Imagining Love on Willow Road (Island County Series Book 13)

by Karice Bolton

  “What do you mean?” Walker asked, taking a step back.

  I could finally breathe again.

  “You never belonged to me, and I never belonged to you. That, if anything, is what all these years apart should have shown you.” I shook my head. “You don’t know me enough to like me. You only know a conjured image of me. You’re picking up where you last left off, with a woman chasing her dreams.” I smiled. “But my dreams have already come true, and you’re not part of them.”

  Walker stood in front of me as emotion tore through me. Saying those words choked me up.

  “Harmony, what did your parents say to you when I left?”

  I shrugged. “They told me it was bound to happen.”

  “Did they comfort you?”

  I glared at Walker as my pulse raced. “On the contrary. It’s why I left for Portland and never returned. The satisfaction my parents showed over their daughter’s first heartache was hard to swallow.”

  Anger started running through me as Walker studied me. I hated that he was making me go back there. I’d spent my life running away from loss. I didn’t just lose Walker. I’d lost what family I had, even if they weren’t warm and fuzzy.

  “Listen, it’s a time I’d rather not remember, okay?” I hugged myself, and a chill ran through the room. “They said some incredibly mean things to prove their point.”

  “What did they say to you?” Walker took a step forward, and I hugged myself harder.

  “Their idea of comforting me was to tell me that you’d obviously had a better offer.” I swallowed the lump in my throat. “And the worst part is that I knew they were right. I just didn’t know who she was.”

  Walker’s gaze fell to the floor, and I knew I had him. He could no longer lie to me about our past. He wasn’t a man choosing to make my dreams happen.

  “You’re right,” he said softly.

  My gaze flew to his. “I’m right about what?”

  “It wasn’t to make your dreams come true. Although, that’s what I told myself for the last decade.”

  My pulse pounded so hard I felt dizzy. “What are you talking about?”

  “You knew where I came from. My family didn’t have much.”

  “Your family was always full of love,” I offered, afraid of what he might say next. “That’s more than mine.” I gave a feeble smile, but there was only sadness in his gaze, and worry filled me.

  Walker nodded. “It’s true. Love is something we’ve never been short on.”

  “You’re lucky,” I pointed out.

  “I have been, but most of that luck was because of a decision I made many years ago.”

  Walker’s gaze stayed on mine, and fear pummeled through me. I wasn’t sure I wanted to hear why he left all those years ago. I wasn’t sure I was ready for his truth.

  “It’s the same decision that has haunted me from the moment I accepted.”

  My brows furrowed. “Accepted what?”

  He let out a deep breath and stepped forward. I could tell he wanted to hold me, but he stayed back.

  “My sister—”

  “Becky.” I smiled.

  He nodded and grinned. “Yeah, Becky.”

  I hesitated. “How is she?”

  Walker slid his hand up to his neck. “She’s actually doing really great. She . . . umm . . . she wouldn’t have, though, if it weren’t for a certain medical procedure.”

  I cocked my head slightly and watched him. Anger and sadness rested behind his gaze. “Before you left, I remember things were pretty dire.”

  “They were. She wasn’t expected to live past that year.”

  I swallowed down my horror. I knew she was really sick, but I didn’t know that.

  “I’m glad there was a treatment that helped.”

  “Me too.” He licked his lips. “Harmony, you were right. I didn’t just leave you so that you could pursue your dreams. Your father paid me to leave.”

  It was like the room was suddenly spinning. I looked to him for support, but I didn’t want to be near him.

  “You took money from my father? You chose money over me?” My throat turned scratchy, and my head throbbed. “Get out.”

  I pointed at the door. “Get out right now. You broke me once, Walker, and I won’t let you do it again.”

  Walker didn’t move.

  “Don’t make me call the police. I will call the police.” I stared at him. “Get. Out. Now.”

  “Hear me out, Harmony. Please,” Walker pleaded, and I shook my head.

  “I heard enough. You chose money over someone you supposedly loved. There’s no coming back from that. You treated me as if I were a possession. My parents treated me as if I were something that could be discarded.”

  “It’s not like that.” Walker’s voice was low.

  “Please, Walker. Please just leave.” Tears filled my eyes.

  “My sister was going to die. Your father knew that and offered to pay for her treatment if I promised to stay away from you. I signed a contract, Harmony. I’m so sorry, and—”

  Every part of me hurt as I crumpled to the floor, and I wondered how my parents could hate me so much.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Walker scooped me into his arms as if I were as light as a feather and carried me to the couch. When he laid me down, he wiped away the tears that wouldn’t stop rolling down my cheeks.

  “I’m so sorry you were put in such a horrible situation,” I sniffed, looking into Walker’s eyes.

  He circled his thumb around my palm and smiled. “My family had a happy outcome because of my decision.” He let out a slow breath and looked away. “Even though it was one of the most difficult choices I’d ever made, I wanted to choose life for both of you.”

  Walker brought his eyes back to mine. “I suppose I bartered away the pain by telling myself you needed the freedom so you could become who you were meant to.”

  I pushed myself up on the couch and wiped my tears away. “I wish I had known.”

  Walker shook his head. “It wouldn’t have changed anything. Couldn’t have changed anything. The agreement I signed forbade me to contact you, or I’d owe the money back and face legal ramifications. Back then, it meant something.”

  Anger boiled over as I thought about my parents’ knowing the heartache they put me through just to prove a point. Just because they could.

  “There were a lot of things I’d thought over the years.” I shrugged. “Mostly, I figured that you just wanted to experience other women, got panicky, and decided to make a quick break from me.”

  He shook his head as his eyes remained on mine. “No, not at all. You’re all I’ve ever thought about.”

  “I’d be lying if I didn’t say the same.” I stretched my head back and let out a groan. “I had so much anger built up over this. Even if I could have gotten over you, I couldn’t get over what was done to me. I never trusted me. Never let myself have a real relationship.”

  Walker nodded, slipping his hand over mine.

  “My parents knew by that time that I wasn’t going to law school. I’d already professed my love for culinary school.” I shook my head. “I just don’t get it.”

  “I wanted to hate them, but at the same time, they were helping to give my sister a shot at life.” He sighed and pulled my legs over his lap so I wasn’t huddled in a ball. “I knew what was at stake, and I also knew if I stayed in the same town as you, I wouldn’t be able to stay away.”

  I wanted to believe everything Walker was telling me, and I did, for the most part, but I couldn’t reconcile my parents’ actions. It wouldn’t have been the first time they had meddled. I guess I just wanted to believe they were better people than they’d proven themselves to be.

  “My parents told me not to sign.”

  “But their daughter, your sister . . .”

  He nodded. “They were going to sell our home and the acreage behind it. I couldn’t let them do that. It’s all they had.”

  This was the Walker I knew and ha
d fallen in love with so many years ago. The person I had come to believe didn’t exist.

  “I hope you don’t hate me.” His blue eyes darkened a shade, and I reached for his hands.

  “I’ve tried to hate you for years and years, and it never seemed to stick.” I laughed. “I’d blamed your charisma for swaying me, but I’m beginning to think it’s just because you’re a nice guy, and I always knew that deep in my heart.”

  “Nice guys finish last.” He grimaced, and I laughed harder.

  “Something tells me you never finished last when it came to the ladies. You weren’t hurting with the females.”

  “I’m not claiming to be a saint, but the only woman who mattered to me, I couldn’t have.”

  I wanted to believe Walker.

  “What happens now? You have to pay my parents the money back?” I rolled my eyes.

  “I already sent them the check.”

  I laughed and shook my head as I glanced out the window.

  He touched my chin, bringing my gaze back to his. “I’m serious.”

  “Did Ashley know any of this?” I asked.

  He nodded and let out a low laugh.

  I scowled. “What?”

  “I have to admit something.”

  “More?” My brows shot up. “I think I’ve got enough to think about at the moment. I don’t know how much more I can handle.”

  “Well, you wanted the truth, and I’m going to give it to you.”

  I let out a nervous chuckle. “Fine. Let me have it. Do you have a line of stalkers?”

  “I knew you were here.”

  “How?” My pulse quickened. “Did your stalker give you some advice on tracking people down?”

  He grinned. “No. Ashley had mentioned how much she enjoyed a new girl on the island and that her name was Harmony. I had a feeling it might be you.” Walker shrugged. “Harmony’s not a common name.”

  “Are you serious?” I bolted upright on the couch.

  “Ashley knew about you when we dated in high school, but she didn’t remember your name. I texted her a shot of you from that cooking show you did, and she confirmed that the Harmony I was hoping for was you.”

  Adrenaline shot through me, and I smiled. “So, you’ve been sneaky this entire time.”

  “I prefer the term covert.”

  I rolled my eyes and laughed. “And what would have happened if I’d run you off the island?”

  “I knew you wouldn’t.”

  “Does it ever get tiring always being right?”

  “I’m just overly optimistic.”

  “I suppose that’s one way of looking at it.”

  “It’s the only way to look at it.”

  I laughed. “Of course it is.”

  My cellphone rang, and the house down the street popped back into my head.

  “I’ve got to get that. It’s a realtor.” I slid my legs off his lap and ran for my cellphone on the end table.

  The moment I picked it up, Pam didn’t even wait for me to say hello. “The house is yours. I just need a prequalification letter, and I’ll send over the Purchase and Sales Agreement.”

  “Are you serious?” I squealed into the phone.

  Pam laughed. “I don’t joke about deals. The house is yours.”

  “Thank you so much, Pam. I’ll be in touch tomorrow.”

  “Great. Have a nice afternoon.”

  “You too.” I hung up from the call and spun around to see Walker watching me.

  “Good news?” he asked.

  “I think I just bought my first house.” I grinned. “Just down the street.”

  “Congratulations.” He walked over to where I was standing. “It seems like we have a lot to celebrate tonight.”

  “We might, but I can’t. I have to be at the restaurant in about an hour.” Not to mention I was in no condition to be alone with Walker right now. I had a lot to absorb, and I didn’t even know where to begin.

  “An hour, huh?” He sucked on his bottom lip, and I thought about kissing him.

  I glanced around the living room before bringing my gaze back to his. “Are there any other surprises I should know about?”

  “Not that I can think of.” He drew a deep breath. “Are you going to call your parents?”

  I instantly wrapped my arms around myself as if I’d hit an arctic blast. “I haven’t spoken to them in years, and this hasn’t really given me that boost that would make me want to pick up the phone.”

  Walker’s gaze stayed on mine. “It’s been that long?”

  “I haven’t kept track, but yeah.” I nodded. “Something like that. When I moved here, I left a voicemail with my new address and never heard back from them.”

  “What makes you sure they’re still alive?” Walker looked horrified, and I laughed.

  “Yeah. My parents are still very much alive. I’m sure they received your check.” I shrugged. “When I first moved to Portland and didn’t hear back from them, I would panic. But, I just got into the habit of calling an old neighbor of theirs, and she’s very kind. Gives me a little snapshot of what they’ve been doing.”

  “That’s really weird.”

  “I’ve seen weirder.”

  Walker laughed. “I’m sure you have.”

  “Where do we go from here, Walker?” I asked, knowing he was only on Fireweed temporarily. “I mean, eventually, you’ll go back to your home in California once Leila gets bored with stalking you.”

  Walker laughed and nodded. “True.”

  “And I’m about to buy a house, so I’m pretty much stationed here. Plus, Chance has given me so much with letting me run his restaurant here on Fireweed. I couldn’t give that up. So really, we need to be nothing more than friends.”

  He rocked back on his heels and looked bemused. “Sounds like you’ve got it all figured out.”

  “As I said, I can’t give up what I love for something that might not last longer than your stay,” I explained.

  “I’d never ask you to.” Walker took a step closer, and my breath hitched.

  He was so damn sexy, and learning about everything only increased that tenfold.

  “I’m pleased and relieved to hear about Becky. I love her.” I smiled. “I know you guys were so close.”

  “She loved you too.” He gently whisked a few strands of my hair from my face.

  “Does your family know you’re here on Fireweed, hiding from a crazed fan?”

  He nodded.

  “That I’m here? Would they remember me?”

  Walker nodded. “They pretty much know every blow-by-blow thought and move I make.”

  “Great. That’s not awkward at all.”

  “I think that’s the least of things to make us feel awkward.”

  “True.” I nodded, feeling every part of my body react to him as I imagined what it would be like to spend a night with him.

  “Do you realize that every time you think of sleeping with me, you nibble your lip a little?” he asked, and I gasped.

  “I am certainly not thinking about sleeping with you.” I took a step back and scowled. “You’re really cocky.”

  “Just optimistic.”

  I laughed as my gaze canvassed his hard physique. “Okay. The thought has crossed my mind a time or two, but don’t get your hopes up.”

  “Whatever you say, Harmony.” A cute smirk lined his features, and I stomped my foot unexpectedly.

  “I’m serious. I’m over one-night stands and meaningless sex.”

  “Who says it wouldn’t mean something?” He narrowed the gap between us, and I swallowed.

  “I’m . . . I can’t be late for work.”

  Walker slowly ran his fingers through my hair and smiled. “I’ll make sure you’re there on time.”

  I thought about all the times before with Walker Malone and wondered if it would be as amazing as I’d remembered.

  “See? You’re doing it again, nibbling your bottom lip.”

  I narrowed my eyes and pouted as he ran his fi
ngers softly against my bottom lip. “I have chapped lips.”

  “Not that I can see.”

  “Walker, you’re making it extremely difficult to stay focused and responsible.” I shook my head. “And my mind is all scrambled. I’ve spent years being furious every time you popped into my head. Then you show up on a remote island where I’m trying to escape my past and find out you’ve got your own problems you’re running from, which makes it easier to dislike you. Except I can’t because you’re Walker. So, I resign myself to tolerating you and maybe getting some answers along the way, only to be left in awe over a choice you had to make.”

  “Quite a dilemma.”

  I crossed my arms. “It really is.”

  He ran his finger under my chin as I tilted my head and looked into his beautiful blue eyes.

  “Why did you have to get sexier over the years?” I whispered as he dipped his head closer. “Most men deteriorate.”

  Walker let a low growl turn into laughter as he shook his head. “I love your honesty.”

  “It usually gets me into trouble.”

  His gaze fell to my mouth as I closed my eyes and felt his soft lips press against mine. The kiss we’d shared at the restaurant was sweet but reserved.

  But Walker held nothing back as his hands ran through my hair, and I fell into him, feeling every hard ridge and dip along his body.

  His lips parted slowly as I let out a little moan, feeling his hands drift from my hair down my back to my waist. The minty sweet taste of his lips brought back so many memories.

  There was nothing timid about Walker’s kiss as I fisted my hands in his shirt. Pure adrenaline shot through me as I felt his hands skate under my top. My knees turned jittery as his fingers continued to glide over my skin.

  Never did a man make me feel like Walker did. Every touch, every deepening kiss spun me into a place I’d only dreamed about. The moment Walker Malone left me, I’d stopped imagining love the way it should have been.

  Yet, sharing this kiss with Walker slammed all my fantasies back into my world as if they might be possible.

  And that scared me more than anything in the world.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Several days had gone by since I’d seen Walker. It was like he’d dropped a nuclear bomb, let the aftermath glow a little, kissed me to make it all better, and vanished.