Walker Bride

by Bernadette Marie

  Pearl had been in touch with a photographer friend who was interested in renting a space as well. The possibilities were limitless and the more she thought about it, the giddier she became. Timing was just right too. Her lease on her shop was up, and she hadn’t renewed it because Lydia said nothing could go wrong. Pearl felt that in her heart too. This was the time to change everything.

  As she put the car in park outside her house, she let out a long cleansing breath. Though her mind zipped about with possibilities for her and Lydia, her body was exhausted. She was ready to rest her head on her pillow and forget the day.

  But as she stepped out of the car and locked the doors, she thought about Sunshine walking into her store. A pang of jealousy ripped right through her, stealing the momentary delight she’d just had envisioning the future.

  It was wrong to envy Sunshine, but she couldn’t help it.

  Pearl realized that she wanted to feel as connected to her family, as Sunshine was to hers, that to lose one of them would shatter her. And wouldn’t it be nice to be loved enough by someone, that they’d marry you the next day if you wanted to?

  Sunshine was a very lucky woman, and she knew it too.

  The weight of the day landed on Pearl’s shoulders. She’d never have a relationship with her parents like Sunshine had with hers. Not everyone was meant to, she supposed. And she was damn sure no man would ever want to marry her. Walker women were messes.

  With that sad thought, she unlocked the front door to her quiet and dark house.

  ***

  Tyson sat on the tailgate of the farm pickup and watched the sunrise with a mug of coffee in his hands. He’d been getting up long before the rooster for most of his life, and his payment had been watching sunrises.

  There was something tranquil in watching a dark sky lighten and then glow in bright hues of reds, oranges, and yellows. The sound of footsteps drew his attention away from the glorious painting happening before him.

  The approaching figure didn’t startle him. It had grown to be an often event that his sister walked up on him and shared in the silent glory with him.

  “I thought you were in town at Mom’s.”

  She cradled a mug in her hands. As she neared the truck, she handed him the mug and in one quick jump, she landed next to him on the tailgate. Taking her mug, she sipped the coffee that steamed.

  “I was. Couldn’t relax. Couldn’t sleep. So I drove back out here very, very, early this morning,” she groaned.

  “I never heard you.”

  “I said it was early.”

  Tyson watched as the grand ball of yellow began to encompass the horizon. Soon the sky would just be light, and the magnificent color celebration would be over. Usually, he’d watch and talk later, but he wondered what had his sister so tense.

  “What’s on your mind?”

  She sipped her coffee again as if she were gathering her thoughts. “The new property we’re acquiring.”

  It was nature to shake his head. “This is the one you and Pearl are buying?”

  She nodded. “It’s more than just a property. It would be a wedding mecca.”

  He couldn’t help but chuckle. “A mecca?”

  “Yeah,” she said on an optimistic sigh. But when she didn’t say anything else he knew there was something about this mecca that wasn’t sitting right with his sister.

  “And what’s wrong with it?”

  She looked up at him. Her dark eyes narrowed on him, and she raked her hand through her short crop of hair. “You just assume?”

  “You have tells. What’s up?”

  “We have tenants already. So it’ll have income right off. But it looks like there’s going to need to be more work done to it than we’d expected. It’s going to eat up the budget faster than anticipated.”

  “So maybe it’s not the right time to buy.”

  She shook her head. “I can’t let this go. Do you know what the wedding industry brings in every year?”

  “Do you?”

  She gave him a punch on the arm, then strangled her coffee mug with both hands. “People will pay nearly ten thousand dollars for a wedding. Sometimes more. If you can get them to drop all ten thousand in one place, you’re golden.”

  “And then you hope they divorce and do it all over again?”

  She shrugged. “Some will.”

  “Yep, doesn’t even sound like something to be optimistic about.” He gave her a nudge. “So what’s the real problem?”

  “Money,” she answered quickly.

  “Ask Grandpa,” he was quick with his answer.

  She let out a threatened gasp. “No. Never. Not in a million years. I’ll figure it out.”

  “Do you need another loan?”

  “I’m too stretched out on loans, and all of Mom’s assets are in the Garden Room.”

  “So you bought into the Garden Room, that restaurant we had dinner in a few months back…”

  “I sold that share.”

  “Okay,” he said grinning at her business sense. “Now this? What kind of money do you need?”

  She winced. “More than Pearl and I have.”

  “And you can’t ask her dad for money. He owes everyone else.”

  She nodded. “We need another partner.”

  Tyson rubbed the stubble on his chin. “What about Bethany? Doesn’t she…”

  “She has nothing. She’s still paying off some of her mom’s debts.”

  “That sucks.”

  “We either find another investor or we have to back out. That’s it. But we have to do it and get going in the next two months if we commit. Pearl’s lease is up then, and she held off on signing an extension.” Now she lifted her eyes up to him in a near plea. “We need another partner.”

  He knew where she was going with this, and he wasn’t sure he was interested. They each had a trust fund set up from their father’s inheritance. Their mother had invested most of her share of his inheritance in businesses that were thriving. But even thriving businesses still needed a reserve, he understood that.

  Tyson had always been very frugal with his money. In fact, he lived on the ranch free and clear. He made a living—a good living. The only expense at forty-two years old was the upkeep on his truck, which he rarely drove.

  That gnawed at him more than he thought it should. No man of his age should have nothing, and he had nothing.

  “What does this partner have to do?” he asked, keeping his eyes on the sun that was now bright on the horizon.

  He caught sight of the smile Lydia tucked in which had crept up on her lips when he asked. “They could be a silent partner. You know, they’d have no dealings in the day to to day operations, but when profit was made, they’d make their money back and some.”

  “You want me to invest in this, don’t you?”

  The smile fully surfaced now. “You’re our only hope right now. Pearl believes in this—in me. She’s taking a chance, and I have to make it work for her or she could lose everything.”

  Tyson finished his coffee, which had gone cold and bitter. “Why would she do that? Why partner up with you? You weren’t that close growing up.”

  “But we are now. And she’s a business woman. I’m a business woman. It doesn’t matter that we didn’t run in the same crowd years ago. She’s not who she was, and neither am I.”

  He nodded. He wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing that Pearl might be different. The old Pearl had an edge that guaranteed no one would mess with her. Did business-minded Pearl, in her fancy clothes, still have that edge?

  “Don’t you think you should discuss my involvement with Pearl? She doesn’t know me.” He narrowed his gaze on his sister. “Does she even know that you need more money?”

  Lydia crinkled up her nose. “She knows we need help.”

  “If I decide to do this don’t you think you’d better discuss it with her first?”

  That had her wincing. “I was hoping you’d discuss it with her.”

&nbs
p; “Me?” His voice rose into an unfamiliar octave. “This is your idea.”

  “And you seem to have some connection with her.”

  His muscles tensed. “She felt me up for a tux.”

  That sent his sister into a bout of laughter. “And you enjoyed every moment of it so don’t play that game.” When the humor died down, she looked him square in the eye. “Please. Go to town. Look at the place. Drop in and talk to Pearl. Me asking her or telling her won’t be the same. She has to know that anyone involved has her best interest at heart. And yes, I’ll talk to her. But you check it out first.”

  Tyson bit the side of his cheek as his head spun. He’d never let his sister down. “You knew I’d give you the money if you asked, didn’t you?”

  “I hoped you would.”

  “I haven’t said yes yet.”

  “Yet.”

  He let out a growl. “Where is the building and where do I find Pearl Walker on a Sunday?”

  Chapter Nine

  Music played in the kitchen as Pearl cracked eggs into a bowl. Lazy Sunday mornings were something she lived for.

  Her hair was piled in a mess atop her head. She had on a pair of bunny slippers which Audrey had given her for Christmas one year. The shorts she’d worn to bed were comfy, and so was the thin T-shirt that clung to her body. Sundays at home there was no need for a bra.

  The thought made her do a little dance as she picked up the fork and beat the eggs that would eventually make a delicious omelet.

  Coffee brewed in the pot to her right and bacon sizzled on a pan in the oven. It had five more minutes to cook and then she’d begin her omelet. Susan had taught her that timing was everything when bringing a meal together. Pearl suffered from timing in the kitchen, but she was feeling optimistic that everything was going to turn out just right.

  She had just enough time to walk out and get the Sunday paper off of her porch. It was only good for all the ads, she thought. Often she gave the rest of it to her neighbor who had a kid with a hamster.

  Pearl pulled open the door, already in a slight bend ready to pick up the paper when she noticed a pair of very worn boots standing on her porch.

  Slowly she lifted her eyes from the boots up the legs and body to the face of one very surprised Tyson Morgan.

  In his hand, he held the newspaper she’d come to retrieve.

  It didn’t go unnoticed that he was about to knock, but now was scanning a look over her in her short pajama pants, braless T-shirt, and her hair piled high on her head.

  “Mornin’,” his voice croaked as he spoke.

  “Hi,” her breath caught as she replied.

  “I was just about to knock.”

  “I see that.”

  “Here’s your paper,” he said handing it to her.

  Quickly she pulled it from his hands and held it to her chest. Chances were he hadn’t missed the firming of her nipples against the thin fabric when she’d seen him.

  “What are you doing here?”

  Tyson scratched the whiskers on his cheek and then adjusted the brim of his baseball cap.

  “Right. Um…” He tucked his hands into the front pockets of his jeans. “Lydia sent me to talk to you. It’s business. About your business. The one you’re going into with her.”

  “The bridal mecca?”

  He chuckled. “Yup. That one.”

  “Are you getting married?” she asked and then hoped he didn’t say yes. She wasn’t sure she could handle that right now.

  “No. No.” His answer was firm. “Can I come in?”

  Pearl stared at him. Did she want him in her house? Yes, she did.

  “I have coffee and bacon. I was just about to whip up an omelet. Would you like some?”

  His lips tightened as if he were giving it some thought, but didn’t want to impose. But then his eyes lit. “I would. Do you mind?”

  “I offered, didn’t I?”

  So, she wasn’t a morning person. Twice she’d found him on her doorstep and twice she might not have been so glad to see him.

  Pearl stepped back and Tyson stepped inside. He’d never been inside of her house, and now that he was there he felt a bit odd about it.

  Having seen the girlie interior of her store, he might have thought her house would be spotless and white. That surely wasn’t the case.

  She wasn’t neat and tidy, but she wasn’t messy either. Her purse sat open on a chair in the living room. Shoes were tossed aside by the door. A blanket she might have wrapped herself in while watching TV was thrown on the couch and a forgotten plate and glass sat on the coffee table.

  It brought a bit of pure joy to his heart to see this side of her.

  “Do you want anything in your coffee?” Pearl asked from the kitchen.

  He hadn’t even noticed she walked past him. “No. Just black.”

  Walking through the doorway to the kitchen, he watched as she turned with a mug in her hand. She wasn’t covering herself up now, and there wasn’t much left to the imagination.

  Tyson swallowed hard and willed every manly part of him to behave.

  She was a mess. Her hair piled on her head and a smudge of makeup under her eyes. Nothing should have been stirring in him, but damn he couldn’t help it. Her disheveled look didn’t distract from her beauty.

  Taking the mug from her, he looked down at the floor. “Thanks.”

  “I’m going to go change. The bacon has a few more minutes. When the timer goes off, just pull it out. There are oven mitts on the counter.”

  He nodded, looking into his coffee now as she scurried away. However, he did manage to take a look over the edge of the mug as he sipped and caught her walking out the door. She sure had an excellent body.

  When the timer buzzed, Tyson set his coffee down and pulled the tray of bacon from the oven. She was a crispy bacon kind of person. He liked it a little floppy.

  Setting the tray down on the trivet on the counter, he noticed she’d already started beating the eggs for the omelet she’d said she was going to have. Obviously, she hadn’t been expecting a guest. It wouldn’t hurt to add a few more eggs he thought.

  With a careful hand, he picked up two more eggs and cracked them into the bowl. After discarding the shells, he went to work. His mother always added a little bit of milk to the mix. He pulled open the refrigerator and found a nearly empty quart of milk, which was set to expire at the end of the day.

  He added a drop of milk and turned on the burner on the stove.

  Pearl had already set out her cheese and the few items she was planning to put into the omelet. There was no reason to assume she wasn’t going to use everything. He’d just make one big omelet, and they could split it.

  He looked at the bag of cheese. It too looked as though it might be on its last day and there wasn’t much of it. Maybe he’d let her have most of the omelet.

  Pearl could smell the bacon. He’d taken it from the oven. That was good. Now she could smell something else.

  Quickly she finished with the mascara she’d started to put on and gave herself one more look in the mirror.

  Aside from not having had a shower, she thought she looked pretty good.

  She’d pulled her hair back in a ponytail, washed her face, and added some mascara and tint to her lips. The yoga pants she’d chosen were brand new, so they looked nice. Most important was the bra she’d put on. She couldn’t believe he’d seen her without one. Even dressed, no woman should let a man see her braless unless he was the one that took it off of her.

  The tank top she’d chosen wasn’t as casual as the yoga pants, but she was attracted to the man. She did want to entice and impress him a little.

  Her cheeks heated. She’d found him on her front porch twice in two days. Perhaps that was a sign that she had enticed him. Was there a genuine interest there?

  Pearl had brushed her teeth, but for good measure, she gargled some mouthwash. Breakfast was probably going to taste funny now, but it was worth it.

  As she descended the st
airs, she could hear dishes rattle and the sound of the pan on the stove. When she turned the corner, she could admit she was genuinely impressed.

  “You finished breakfast?”

  He turned, and she noticed his eyes widen as he took her in. Quickly he went back to his task. “Yeah. Thought I could be helpful.”

  “Thank you,” she said with a sultry tone in her voice that she hadn’t planned. “I’ll get some forks.”

  She eased up next to him and pulled open the silverware drawer. He was close now. So close she could feel the heat from his body. Inhaling, she caught the scent of his soap on his skin. It was nice. Thoughts of having wrapped her arms around him while she measured him sent a tingle down up her spine.

  It was enough to have her shake away the sizzle that traveled through her. Though she must have forgotten, he was right behind her, because she backed right into him, causing him to lift his hands to her waist to steady her.

  “Everything okay?”

  Pearl turned quickly in his arms before he could remove his hands completely. “Everything is perfect.”

  The kitchen wasn’t very big, and usually, that bothered her. Today, however, she was grateful that they were nearly pinned against the counter in the small space.

  With a fork in each hand, she let her body press up against his. His hands still held her in place.

  Tyson’s eyes had gone dark.

  He moved his gaze from her eyes to her lips and back again. “You have a tattoo on your back,” he said, his voice raspy.

  Pearl blinked slowly. “You saw it?”

  “Your shirt wasn’t very long.” His Adam’s apple bobbed in his throat as he swallowed. “Your shorts weren’t very—high on your waist.” His breath had grown heavy.