Long Hard Fall
Book 3, The Walker Five
By Marie Johnston
Long Hard Fall
Copyright 2017 by LE Publishing
Developmental Editing by Razor Sharp Editing
Copyediting by Tera Cuskaden
Proofing by HME Editing
Cover by P and N Graphics
The characters, places, and events in this story are fictional. Any similarities to real people, places, or events are coincidental and unintentional.
Cash Walker always leaves a lady’s bed before morning—after all, he has a day full of chores waiting on his ranch. So when he wakes up one morning to his latest catch creeping out of the room, he figures he had it coming. Until later the same day, when she shows up in his barn. Turns out, she’s come to town to talk about the one subject Cash refuses to discuss with anyone.
Abbi Daniels is tired of being the responsible woman her parents expect her to be, but even she can admit that jumping into bed with the last guy to see her brother alive wasn’t her smartest move. Cash won’t talk about the day her brother was killed, but she refuses to leave town without answers. Only the more she’s around Cash, the less she wants to return home and the more she feels like her old self again.
With Abbi around, Cash’s no-commitment resolve breaks down. With Cash, Abbi finds the freedom she’s craved for so long. But how will their fragile connection survive when all the things left unsaid between them come to light?
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
About the Author
While working on this book, my in-laws planned a family reunion. Instead, we had a funeral.
To the beautiful young soul who left this world too early—you will be forever missed and forever in our hearts.
_______
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Chapter One
Abbi’s eyelids fluttered open. Sunlight poured through the drab drapes of her low-end motel room. She inhaled a slow breath and let her lids drift shut again. Her mission in Moore, Minnesota, could wait until she had more rest. It’d been a late night.
Soft inhales and exhales resonated from behind her. Her eyes flew open.
Oh, shit. Abigail Daniels, what have you done?
She froze, too afraid to roll over and witness her epically bad decision from the night before.
Think, think, think. She’d come to town with one goal—to find a man. Not just any man, but the one who’d been with her brother when he’d died. But she hadn’t started her search. She had reached town, rented a room, and gone out for a bite to eat.
So why was she in bed with a dude who wasn’t her boyfriend?
She suppressed a groan and squeezed her eyes shut. That’s right. As of yesterday, she was single. Her solid, responsible boyfriend had gotten tired of dating a sad sack and argued her trip to Moore was mind-bogglingly impulsive.
Not even her threat of breaking up with him if he couldn’t respect how important the trip was had swayed his opinion. And it hadn’t been a threat.
There went four years of her life she couldn’t get back. Her relationship with Ellis had weathered the death of her brother and her subsequent mourning, but one little trip and Ellis had bailed. Maybe it was for the best. He could be such a downer at times. Most times.
She opened her eyes and stared at the wall, ignoring the stranger slumbering next to her.
What did she remember?
Too much to drink. She was known as an uptight prude in her circle of friends, but that was because they hadn’t gone to college with her. Ellis had forbidden her from having more than two drinks because after they’d gotten serious he’d grown tired of holding her hand the next morning when her raging hangover took over. He’d gotten tired of explaining the stupid shit she’d done, too.
But it was college, wasn’t that what she was supposed to do?
What was her excuse now?
Her body throbbed in all the right places. Whoever her bedmate was, he must’ve been satisfying.
Abbi’s stomach clenched. No matter how wild she used to be, she wasn’t that girl anymore. She’d have to adult the hell out of this.
Steeling herself, she pushed up. It wasn’t the first time she’d had to face the morning and piece together the previous night, but it’d been a long time, and it was damn well going to be the last time.
She scanned her body—naked. A few love bites decorated her breasts. Whatever she’d done with the mystery man had been active. As the fog of sleep faded, she had a hazy memory of a deep voice and a body to die for.
With a gulp, she twisted to look at her hookup.
She was caught between a gasp and a laugh.
Just her luck. She’d hit the jackpot and couldn’t recall more than a minute of it.
He was as hot as they came.
Okay, Abbi. You’re forgiven for taking him home.
Mussed, sandy-blond hair swept over his forehead, and dark-blond eyelashes rimmed his eyes.
Blue eyes, she remembered. Startlingly blue, and they’d wiped out all thoughts of Ellis when they’d been aimed at her. She remembered that but not his name, dammit.
She bet the sex they’d had was incredible. At least for her. She had enough pride to hope she’d pleased him, too. And pray they’d used protection.
With as much stealth as she could muster, she rolled out of bed. Two condom wrappers lay at her feet.
Good. At least there was that.
But two?
Stretching, her muscles informed her that yes, she’d been pleasured more than once.
No big. She wouldn’t let it endear her to the stranger she’d invited into her bed. Even Ellis had given her more than one orgasm in a twenty-four-hour period. A high compliment from a man who feared body fluids and germs as much as he did.
Abbi tiptoed to her luggage and collected fresh clothing. Before she showered, she darted around the room and collected her strewn clothing from the night before. Now all she had to do after she dressed was toss in her toiletry bag and run.
Memories of sultry laughter and wet kisses bombarded her. Eventually, it’d all come back.
She looked forward to it.
The memories would be hers alone. Her last impulsive act before she moved on. She owed it to herself after four years with Ellis.
As long as her family never found out. Wild Child Daniels was forever gone in their minds and she couldn’t make a reappearance, no matter how brief. Not after what had happened to her brother. It’d break their hearts if she returned to her partying ways.
Straight-laced Abbi Daniels needed to be the one to return to Green Bay. Her parents were already sick at the thought that she was vacationing alone.
She crept into the bathroom and took the quickest shower of her life. At the sink, she was brushing her teeth and wondering what made up the weird taste in her mouth when she spied a third condom wrapper.
That was it. Alcohol and plastic. God, she hoped he was clean. Even with protection, having her head in the crotch of a man she’d just met wasn’t the most hygienic.
She shrugged into her University of Wisconsin-Madison sweatshirt and pulled on her skinny jeans. Her ballet flats had been bundled in her clothing and she pulled them on. Her knee-high boots were packed already, and it would’ve been too noisy to dig them out. The October days were still warmish so her skimpy shoes would have to do.
Before she opened the door, she ran through her game plan and tried to calm her stomach.
She pushed the door open. The bathroom light fell across the bed. Hotness blinked awake and his crystal-blue gaze landed on her.
For a half a second, she considered abandoning her plan and crawling back into bed with him. Three condom wrappers and a man with his looks… But she couldn’t, her family came first. And the reason why she was in Moore sobered her.
***
Cash stared at the beauty in the doorway. Damp auburn hair, combed and left hanging straight, dripped water spots onto her gray sweatshirt. The red details in the shirt’s design only highlighted the green flecks in her wary hazel eyes.
It was her eyes that had attracted him last night. They’d been intelligent and full of laughter, not to mention, she’d been alone and wanting company. Always a good sign for a guy like him, a man who had no wish to string a lady along.
He’d been sure she had a boyfriend, but when he’d asked if she was waiting for someone, she’d shoved out the chair next to her with her foot.
What the hell was he still doing in her room? He never slept over. It gave women the wrong idea, and even if he wanted some morning action, he had chores on his ranch to do.
He squinted at the window where sunlight streamed in around the curtains.
Chores he was late for. Hungry horses waited for him, and Patsy Cline could be a hangry beast.
And it’d still be a late night helping his cousins man the combines for harvest.
He swung his gaze back to the woman who looked primed to bolt.
Abbi. No last name. What a coincidence. He hadn’t given her his, either.
“Mornin’.” His voice was rough from sleep.
“So, um…” She shifted her weight and adjusted the small polka-dot bag in her hands. “Take your time. I think checkout is eleven or something.”
She sidled to her suitcase and zipped her bag inside.
“You’re leaving?” He tried to sound cool, but it came out incredulous.
Some of the best sex of his life and she was ditching him.
The irony.
“Yeah, sorry. I’ve gotta go…stuff to do.” She hefted her bag and gave the room a once-over before she, reluctantly, met his gaze.
He sat up, the blankets slipping off his torso. Her bright gaze dipped to his chest. Pink lips parted and heat flared in her lovely eyes. He couldn’t help his smug grin.
Three orgasms and she was still primed for him.
She noticed his smile. Her back went ramrod straight. False bravado?
“Thanks for the, uh…thanks for the good time.” She winced and scurried for the door.
He wanted to chuckle at her awkwardness. As she was leaving, he called, “Nice to meet you, Abbi.”
Her shoulders stiffened. She glanced back with a flash of regret in her eyes. “Same here.”
The door closed over her fine ass. He stared at the scuffed metal.
So it was like that, huh?
He scratched his head. He must look as rumpled as he felt.
He blew out a breath and studied the room. Had he been in this one before? Sometimes he brought his hookups to one of the motels in town. Anywhere but home was his rule. Can’t sneak out of his own house because they’d still be there when he came back in from chores. And some girls would never leave. Sometimes, if he hooked up with a girl more than once, she’d start thinking along the lines of a relationship. But they hadn’t grown up in his house, with his parents shining example.
Cash shuddered. No thanks.
Relationships weren’t for him, but he had to admit, getting ditched by his fling stung.
He rubbed his chest. That didn’t bother him, did it? It couldn’t. He’d only met her—he glanced at the time—twelve hours ago.
Dang, he had to get home. He and his cousins would be pulling the cattle off the pastures soon and he had some fencing to reinforce before that happened.
Groaning, he pushed himself up. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he scrubbed his face. Had he fallen asleep? With a stranger?
Maybe it made sense. He’d always slept fine in the barracks in the army. After that last deployment, well, nightmares could be worse than what had gone on over there.
No. He yanked himself out of the self-pity sinkhole. His few nights of disrupted sleep were better than the family that’d lost their son and brother.
Still, it’d be worth a second round with Abbi just to get another night of uninterrupted sleep. He started getting dressed.
There was a knock on the door. A feminine voice called “housekeeping” a millisecond before the door opened. A young girl’s eyes went wide at the sight of him buttoning his pants. Thank goodness he’d gotten that far.
“I-I’m sorry,” she stuttered. “I thought no one was in here.”
“Give a guy a few minutes before busting the door open,” he drawled with a good-natured smile.
Her stare was stuck on his naked abdomen and it changed from shocked to interested. Lord, she was barely old enough to vote.
“Kiddo,” he said, “I’ll clear on out of here in a few minutes, then the room is all yours.”
She pushed the door open a little farther and attempted to strike a provocative pose. His heart sank at the sight. All he saw was his sister standing there before all the bad decisions she’d made, especially the ones following in his footsteps.
“Do me a favor?” he asked and her face lit up. “Don’t ever date a guy a like me.”
She frowned and her gaze landed back on his abs. “Why?”
“I don’t treat women right, and you should never put up with someone like me.” Aside from him being a good ten years older than her.
“Is that why your girlfriend left?”
“Yes, because I’m a waste of time.” The words rang too true. But he’d rather be honest than make a woman as miserable as his dad made his mom.
The girl rolled her eyes and stepped out. “Whatever.” Said with all the attitude a girl her age could muster.
He finished dressing and found his pickup where Abbi had directed him to park it last night. The spot next to his was empty. Abbi was done and gone.
Where had she said she was from again?
Oh, yeah, she hadn’t.
His mouth quirked. He’d wanted to get to know her. Not too much new meat came to town, but she’d been…different. Sweet. The other girls he “dated” were sweet, too, but Abbi was…different. It was like she hadn’t cared if Cash hit on her or not, but she’d been delighted to just laugh and joke around. Even more delighted when he’d accepted her overt invitation back to her room. A guy could get used to that level of comfort with a girl.
No thinking along those lines. He’d been ditched, and he was man enough to take it since he’d dished it out plenty of times before.
Chapter Two
Abbi set her items on the gas station counter and assessed the cashier. If anyone knew everyone in town, it’d be the bespectacled, gray-haired lady manning the cash register. “I’m looking for Reno Walker.”
“Who?” The cashier’s incredulous expression would be embarrassing if Abbi’s head wasn’t pounding.
“Reno Walker.”
The woman shook her head. “There is no one in town named Reno, I can guarantee, but we’ve got a ton of Walker boys. Maybe you’re looking for one of them?”
“Maybe. My brother always called him Reno. They were in the army together.”
An older guy waiting in line behind her spoke up. “A couple of the young Walkers were in the army. Maybe it’s one of them.�
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The clerk rang up Abbi’s pathetic breakfast of a chocolate-glazed pastry and diet soda. She’d started off the morning very un-Abbi-like, or rather, more Abbi-like than she’d wanted. Why not revert to another college habit? She just hoped it stayed down.
The woman rattled off the price before saying, “That’s right, a couple of them were. George, why don’t you give her directions to the Walker spread. They’ll help her out.”
Abbi handed over her cash while the poster-child for an old farmer with his denim overalls and dirty trucker’s hat rattled off things like “turn north” and “head west.” All Abbi got from the conversation was that there were five Walker cousins who farmed and ranched and they all lived around each other. Moore was small; how hard would it be to find them?
She drove for a couple of hours with no luck. She now knew Moore by heart and every avenue in and out of town. Finally, she stopped at another gas station where a man about her age was more than willing to help her with directions. A greasy hot dog somehow called her name, and she grabbed another soda. And a water so she could claim one responsible thing for the morning.
After receiving the most thorough directions of her life, and getting warned about one particular Walker named Cash who was a heartbreaker, she was on the highway and pointing in the right direction. She munched on her food and drained her soda. Breakfast had stayed down so she’d taken it as a good sign, despite her stomach’s constant upset.
She cruised past her turnoff. “Oh, shit.” Time to find an approach to turn around.
Straight shot on gravel, the man had said.
She drove for a mile or two and wouldn’t have minded a few more. The countryside was gorgeous. Brightly colored leaves still decorated the trees, and golden or already harvested fields surrounded her. The temps were supposed to be moderate today, and she would have loved to dig out her athletic shoes and taken a nature hike if she’d felt better.
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