by Marie Carnay
She made her way down the drive and found a spot on the edge of the curb to sit and wait. In the daylight, the grandness of the subdivision hit her full force.
Wyatt and Walker had done well for themselves in Vegas. Very well.
She thought about her small apartment in Los Angeles and how she’d never really moved past the just-out-of-college lifestyle. While she’d been trying to make it as a freelance photographer, the Daniels brothers had been building a fortune.
They’d grown up. Succeeded. Become everything they had set out to be.
Bree picked at a nail. Thinking they would want more than a fling with an old college friend who couldn’t afford anything nicer than a beat-up Jetta was ridiculous. They could have any model or actress or Vegas showgirl they could dream of. They didn’t need Bree and her sensible pumps and plain dress.
A Prius pulled up to the curb and the passenger window rolled down. “Are you my fare?”
Bree smiled at the college kid in the driver’s seat. “I am.”
“Hop in. Sorry about the trash. I haven’t had a chance to clean from last night.”
Bree stood up and pulled open the door before stepping over fast food wrappers to slip into the backseat. “It’s okay. I woke up late myself.”
“Sometimes you’re just having so much fun you never want the night to end, you know?”
Bree nodded at the driver. Too bad they always did.
Chapter 9
BREE
“It isn’t the same at all.” Bree exhaled as the caterer delivered another platter full of cake options. Chocolate and vanilla and butterscotch slices all crowded in on the platter, and she picked up her cup to gulp down some more coffee.
Willa took taste-testing as seriously as she did her jewelry business. At this rate, they had to have tried every type of cake made in the entire city.
Her best friend eyed the slices as she held a checklist listing all the possible cake and frosting combinations in her hand. “It is the same and you know it. I distinctly remember you talking me off the ledge when I found out what Trenton had done.”
“That was because he messed everything all up. Not because he only wanted to satisfy some old college itch.”
Willa paused. “Did they say that?”
Bree forked a bite of coconut cake. “No.” The fact of the matter was, they hadn’t said anything at all. It tended to happen that way when you scurried out the door and didn’t say goodbye. Bree took a bite. “This one tastes like the tropics.”
Willa crossed it off her list. “You’re freaking out about nothing.”
“I’m freaking out about plenty!” Bree’s voice rose as she swallowed the cake, but she couldn’t help it. It wasn’t like she’d accidentally bought the wrong shade of lipstick or forgotten to use the flash on her latest shoot. She’d slept with Wyatt and Walker. At the same time.
No one did that, except for Willa. But crazy happy endings with two guys and one girl didn’t happen to a woman and her best friend. The only one living that Cinderella story was fifteen cakes into her tasting without an end in sight.
Willa scooped up a bite of chocolate cake with chocolate filling and popped it in her mouth. She smushed it around like a wine sommelier before checking the no box on her list. “Too sweet.” She didn’t even look up at Bree.
“So now I get the cold shoulder, is that it?”
“No. I think you’re having a totally normal reaction that will have to run its course.” Willa picked out another slice. “Who wouldn’t freak out after getting it on with a pair of brothers?”
Bree frowned. “Someone who wasn’t just a one-night stand.”
Willa’s eyebrow peaked as she selected a white cake with fruit filling. “From what you said the other day, they don’t want a one-night stand, Bree. They want it all.” She chewed and swallowed before shaking her head. “Too strawberry.”
“You’re overly optimistic.”
“About the cake?”
Bree rolled her eyes and shoved a piece of the nearest cake into her mouth. Vanilla and cream and buttery richness exploded on her tongue and she almost groaned. “This one is great.” She pointed at the rest of the piece. “Try it.”
Willa took a bite and closed her eyes as she chewed. After she swallowed, the arched eyebrow came roaring back. “It is. But don’t try to distract me with tiny bites of heaven, Bree. You’re having a freak-out. It’s normal. It doesn’t mean they aren’t perfect for you.”
“If they’re so perfect, then why haven’t they called?” She checked her watch. “It’s three in the afternoon.”
“The day after they had the best sex of their life? Maybe they’re freaking out just as much as you are. Don’t you remember the fight Hank and Trenton had? They practically beat each other to a pulp trying to figure out how it would all work out.”
“But it did.”
“Yep. Not another black eye in sight.”
Bree exhaled. Maybe Willa was right. Maybe all the three of them needed was some time to breathe and figure out what the hell was going on. She watched as Willa made another note on her checklist before setting it down on the table.
“Ready to take a break?”
Willa grinned. “Nope. That was only the first course. Next up, champagne.”
WALKER
“She ran out on us, Walker. She obviously doesn’t want to see us again.” Wyatt twisted his coffee cup around on the counter, widening the wet ring it left on the granite with every pass.
“Nonsense. Bree just got cold feet.”
“I wish I shared your optimism.”
“Then do.” Walker sipped his own coffee and leaned back in his chair. When they woke up to find Bree gone without a trace, it stung. But a cold shower and a hot mug of caffeine later and Walker understood the why. At least he hoped so.
“It’s not that simple.” Wyatt had never looked so beaten down, but Walker wasn’t going to let his pessimism discourage him.
He gulped another swallow of coffee before pressing the issue. “The truth is, we have no idea why she left. Maybe she freaked out. Maybe she woke up with a rash from head to toe. Maybe the sex was terrible.”
Wyatt’s glance cut to his brother. “You know the last one’s not true.”
Walker grinned. “Checking to see if you’re listening, that’s all.”
His brother rolled his eyes. Ever since Bree had walked back into their lives, Wyatt had been on edge. Gone was the easygoing, laid-back partner Walker had come to depend on. In his place was a nervous, strung-out guy who needed a good night’s sleep and a shot of whiskey to calm his nerves.
“I wish she hadn’t left.”
Walker nodded. “Me too, but she did. Now we just have to get her back.”
“With Bree, that might be easier said than done.”
“You need to have a little faith. Since when has a woman bested the Daniels brothers?”
Wyatt glanced up. “Not since college. Do I need to remind you which woman that was?”
“The pact we made over Bree was a mistake. We were young. We didn’t know any better.”
“And now we do?”
Walker huffed. “I thought we established that perfectly well last night.”
“Not well enough to make her stay.”
Walker slammed his cup down on the counter and stood up. “Damn it, Wyatt. Stop being such a nervous wreck and grow a pair.”
“So, what? She can give them a good, swift kick?” He drained the rest of his mug and set it in the sink. “She left, Walker. That means she doesn’t want us.”
“Bullshit. It means she’s scared. We need to convince her there’s no reason to be.”
“And how the hell are we going to do that?”
Walker couldn’t believe the words coming out of his brother’s mouth. He’d always been the daring one. The fly-by-the-seat-of-his-pants, risktaker. Now Wyatt might as well be the shrimpy guy who got shoved in a trash can the first day of school.
Wyatt might not know
how to win Bree over, but Walker did. If his brother didn’t want to take part in calming her fears and showing her the future, fine. Walker would do it himself. He didn’t need Wyatt to win Bree’s heart. He was man enough to do it alone.
After grabbing his jacket from the back of his chair, Walker headed straight for the door.
“Where are you going?”
“Somewhere you won’t.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Walker threw the front door open and answered with a yell over his shoulder. “Don’t wait up.”
Ever since they shared that moment on the balcony overlooking the mountains the other night, Walker had wanted to take Bree away from it all. Once he got her alone, with nothing but the sounds of the desert and nature all around, she would see they were meant to be more than a holiday fling.
A few hours away from the city, Wyatt, and the drama of the night before, and everything would make sense. Walker pulled out his phone and dialed her number as he hopped up into his Jeep.
She answered on the second ring. “Hello?”
“Hey, Bree. It’s Walker. Please tell me you’re up for a little fresh mountain air.”
Chapter 10
BREE
“When you said wear comfortable shoes, you weren’t kidding.” Bree loosened the laces on her trail runners and slipped it off to massage the arch of her foot. “What have we done? Five miles?”
Walker checked his watch. “Just under six. The campsite is about another mile. Can you make it?”
“Will there be hot chocolate?”
Walker grinned. “Of course. I never make promises I don’t intend to keep.”
“Then, yes.” Bree slipped her shoe back on and tied it tight before standing up.
It had been years since she’d hiked this far, but the elevation cooled the temperatures and Walker had promised not only hot chocolate, but a view to die for. She could make it to the campsite, even if her feet were sore and her muscles ached.
Besides, since walking out the door that morning, Bree hadn’t needed to think about a single wedding detail. Willa might be her best friend, but Bree couldn’t help but tire of the endless details. Never again would she take a maid of honor’s role for granted. Those ladies deserved an award.
She’d tasted enough cake and champagne to feed an entire New Year’s Eve party, tried on a million different bridesmaid dresses, and even helped Willa pick the band. Ever since showing up in Vegas, Bree had been consumed with wedding planning.
A break from it all to hike up the side of a mountain, with no sound but the gravel crunching beneath their feet, was exactly what she needed. Bree smiled as she watched Walker blaze the trail in front of her.
Despite the chill, he’d soaked through his T-shirt, and the damp fabric clung in all the right places. It brought back the night before with stunning clarity. Walker’s hard muscles and strong hands. The way he held her while he kissed her senseless. How he and Wyatt gave her everything she needed.
Bree shook her head. Daydreaming about Walker and Wyatt and their bedroom skills was exactly what she’d intended to avoid on this camping trip. This was her chance to get away from it all. Forget the wedding, the tension between the Daniels brothers, even her own conflicted emotions.
With a gulp of her water, Bree pressed on, catching up to Walker in a few strides. She smiled as she came even with him on the trail. “Willa told me the morning view from the top of the mountain is something I’ll never forget.”
Walker nodded. “That’s what they say.”
“I’d love to see it.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Does that mean I can wake you up bright and early to catch it?”
Bree bit back a grin. “Depends. How late are you planning on keeping me up tonight?”
“As late as you’ll let me.”
“When’s the last time you pulled an all-nighter?”
Walker glanced up at the clear sky as he thought. “Probably college. You remember that night we played football out on the lawn?”
Bree snorted out a laugh. “And all the sprinklers turned on at 4:00 a.m.? How could I forget? At least you had a sweatshirt on.”
Walker laughed. “I don’t know, that white T-shirt of yours was pretty damn awesome.”
Bree punched him in the arm and picked up the pace. “Let’s get a move on. I’m starving.”
“Anything for you, Bree.”
Walker fell into step beside her and the pair of them hiked the rest of the way in companionable silence, letting the quiet fill the void in conversation.
Bree couldn’t remember the last time she’d been so comfortable with a man. She’d been on so many failed first dates. The handful of guys she’d dated for longer than a week or two only ended up boring her to tears or disappearing and never calling back.
Walker wasn’t like any of them. He genuinely enjoyed her company. She could tell by the way he watched her from the corner of his eye and how he always stayed within touching distance. He’d been the quieter of the two brothers back in college, always willing to let Wyatt steal the show.
But now, years later, Walker had changed. He wasn’t the hesitant twenty-year-old who never committed to anything for longer than a day or two. He’d grown up, and Bree liked it. She wanted to know so much more about him. What he’d been up to since college, who he’d dated, what his plans were for the future.
His jaw still held the same hard line it had when they were younger, but the scruff of a beard aged him in a delicious way. The more she thought about Walker, the more she wanted him. Damn if she didn’t catch herself staring at his face more than the trail.
As the ground leveled out, Walker slowed and flashed her a smile. “Here we are.”
Bree tore her gaze from his bright eyes and glanced around. The mountain trail opened up into a small clearing with a fire pit in the middle and an area to camp beside it. “This is nice.”
Walker nodded. “Just wait until you see the view. Come on.” He slipped his hand around her arm and steered them both toward a space between the brush and rocks.
Bree stuttered to a stop. “Oh, my.” The valley stretched out below them as far as the eye could see. With the sun setting, the lights of Las Vegas were beginning to glow, thousands of little pinpricks set in a grid all over the valley.
“I feel so small.”
“The mountains can do that to you.” He slipped off his pack and set it on the ground. “Let’s set up camp.”
WALKER
Bree was everything he could ask for in a woman, if not more. She was as beautiful with no makeup and her hair up in a messy, sweat-soaked bun as she was in a party dress and heels. Easy to talk to and even easier to make laugh.
Whisking her out of the city and up to the mountains had been the best decision. With no one around for miles, Bree had relaxed and opened up. He learned all about her life since college. How she’d stayed with her passion for photography, picking up a master’s in fine arts, and shooting for some of the top magazines in Los Angeles.
It wasn’t a glamorous gig, but Bree loved it. Walker was proud of her.
They’d stayed up all night just talking. He couldn’t believe it. Women usually only wanted in his pants or on his arm. Getting to know him was the last thing on their minds. Not Bree. She seemed more than content to share a sleeping bag under the stars and talk. Really talk.
Now the sunrise was only a few minutes away. He hoped the sight would steal her breath and make up her mind.
He picked up the pot of hot water and filled her mug before handing it over with a spoon. “More hot chocolate?”
Bree smiled and took the cup before bringing it to her nose to sniff the rich steam. “Thanks for taking me camping. This is just what I needed.”
“Wedding planning getting to you?”
She nodded. “Remind me I want to elope, will you?”
“Is that a promise?”
Bree’s mouth popped open, but she didn’t respond.
Walker rushed to fill the silence. “One night out here, Bree, and you’ll appreciate all Vegas has to offer. It’s not all the glitz and glamour you see down on the strip.”
“Isn’t it?”
“No. There’s desert all around for miles. We can hike mountain ranges, bike through miles of scrub and rocks, even do some free climbing if you’re up for it.”
“I’m only here for a few more days. After Christmas, I’ve got to get back to LA.”
“Why? What do you have there that you can’t have here?”
Bree sipped her hot chocolate, turning to stare out at the early morning sky as she thought it over. “It’s home.”
“You could have a home here.”
She turned to him, her brown eyes hazy in the light. “Could I?”
Walker nodded. “Can’t you see yourself here?”
Bree turned back to the view and a gasp slipped past her lips. “Oh, Walker, look at it.” She grabbed his arm and Walker turned to watch the sun emerge on the edge of the horizon. It was spectacular, but it didn’t compare to the woman sitting next to him.
Walker knew in that moment while he watched Bree’s face light up with the dawn that he loved her. He’d never stopped loving her. Bree Schaffer had been the only woman for him since they were teenagers in college.
This time, he wasn’t letting her slip away.
He took the mug from her hands and set in on the ground.
Bree frowned. “What are you doing?”
“Celebrating the start to another day.” His lips landed on hers and Bree practically mewled, the weak protest from her throat swallowed up by Walker’s kiss.
God, he’d never get enough of the taste of her. Sweet chocolate and sin all wrapped up in a curvy body—he couldn’t wait to run his hands all over. They might be on the top of a mountain out in the wide open, but no one was around for miles. Only the sun would witness this and it could watch. Walker didn’t mind.
His hands slipped under her shirt to land on her skin, warm from the sleeping bag she’d wrapped around herself. As he shoved the bag down, Bree reached for his belt. She tugged it open as he crawled over the remainder of the bag to ease between her legs.