.” Zoie wasn’t the only female in his life that he’d protect with all his might. “My sister’s feet are off limits to you.”
Ben pretended to be offended. “Hey, I’m a good guy.”
“Who never sticks with the same woman for more than a month or two max,” Walker pointed out.
“If I know she isn’t the one, what’s the point?” Ben countered, then, more loudly, greeted Walker’s sister as she got within hearing range. “Hey, Amy.”
“I’ll save you the trouble. Amy’s not the one. Do us both a favor and stay away from my sister.” He spoke low, for Ben’s ears only.
But when Walker’s gaze returned to where Amy was walking toward them, her smile had him frowning.
She looked as if she’d eagerly sign up to be Ben’s latest not the one victim.
Privately, he’d reiterate to both that they weren’t a good match and possibly save his sister a heartbreak.
He liked Ben, a lot, but Amy was his little sister.
He’d hate for their friendship to be affected because Ben had another whirlwind romance that was destined to end before it even started.
Ben claimed he was looking for the one, but Walker suspected the real issue was that his buddy had commitment issues.
“Da da da da,” Zoie babbled on repeat, giving him a toothy grin and squeezing her fingers as she reached for him.
Instantly, his heart melted at the pure adoration on her sweet face. This. This was what made everything worthwhile. His heart threatened to burst with how grateful he was to be her da da da da.
“Good morning, sunshine.” He took her from his sister and planted a kiss on her forehead. “You were still sleeping when I left this morning. Was you missing your lovey and had to come see Daddy?”
He still didn’t recall leaving it in his truck the night before. Hadn’t Zoie had it when he’d put her down for the night? He’d swear that she had, but he’d—
“Hey, Ben,” Amy said from beside him, her pitch several octaves higher than normal.
Walker’s head jerked toward his sister who was smiling at Ben.
Realizing she’d styled her long dark hair, wore makeup, and put on some of her favorite perfume that he’d given her for her birthday, the truth hit him.
Zoie’s lovey hadn’t accidentally been left in his car.
Amy put it there, so she’d have a reason to stop by the firehall.
“Hate to rush you off, sis, but we’re headed out to deliver more toy collection boxes around town.”
“That’s sweet.” Amy didn’t so much as look his way but was still smiling at Ben.