Walker Pride (The Walker Family Book 1)

by Bernadette Marie

  “Going somewhere?” Ben asked.

  “Get out!”

  Dane shook his head. “Sit down.”

  “Kiss my ass,” Eric said as he took a step toward his brothers and in unison they moved a step toward him—stopping him.

  Russell motioned toward the couch with his head. “Sit. You ain’t going anywhere.”

  “I don’t have to go. You do. This is my house.”

  Ben clucked his tongue. “Seems to me Elias Morgan owns it.”

  Eric bolted toward Ben first, but only found himself on his ass in front of the wall made of brothers.

  Gerald held out a hand to help him up. “You upset Mom. No one goes for that.”

  Eric let go of Gerald’s hand as soon as he was solid on his feet. “Your mom. Not mine.”

  “Just as much yours as mine. Don’t play that desperate card with us. She fixed your wounds, fed your stomach, and comforted you when you needed it. She washed your clothes and cheered you on at every damn basketball game you ever had. So get off your high horse and sit down,” Gerald said through gritted teeth.

  Fine. He’d appease them. Eric walked around the sofa and sat down. Each of his brothers then filed in and took a seat around the room.

  Dane clasped his hands together and leaned his arms on his thighs. “What is this about your mom having more kids?”

  “Tyson Morgan,” Eric said with a shake of his head. “She ran away when she was sixteen. Came back when she was eighteen and pregnant. Had him, left him with Elias, and ran off. She didn’t get far though. Somehow she ended up with dad and here I am.”

  “Dad must have fallen in love and…”

  “I don’t think that’s really how the story goes.”

  Dane sat back in his chair. “I’m sorry, man.”

  Eric ran his hands over his hair. “What do you do with this when you’re forty? How do you accept this?”

  There was silence for a moment.

  “What about Tyson? What did he say? Did he know?” Ben asked.

  “No. His whole world has been rocked. Elias said he wanted to move her into town so we could all visit her. That leads me to believe he was going to tell Tyson at some point.”

  Russell ran his hand over the growth of whiskers on his chin. “Damn. I can’t imagine how I’d feel.”

  “That’s not all. Someone is killing off their cattle too.”

  Ben’s forehead creased. “The Morgans’ cattle?”

  Eric nodded.

  “That says they didn’t kill ours.”

  “I don’t think they did.”

  Gerald stood and paced the room. “Then who? Who else wants this land?”

  Eric shook his head. “I don’t know, but I’m thinking there is more than one deal going on and Byron’s weaknesses were used against us.”

  “Do you think Tyson knows anything?”

  “No. But I’m thinking together we can find out.”

  Dane let out a long breath. “What about Susan? Do you think she knows what’s going on?”

  Eric tossed his head back against the couch and covered his face with his hands. “No. I actually don’t think she knows.”

  Gerald stood at the edge of the sofa next to Eric. “You were an absolute ass to her. You deserved the smack she laid on you.”

  He couldn’t deny that. He did deserve that.

  Russell scratched his head. “If you don’t think she’s involved you need to apologize.”

  “God, now you sound like Glenda.” That received a few chuckles. “But you’re right.”

  “Maybe she’s just catering for them. What else could she be doing?”

  Again, Russell was right and Eric was getting tired of his little brother having all the common sense.

  “She’s working with Lydia, Tyson said. Maybe she’s having a surprise tea party or something.”

  Gerald smiled. “We certainly aren’t getting an invitation to that.”

  Eric stood. “Okay, get out now. I have to drive to town and grovel.”

  Gerald slapped him on the shoulder. “I’m going back to Mom’s. Did you see that dessert Susan brought? I’m not letting that go to waste.”

  They all moved to the door and filed out. As the others walked to the trucks Dane turned around. “Come back and apologize to Mom.”

  “I will.”

  He watched his brothers drive away as he leaned against the doorjamb. He wondered which woman would be harder to apologize to. The one he’d neglected most of his life over pride or the one he neglected only a day after telling her he loved her.

  Eric watched as the dust kicked up again and soon his father’s truck pulled up in front of the house. What had they all thought he would do to come in shifts?

  His father parked and climbed from the truck. “You don’t look any worse. I figured they’d have hog tied you and I’d have to come cut you out of it.”

  Eric snickered. “I’m surprised they didn’t. I think they were pretty mad.”

  “Everyone had a right to be.”

  How could he possibly deny that? “I’m sorry.”

  “You’ll tell that to your mother. To Glenda,” his father added as if suddenly he wouldn’t have called her Mom.

  “I will. I owe her and Susan both an apology.”

  “Good. No matter what happens romantically between you and Susan, you can’t leave it like that. I don’t think she knew who Elias was.”

  “I don’t get it. I parked right behind her when I went there. How could she not have seen my truck?”

  His father looked outside at the old truck, which had been on that land driving through fields for nearly twenty years. “I’ve never been on a piece of land that didn’t have some beat up piece of crap pickup like that one. Trust me, it doesn’t stand out as much as you think it does.”

  “What do you think she was doing out there? It doesn’t line up right.”

  “I think she was hired for a job. She won’t tell anyone, but I have no doubt that she’s telling the truth.”

  Eric pinched the bridge of his nose. “Just when I find the perfect woman I mess it all up.”

  “I’ll let you blame this on Byron too,” his father joked. “Without the mess he’s put us in, life would certainly be boring.”

  Eric narrowed his gaze on his father. “They’re losing cattle too. I think this is bigger than Byron. I think Elias is into something too. Someone wants all of us off this land and they’re pushing us out.” The realization of that hit him too. “I’ll bet that’s why he’s so eager to move Mom.”

  His father winced at that. “I guess it’s time to embrace family, Eric. You need Elias and he needs you.”

  The words had Eric’s heart racing. He hated to admit it, but he knew his father was right. It was going to take more than his Walker pride to get them out of this.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  The suitcase on Susan’s bed overflowed with clothes she’d pulled from her drawers and her closet.

  Bethany stood in the doorway with a cup of tea. “Drink this and calm down.”

  “Tea isn’t going to make me feel better and neither is bending over with my butt in the air in some ridiculous yoga pose. I’m leaving. I have to get out of here.”

  “Just tell them what you were doing at the Morgan’s and they’ll be over it.”

  Susan pushed down on the top of the suitcase as if it would magically close—but to no avail. Instead of zipping the case, she tossed it open again and began pulling thing out and throwing them on the bed.

  “I have a confidentiality contract they wanted signed. Who the hell makes a caterer sign that?” she asked with a bra dangling from each hand. “It’s food!”

  Bethany stepped in and set the tea on the dresser before moving to her and taking the bras out of her hands. “You need to relax. Sit down and breathe,” she said easing her to the bed. “Just drink the tea.”

  Bethany picked the cup up from the dresser and handed it to her. “Sip.”

  Susan willed her brea
thing to slow as she lifted the cup to her lips. “He hates me. I didn’t do anything, but he hates me.”

  “I think that’s the problem,” Bethany said as she sat down on the bed next to her. “I don’t think he hates you at all.

  “I didn’t hurt his horse.”

  “You wouldn’t.”

  “I don’t really know the Morgans. Elias called then said Lydia would be in touch. We met her at the book club and then I drove out there today. I didn’t know he was there. I…” she didn’t want to disclose more than that. But her head had been in the clouds. She didn’t see his truck.

  They both raised their heads when they heard knocking.

  Bethany stood. “I’ll get rid of whoever it is. When I get back up here we’re going put your room back together and we are doing yoga. You can’t say no. You need to.”

  She disappeared and Susan sipped the tea. It was kinda nice to have someone fuss over her, though it did make her miss her sister.

  Susan looked around the room. She had completely destroyed her dresser and closet. Covering her mouth with hand, she let out a little sob. Nothing was worth this. A week ago she had a perfect life. There was no reason to throw it all away over a man and his family.

  “Your housekeeping skills seem to have slipped.”

  Susan’s attention snapped to the door where Eric stood, his hat in his hands, and his head bowed.

  She jolted up off the bed. “What are you doing here? Go. You just need to go.”

  He didn’t move. His large frame encompassed nearly the entire doorway. If she tried to run past him he’d stop her with a simple movement.

  “I’m not here to fight with you.”

  “Good. You look as if you’ve been in a enough fights this week and you didn’t win any of them.”

  Eric stepped into the room, closed the door behind him, and set his hat on the dresser. Susan quickly moved to set the cup down, just in case she needed both of her hands.

  “I was wrong to accuse you like that,” he said, still standing by the now closed door with his head hung low.

  “Damn right you were. Where do you get off thinking I’d do something like that? You know, you were in my bed too. I didn’t come crawling to you in the middle of the night.”

  He pursed his lips. “You’re right.”

  “And how dare you say those things in front of your parents. They must think I’m some kind of slut thanks to you.”

  A smile formed on his lips. “I apologized to Glenda first. She doesn’t think any thing of the sort. In fact she thinks that if I come back from apologizing to you with my manhood still intact then I should marry you.”

  Susan gasped loud enough Eric lifted his head. “First of all I wouldn’t poison a horse and I wouldn’t dismember you either.”

  “I didn’t assume you would.” He wrinkled up his nose. “Actually, I accused you of the latter and I can’t apologize enough. I just don’t know what to think of all this.”

  She wanted to hate him. She wanted to throw that teacup at his head and make him bleed. That was the wrong thing to want when she also wanted to just scoop him up and hold him.

  “Eric, you’re under a lot of stress right now. I can’t even pretend to understand it. And when you get it all sorted out then maybe…”

  “No,” he moved to her quickly and gathered her hands in his. “Don’t dismiss me.”

  “You did that when you walked into your parents’ house accusing me.”

  “Susan, I need you. I love you.”

  “Now who is easy with the words?”

  “I’m not kidding. I’ve never felt this way before.”

  “You’re emotional. Come back tomorrow when…”

  Her words were cut short when his mouth came to hers. She wanted to push back, but he still held her hands in his. Or maybe she wasn’t trying hard enough. Or maybe she loved him too much to try and break free.

  Susan felt herself sink into the kiss as he released her hands and pulled her in close.

  There was no use wanting to fight him. She loved him and she couldn’t be sure it wouldn’t be the biggest mistake of her life.

  Eric’s lips moved from hers and traveled down her neck. Her insides melted into goo, forcing her to lift her arms around his neck just to keep standing.

  “I’ll say I’m sorry for the rest of my life if you’ll just forgive me,” he whispered in her ear.

  “I want to hate you.”

  He pressed his forehead to hers. “You want to, but you don’t?”

  “I love you, you ass. You hurt me worse than my ex hitting me, but…”

  His hands came to her arms and he pushed back to look down at her. “He hit you?”

  “Once. Just once. I’m not one to put up with crap like that. Not from him. Not from you,” her voice was solid as she delivered her ultimatum.

  “I’d never hit you.”

  “I believe you. Though looking at you I shouldn’t.” She lifted his hand and examined the stitches on his finger. “What happened to you?”

  The corner of his mouth curled up. “I thought Dane looked so fierce with stitches I thought I’d get a set.”

  Susan narrowed her gaze.

  “Fine. A bowl from breakfast broke and sliced it open. Not a glorious story.”

  “You didn’t come by and tell me.”

  “I was mad. And I did drive by. You weren’t home.”

  “Would you have stopped?”

  Eric shrugged. “I don’t know.”

  Susan fell against him, resting her head on his chest as he pulled her close. “It’s too late to say let’s start slow.”

  She felt the rumble in his chest as he chuckled. “You’re right.”

  “Besides, it sounds like your step-mother has us married.”

  A low hum resonated now. “Mother. I think it’s far past time I just consider her my mother.”

  Susan stepped back and looked up into his dark eyes. “That’s quite a comment.”

  “In this past week the losses and gains seem to be keeping me in check.” He ran his hand over her hair. “I need to know why you were at Elias’s house.”

  “I can’t tell you. Not because I don’t want to. I can’t legally tell you.”

  Eric nodded. “I’m going to assume Lydia is throwing a surprise tea party. I’m going to just go with that to settle my nerves.”

  She smiled up at him. “That would be good.”

  “You can’t trust him,” he said.

  “Maybe not. But I really like her and I don’t think she’s part of anything going on with you.”

  “Don’t get hurt, Susan.”

  “I already have been.”

  “Not anymore. I promise.”

  There was no logic behind the promise or her belief in it, but she did believe. Love made a woman do crazy things. This might have been the craziest.

  ~*~

  Somehow Eric had talked his cousin out of a fury she’d worked up for him. He didn’t figure it would be warranted as a compliment to tell her she had her father’s anger, so he kept that to himself.

  He also figured Susan had heard every word that had been sworn to him while she was upstairs putting her bedroom back together.

  They’d both had the right to let him have it. His own temper had cost him a few things over his life, but he wasn’t ready to lose Susan over it.

  He’d talked her into staying the night with him. They were going to call Lydia and see if she’d put them in touch with Tyson. It was time to find out what was going on and who was doing it. Tyson had led him to believe they were a team now working with each other and not against. If it got him another black eye, it was worth the chance.

  Susan called Lydia as they drove out to his house. “Eric said he’d talked to him earlier. We were just hoping, maybe, he’d come talk to us again.” She nodded her head and wrote down a phone number in a small book she’d pulled out of her purse. “I really appreciate it. Oh, really? I’d enjoy that. Thanks,” she said just before she hun
g up.

  “What was that about?”

  “She hasn’t seen him. But here’s his phone number and…”

  “No, the last part of the conversation?”

  Susan smiled wide. “She invited me to her book club.”

  “To cater again?”

  “No, to join them.”

  The smile she wore became infectious and reminded him of the bruise Tyson gave him on the cheek. It was worth it. He reached across the cab of the truck and took her hand.

  “Whatever happens from here on out, I promise to talk it out with you first.”

  She pushed up her sunglasses and narrowed her gaze at him. “I’d appreciate that.”

  “I meant it when I said I loved you.”

  “And I meant it in return.”

  “We’re headed in the right direction I guess.”

  “Looks like it.”

  Twenty minutes later they pulled up in front of Eric’s house and parked next to Tyson’s truck. Parked on the other side of it was another truck with a pink camo crown on the back window.

  Eric turned off the engine and they both stepped out as Tyson and Lydia walked around the front of his truck.

  “I guess sisters get things done,” Eric tipped his hat to Lydia.

  “It sounded urgent enough I hunted him down. Thought I’d come out too. Maybe I can help you guys find out who’s messing with everything,” Lydia offered.

  “I was out here visiting your mom. Our mom.” Tyson scratched his head. “My mom told me everything once she calmed down.”

  “I know it’s not easy for you.”

  “I can see why grandpa wants to move her though. I mean maybe we can get her a new headstone. Your cemetery plots are worn down.”

  Eric tucked his hands in his pockets to keep from wanting to use them. “That cemetery is very well taken care of.”

  “Her stone is in three pieces and a few others have been knocked over. It looks like no one has been up there in years.”

  That wasn’t sitting well with him. Eric shook his head as he grit his teeth. “I was up there two days ago and everything was just right.”