Page 115 of The Ones We Fight For

“His name is Marcel Walker Winston.”

Epilogue

Walker

8 months later

“Piper, I swear to God. Let me in right now!”

Walker pounded on the door, and the knob finally twisted, Piper poking her head out at the same time as Pearl.

“You aren’t supposed to see her,” Piper chastised.

“Blindfold me, then,” Walker said.

“Why do you need to get in here so bad?” Pearl asked.

“Because I need to talk to my fiancée! Alone. Here.” Walker undid his necktie and held it out to Piper as a blindfold. She stepped out of the room and walked around behind him, holding up the tie in front of his face to secure it snuggly around his head. Walker stepped forward when she finished, his hands shooting out to feel his way around and hitting the partially open door “Tal?”

“Here,” her voice called out in front of him, and he continued into the room a few steps before a sharp pain hit his shin.

“Ow!”

“Well, if I’d known there was gonna be a blindfolded man in here, I would have moved my chair out of your way,” Amala said from somewhere off to the left.

“Everyone out!” Walker pointed behind him to where he hoped the door still was.

“Okay, bossy,” Jayla giggled from the same direction her mother’s voice had come from.

“We’re going, we’re going. But don’t take that blindfold off, Walker Colin Hartrick. I will scalp you if you do,” Amala warned, brushing his shoulder on her way past.

Walker heard the door shut shortly after, the room falling completely silent apart from his heavy breathing.

“Tal, where are you?” he asked, swinging his hands around in front of him to search for her.

“I’m right here,” Talia said, stepping into him. “What’s wrong? Are you okay?” His hands found the fabric of her dress. It felt smooth and lacy, and he was dying to take his blindfold off and say to hell with traditions.

“I’m okay. Promise. I just, I’m so excited that I’m nervous, and it’s making me all jittery. I needed to see—well, hear you, I guess,” Walker explained, pulling her into his chest. “Feel you.”

“I’m right here,” Talia repeated calmly. The warmth of her fingers stroked his cheek. He sighed deeply, closing his eyes behind the blindfold to revel in the feeling of her.

“I wish they were here,” Walker whispered.

“Me too,” Talia murmured back, brushing her hand up his armto where the Wuthering Heights house was inked onto his shoulder. “But they are here.”

“Their ghosts, you mean?”

“They left traces in their kids. Piper has the same smile as Paisley. Carter has told me Cole’s duck buttcrack joke way too many times. Pearl's romantic heart is just like her father’s.”

“Colin has Cole’s nose,” Walker took over the list. “Coop makes the same ticking noise that Paisley used to make with her teeth when she’d think about something. And you, you have your mother’s eyes and her smile. I wish I could see them.” He slid his palm along Talia’s shoulder and up to the nape of her neck. Her hair felt like it was in an updo, which made his heart flip. “Kiss me.”

“You’re going to ruin my makeup!” Talia giggled, squirming out of his grasp.

“Then I’ll kiss everywhere but your face,” Walker decided. Feeling around, he hit the wall next to him and set his hand against Talia’s chest to slowly push her against it, dipping his head down until he eventually found the column of her throat. Talia gasped as if she was scandalized by his boldness. He knew her well enough to know she wasn’t going to actually protest a rendezvous, even if it was right before she walked down the aisle. “I’m going to make you come now.”

“Walker, you’re the one who’s anxious!” Talia protested, her hips thrusting against him, body clearly ignoring her plea and singing against his touch.

“This will help,” Walker breathed in her ear, pulling on the material of her dress to hike it up as he spoke. “You know I don’t like being the center of attention, and my therapist suggested I relieve stress when I’m feeling anxious.” He dropped his voice into a deep rasp. “I’m so anxious, sweetheart. Are you going to help me?” he teased, sliding his hand up her leg and finding her garter. Talia squawked when he gave it a light snap before he groped up to her surprisingly bare ass. Walker tsked. “Talia almost-Hartrick, you aren’t wearing any underwear.”

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