Walker Pride (The Walker Family Book 1)

by Bernadette Marie

  “Not a damn thing.”

  Now he laughed. “Why don’t you go back to the house and make coffee? I’ll be in shortly. The door is unlocked.”

  Susan nodded. “I like you,” she said as he turned to walk back to Whiskey River.

  For a long moment, he studied her still standing where he’d kissed her breathless.

  “I like you too. I don’t waste kisses on women I don’t like.”

  She nodded. “I just thought I should mention that.”

  Eric gave her a tip of his hat and went about getting the horses fed.

  I like you. Did she have to sound so juvenile, Susan thought to herself as she headed toward his house.

  It seemed important at the time, though. He needed to know she didn’t just go about having breakfast with men and kissing them. Why it was so important, she wasn’t sure. But it was.

  Maybe because he needed to know she wasn’t easy or a home wrecker. She was a trusting person and that sometimes screwed her over.

  She let out a breath as she slid in behind the wheel of her car. The last thing she needed was to bring parts of her old relationship into this new one. Or whatever it was. How did you have a relationship with someone you just met?

  As she cleared the turn to his house, she saw that there were still two pickup trucks outside. They were the same trucks that had been there when she’d arrived earlier that morning.

  He’d told her to go to the house and start the coffee. He wouldn’t have told her to do that if there were people there. The man, Russ he’d called him, said they were heading out. They must have done that.

  She’d let herself in and make that coffee.

  Susan parked the car and climbed out into the cold. Walking up the steps to the unlocked front door, she pushed it open and then stood frozen in place looking at the two men looking at her.

  “I’m sorry. Eric told me to come over and start the coffee.”

  The man on the couch laughed. “He promised you breakfast and is making you start the coffee?”

  “Well…I…we…I should…”

  The man seated in the chair stood and walked toward her. “Come in. I’m Russell Walker,” he said as he held his hand out toward her. “Eric’s brother.” He turned toward the other man. “This is Ben. Eric’s other brother.”

  “It’s nice to officially meet you both. I’m Susan,” she stuttered out. “I’ll just head out. Let Eric know…”

  “C’mon in. I already made coffee and I just want to bust my brother’s chops a bit.”

  “Oh, I don’t know if I want to be here for that.”

  Russell smiled at her and she noticed he had the same smile as Eric. “Stay. He’s forty years old and I’ve never seen him kiss a woman like that. Don’t get me wrong, he’s had women around, but the PDA isn’t his style.”

  She nodded. “It wasn’t really a public display.”

  “I know. Makes it even sweeter on my part.”

  He started for the kitchen as Susan took off her coat and hung it on the hook.

  “I enjoyed your food,” Ben said standing from his seat.

  “Oh, thank you. Those were very simple menus.”

  “I’m a bachelor. Cereal is a good meal.”

  “I’m in culinary school now. I’d like to open my own place some day.”

  Ben’s eyes opened wide. “That’s adventurous. What kind of place?”

  “I haven’t really decided exactly. I’m a vegetarian, so I’d certainly incorporate that.”

  Russell walked from the kitchen with two mugs in his hands. He handed her one. “Vegetarian? So no bacon or ham with your eggs? Do you eat eggs?”

  She laughed. “I’m not vegan. I just don’t eat meat. It’s not a health thing really. It was with my ex-husband. For me, it’s more of a gross factor.”

  That made Russell laugh. “You don’t eat meat and you’re dating a man who lives on a cattle ranch?”

  That did sound a bit ironic. Then the rest of his sentence hit her. “I don’t think we’re dating.”

  “You kiss men like that a lot? Because I haven’t been kissed like that in a long time.”

  She could feel the heat rise in her cheeks. “I don’t do that. I haven’t kissed a man since I’ve been divorced. I don’t just do that.”

  Ben chuckled as he stood and headed toward the kitchen. “You said that.”

  She heard Eric’s truck and only a moment later he pushed open the front door.

  “I told you two to be gone when she got here. You said you were leaving.”

  Russell laughed and sipped his coffee. “Oh, we were until I saw you. Then I thought it would be more fun to watch you squirm.”

  Eric hung up his coat. “I’m not squirming.”

  Ben laughed from the other room. “Oh, yes you are. But we’ll get out of your hair. He just wanted to see your reaction coming through the door.”

  “You’re not twelve,” Eric retorted.

  Russell shifted a look to Susan. “I take it back. I have seen him kiss someone like that. I was twelve.” He grinned.

  When Susan looked at Eric, she wasn’t so sure he wasn’t going to pounce on the younger Walker. His eyes were dark. His cheeks filled with color. When he grew angry, there was a crease that formed deep into his forehead.

  “I think you’ve both outstayed your welcome. Get out.”

  Russell set his coffee mug on the end table next to the couch. “He’s really a cranky old man. He’s always been a cranky old man,” he told her with a grin. “He has four brothers, you know. None of us are quite that cranky.”

  “You’re going to be dead brothers if you both don’t get your ass out of my house in the next…”

  Ben moved from the kitchen swiftly and yanked Russell along. “We’re gone. It was nice to formally meet you, Susan. We’ll see you around,” he said as he shoved his brother out of the house, then backtracked to pull their coats off the hook by the door before leaving.

  Susan watched Eric process his irritation with his brothers. She wasn’t sure, anymore, that it was anger. She’d seen her own sister get irritated in such a manner more than once. It was endearing to see someone else do the same.

  “I see you have coffee already,” he said, his voice strained.

  “I do.”

  “Sorry about that. I’d swear to you they are usually more mature than that, but then I might be lying to you.”

  “I enjoyed them. Don’t be too mad at them.”

  His eyes settled on her. “Nothing rattles you.”

  “I wouldn’t say that. That kiss in the barn rattled me.”

  “It surprised you.”

  “It did.”

  He stepped to her and she could smell hay and cold on his clothes. “I don’t like people in my business. They hung around longer than I’d wanted them to.”

  She’d known him to be a bit snippy, and she’d agree with Russell, perhaps a little cranky, but now he sounded mean.

  “So maybe I should just drink my coffee and go. We could count this as breakfast.”

  Susan could see his eyes cloud with what she thought might be confusion—then clarity.

  “I didn’t mean I wanted you to leave.”

  “I don’t mean to be in your business.”

  The irritation was back and he let out a groan. “Listen, things are unsettled this week. I’m not going to get into it, but with my grandfather dying and funerals and wills…I’m just tired of family in my way.”

  Susan turned and set her mug on the end table next to where Russell had discarded his. “I think we should do this some other time. Considering all you’ve been through this week the last thing you need is a stranger getting involved.”

  “You’re not a stranger—not anymore.”

  “Hired help of your step-mother. Roommate to your cousin. We will certainly cross paths.”

  His eyes narrowed as he tucked his hands into the back pockets of his jeans. “Will? I invited you out here because I wanted to be with you. You’re not a
stranger because I’ve seen inside your soul.”

  “How did you do that?”

  He took a step toward her. “I saw your photos.” His eyes darkened. “I saw where you sleep.”

  Susan swallowed hard and crossed her arms over her chest as if it would give her a protective barrier. “So what are we doing?”

  He stepped closer still until he was toe to toe with her. She dropped her arms and found she had pushed herself against the back of the couch. Something told her this was a situation that called for the utmost care. With one move, she could be a victim to a man she didn’t know—alone in his house. Or she could find out she liked him even more than she’d meant to.

  “I want to get to know you,” he said as he slid his hand up her arm. “The timing of it is just off.”

  Susan sucked in a breath, trying not to lose herself in his touch. “I was always told if you wait for the right moment it’ll never come.”

  His hand moved over her shoulder and up into her hair. “The moment I met you, you struck me as a very smart woman.”

  The last man who looked at her like Eric was looking at her had told her she was the stupidest mistake he’d ever made. It was quite a contrast to this man telling her how smart he thought she was and he didn’t really know her at all.

  Susan lifted her hands to his chest. She could feel his heart pound beneath her fingertips. When she lifted her eyes to meet his they were dreamy—lost—staring back into hers.

  It was foolish to think that this man was going to be around for longer than a month. He was only warding off the week he’d had. She was his distraction.

  Then he moved his head, lowered it to hers, and covered her mouth with his. Susan closed her eyes and inhaled his kiss.

  Maybe he was equally her distraction too.

  Chapter Ten

  The table was full of different plates. After Susan had mentioned that she was a vegetarian at dinner, Eric had done some thinking. It had warranted a stop at the store, which wasn’t convenient, but necessary.

  Before he’d made bacon and sausage for himself, he made sure she wouldn’t be offended. Then he made hash browns, cinnamon rolls, toast, and eggs. He’d offered pancakes, but she’d only laughed.

  Now she sat back in her chair and looked at the plates in front of her. “I don’t know when I’ve ever eaten that much for breakfast.”

  “Most important meal of the day.”

  “Couldn’t agree more, but usually it’s a bowl of cereal or a green smoothie.”

  Eric shook his head. “I don’t get that. Why drink your vegetables? Hell, why eat them at all?”

  She leaned in on her elbows and smiled at him. That did something to his heart that he wasn’t quite ready for and he certainly wasn’t going to let her in on it.

  “You don’t eat vegetables?”

  “Not if I can avoid it.”

  “I’ll bet if I cooked them for you it wouldn’t be a problem.”

  “Sounds like you just offered to cook me another meal.”

  She smiled and that feeling in his chest spread throughout his body, but he sat still.

  “It looks like I did.” Susan picked up her fork, pushed around the leftover hash browns on her plate before looking back up at him. “Your brothers made a comment about us dating.”

  “I’ll punch them both if you want me to.”

  A laugh surfaced that sent a tingling sensation up his spine. He might have reacted to that, but she hadn’t let on.

  “No. I like them.”

  “You said you like me.”

  “Your like is bigger.”

  He couldn’t help but purse his lips to that statement to keep it from becoming vulgar and inappropriate.

  Susan dropped the fork. “I haven’t dated anyone in the year that I’ve been divorced. I haven’t wanted to. I wanted to find me first.”

  They were treading into a territory that said danger to him. He hadn’t thought there would be any deep conversations during breakfast. He’d just wanted to get to know her better. Then he decided this was how that worked.

  “Did you do that?”

  She sat back and tapped her fingers on the table. “I think I did.” She smiled when she said it. “I’m doing exactly what I want to do. I’m on my own time frame. I work harder than I ever thought I would and I love every moment of it.”

  He could see it. There was passion in her eyes. He couldn’t help but wonder what else she did with such passion.

  “Just so you know, I don’t date.”

  By the flash in her eyes he knew that wasn’t what she was looking for him to say. He wasn’t even sure it was what he meant to say.

  “Oh.”

  “I mean, I haven’t wanted to.”

  When her shoulders dropped, he realized there was a reason he didn’t date. He wasn’t very good at this.

  “Let me try that again. I haven’t met a woman in a very long time that was interesting enough to make me want to spend time with her. You are interesting enough.”

  That made the dimple wink at him and he knew he’d managed to dig himself out of the hole he’d dug.

  “I’m going to take that as a compliment.”

  “Good. That’s how it was meant.”

  She looked at her watch. “I have to get back and get some prep work done.”

  “I need to get to work too,” he said, standing and gathering up plates.

  Susan stood and picked up the mugs.

  “I can get that. You don’t have to clean up.”

  She shook her head. “Not acceptable between two people who are dating.”

  Eric set the plates on the counter and let her words sink in. So this was where all that talk about dating was coming from. That’s what he got for finding a woman interesting and kissing her as he had.

  Was that so bad, he wondered? Why did the thought of being involved with someone rock him? It shouldn’t. He was the one who kissed her. Hell, he’d walked Bethany into her house because he’d wanted to. He’d gotten lost in her art and wanted to see her bedroom. He did this. All she had done was put together a nice meal service for his family at a time of need.

  She set the mugs next to the plates he’d laid on the counter. Her body was close enough to him that he could feel the heat of her—smell her.

  Oh, hell. He’d gotten himself into this and he either needed to get out of it or embrace it.

  Shifting a glance to her he noticed how delicate the skin was on her neck. It would be a damn shame to not press his lips to that pulse point just once.

  The thought alone nearly had him light headed.

  When she looked up at him and her eyelashes batted a moment before she licked her lips, he was gone.

  Eric swiftly pulled her to him and took possession of her mouth as if his life depended on it.

  There had been that moment when Susan thought Eric was going to ask her to leave and not come back. Now here she was, again, pressed to him with his mouth doing glorious things with hers.

  She’d quickly wrapped her arms around his neck just to hold on for dear life because when the man touched her, her knees went weak.

  The kiss in the barn had been mind blowing, but now, this one with his fingers tangled in her hair and his other hand pressing into the small of her back—this one topped the charts of all kisses she’d ever been part of.

  He turned her so her back was against the counter and his kiss trailed from her mouth to her jaw and then down her neck. Her pulse quickened under his lips and she knew for certain she wasn’t standing by her own will. She was merely leaning up against him, holding on for dear life.

  What glorious things could this man do if he could kiss like this?

  The moment she heard her phone ring in the other room she winced. Nothing could be as important as Eric holding her—kissing her.

  He let out a groan and buried his face in her neck.

  “Do you need to get that?”

  She held her breath for a moment to gather her thoughts. “It
might be my client.”

  He nodded and stepped back as she hurried out of the kitchen. A moment later his phone rang and she heard him curse as he answered.

  “What?” Eric snapped out the word.

  “Pardon me?”

  Glenda’s voice pierced his ear through the phone.

  “I’m sorry.”

  “You should be.” His stepmother was very specific about manners even at forty. “I’m sorry to have obviously bothered you, but that pipe under the sink is leaking again.”

  Eric pinched the bridge of his nose. “Where is Dane?”

  Glenda laughed. “I love my son, but I’ve never known him to be handy, have you?”

  Eric had to laugh at that. “No.” He looked out the window and saw Susan writing in a notebook. Her call was work related and she’d probably have to tend to whatever it was. “I’ll be there shortly. Can you shut off the water?”

  “I did that. I don’t want your father tinkering with this. If he does it’ll be worse.”

  “Yes, it will. I’ll be there soon.”

  He said his goodbyes and disconnected the call. Then he stood and watched Susan conduct business.

  He couldn’t hear her, but he knew she was being very professional. There was a certain look to her when she was listening intently. Then when she talked there was something that lit in her face. She truly loved what she did and that showed.

  It wasn’t good to want to be with her every moment. There was work to be done for both of them and their schedules were never going to meld. What was he thinking by starting something with her?

  He was thinking she was attractive, smart, and he wanted to know her more. It wasn’t fair to pull her into his life when it was about to be turned upside down, but watching her, he couldn’t think of anything else.

  Really, he couldn’t remember a time when he was more attracted to a woman than he was with Susan. Every other woman could wait until his day was done to have his attention, but he knew when she drove away he’d be thinking of her.

  What if she didn’t want that? What if her schooling and her business plan was what she wanted and he was in her way?

  Well, he could always find out how she felt about that. After all, he was related to her roommate. That was going to come in handy, he thought.