Walker’s whole family lived on the ranch, including his parents and his spitfire of a grandmother. They were a tight-knit clan that reminded me of my own family back in Georgia. I could use a dose of that. “I never turn down the offer of a free meal.”
“Smart man. Come on over around six.”
I adjusted my ballcap. “I’ll be there.”
Tuck urged his mount forward from where he had fallen behind. “And what about me? Aren’t I an honorary member of the Cole clan?”
Walker shook his head. “You’re the drunk uncle everyone is embarrassed they’re related to.” I couldn’t help the snicker that escaped me.
Tuck grinned at Walker. “You’re just mad your mom and grandma like me better than they like you.”
Walker turned his gaze heavenward as if pleading for help and then shot a look my way. “Maybe you can help me keep this hooligan in check tonight.”
I chuckled. “I’ll do my best, but I think that might be a job for more than two of us.”
“Damn straight,” Tuck agreed.
A mischievous smile spread across Walker’s face. “I think a certain tea shop employee might be there, too.”
My body went on alert at the thought of having a real shot at talking to Tessa. One where she wouldn’t just hightail it out of my presence immediately. At least, I hoped.
9
Tessa
I leaned against my car door to shut it. Adjusting the large purse on my shoulder, I looked up at the gorgeous Cole family ranch house. It was everything I’d dreamt of as a little girl. A home full of warmth, love, and family. The house practically glowed with it.
A peal of laughter sounded from behind the closed door, and I knew that either Walker or Tuck was chasing Noah with the threat of tickles. Just like I knew Jensen would be pouring glasses of wine for all the ladies while they gathered in the kitchen to gossip and catch up as Walker’s mother, Sarah, finished cooking.
But here I stood, on the outside looking in. Just like always.
It wasn’t that the extended Cole family didn’t make me feel welcome. They went out of their way to let me know they thought of me as family. Guilt churned in my belly. What would they say if they knew that Tessa wasn’t even my real name? I could count the truths they knew about me on one hand.
These were good, kind people. They didn’t deserve to be lied to. The lies keep them safe. They keep me safe. It was true. If the Coles or the rest of them knew my name and where I was from, what I had endured, the little haven of safety I’d created could all come crashing down around me.
“Are you heading in?”
I jumped at the sound of Liam’s voice coming from my right.
He held up a hand and gave a sheepish smile. “I’m forever sneaking up on you. Sorry about that.”
I swallowed against my suddenly dry throat. Liam looked incredibly handsome in dark-wash jeans that hugged his hips, and a button-down that brought out the green in his hazel eyes. His light brown hair was just a little shaggy on top, perfectly mussed in that way so many guys spent hours in front of the mirror perfecting. But you just knew that, for Liam, it was effortless. The look was complemented by the scruff covering his jaw.
It hit me like a ton of bricks—I was checking him out. I was looking at a man with interest instead of fear. A coyote howled in the distance, the sound jarring me from my thoughts. The darkening sky seemed to close in around us.
I was alone with a man. My breathing picked up speed. Anything could happen. My chest constricted as my gaze darted from Liam to the house and back again.
Liam must have seen the fear invade my expression because he took two large steps back. He moved slowly, the way I had around Phoenix at first. The tightness in my chest eased.
“I just had to finish up a phone call with my record label before I headed inside.” A little bit of color rose in his cheeks. “I guess I didn’t need to say it was with my record label. That probably sounded like I was bragging. I didn’t mean it that way. I just—"
A small laugh escaped me at the image of this badass rock star so flustered at the idea that I might think him a showoff. I covered the sound with my hand.
Liam’s eyes shot to mine and held.
I let my hand drop. “I didn’t think you were bragging.”
“I’m glad.” He shuffled his feet. “Do you think we could start over? I feel like I’ve made a really horrible first impression with you, and our friends are basically family, so I think we’re going to be seeing a lot of each other.”
I pressed my lips together, reminding myself that there was a house full of people twenty feet away. People who had never hurt me. In fact, they’d all helped me in one way or another. “I’d like that.” I forced myself to take a step forward. “I’m sorry I overreacted that first day. It had just been a long morning.” It wasn’t a total lie.
Liam studied my face. I fought the urge to squirm. His gaze was curious, calculating in a way that wasn’t malicious, as if he were trying to put together a puzzle but wasn’t sure he had the right pieces.
I cleared my throat, attempting to break his assessment of me. “We should head inside.”
Liam nodded. “Yeah.” He extended an arm. “After you.”
I was careful to keep my distance, never venturing within arm’s length until we were both standing at the front door and there was no other option. Liam reached up to knock, but the door swung open before he could.
Walker stood there, grinning and shaking his head. “Come on in. No knocking required. You know that, Tessa.”
I gave a small nod, holding my breath as I scooted in between him and Liam. Two large men. Just breathe. I almost ran smack into Walker’s grandmother, Irma.
“Well, well,” she began, taking my hand and giving it a gentle pat. “Who do we have here?” Her eyes widened a fraction as her gaze moved from me to Liam and back again. “I like this. My psychic senses are tingling.”
“Grandma…” Walker warned.
Irma just shook her head as though disappointed in him. “You would think you’d have a little more faith in my abilities after I predicted your and Taylor’s match.” She gestured to Liam and me with her head. “And you can’t tell me these two wouldn’t make beautiful babies.”
I felt my cheeks heat and looked anywhere but at Liam. Walker groaned, letting his head tip back as though praying for patience.
“Now, Mom, you’re embarrassing Tessa,” Sarah chided her mother-in-law as she entered the foyer and took my arm.
Irma gave a good-natured harrumph. “Always trying to spoil my fun.”
Sarah shook her head. “Trying to keep you from making trouble is more like it.” She bent her head close to mine. “Sorry about that. Let’s hang up your purse and get you something to drink.”
Sarah lifted the bag from my shoulder and hung it on the coat rack littered with objects. I fought the urge to take it back, cling to it like the lifeline it was. Sarah ushered me towards the living room and kitchen.
Irma followed closely on our heels. “I hope Jensen has my glass poured.”
Sarah eyed Irma. “Only one, Mom.”
“Buzzkill,” Irma called over her shoulder as she bustled past us into the kitchen.
Sarah chuckled. “You’d think it’d be my grandson giving me gray hair, but it’s her.”
“She’s a character.”
Sarah placed a hand on my shoulder as we reached the kitchen where Taylor and Jensen were seated on stools, sipping wine. “Can I get you a glass?”
“I’d just love some water, but I can get it.” I never drank. Didn’t indulge in anything that could impair my judgement or slow my reaction time.
“Nonsense. I’ll get it. You have a seat with the girls.” Sarah went to work taking a glass from the cupboard, and I rounded the counter to pull up a stool.
Taylor shot me a warm smile as I sat. “Hey, Tessa. How are you?”
I slipped onto the empty barstool. “I’m good, how are you guys?”
&nbs
p; Taylor took a sip of her wine. “Just drowning in teaching applications, but otherwise good.”
Jensen reached for the wine bottle. “All good here.” She refilled her own glass and then topped off Irma’s.
Irma grinned at her. “You always were my favorite.”
Jensen snorted. “Make sure you tell Walker that.”
“Oh, I will. He was just doubting my abilities.”
Jensen’s brows pulled together. “What abilities?”
“My psychic abilities, of course.”
Jensen choked on her sip of wine. “You’re not psychic, Grandma.”
Irma straightened her shoulders. “Well, of course, I am. I predicted your mother and father. Taylor and Walker. I even told you all our little league team was going to win that championship.”
Jensen shook her head. “That’s called recognizing chemistry and good odds.”
Irma huffed, raising her chin in the air. “Don’t you want to hear what my latest prediction is?”
Taylor raised her glass in Irma’s direction. “I do. You know I’m a believer.”
Irma gave Taylor a pleased smile that turned mischievous. “Why, thank you, honey pie.” Irma’s gaze turned in my direction, and I knew my face was the shade of a tomato. “It’s about Miss Tessa here and that handsome piece of man meat in the living room.” My face got hotter.
Taylor leaned in closer. “Which one?”
Jensen’s spine straightened as her eyes found the gathering of men in the living space on the other side of the kitchen. Walker, Tuck, and Liam were talking with Walker’s father, Andrew, while Noah zoomed around bodies with his toy airplane. It was certainly a gathering of attractive men.
Irma cackled at Taylor’s question. “That musician friend of yours. I can see it now, lots and lots of babies.”
Taylor shot a questioning look in my direction. I quickly shook my head. “There’s nothing going on with me and Liam.”
“Maybe not now, but there will be.” Irma’s words came out in a sing-song tone.
Irma could have her suspicions all she wanted, but I knew the truth. There would never be anything between Liam and me.
Sarah bustled around the counter, placing a glass of water in front of me and grabbing Irma’s wine glass from her hand. “I think you’ve had enough of this for right now.”
Irma followed Sarah and her wine, complaining as she went.
Jensen scooted closer. “Sorry about that. She means well, but we’ve all indulged her crazy stories a little too much.”
Taylor said nothing, but her gaze traveled from me to Liam, a thoughtful look on her face.
AFTER A RAUCOUS AND DELICIOUS DINNER, our group had fractured. Walker, Taylor, and Andrew were cleaning the kitchen, while Sarah and Irma chatted animatedly over coffee and dessert. My eyes drifted into the living room and caught on Jensen and Tuck. Jensen was shaking her head, a perturbed look on her face.
I was ready to make my excuses and head home, but first, I needed my bag. I eyed it in the foyer. Making my way towards it, my steps faltered at the sound of encouraging words.
“That’s it. Your fingers are in the right spot. Now, strum.” Liam’s voice drifted out from the downstairs study.
Something that resembled a chord sounded next. “Wow. I did it.” Noah’s tone was full of wonder.
“That was great. You’ll be playing songs in no time.”
I crept closer, needing a visual of this moment. Reaching the side of the study, I peeked in through the door that was just slightly ajar.
Noah handed Liam back the guitar. “Now, you play something. I want to see how you do it.”
“All right, little man.” Liam positioned the worn guitar on his knee. He seemed to search for what to play. His long fingers curved around the neck of the guitar. The first notes filled the air. They seemed to float effortlessly from one to the next, weaving together to create something breathtakingly beautiful.
The first softly sung words of James Taylor’s Fire and Rain had shivers shooting down my spine. Liam’s voice. God, his voice. It was perfectly imperfect, with a rasp to it that felt like sandpaper lightly scraping against my skin. But the tone…that was rich and deep and full of emotion.
Liam’s eyes were closed as he sang, as though the lyrics were searing his soul. Then his lids lifted. His gaze landed right on me. I knew I should look away, but I couldn’t. His focus and the magic he wove with his music held me captive.
He continued to sing—right to me. I don’t think I even blinked. As the last notes of the song sounded, Noah leapt up from his seat, clapping wildly and breaking the spell.
I immediately stepped back, out of sight and out of range of the powerful weapon the room held. I shook my head, forcing a small laugh and swiping the hair out of my face. No wonder the man had sold millions of records and who knew how many concert tickets. He was lethal with a guitar in his hands.
I turned to grab my bag and came face-to-face with Sarah. She seemed to have been studying me the same way I’d been watching Liam. She gave me a soft smile. “There are times when you remind me so much of a friend I had growing up.”
I froze. Sarah shook her head, a wistful look on her face. “It’s your mannerisms. They are so similar to hers. And the eyes. She had those same gorgeous violet eyes.” Sarah studied my face. “But she had blonde hair.”
“What was her name?” My words came out as a croak.
Sarah’s soft smile grew. “Anne.” I stopped breathing. “She didn’t grow up in Sutter Lake, but her grandparents used to live here, and she spent the summers with them. When they passed away, she stopped coming. Eventually, we lost touch.”
Sarah seemed to lose herself in a memory. “I hate that. She was a sister of my heart. I wonder if I could find her now.” She tapped a finger to her lips and then seemed to come back to herself. “Sorry about that. Lost in memories.”
“That’s okay.” My voice still wasn’t totally normal. “I’m glad I remind you of someone you loved.” It took everything I had to hold myself back from asking five million questions. To see if Sarah had any photos. To ask her to recount every memory she had of Anne in as much detail as possible. Because Anne was my mother.
10
Liam
T he second Tessa disappeared from the doorway, I stood. I didn’t want to lose the moment, the spark that had flamed as she watched me play.
A small hand tugged on my larger one. “That was AWESOME!” Noah shouted the last word, and I couldn’t help the grin that overtook my face. “I think maybe I don’t want to be a fighter pilot anymore. I think I might want to be a rock star.”
I stifled my chuckle with a cough. “I think either would be pretty awesome.”
Noah’s face took on a thoughtful look. “I wonder if I could do both.”
I ruffled his hair. “If anyone could, it would be you.”
He looked up at me with wide eyes. “You think so?”
“I do.”
Noah’s gaze went to his shoes as he started to fidget. “Do, uh, do you think maybe you could teach me? You know, some of the guitar stuff? It’s okay if you’re too busy.”
My chest warmed. “I’d love to teach you some stuff. We just have to ask your mom first.”
His head snapped up, eyes shooting to mine. “Let’s go ask her right now.”
Before I could respond, Noah started tugging me out of the room. He almost ran smack into Sarah and Tessa. “Guess what, Grandma? Liam’s gonna teach me how to play the guitar. I’m gonna be a rock star!” He shot his little fist up into the air on the last word, and I bit my lip to keep from laughing.
Sarah smiled indulgently at her grandson and then looked at me. “Is that so?”
I took a step forward. “If it’s all right with Jensen.” I couldn’t help that my eyes seemed to seek out Tessa. When they found her, my body seemed to go on alert. Her face was full of wonder, but… Are those tears in her eyes?
Tessa ducked her head and slid her purse over her shoulder.
“I better get going. Thank you so much for having me, Sarah.”
Sarah pulled her in for a hug, an action that seemed to cause Tessa to stiffen the slightest bit before relaxing. “You know you’re welcome anytime. I wish you’d come over more.”
Tessa gave her a small smile as she pulled back. I wondered what she’d look like if a real one of those ever touched her lips. I had a feeling the effect would be devastating. “I’ll see you soon.” She leaned down. “Bye, Noah.”
Noah released my hand and threw his arms around her legs. “Bye, Tessa.”
Tessa’s gaze met mine, her cheeks pinking just a bit. So fucking cute. “It was nice to, um, see you again.”
I shot her my best grin. “You, too, sweetheart.” I’m not sure why the sweetheart slipped out, it just did. I was caught up in trying to show her just how charming I could be, but it was apparently the wrong thing to say.
Tessa’s face went white. I stepped forward a half-step, but she shrank back. “I-I need to go. Bye, Sarah.” And with that, she spun on her heel and was gone.
I stared at the door for a good thirty seconds before a throat clearing grabbed my attention. “You certainly have a way with the ladies.”
“Walker,” Sarah chided her son. She gave him a light slap on the stomach with the back of her hand as she passed, leading Noah into the living room.
Walker just chuckled. “Come on.” He motioned to the door, and we headed outside.
“I don’t know how, or why, but I keep screwing things up.” We walked out onto the porch and were about to head for the rockers when I saw that Tessa’s car was still parked. My eyes zeroed in on her form hunched over the steering wheel, her shoulders shaking. What the hell?
I didn’t think, I just strode down the steps and towards her vehicle. I circled around the front and knocked on the driver’s side window. She jumped. Fuck. When would I learn that this girl required movements the speed of molasses? I slowly opened the door.
“What’s wrong?” The words came out way harsher than I had intended. I tried to gentle my tone. “What’s going on?”
Beautifully Broken Life (The Sutter Lake Series Book 2) Page 6