“And because of that I know the difference between him sleeping around and actually caring about someone. I’ve never seen him with anyone the way he is with you.”
“Since he ran away from me that doesn’t say much for the rest of his dating history.” Mallory dropped into the chair again. Standing sucked up too much of her energy and it looked as if she’d need as much as possible to keep Walker away from her. Especially since he seemed to have a cheerleading squad on his side.
“I saw his face.”
Mallory heard the sympathy in Grace’s voice and fought it off. Looking down and staring at the doughnut helped. “I don’t—”
“After you left last night. When he came in the house.” The chair creaked as Grace shifted around. Then her hand covered Mallory’s. “That man cares about you. He sucks at showing you, granted, but it’s there.”
Mallory’s vision blurred. She blamed the crack of the headache beating on her skull. “He lied to me.”
“And I lied to Callen.”
“When you first met, you didn’t tell him you were in the FBI or friends with Walker. That’s different . . .” When Grace’s eyebrow rose, Mallory gave up that line of reasoning. “Okay, it’s probably not, but you guys were meant to be.”
They were. Any idiot could see it. The way they looked at each other. The changes Callen made each day, some big and some small, to switch the focus of his life to Grace.
Mallory wanted that sort of devotion. The idea of someone putting her first . . . she’d never had that. Her parents died. The relatives passed her around. A few agreed to take her in so they could collect money from the state. But no one picked her.
It wasn’t until she met Leah that someone cared about her for her. Not for what she could do for them or the chores she could handle, but because Leah liked her.
“Maybe you and Walker are also meant to be.” Grace almost whispered the insight.
That made it easier to ignore. She turned back to the window. “I wonder if it’s going to rain all day.”
“You’re changing the subject.”
Obviously. It shouldn’t take a law degree and FBI training to figure that out. “It’s either that or kick you out.”
A smile lit up Grace’s face. “You can’t. I’m pregnant.”
This time Mallory ate one of the ripped pieces of doughnut. “How convenient.”
“It wasn’t the first three months when I was throwing up all the time.”
For a second Mallory almost pitied Callen. Grace sure knew how to lay it on thick when needed.
“Wow, that is quite a line to try to win sympathy. Not falling for it,” Mallory said.
Grace smiled over the top of her cup. “Are you sure?”
“Eat your doughnut.”
***
Walker slept with his arm covering his eyes and his body smashed up against the side of the couch. Callen had talked about putting him in an extra bedroom upstairs or opening up the sofa bed in the den. Walker picked the den because it had a television and settled for sprawling on the cushions with a light blanket over him.
But something had woken him up. He felt a presence hovering over him. Slow and steady he lowered his arm and opened his eyes.
He almost swallowed his tongue. “What the hell?”
Leah stood there wearing a robe with the belt tied tight around her waist and the lapels closed to hide all but a little skin. Her red hair fell around her shoulders as if she’d combed through it with her fingers. The hint of a shadow under her eyes spoke to her lack of sleep.
That he understood. He’d spent restless hours tossing around, wishing he were in a studio motel room on the other side of town.
“Hey.” Leah snapped her fingers in front of his face. She wasn’t holding a knife or a gun but she may as well have been. The flushed cheeks and flat eyes spoke to her anger. She looked two seconds away from throwing him into the wet yard on the other side of the sliding glass doors.
“I’m not dressed.” He wore a tee and boxer briefs. Not exactly his first choice for this sort of confrontation. He usually preferred a suit . . . and possibly a weapon.
“Get out.” Her voice shook from the force of her words.
That actually was the plan but something about it coming from her as an order made him come out swinging. “Callen invited me.”
“I know and I’ll yell at him some more about that after I’m done with you.”
Walker propped his body up on his elbows and let the blanket fall to his waist. “I’m only staying one night.”
Callen appeared behind Leah. He put his hands on her shoulders and pulled her away from the couch. “No, you’re not.”
She turned on him. “Honestly, I know you want to make Grace happy but this is too much.”
“He doesn’t have anywhere to go,” Declan said as he moved into view.
Walker didn’t like being talked about like he wasn’t even in the room and was about to say so when the rest of the Hanover brothers filed in. They all wore casual lounge clothes and looked only a few minutes out of bed. Even Beck, who spent most of his time out of town checking on various legal aid offices around the country as part of his job, made an appearance. He wore sweats and kept his arm locked around his girlfriend Sophie’s shoulders.
“I’m sure there’s a lovely motel in Kentucky where he can stay.” Leah continued to talk about Walker as if he wasn’t even there. “Or he could go home. Wherever that is.”
Man, the woman was on a roll. Walker admired the spirit. It reminded him of Mallory. No wonder they’d been such fast friends for so long. They handled men the same way—with an iron fist.
Declan stepped further into the room. “Leah?”
“Do not try to placate me.” Leah glanced around the room and her gaze stopped on Walker. “And you should stop smiling.”
He bit back a laugh as he held up his hands in mock surrender. “Sorry, but Callen and Declan acted all tough and smart-ass in the diner, so to see you go after them . . .” She leaned in as if waiting for him to say something to tick her off. “Never mind.”
The second Callen moved all eyes went to him. He took a seat on the armrest of the couch. “He was going to stay in his car.”
“Oh, please. There is a perfectly good motel in the middle of town. Hell, we’re not that far from Portland.” She never broke eye contact with Walker. “Head there.”
“I didn’t want to stay. It wasn’t my plan or idea.” Not originally. The idea didn’t make any sense, but Walker had to admit he grabbed on to it after Mallory cut him down.
“Yet here you are.” Leah shot back. “Probably on some sort of evidence-finding expedition.”
She was not far off. In his mind he justified the short stay saying it would help in the investigation. He’d spent his life tracking down the money and items Charlie Hanover stole from people. The whole time he’d assumed Callen joined in their father’s cons. Walker still believed that to some degree, though the more time he spent around the guy the less he seemed like the Charlie described in criminal complaints.
When he’d walked onto the property a month ago and saw all the holes in the yard, Walker knew some of the jewelry and other goods had been either recovered or found. But his planned investigation got derailed when the news of his true parentage came out. As chaos fell, he’d taken off. He also went back to his office and his boss and came clean.
It hadn’t been that hard to hide his connection to Charlie and his father’s identity for all those years. Charlie Hanover operated under a different name back when he married his first wife, Sybil, Walker and Callen’s mother. That lie kept the truth from Walker for years then helped him to cover it up while he conducted both his personal investigations and helped out with the one through the FBI.
Not that it proved easy. He had to skirt the truth and deal in vague responses, but he beat the polygraph needed to get his job at the FBI thanks to the limited questions. But all that history of half-truths would likely land him in the
unemployment line now.
“What exactly is going on in here?” Sophie asked.
Callen rubbed his hands up and down his sweatpants legs. “Leah is losing her mind.”
That struck Walker as a dangerous thing to say. If the women around here really did wield the kind of power both Callen and Declan warned about, throwaway comments like that were a huge mistake. “And you say I’m stupid about women.”
“He is,” Declan said. “You both are. Apparently it’s in the Hanover blood.”
Leah crossed her arms in front of her and kept right on talking. “Why are you really here?”
That was just about enough. The crowd of them kept moving in closer. Callen had hunkered down at the foot of Walker’s makeshift bed. There were so many questions and so much anger.
“If you all get out I can get up, get changed and get out.” Made perfect sense to Walker.
Leah nodded. “Sold.”
“No.” The lone male voice rang out from next to the door.
She spun around to face Beck. “You’re usually my favorite.”
Declan frowned. “Hey.”
“We have a lot to talk about with Walker. He should stay here for a few days . . . unless he plans to disappear for another month.” Beck took command of the room, sounding every inch the lawyer.
Walker had gone to law school as well but never practiced. The idea of going into a courtroom or defending a person or action left him cold. He’d added on the three years of schooling because that’s what the FBI wanted. Like most everything else in his public life it had been a very practical decision.
“What do you need to talk about?” Leah asked.
Walker wondered the same thing. “Good question.”
When that didn’t get her anywhere Walker could see her thinking. She visibly reasoned the arguments through then said, “He hurt Mallory.”
The words hung there. Walker didn’t bother to deny the charge because they all knew what happened and would take that position. Not that he could deny it, even though he wanted to. Not after seeing the pain on her face and hearing it in the tremble of her voice. She’d hid it under a heavy dose of anger, but the pain lingered. The fact he had the power to hurt Mallory still shocked him, but the reality of that awful power couldn’t be ignored.
Callen nodded. “And he’ll pay for how much he messed up with Mallory. I’m betting she’ll see to it.”
“Good. When?” Leah looked entirely too happy about the prospect.
“Is she always this bloodthirsty?” Walker asked because he thought it would be safer for him to know that upfront.
Before anyone could answer, she shot Declan the side eye. “You’d be wise not to answer that.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
The tension eased at Declan’s quick agreement. Callen’s mouth kicked up as if he had to fight off a laugh. Even Leah calmed down. If you considered switching from furious to simply ticked-off progress.
“Look, I know it’s strange that I’m here.” Walker took a second to speak directly to Leah. “I know you’re pissed off and Mallory doesn’t want to see me.”
“She should kick you.”
He guessed Leah would be lobbying for that very soon. Fine. He appreciated their friendship and understood Leah would not sit on the sidelines and pretend everything was fine.
Still, Leah wasn’t the only one with an agenda. All those hours shifting around and punching his pillow had brought clarity. Mallory wanted to fight him off. He got that. But she would not be fighting alone. The only difference was that he’d be fighting for her.
He had no idea where they were going or what the constant heaviness in his chest meant, but he had no intention of letting it end this way. That meant keeping the fight between the two of them and pushing people with other agendas away.
That started now. “She’ll likely try to get me to go, but whatever happens is not your business, Leah.”
“What?” She managed to pack a lot into the word.
“I warned you.” Callen held up both hands. “She might kill you.”
Probably, but she’d have to get in line. “I messed up with Mallory and I’ll fix it.”
Leah snorted. “She is never going to let you back in her life.”
The only way to win might be to forget fighting fair. Walker started down that road now. “Declan forgave you.”
Leah’s mouth dropped open but she didn’t say anything.
Beck’s eyes bulged. “Dude, that is not your best argument.”
“Grace forgave Callen.” Before anyone else could speak up, Walker rushed to finish the thought. “I’m sure Sophie and Beck had some hurdles to get over as well. Now it’s my turn.”
Sophie laughed. “I guess you guys are related.” When everyone turned to face her, she continued. “I’m just saying. Listen to Walker. Look at all of you together.”
Leah’s eyes narrowed to tiny slits.
Walker understood the reaction. “If it makes you feel any better, the brotherhood thing pisses me off and I’d be fine never to hear it again.”
Beck clapped his hands as he motioned for people to file out of the room. “Let’s clear out and let Walker shower.”
“Then he leaves?” Leah asked, sounding entirely too hopeful.
Callen stood up. “He’s not leaving.”
While he liked the idea of Leah not automatically getting her way, Walker didn’t agree to sacrifice himself in the process. “Have we established that?”
Callen nodded. “Until we work out all the issues between us, you’re living here where we can keep an eye on you and make sure Mallory doesn’t hit you with her car.”
Now they had his attention. Forget the anger and the Mallory issues. The brothers were planning something and Walker wanted to know what. So he forced the word out. “Fine.”
Leah’s eyes widened. “You’re agreeing?”
Walker shrugged. “I’m intrigued.”
“Is this some sort of FBI thing?” Sophie asked.
“It’s a human nature thing.” Walker decided not to pretend. The brothers had to know how he felt about all of this. “Callen didn’t want me in the same town up until yesterday. I want to know what changed.”
Declan laughed. “Other than being related to us?”
No, that wasn’t it. For whatever reason, the truth about Charlie hadn’t surprised them as it would normal people. Oh, they’d been stunned but they handled the news and kept moving forward. Limited wallowing and no “why me” stuff. Likely because they’d had a lot of practice dealing with Charlie and his schemes, but maybe not.
Walker didn’t have the answer but he planned to find it. “There has to be more to your change in attitude than that.”
“Family is pretty important to us,” Declan said.
A concept Walker would never understand. To him family was about secrets and being left behind. About being the oldest son and then one Charlie could forget as he moved on. “I wouldn’t know.”
Callen pushed them all toward the door and out into the hallway. “We’re happy to argue with you but you might want to work on getting your woman back first.”
“Never going to happen,” Leah said over her shoulder.
Walker didn’t know the answer to that. Staying, getting sucked deeper into Mallory’s life struck him as a mistake. He had this fractured and confused relationship with Callen. With all the Hanovers, really. No trust and a lot of questions. A job that piled on a load of additional problems, including the potential loss of the one thing that sustained him for years—hunting down men like Charlie Hanover.
But Walker also felt something for her and the idea he hurt her . . . well, that fucking sucked. He wasn’t a hundred percent sure what he wanted with Mallory, but he knew he couldn’t get her out of his head. He thought it would be easy, but no. And seeing her again brought all the confusion over bubbling back to the surface.
So he settled for the one response that fit where he mentally was right now. “We’ll see.�
��
Chapter Five
It was girl talk time.
Sophie and Leah unwrapped their scarves and took off their jackets. They met Mallory at the long center table at Gossamer at lunchtime. A book club huddled off to the left side, sitting on the comfortable couches and arguing over what to read next.
The steady rain kept most people indoors. Lucky for Mallory, many people decided to meet inside her store today. People wandered around the aisles and a small group sat by the front door debating knitting instructions.
It was homey and warm . . . but Mallory knew the calm wouldn’t last.
They were one friend short. “Where’s Grace?”
Sophie unpacked the sandwiches she brought with her in a white takeout bag. “At home taking a nap.” She smiled. “With Callen.”
Figured. Callen struck Mallory as the type of guy who would work in alone time with his lady as often as possible. And since she was up and out and in Mallory’s studio so early this morning Grace likely did need rest. “I think that’s how she ended up pregnant.”
Leah snorted. “Close.”
Sophie unwrapped something that smelled like tuna fish. “So . . .”
“No.” Mallory used the crinkling of the potato chip bag and the rustling of paper to hide her sharp response. Still, two women standing nearby glanced over.
She’d been getting a lot of attention lately. Here she thought she’d hid her time with Walker really well. So much for her covert spy skills. Everyone seemed to know.
Some days it felt as if every single one of Sweetwater’s residents looked at her with pity over her current romantic mess. After all, it didn’t go unnoticed in a town the size of Sweetwater when a dude who perpetually wore a dark suit and flashed an FBI badge disappeared without notice.
Damn that Walker Reeves.
“Come on, spill.” Sophie passed water bottles around. “I was away and missed the big blowup. This morning I only caught part of Leah’s fight with Walker and—”
“What?” There were so many wrong words in that sentence. Mallory didn’t know which one to latch onto first.
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