“I’m never leaving. This is paradise,” I announce with a little slur.
Walker’s mom, Leslie, giggles and refills my drink.
“Mom, I think she’s had enough,” Walker tells her, eyeing me.
“Son, you’ll learn the hard way when to keep your mouth shut.” Travis, Walker’s dad, nudges his elbow.
“I’m serious. I could work from here. I can work from anywhere. This view is much better than my boring walls.” I motion to the expansive land around us.
Walker left out many details about where he grew up. For one, it’s enormous. Walker has cleared out the area around his cabin, explaining that during hunting season, men bring their trailers up to stay for those months. He, Marcus, Travis, and a few of the men built a large building for gatherings that has running water and plumbing; it’s basic but quaint.
His cabin, though, it literally took my breath away.
It’s only two bedrooms and bathrooms, but it’s still larger than my place. The inside is exactly like his home, minus the deer heads mounted on the walls. It’s rustic and manly, yet comfortable and inviting. His furniture isn’t nearly as lavish as his home, but it’s still cool. And his bedroom is legitimately the largest room in the whole place, with a private bath and built in fireplace.
One of the best features of the cabin is that it sits perfectly east-west. We are currently on the back porch facing west, watching the sun disappear. We finished eating about an hour ago and came out here to have some drinks and watch the sunset.
Yep, I could live here.
“Emi, get that dreamy look off your face. We’re not moving out here.”
“You don’t have to move, but I’m not leaving. You can come visit me on the weekends. Leslie and Travis will make sure I’m okay.” I peek between them for reassurance.
They nod, his mom a little too enthusiastically.
“Can y’all stop encouraging her? I’m not leaving her here.” Walker pins me with his eyes, with a look that says knock it off.
“Spoil sport,” I mutter, or at least I think I do until Leslie starts laughing loudly.
“Emi, you are welcome here anytime. Maybe when Walker’s finished with this case, it’ll free up some time, and you’ll be able to come more often,” she says to me but looks at her son.
“That we can do. Besides, if we’re out here, I can ensure Emi stays out of trouble.”
My entire body straightens, my Zen disappearing as fast as the sun. “I do not get in trouble!”
“Here we go,” Travis says with a chuckle and crosses his arms, focused on me.
For a second, I think I’m staring at two Walker Scotts. They are exactly alike.
“Walker, honey, did you tell your parents I cause trouble?” I try to sound calm even though my voice is curt.
“Actually, I didn’t have to.” He smirks, leaving me with an uncomfortable feeling. He looks at his dad and mom, who both grin proudly.
“Emi, I have a confession to make,” Leslie starts. “I may or may not have pried a tad last time I was in town.”
The chill in my spine goes ice cold, and I brace.
“Turns out, I get my hair done at a salon your girlfriend works at. She wasn’t around, but my hairstylist was more than forthcoming when I mentioned my son was dating a girl named Emerson. Apparently, you’re well known.”
I’m going to kill Rachel. I swallow my drink, avoiding eye contact with Leslie. There is no telling what’s going to come out of her mouth. What are the chances that, out of all the salons in Charleston, she’d end up at Rachel’s?
“Don’t believe everything you hear. Salons are famous for catty gossip.”
“You didn’t get caught drinking underage at a bar in college and flash the officer?”
“My ID was in my bra, total accident,” I explain reasonably. That wasn’t intentional.
“And you didn’t cause a bar brawl?”
“Ummmm…” That remains an argument in my mind, but maybe I shouldn’t share the details.
Walker is openly smirking, watching me as I squirm in my chair.
“What about the time you wrecked your father’s car because—”
“That was an honest mistake. I thought there was a snake in the car.” I shudder at the memory. It was one moment in my life I thought I was going to have a complete heart attack. How was I to know he’d recently bought a new garden hose? A black garden hose closely resembles a snake.
“Exactly how long did you stay at the salon?” I ask meekly, knowing there are probably a dozen more stories she could have heard.
“Did you really win a bikini contest in Myrtle Beach when your friends dared you to enter?” Leslie goes on.
“Well...”
Walker’s enjoyment vanishes at this news, his smirk turning into a frown immediately. “Mom, maybe you should stop now.”
“Oh.” She sounds disappointed. “I didn’t mean to embarrass you, Emi. I think these things are wonderful.”
“You do?” I’m taken aback at her statement. I’d expect moms would warn their sons away from this kind of hassle.
“Yes, absolutely. It means you have spunk. I love spunk.”
Is she drunk? Or maybe it’s me. Did I hear her right?
“I may be a little impulsive,” I admit.
“Thank God. Walker needs that in his life.”
A pleasant warmth spreads through me at her words, and the expression on Walker’s face changes. He’s staring at me with what can only be described as pride and love. He was right; I adore his parents.
“Leslie, maybe we should go and let these two get some sleep,” Travis suggests.
“No, it’s still early. Besides, it’s Walker’s turn. There has to be stories you can tell me about him growing up. I’m dying to know about him as a teenager. Was he intense back then?”
“Maybe it is time for you to go,” Walker says to them.
Leslie rocks back in her chair and gives me a conspiring wink. “I’ll gladly tell you anything you want to know about Walker. He’s one of my favorite things to talk about.”
“That gives us something in common.”
Walker’s eyes come to mine and glow in that beautiful shade of blue I can see clearly.
Travis opens the cooler and hands Walker another beer, muttering something about getting comfortable for a long night. He takes it and comes to sit next to me, kissing my cheek before settling back.
I lean over to Leslie and speak quietly, hoping only she can hear. “If you want to know more about the bikini contest, I’ll tell you when we’re alone. Walker gets kinda possessive.”
She smiles sympathetically and pats my hand. “Honey, welcome to life with a Scott man.”
Chapter 23
Walker
A car door slams loud enough to wake me, and I hear the faint jingle. There’s a familiar rustle before the scraping and clawing begins. Emi jolts, throwing her leg over my waist and clutching my chest.
“Is that a wild animal?” she whispers sleepily.
“No, babe. It’s my dad and Micky.”
As if Micky has sonic hearing, he barks at his name, causing her to jerk again.
“I take it Micky’s a dog.”
“What gave it away?” I tease, squeezing her shoulder.
“It’s way too early for you to mock me.” She nuzzles into my chest.
I grab my phone off the nightstand and check the time. “It’s nine. We slept in.”
“It feels like we just went to sleep. You kept me up late last night, or this morning.”
“What’d you expect when you finally gave me a pass to enjoy your piercings?”
“I didn’t know what to expect, but I’m pretty sure my entire body feels the after-effects.”
I smile to myself. “Then I did it right.”
“Wait! Did you say your dad is here?” She scrambles back and winces at the sudden movement.
“Yeah.”
“But I’m naked!”
“He’s not comin
g in until I answer the door. He knows better.”
“But I’m naked!” she repeats, this time a little more hysterically.
“He’s not going to see you.”
“Go get him.” She shoves me. “Don’t leave him outside or he’ll wonder what we’re doing.”
“We’re not doing anything. We’re lying in bed after waking up. There’s nothing even slightly sexual about that.”
“Yes, but he doesn’t know that.”
“Relax and take your time getting ready. I’ll go make some coffee and let him in.” I kiss her quickly and slide out from her hold, grabbing my jeans off the floor. When I get to the door, I turn to find her sitting up in bed with the sheets pooled around her waist, watching me. Those damn gems sparkle in the light, and my mouth waters to run my tongue over them again.
“Walker! GO!” She throws her finger to the door.
Micky’s face is plastered at the front window, and when he sees me, he goes crazy. I brace when I open the door, only to be greeted with him leaping onto me and licking my face with all the enthusiasm of a puppy. Technically, he’s almost two, but his energy hasn’t slowed down.
“Come on in.” I wave to my dad and try to calm Micky down.
He follows me to the kitchen, where I start the coffee and lay out a bowl of water for the dog.
“What’s got you here so early?” I ask him, opening the fridge and giving silent thanks that my mom stocked the place for me.
“Can’t a dad just want to have coffee with his son?”
“Sure, but when that son is in bed with his woman, maybe we should set ground rules.”
His eyes light up with humor right as he sits. “Noted. Tomorrow, I won’t barge in, but I came with a purpose. Actually, two purposes. Think you’ll thank me.”
Alarm bells go off at the suggestion in his tone. I stop prepping Emi’s coffee mug and cut my eyes to him. “She didn’t.”
“She did. But luckily not many were available on short notice.”
“How many are we expecting?”
“I think a dozen.”
I blow out a low whistle through my teeth, fighting back the irritation with my mom. I should have been prepared for this.
“No offense, Walk, but what did you expect? She’s over the moon excited. All morning, she’s been on the phone gushing over Emi. She wants to show her off.”
“I don’t mind showing her off, but I wanted one weekend alone without a ton of activity. Since we started dating, it’s been one thing after another.”
“Well, you shouldn’t have brought her here then. Your mom is on full speed. Try not to disappoint her.”
“You’re right, I’ll let Emi know. She’ll probably love it.”
“I think that woman would love anything having to do with you.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means there’s no denying the way she feels about you. It’s written all over her face. I can say the same about you. Never thought I’d see the day you fell hard for a woman. It’s taken you long enough.”
“It took a while for the right woman to come along, but I’m not an idiot. As soon as I saw her, it was all over.”
He smiles his all-knowing smile that he’s had my whole life. Without spelling it out, he knows what I’m saying.
“Okay, so you mentioned two purposes. What else besides an impromptu party to show off my girlfriend?”
“I wanted to hear more about this drug case you’re working on.”
“I’ve basically told you all I can. Our team is solid and highly qualified to follow this through, but the writing’s on the wall. As soon as we get close, DEA is going to sweep in and take over.”
“You okay with that?”
“Hell no, but I know the process. It’s not my call. Not much I can say, and it’s not worth the headache of bitching. If I’m lucky, I’ll get to see it through.”
“There any danger involved?”
“Not yet, who knows what will happen as we get closer. But like I said, we’re solid. I trust these guys.”
“Stay safe.” There’s a sense of worry in the way he says it.
“Dad, I was in the service for a lot of years. I got this.”
He starts to say something else when an ear-piercing, bloodcurdling scream tears through the cabin. My heart stops at the sound, and I take off to the bedroom; my dad on my heels. When I get there, I find Emi shielding her face as Micky enthusiastically greets her. He’s leapt up, using her shoulders for balance, licking her relentlessly.
“Micky! Down now!” I yell at him, and he stops, looking at me with his wide puppy eyes. He lands and slinks to the bed to hide.
“Micky? That’s Micky?” Emi looks at me in horror. “He’s bigger than me!”
“He’s a Great Dane.” I go to her, wrapping my arms around her shaking body.
“I came out of the bathroom, and he pounced. It scared the shit out of me.”
“He’s a big fan of greeting people with a kiss,” I try to explain.
“Sorry about that, Emi. He’s used to having free reign when he’s here,” Dad tells her. “He’s very friendly.”
She turns in my hold and looks at him. “Morning, Travis.”
“Morning.”
“Okay, let’s try this again.” She goes slowly to where Micky is pouting. He perks up a little when she crouches in front of him. “Hey, Micky.” She carefully holds out her hand for him to sniff.
That’s all the encouragement he needs, licking her fingers a few times then rolling so his legs are in the air, his belly fully exposed. She scratches him, cooing as he waggles excitedly. He nudges her foot, and she plops on her butt, letting out a little squeak.
“Be careful, Emi. He may be a large dog, but he’s truly a big baby. He’ll snuggle like one, too,” Dad warns her.
As if on cue, Micky curls into her lap and lays his head against her chest, licking her neck.
“I’m sorry I screamed at you. What a sweetie.” She continues to give him a rub down.
He melts into her, huffing in contentment. The dog’s a smart fucker. I let them get to know each other for a few minutes, listening to her praise his sweetness. When she mentions he’s such a beauty, I have to intervene.
“Emi, he’s a HE, which means he’s not beautiful.”
“I think he is. These eyes, this grey coat, the floppy ears—he’s the most beautiful dog ever.” She looks over her shoulder at me. “And for the record, you’re a HE, and I think you’re beautiful, too.”
My dad tries to cover his laugh with a cough, but fails.
Now would be a great time to change the subject. “My mom has been busy. Tonight, she’s throwing a barbeque and invited some family and friends.”
Emi’s eyes flare in surprise as she bites down on her bottom lip. For a second, I think she’s upset, then she snaps and looks at my dad. “Can I help with anything?”
“No, we have it covered.”
“Does Leslie like margaritas?”
“Loves them,” he answers.
She turns her head back to me. “Is there a liquor store close? I can make my margaritas.”
“Sure, we can run up there after our shower.”
Her face heats up and eyes grow wide at my blasé announcement, not caring that my dad heard.
“That’s my cue to go.” He claps his hands for Micky, who doesn’t listen, pawing at Emi for her attention.
“I’m gonna bring Emi up to the house to show her around the property later. Micky can stay with us,” I tell him.
“Okay, see ya later.”
“Wait, aren’t you staying for coffee?” Emi struggles to get free and stand.
“Not this morning. I’m going to help Leslie, but tomorrow, I’ll take you up on the offer.” He turns to leave, but not before flashing me that all-knowing smile.
Once again, he understands. It’ll be a while before we make it up to his house.
“You did what?” I glare at my best friend with fire sear
ing in my blood.
“I dropped off my stuff at the cabin on my way up here,” Marcus repeats, finishing off his beer.
“You can pick it right up on your way home.”
“No can do.” He shakes the empty bottle in my face. “No drinking and driving.”
“Well, take your sorry ass to your parents’.”
“Emi already approved.” He raises an eyebrow as his lips start to twitch. “She’s making everyone breakfast tomorrow.”
Of course, she is…
“Man, you look ready to kill. What’s happened to you?” He opens the cooler and gets us both a fresh bottle.
“I wanted one weekend alone to relax. Don’t take it personally.”
“I don’t take it personally, but your mom is the one who sent out the PJIH message. Once I knew your quiet getaway was hijacked by Leslie, I jumped in the car. Although, I’ll admit my bag was packed by the door. I had no doubt, once she met Emi, all bets were off.”
I groan, thinking of my mom and her ‘Praise Jesus, It’s Happened’ messages.
PJIH- Walker’s graduated.
PJIH- Walker’s out of basic training.
PJIH- Walker wasn’t hurt on deployment.
PJIH- Walker’s being discharged and coming home.
And now—
PJIH- Walker’s met a woman.
“Doesn’t mean you need to stay with us tonight. Your parents are four miles away.”
“Don’t want to disappoint Emi. She’s already looking forward to breakfast.” He grins into the rim of his bottle.
“You do realize the term open invitation doesn’t apply to this weekend, right?”
I look across the patio to find Emi eyeing me suspiciously. She’s surrounded by women on the other side of the pool, where she’s lounging on an outdoor papasan with Micky on her lap. It’s obvious she knows what I’m thinking by the scowl that forms on her face.
“Give me a minute.” I leave Marcus and go to her, my eyes never moving. When I’m at her side, I slink between a few women who are chatting loudly and kneel down so only she can hear.
“You encouraged Marcus to stay with us?”
“I did. He’s your best friend, and I want to make him and your parents breakfast in the morning.”
“Why? We are supposed to be chilling out, alone.”
Trixsters Anonymous Page 24
