Love Locked

by Britney M. Mills

“It’s looking good. I just have to finish getting all the décor and furniture in. The chef I’m hoping to hire should be here next week, and then guests will come the week after. I’m hoping it fills up for Christmas.”

  She stopped and gave him a warm smile, always the reassuring parent. “That’s wonderful, Walker. I’m so glad it’s coming together so well. I was a little worried after all that happened the last year that it wouldn’t—”

  Walker raised a hand, not wanting to hear what she was about to say. “It’ll be fine, Mom. I’m fine.”

  “When you’re ready, there are a couple of young gals I’d love to set you up with.” She winked at him, the battle over his dating life always at the surface.

  “I can find my own dates, Mom. I’m just not ready for that type of a relationship yet. Not after—” He let the words trail away and nodded before moving into the living room. One of his younger brothers, Colter, stood before the wood stove, adding pieces of wood just as Walker had done the night before at the lodge.

  Colter’s twin, Hunter, was setting the long table with plates and utensils. There was a separate table set to the side with a plastic tablecloth.

  Walker stood next to him and asked, “Why the extra table?”

  “For the Burkes.”

  Walker had been so busy with the lodge, he hadn’t really thought about their good family friends coming to dinner. They’d shared holiday meals with the Burkes over the years, and his mother was always inviting people to join them who didn’t have family nearby. With the passing of Sherri Burke around four years before, it was now a tradition to have them over for holiday meals.

  Walker had been best friends with Preston Burke, the oldest of the Burke family, since they were about three, both their fathers making sure they knew how to ride a horse and preparing them for the future rodeo life they’d both enjoyed.

  Preston had stopped the circuit four years ago when his mother died and then his father had a stroke shortly after, paralyzing half of his body. He’d come home to take care of the dairy cows the family owned, and while he claimed he enjoyed it, the look in his eyes said he was ready for a new adventure.

  Walker called up images of the rest of the Burkes: the three other brothers and then a girl who’d followed him and Preston around with wide eyes and a curiosity he’d never seen again. Lauren. For some reason, he wondered if she would show up. Not that he had any romantic interest in the younger and only sister of his best friend, but he was curious what her life had been like since she’d left Coldwater Creek for school in Colorado.

  The doorbell rang, and Walker answered it, smiling wide when he saw Preston first. They slapped each other on the back, and Walker stood back to let them all in, doing what he could to help Mr. Burke up the step with his crutches.

  “How’s it going over there, Walk?” Preston asked, removing his cowboy hat and hanging it on one of the top hooks in the main entry.

  “Progress is progress. How are the cows?”

  Preston blew out a breath. “Still alive by some miracle. Adam is going to take over next week while I head out of town. I need a break from the snow and the cows. Want to come to the beach with me?” His expression held a hint of the mischievous nature Preston had always had.

  Walker shook his head. “Maybe next year after the lodge has been open a few months. Right now, I need to make back some of the money I invested into getting it all running again.”

  With a quick slap to Walker’s chest, Preston scoffed. “Please, Mr. Rodeo King. I’m sure you’ve still got quite the nest egg waiting for you. And it’s just you. I bet you live on ramen and cereal when you don’t come home for meals.”

  Walker rolled his eyes. “I do know how to cook, Preston. But sometimes those are easier than cooking a meal for one.”

  Hearing his mother’s voice, the room quieted down as she gave instructions for the food. After a quick prayer to bless the feast laid out on the island, the group moved through the line, the mounds of food looking barely touched after the first round. His mother knew how to feed an army.

  Work on a ranch stirred up an appetite, and Walker smiled as he glanced around at the people in the room. This is what he’d missed about Coldwater Creek when he’d been on the rodeo circuit. The chance to have good friends around no matter what the weather was like outside. And to know he had a place with them, whether he was successful at life or not.

  Chapter 4

  One of the college football games was on, and even though it was normal for her family to watch them, Lauren just wasn’t sure where she fit in this family. After working with them and dating Cory for so long, she kept thinking things would work themselves out, but she still felt as awkward as ever standing there.

  She picked up a magazine from the table next to her chair and leafed through it. As much as she tried to concentrate on the words and pictures, her mind kept drifting to what her family would be doing right then back in Coldwater Creek. Probably taking care of the dairy cows and making sure everything was ready for the big storm she’d seen on the news. It looked like it was going to be a big one, and knowing Coldwater Creek, it would probably be near freezing until April.

  “Let’s eat!” Sharlene called from the kitchen. “Go ahead and serve yourselves. The food is all at the bar.” She walked in with a full plate and took a seat at the table, taking a few bites as the rest of the family scrambled to fill their own plates.

  Lauren was surprised at the quick reactions everyone had, each of them scrambling to find a place at the table. She watched in shock as Cory didn’t even glance in her direction, acting as though she wasn’t even there. A few of the girls pushed one another, trying to gain an edge in the line. Everyone stood back to allow their father ahead of them in line, the one piece of manners Lauren could get behind.

  Biting her bottom lip to keep from laughing, Lauren picked up a plate at the end of the island, wondering what caused the rush. It didn’t matter what the occasion was, her mother always made double the amount of food needed for their family. Feeding four growing boys was a feat, but they had always known that manners were the key to enjoying a good meal.

  Lauren stood at the end of the line, disbelief seeping through her as the siblings all fought for the spoon for the potatoes or vegetables, not caring where they were in line. Maybe it was good she’d never been invited to one of the family gatherings. She and her siblings had their own little arguments, but they knew what a line meant and that there was enough food for everyone.

  When she finally reached the food, there were two slices of turkey and one dollop of mashed potatoes left. The only roll in the basket looked like someone had taken a bite out of it and then put it back. Of course, the green bean bowl was still full, and it seemed the Turner family didn’t care for the sweet potatoes. She filled her plate and took the only seat left on the opposite end of the table from Cory next to his dad, Curt, her boss.

  There was no grace, no moments to announce what they were each grateful for. Only the sound of Cory’s sixteen-year-old sister sitting across from her, smacking her lips as she chewed. Doing her best to block out the grating sound, Lauren savored the little bit of potatoes on her plate. After one bite of the turkey, she asked for the gravy to be passed down and drenched the dry meat with the lumpy sauce.

  Maybe she was just being picky. Taking a breath, she told herself to keep an open mind. Just because she’d grown up with gourmet-quality food didn’t mean everyone else had that chance. It wasn’t like she’d had a full-course dinner for the other holidays she hadn’t made it home for. But if she was supposed to spend every other holiday with these people in the future, she was going to have to lower her standards for what good food was.

  “How have the sales gone this past week, Lauren?” Curt asked. He brought a napkin to his mouth and wiped, staring at her for a response.

  Lauren tried to switch her brain over. She had been grateful when work was finished the day before, and once she left the office, she hadn’t even thought about it
. It had been so slow because of the holiday that they hadn’t gotten too many new applications for Medicare. That had been their new strategy this year, on her recommendation, that they work to help current and new clients figure out which Medicare plan was right for their lives and situation, allowing them to get a commission on each one.

  “Steady, I would say. There were only about three dropped off yesterday, but I think we’ll see a bunch in the next week before the cutoff at the beginning of December.”

  Curt grinned. “Perfect. It was a great idea, by the way.”

  Lauren grinned at him and then focused on her plate again. She liked Curt. He was a laid-back guy who had gotten into the insurance business on the recommendation of his wife some thirty years before. Sharlene was the driving force behind the company, and since she kept the books, she knew when to prod her husband along. She was also the person that had turned down a raise for Lauren for the fifth time just the week before.

  If it wasn’t for Cory, Lauren probably would have left the company years ago, since all the claims they’d made upon hiring her had yet to be fulfilled. Paid vacations, something she’d done once or twice, never turned out to be paid. Quarterly raises had turned into just moving her up periodically when the minimum wage had to be raised. “It’s a family business,” they would often say. “We all win, and we all lose together.”

  Shaking off the thoughts, Lauren tried to listen in to some of the conversations going on around the table. It seemed that with the start of each one, the formers raised their voices louder and louder, making it difficult to decipher anything.

  Dinner finished sometime later, and Lauren filled up the sink, ready to help with the dishes.

  “What are you doing, Lauren?” Sharlene asked, bringing her plate into the kitchen.

  “I just thought I’d help with the dishes. Thank you so much for dinner.” She paused a second, willing the half-truth to slide from her lips. “It was great.”

  Sharlene’s eyes narrowed, and Lauren wasn’t sure whether she was in trouble or if she’d somehow frozen the woman in place. “Okay, well, thank you.” She set her plate down on a stack of other plates and left the room.

  Lauren bit her upper lip, glancing around the kitchen. Not one of the Turner family was anywhere in sight. Turning back to the sink, she shut off the water and picked up the scrubber from the side of the faucet. She’d gotten herself into this mess; she may as well do something to win over her co-boss and boyfriend’s mother.

  It took over an hour to get all the dishes loaded in the dishwasher and the large pots and pans scrubbed, but Lauren felt accomplished once she’d finished. After wiping her hands on a towel, she stepped out of the room, looking for Cory. She wasn’t sure what his family normally did on holidays, but she would be the supportive girlfriend.

  There was no sign of him in the family room with his father and sisters, so she wandered around, glancing at some of the pieces of art on the walls. They were quite striking, and she wasn’t sure how long she’d been staring at one until she heard voices in the hall just down from her.

  “When are you going to move on?” Sharlene, of course.

  “When I find the one I’ll spend forever with. For now, I’m good just coasting along.” Cory sounded like he was talking about what he wanted for breakfast, not a real care in the world.

  Lauren felt as though the bar on her brothers’ set of weights was resting against her chest, pushing down with every second and making it hard to breathe.

  “I have a couple of girls I can set you up with. You’re my only boy and deserve so much better than someone who makes minimum wage.”

  Anger seeped through Lauren’s body and into her face. She’d heard enough to last her a lifetime of embarrassment. The frustration that had built up since telling Cody about the pie was ready to explode, and all sense of propriety fled as she marched down the hall. Once she turned the corner to face the two of them, their eyes wide with guilt caused her to pause a moment.

  “I’ll help you with that, Sharlene. The only reason I’ve stayed with your company and gone without a raise since the day I started working for you all, which isn’t what you promised at the beginning and I’m pretty sure could be taken to court over, is because of your son here. I thought I loved him enough to be his wife, but it seems I dodged a bullet.” She turned to face Cory, whose face was as white as a sheet. “We’re done. And I quit. Good luck actually doing your job for once.”

  She looked between the two of them, both of their normal smugness wiped from their faces. Lauren stalked down the hall to grab her coat and purse before they could respond and then turned to walk outside as she looked up the number to a taxi service. As she left, her eyes caught on the shocked expressions of the rest of the family as they were turned in her direction.

  So what if she’d been turned into some sideshow. She was done with this waiting, this hoping that her life would change. She’d just have to make a change herself and stop waiting for the world to do it for her.

  Chapter 5

  After securing a cab a block or two away from the Turner home, she watched the scenery pass, trying to decide what to do with her life. She’d just broken up with her boyfriend and quit her job, all within two sentences. What else was keeping her in Fort Collins?

  The ache of homesickness was overwhelming, and she took out her phone, the tears falling freely now. After dialing her dad’s number, she waited for it to ring a few times and was surprised when he picked up the phone.

  “Lauren, dear. Happy Thanksgiving.”

  “You too, Dad.” She sniffled, hoping he hadn’t heard it.

  “What’s wrong? Is everything okay? You’re not hurt, are you?” The protective tone of her father’s voice caused her to smile, and for the first time in several years, she knew the only place she wanted to be was back home in Coldwater Creek.

  Lauren bit the side of her tongue, focusing on the pain so she didn’t cry even more. “Cory and I broke up, and I quit my job. I’m in a cab right now on my way back to my apartment. Can I come stay for the weekend?” Her voice raised in pitch toward the end, the impact of what happened minutes before hitting her like a load of bricks.

  “You can stay for a lot longer than that if you need.” He paused, and she could hear his breath coming through the phone. “I’ve missed you, girl.”

  “I’ve missed you too, Daddy. I’m so sorry it’s been so long. But you know how it—”

  “Yes,” he said, cutting her off. “I know how hard it was for you. But I’ll take whatever time I can get with my girl. With all of your brothers around the house, they could use a special dose of your mothering right now.” His chuckle sent the homesickness straight to her heart. She was the second child and the only daughter with four brothers. Her mother used to say she knew how to nag from the moment she could talk.

  Smiling at the small memory, Lauren realized she hadn’t been that fiery person she’d always been, not in the time she’d dated Cory. He’d been her first real boyfriend, and as the cab pulled up to her townhouse, she realized she’d been doing everything she thought Cory would like just so he wouldn’t break up with her. What a waste of three and a half good years of her life.

  Reflecting on all the little jabs and cut-downs from Cory over the years, she realized she’d never really been in love with him, just the idea that someone called her their girlfriend. Grinding her teeth together, she decided she’d never let the opinions of a guy change her personality; otherwise, she’d just be wasting her time yet again. She wouldn’t settle again.

  “I’ll throw some clothes into a bag and head out, probably around three or so.”

  “Remember to drive slow if there is snow and spend the night somewhere. I don’t want you driving all that way when it gets dark.” It was her father’s voice, but it reminded her so much of her mother that her throat tightened.

  Lauren closed her eyes, breathing slowly, and smiled. “I’ll be careful.” Her tone sounded more like a teenager than a twe
nty-five-year-old adult.

  “A father never stops worrying about his children, Lauren. Just remember that.”

  They said goodbye, and her father’s last words ran on a loop through her head. She was grateful to have such a loving family, even if she was the only daughter.

  She now had no idea what she wanted to do with her life, and the thought was frightening as she threw winter clothes into a large suitcase. But that was something that time at the farm could help her figure out. At least, she hoped.

  By 3:15, Lauren had packed a few bags into her Honda Civic, the one she’d bought secondhand in high school that had made it through college and the last several years. It was getting older, but she’d needed the money from her job to have a roof over her head and food to eat. She didn’t mind that it was older, and she’d worked to take good care of it. She just hoped it could make the eight-hour trek back to Coldwater Creek.

  Closer to nine that night, she tried to figure out what to do. The urge to get home made her want to continue on, and the caffeinated drinks she’d picked up when she had to refuel would keep her awake for the last two hours. But the roads were the most winding and snow-packed as she got closer to her hometown, and the snow had begun to fall.

  She could hear the snow flipping up against the sides of her car, and every once in a while, she slid an inch or two, keeping her vigilant in having her eyes on the road.

  Passing the last chance to stay the night, Lauren forged ahead, leaning forward so she could see beyond the snowflakes and the swooshing of her wipers. The lights were sparse in this part of Wyoming, and even though she knew the road like the back of her hand, there was still a small knot forming in her stomach, causing her to tighten her hands on the wheel. Both sides of the roads had walls of plowed snow, and the wind was whipping it slowly back across the highway.

  At one point, she was at a near crawl, finally passing an accident on a two-lane road. She was so close now. She smiled as she passed through the town of Afton, knowing she was just that much closer to the comfort of her family home.