My forehead creased. “You’re renting out the cabin? Why?” My parents’ two-bedroom guest cottage on the edge of our property was usually reserved for out-of-town friends, and my mom and dad liked to keep it open. They’d never rented it out before.
My mom took a sip of her OJ before answering. “Your sister hired this woman to work at the Kettle, and she needs a place to live. You know there aren’t many decent places to rent around here. So, why not help?”
I fought a sigh. My mom and sister were forever taking in strays. My dad thought it was adorable. I thought it was dangerous.
My mom’s lips pursed. “Oh, don’t give me that look, Walker Cole. Jensen says she’s lovely, and she offered to pay first, last, and a security deposit.” I eyed my sister skeptically. Her judge of character wasn’t always the best. My mom kept talking. “She’s staying at the Harris place with a famous musician and…what do you call those boys in the fights you’re always watching?”
My eyebrows raised. This was getting more interesting by the second. “An MMA fighter?”
“Yes, that’s it. One of them is a mixed martial arts fighter. At least that’s what Helen told me.”
“What’s his name?” I asked.
My mom tapped a finger on her pursed lips. “Hmm. What was it? Adam? No, Austin. Austin Lyons.”
My jaw practically came unhinged. “Austin Lyons?”
“The Bulldog is here?!” my seven-year-old nephew shrieked.
Jensen’s head snapped around so fast, she looked like the creepy little kid from The Exorcist. “You’ve been letting him watch that violent garbage again? I told you, he’s too young.”
That was the wrong thing to say. Noah’s face turned the shade of a ripening tomato. “I am not. I’m a big boy. You say so all the time. And the boys gotta hang. Right, Uncle Walker?”
I cringed, trying to paste on my most charming smile. Which, of course, got me nowhere with my sister.
“Walker Cole, you are on my you-know-what list.”
Noah’s face scrunched in confusion. “No, Mama, what?”
My grandmother cackled. “My Noah’s a smarty-pants, nothing gets by him.”
I shoved my chair back from the table, eager to escape my sister’s wrath. “Well, I better get going. Ma, just give me whatever you’d like me to take over, and I’ll go right now.”
Jensen snorted. “You better run.”
Noah bounded up from his seat, hopping around like he’d just mainlined ten candy bars and twelve sodas. “Can I go with him, Mama? Pleeeeeeeeeease? I gotta meet the Bulldog. I just gotta!”
I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing. My sister threw her hands up in the air. “I give up. He’s already been inundated with violence, it’s probably too late for him. Walker, when you’re arresting him in ten years, you’ll only have yourself to blame.”
Noah cocked his head to the side. “Does that mean yes?”
This time, I couldn’t hold in the laugh. Jensen’s eyes narrowed on me.
My dad let out his own chuckle. “I believe it does, Noah. Why don’t you grab a piece of paper and pen from my office. You can ask for Mr. Bulldog’s autograph.”
Noah’s face lit with the epitome of child-like glee. Then he took off for the other side of the house.
My mom got to her feet, retrieving what looked like a basket of muffins from the counter. “These for me?” I asked, sniffing the bundle. Marionberry, my favorite.
She smacked my hand away before I could lift the towel covering them. “No, you greedy little troublemaker. These are for Taylor, the young woman renting our cabin. I want you to bring them with the lease and keys. And invite her to dinner next weekend, would you? We need to give her a proper welcome.”
Taking the basket from her hands, I kissed her cheek. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Suck-up,” Grandma said with a cough.
“You got that one right,” Jensen joined in. “He always had Mom fooled. Guess nothing’s changed.”
I circled the table, giving Jensen a thorough noogie. “Just for that, I’m going to take Noah to an MMA fight live and in person.”
Jensen whirled, trying to grab hold of my forearm so she could pull out my arm hair, a move she’d been perfecting since I’d hit puberty. But I was too quick for her this time, narrowly escaping her grasp.
“Now, kids…” my mom began.
“Gotta run,” I called. “I’ll drop Noah back on my way home.”
“Watch your back, Cole,” my sister growled.
I ran into Noah in the entryway and headed out the door.
5
Walker
My truck bumped from a dip in the dirt road as Noah and I drove towards the Harris’s vacation rental and this mysterious new tenant who had famous friends. I took in the sight of Willow Creek, cutting through the rolling meadows as we rounded a bend in the road. The view never got old. I’d grown up with so many kids who couldn’t wait to get out of Sutter Lake. When I left for college in Portland, I couldn’t wait to get back.
Noah bounced in the back seat of the truck cab, a constant stream of barely recognizable words escaping his mouth. “Uncle Walker, remember when Bulldog knocked that guy out in two seconds?”
“Yeah, buddy. It was pretty cool, huh?” It was fourteen seconds, but still a ridiculously impressive feat that had netted Austin “Bulldog” Lyons his second heavyweight Ultimate Fighting League championship. I had to admit, I might get a little star-struck myself meeting the guy. My friend, Tuck, and I had salivated over Bulldog’s career. Tuck would be pissed that he missed out on this.
“So. Freaking. Cool.” Noah punctuated each word by punching the air with his fist. My nephew was cute as fuck.
I swung my rig into the gravel drive at the front of the house. I’d barely thrown the vehicle into park when Noah unbuckled his seatbelt, jumped out of his booster seat, pushed open the truck door, and took off running towards the house.
“Shit.” I switched off the engine and threw open my own door. “Noah!” I hollered.
But it was too late. Noah was already pounding on the front door with those tiny but determined fists, calling for “Mister Bulldog.” Double shit.
Before I reached the porch steps, the front door opened, and one of the most stunning women I’d ever seen appeared. She was so beautiful, I felt like I’d been sucker-punched by Bulldog himself. Her golden-blonde hair swirled in the breeze of the open door, framing a heart-shaped face with bewitching, gray-blue eyes. She was petite, almost tiny, and an image of me curling around her as we slept immediately popped into my mind.
What in the actual fuck?
I had a girlfriend. It wasn’t serious, but I was committed. And I was certainly not that guy. And since I wasn’t that guy, these were not the images I needed floating around in my head.
Shaking myself from my inner mental meltdown, I realized that the porch was now full of people. “I’m so sorry—” I started.
I was interrupted by my nephew, whose head was tipped back, gaze full of pure awe as he stared up at Austin Lyons. “Bulldog…” he whispered reverently.
Austin grinned down at Noah, and I breathed a sigh of relief. “Hey there, little man. What’s your name?”
“Noah,” my nephew breathed, the word barely audible.
“Hi, Noah. Is this your dad here?”
Noah glanced over his shoulder. “Nope, that’s my Uncle Walker. I don’t got a dad.”
The redheaded woman standing next to Austin paled, and I stepped in before the awkwardness could get worse. “Hi. Sorry about that. I’m Walker Cole, and this troublemaker is my nephew, Noah.” Noah sent a toothy grin up at me in response to my description of him. “My mom sent me over with a few things for Taylor?” It came out as a question as my gaze searched out the elfin beauty who’d stolen all my brain cells a moment ago.
The blonde stepped forward. “That’s me.” She extended a delicate hand, her guarded eyes studying me. “Taylor Lawson.”
I took her hand
in mine, immediately feeling a zap of electricity. “Walker Cole. It’s nice to meet you.”
Taylor quickly pulled her hand from mine. “You, too.”
Another familiar face stepped forward then. Liam Fairchild, the rock-country crooner who’d been all over the radio and TV lately. “Hey, man,” he said. “Liam.”
I briefly wondered if Liam was Taylor’s boyfriend as I took his hand in a manly shake. “Hey.”
Introductions continued. Austin motioned to his wife, Carter, who had a kind smile for Noah and a warm one for me. Then, Austin officially introduced himself to a still wide-eyed Noah. “It’s nice to meet you, Noah. I’m Austin.”
“I know,” Noah breathed. “You’re my very favorite fighter. My Uncle Walker and Tuck let me watch the fights when we have guy time, even though my mom says I’m too young.”
I pulled Noah back against my legs, quelling his runaway speech. “We’re big UFL fans, and when Noah learned that Bulldog was staying here, he just had to come along.”
Austin sent a genuine smile Noah’s way. “Well, I’m so glad you did. Why don’t you guys come inside. I think I might have a UFL hat with your name on it, Noah.”
“Really? That is freaking awesome!”
I chuckled. “Let me just grab a few things from the truck.”
I jogged over, snagging the basket of muffins and the lease. Heading back to the porch and up the steps, I could hear Noah yammering away to Austin from inside. I grinned. As I stepped inside the rental, my eyes traveled over to Taylor, who was set just apart from the group, arms wrapped around herself protectively.
Moving forward, I offered the basket to her. “These are muffins, fresh out of the oven, along with a copy of the lease for you to sign.”
Taylor straightened, extending her arms to take the basket and lifting it to her nose to get a sniff. A genuine smile tipped her lips as her gaze met mine. “Thank you. These smell amazing. Are they Marionberry?”
A grin tugged at my mouth. “They are. You’re not from here, so how’d you know?”
Her light laugh tinkled the air. “The bakery was one of our first stops in town, and I’ve found I have a weakness for pretty much anything Marionberry.”
“You’ll love these, then. My mom is an amazing cook. In fact, she wanted me to invite you over for dinner next weekend so you can have an official Sutter Lake welcome.”
A shadow passed over Taylor’s eyes, and her expression became shuttered. It was a look that reminded me a lot of grief, something I recognized all too well. “That’s very kind of you, but I think I’ll be too busy getting settled. My stuff should arrive from Texas by then, and I’ll need to unpack.”
I moved us away from the topic that clearly caused her pain, even though I had the urge to dig deeper to find out why dinner was such a touchy subject for her. “Texas? I thought you guys were from LA.”
Liam appeared at Taylor’s side. “We are, but Taylor moved back to Texas a couple years ago to—”
“To be with my family,” Taylor interrupted, clearly not wanting Liam to finish whatever he’d been about to say.
Interesting. “So, you’re exploring your options for where you want to go next?”
Taylor’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly. “Something like that.” The girl did not like questions about herself.
I raised my hands in a gesture of apology. “Sorry. Curious nature. I’m a town cop.”
Carter joined us, slipping an arm around Taylor’s waist. “She’ll be here for a year, but we’re hoping she’ll move back to LA when that time is up. Although, it does make me feel better that there’s a police officer nearby.”
“My house is just over the ridge from where Taylor will be staying. And I’ll leave her my phone number in case she needs anything.”
Taylor scowled, but Carter beamed. “Oh, that would be great. Why don’t you come have a seat. We can eat some of whatever smells so good in this basket, and I’ll fix us some coffee.”
“That sounds great. I can never resist one of those muffins.”
Everyone migrated to the cluster of couches. I wrangled Noah onto one of the sofas, but his energy could not be contained, and he seemed to hover more than sit. Austin’s large frame took up much of the loveseat, while Liam seemed to sprawl on the largest couch, and Taylor sat in an armchair that was about as far removed from the group as possible.
Carter reemerged, carrying a tray laden with a coffee pot, mugs, plates, and napkins. Austin jumped to his feet, taking the serving platter from her hands and setting it on the coffee table. “Firecracker, you should have asked me to help you.”
Carter shook her head, a smile on her face. “I can carry a tray.”
Austin’s answer was to dip his head down and brush his lips against hers. They had an ease with each other, a love that reminded me of something I’d once had. A long-past phantom pain gripped my chest for a brief moment before I shook it off.
“Did you hear that Walker is a police officer?” Carter asked Austin, now curved into her husband’s side on the loveseat.
Austin’s gaze met mine. “Really? How long?”
“Almost eight years now.”
Austin grabbed a muffin from the basket. “That’s great. And you’re from here?”
“Born and raised. My family and another actually founded Sutter Lake.”
“It must be so special to have that kind of connection with a place,” Carter said, reaching forward to pour herself a cup of coffee.
“It’s pretty great. My whole family resides somewhere on our ranch property. It can be a little chaotic at times, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Noah bounced up and down on the couch cushion. “We have horses and chickens and cattle and goats. You guys could come see.”
Austin chuckled. “We might just have to do that. As long as you don’t make me get up on one of those horses.”
Noah’s face scrunched up. “You don’t like horses?”
“I like to look at them just fine, but I don’t think I’d be a big fan of riding one of them.”
Noah studied his idol. “You’re not scared, are you? You’re the Bulldog.”
The rest of the room fell into a chorus of laughs and chuckles, but I could pick Taylor’s out of the array. Light and airy. Delicate. Just like her.
Austin grinned at Noah. “Everyone’s scared of something.”
Noah nodded, considering the statement as his eyes traveled around the room. They stopped on Taylor. “What about you, Tay Tay?”
I tried to hide my laughter with a cough. Only Noah would give someone he’d met fifteen minutes prior a nickname and ask her such a deeply personal question.
She had a soft smile for Noah. “Well, I’m not much of a fan of getting up on horses either, but…” She tapped her lips with a finger as if really considering what her greatest fear might be. “What I’m really afraid of is moths.”
Noah dissolved into giggles. “Moths? Moths aren’t scary.”
Taylor grinned. “But they are! With their freaky wings, and when they fly in your face. Yuck!” She gave an exaggerated shiver. “Will you protect me from all the moths while I’m here, Noah?”
Noah puffed up his chest as if he’d just been asked to guard the President. “I’ll protect you from all the moths, Tay Tay.”
We polished off the muffins, and I told them all about my favorite Sutter Lake haunts, a hike they should take, and items on the secret menu at the bakery.
Austin’s face grew serious. “Are there any bad neighborhoods or people Taylor should avoid?”
Taylor rolled her eyes. “Austin, would you quit it?”
I waved a hand. “No, it’s a smart thing to ask.” Austin wore a triumphant grin, while Taylor scowled at us both. “On the whole, Sutter Lake is an incredibly safe town. Most people don’t even lock their doors. Though I wouldn’t recommend that. There’s a small drug culture, but as long as you don’t mess with that stuff, you’ll be fine.”
I placed one of my busi
ness cards on the coffee table. “My cell’s on the back of that card. Call me anytime. I’m happy to help if you have any questions or concerns.”
Taylor’s shoulders straightened. “I’m sure I’ll be fine.”
It appeared that Taylor had an independent streak. I fought a grin as I stood. “Well, we should get going. It was great to meet you all.”
“Aw, do we have to?” Noah moaned, still clutching the hat Austin that had signed for him.
I pulled Noah to his feet. “We do. I need to get you home, and then I have to get some work done.”
Austin stood. “I’ll walk you out.”
Taylor didn’t rise from her chair but gave Austin a searching, slightly suspicious look. He ignored her and headed for the door. Noah followed as Carter and Liam called their farewells.
Something told me that Austin wanted to discuss something, so I bent to whisper in Noah’s ear. “Why don’t you go wait in the truck, I need to talk to Bulldog for a minute.”
Noah’s face took on a pout. “Aw, man. I always miss out on the good stuff.” But like the good kid he was, he headed to my rig.
Austin chuckled. “He’s a great kid.”
“The best.” I studied Austin’s face, but his expression was unreadable. I guessed that was a skill he would’ve had to master as a cage fighter. “What’s up? Are you having trouble in town?”
“Oh, no. Nothing like that. I have a favor to ask.”
“You’ve made my nephew’s year, so if it’s within my power to give, it’s yours.”
“I was hoping you’d say something like that.” He paused, seeming to search for the words he wanted to voice. “I want you to look out for Taylor.”
My brows furrowed. “Are you just worried about her being here alone? Or is something else going on?”
“Taylor’s been through a lot the past few years. She took care of her mom through two battles with cancer. Lost her a couple months ago.” My chest tightened. It was grief I had seen in those pretty eyes.
Austin pushed on. “She’s shutting us out, and I’m worried that by moving up here, she’s only going to isolate herself more.”
Beautifully Broken Pieces Page 3