Walker Defense

by Bernadette Marie

  Walker Defense

  Walker Family Series ~ Book Nine

  Bernadette Marie

  Contents

  Walker Defense

  Acknowledgments

  Other Titles by

  Walker Defense

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  Untitled

  Masterpiece

  Other Titles from 5 Prince Publishing

  Walker Defense

  Bernadette Marie

  Copyright © 2019 by Bernadette Marie, WALKER DEFENSE

  All rights reserved.

  * * *

  This is a fictional work. The names, characters, incidents, and locations are solely the concepts and products of the author’s imagination, or are used to create a fictitious story and should not be construed as real. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  * * *

  Published by 5 PRINCE PUBLISHING & BOOKS, LLC

  PO Box 865, Arvada, CO 80001

  www.5PrinceBooks.com

  ISBN digital: 978-1-63112-237-8

  ISBN print: 978-1-63112-238-5

  * * *

  Cover Credit: Bernadette Soehner

  To Stan,

  Thank you for always having my back and coming to my defense when needed.

  * * *

  I love you!

  Acknowledgments

  To my men: I will always defend you because I love you so much!

  * * *

  To Mom and Sissy: Thank you for being my counsel when I need it.

  * * *

  To Cate: Thank you for being you, being there, and being awesome!

  * * *

  To my AWESOME readers: Thank you for loving the Walker family and wanting to read their stories.

  Other Titles by

  Bernadette Marie

  * * *

  THE KELLER FAMILY SERIES

  The Executive’s Decision

  A Second Chance

  Opposite Attraction

  Center Stage

  Lost and Found

  Love Songs

  Home Run

  The Acceptance

  The Merger

  The Escape Clause

  A Romance for Christmas

  * * *

  THE WALKER FAMILY SERIES

  Walker Pride

  Stargazing

  Walker Bride

  Wanderlust

  Walker Revenge

  Victory

  Walker Spirit

  Beginnings

  Walker Defense

  * * *

  THE MATCHMAKER SERIES

  Matchmakers

  Encore

  Finding Hope

  * * *

  THE THREE MRS. MONROES TRILOGY

  Amelia

  Penelope

  Vivian

  * * *

  THE ASPEN CREEK SERIES

  First Kiss

  Unexpected Admirer

  On Thin Ice

  Indomitable Spirit

  * * *

  THE DENVER BRIDE SERIES

  Cart Before the Horse

  Never Saw it Coming

  Candy Kisses

  * * *

  ROMANTIC SUSPENSE by BERNADETTE MARIE

  Chasing Shadows

  PARANORMAL ROMANCE by BERNADETTE MARIE

  The Tea Shop

  The Last Goodbye

  Walker Defense

  Bernadette Marie

  Chapter 1

  On a warm day, in the garden of Glenda Walker, laughter and applause enveloped all the guests at the wedding of Ben and Nichole.

  Ella wiped the tears from her cheeks with a handkerchief as she watched Ben, Nichole, and their three children welcome their congratulations from Ben's brothers.

  She envied the relationship the Walker family had with one another. Five boys, each one so different and strong-willed, yet compassionate and emotional when it mattered. She'd seen them go at it a time or two. Fists and words could be flung around, blood might be drawn, but they always had each other's back.

  Ella came from a good family. Her mother and father had been married thirty years at Christmas, and her sister was married happily with a growing family, but they didn't have the same bond the Walkers had. They no longer lived in the same town or the same state. They were content with emails and phone calls to stay connected.

  The Walkers—they worked together, ate together, and ran with the same people. They were present in each other's lives.

  Perhaps that made her a little weepy, and today wasn't a day to sob over her own life. It was a day to celebrate Ben and Nichole, and their children.

  Ella had spent a lot of time with Nichole over the past nine months as they prosecuted the woman who had stolen Nichole's identity and attacked Ben. As far as Ella was concerned, Nichole and her family would never have to worry about her again, but there would be lingering after-effects from fraud for a while.

  Once that case had been mostly handled, and the woman was convicted and put in jail, Ben had approached her about adopting Nichole's kids. For the adoption to take place, their father had to give up rights to his children. Considering he was in jail on embezzlement charges, he wasn't too worried about keeping his parental rights. Ella was sickened by how quickly he signed them away.

  She watched as Ben and Nichole, and their little family walked down the aisle headed back toward the house. They stopped when they came to her, and both hugged her.

  "Thank you for everything," Nichole whispered in her ear.

  "My pleasure," she said as the family moved on, followed by their attendants.

  Swiping a thumb over her cheek, she wiped away a stray tear as Gerald Walker followed his brother down the aisle. His eyes automatically darted to her, and a nervous grin curled up the corner of his mouth before he quickly looked away.

  Ella couldn't blame him for being nervous around her. She'd broken his heart, crushed his plans, belittled him in front of his family. It had been years ago, but the pain remained. Angry with herself, she felt the heat rise in her cheeks. She was lucky even to be welcomed into their home, she thought.

  But as Glenda Walker passed by her, she reached out her hand and gave Ella's a squeeze accompanied by a friendly smile. Perhaps she was too hard on herself. The Walkers hadn't pushed her out of their lives. She'd stepped back away from them out of respect. However, when they'd needed her expertise, they'd called on her. For that, she'd been grateful. It was the least she could do for a family that had once embraced her as one of their own.

  The wedding reception would follow at Lydia Morgan's reception hall in town. With the venue forty-five minutes away, she wondered if they'd notice if she didn't attend.

  As the guests began to stroll out of the garden, she caught the eye of
Nichole who waved with a smile, again obviously grateful to have her there. Well, maybe they'd notice.

  She was heading back into town anyway. She might as well stop by the reception, have some food, and perhaps a glass of champagne. Wedding cake was always a good reason to attend a reception… that and Susan Walker's catering.

  It would be worth the slight discomfort to celebrate the marriage of Ben Walker.

  As Ella started her BMW, which she'd parked down the road, she heard her name called from behind her. When she turned, she saw Gerald hurrying toward her.

  "Hey, might sound crazy, but can I get a ride into town with you? Cars are full of gifts and wedding party. I seem to be the odd man out," he said as he reached her.

  She knew she was staring, and for the first time in her life seemed to be out of words.

  "If you have other plans I can…"

  "No, no," she stammered. "I can give you a ride. No problem."

  Her heart hitched when he smiled that smile she'd seen so many times years ago. She’d been sure she'd never see it again aimed in her direction, but here it was.

  Unsure of what to say next, Ella opened her car door and climbed in. When Gerald didn't open his door right away, she looked toward it to see him standing there motioning to unlock it.

  "I'm sorry," she said as he climbed in. "I'm a little nervous being around you and your family today."

  "You've been around my family for nearly nine months working with Nichole on her case. What's making you nervous now?"

  She started the engine, and the car roared to life. "I've spent that time with Nichole, not so much with Ben, or you, or the rest of your family. Gerald, I know how they all feel about me. I know what I did, and I know…"

  "You don't know anything," he argued with a bite in his voice. "I get every right to be mad at you for the rest of my life."

  "Yes, you do," she agreed.

  "But you know my family damn well enough to know that angry or not, they wouldn't mistreat you."

  As she put the car in drive and began to follow the other cars down the dirt road to town, she resigned to the pity party she'd been having. Gerald was right. His family, including him, would never treat her poorly for her decisions.

  "I'm sorry for all of that. I'm just nervous."

  "I get it. I'm nervous too, but I don't want to be. We were friends for years so why not start as friends now?"

  Ella bit down on her glossed lip. "You're sure you want to be my friend?"

  "Are you getting resettled in town and trying to build your career?"

  "Yes."

  "Have you been gone long enough that some things have changed?"

  "Yes."

  "Are you divorced and trying to work through that in your head and your heart?"

  That stung she thought, but she answered honestly. "Yes."

  "Then it sounds like you could use a friend, so why not me? And you don't have to worry. I don't get to town too often, so I won't be one of those ‘drop by and stand on your porch’ kind of friends. You don't have to open up to me and confess all your sins or desires. You don't have to defend any decision you've ever made. We can consider ourselves simply friends."

  As she paced her vehicle behind the car in front of her to give herself visibility from the dust kicking up, she considered his offer. She missed Gerald Walker in every way, but mostly as her friend. That had been an enormous loss when she'd turned down his marriage proposal.

  "I'd like to be friends," she admitted. "I had considered not going to the reception. I thought I might feel out of place."

  "That would be a shame if you missed it."

  "It seems as though I've missed my share of Walker weddings in the past few years. I can't say I saw that coming," she humored as he fidgeted with the radio, a habit he’d always had when he'd get into her car.

  "I don't think any of them thought they'd all be getting married. And now there are kids, too. Who'd have thought?"

  Well, they had, she considered. They'd talked about marriage. They'd made plans. Oh, they were stupid and young and foolish, but they'd thought about it. And until the moment he'd asked her to marry him, she'd been right there with him making those plans. But she got spooked, and she’d landed in the arms of his best friend. Ex-best friend, she noted.

  "They all seem very happy."

  "They are. I guess there is someone for everyone," he offered, as he found a song he liked, for the time being, and sat back in his seat. "So what about you? Are you dating anyone?"

  Ella swallowed the lump in her throat. This drive was long enough without talking about dating with her ex.

  "No. Not very interested in dating right now. My career is too important."

  He nodded slowly, his gaze focused out the window. "Yeah, you've done well for yourself. It was always important to you."

  Important enough that she'd given it as one of the reasons for not marrying him.

  "What about you? As the only eligible Walker bachelor left, I'm guessing women are falling at your feet."

  He gave her a shrug. "My cousin Todd hasn't gotten hooked yet. I think we're both safe. We enjoy our casual relationships with ladies — no need to get all serious. We're young, successful men. We might as well enjoy our freedom."

  The lump in her throat was back, and it threatened to choke her. It was time to change the small talk to something that wasn't going to kill her. She knew he had no intention of hurting her with the conversation at hand. He was being friendly. When the wedding was over, he'd go his way, and she'd go hers, just like it had been since she'd walked out of his life. Only now, she had a kind of permission to talk to him as if nothing had ever happened.

  She focused on the turn in the road, and the silence between them.

  "So, what do you think of the Braves this year?"

  Chapter 2

  The Braves? Gerald shook his head, was that all she had? This woman could stand in a court of law and make the strongest of men shake in his shoes, and she was nervous around him. Wasn't that intriguing?

  He didn't answer her. Instead, he turned the radio until he found another song, this one an Elton John classic.

  Watching the cars make their first turn from one dirt road to another, he knew they had at least thirty more minutes in the car together. He figured he had a few choices. He could play along and make small talk, or he could continue to make her squirm in her seat. The latter of the ideas was the most intriguing, but no matter what he'd felt for the woman, he didn't seem to think that was fair.

  "How are your folks?" he asked, figuring that was safe enough ground.

  "Good," she said as she adjusted in her seat. "Dad finally retired, and mom is keeping him plenty busy. I think that's to keep him out from underfoot. Even though she wanted him home, she doesn't want him messing up her house."

  Gerald laughed. He'd seen his mother do that with his father and his brothers. She loved to have them around and working the ranch, but she'd rather they did it between eight in the morning and four in the afternoon without tracking through her kitchen.

  "Is your dad getting in a lot of fishing then?"

  "Oh, you know it. He even booked one of those fishing expeditions in Alaska. I don't eat salmon, but my freezer is full of it."

  "And have you talked to Jacob in a while?"

  Instantly Ella's chin jutted out, and her shoulders went back. Gripping the steering wheel, her knuckles turned white, and Gerald knew he'd more than likely crossed a line. He wasn't even sure what made him ask, but for some reason the little jab at her made him feel a whole lot better.

  "I don't talk to Jacob. That would be where the ‘ex’ part comes in. I went one way. He went the other."

  And, Gerald knew Jacob's way was replacing Ella with a blonde he'd been hooking up with. Wasn't that how he'd heard of their breakup in the first place? He'd run into Jacob at a gas station in Athens of all places. He'd gone to see his cousin Jake race, and while he was checking out with his obligatory Mountain Dew for the day, ther
e was Jacob right in front of him, with his arm around the blonde and his wedding ring still on.

  A million things had gone through Gerald's head that day. The first was to haul off and punch the son-of-a-bitch in the mouth. But he didn't have a reason, except that Jacob had been unfaithful to Ella, which pissed him off. Another thought was to put down the damn bottle of green sugar and run to Ella. She was going to need a shoulder to cry on, why not his?

  Then he remembered that when he proposed, she'd denied him the pleasure of hearing yes. A few months later she eloped with Jacob, and a few years later Gerald was facing his ex-best friend while the asshole tried to convince him that the leggy blonde, who had been patting his ass was just a cousin visiting from Jersey. It didn’t surprise him that Ella moved back to Macon after that. A part of him thought it was karma, and the other part had wanted to go to her and make sure she was okay.