Page 59 of Careless Hope

19

Walker

I sank deeperinto the worn leather of the couch, the springs protesting softly at the years of use. The ranch had been quiet today, just the kind of silence that lets a man’s thoughts run wild like mustangs across a high plain. My gaze drifted over to the framed photo on the mantle, the one where my brother and I stood side by side, grinning like fools after we wrangled our first calf together. It was a symbol of legacy, alright, but lately, it felt more like a reminder of what I hadn’t yet accomplished.

I rubbed a hand over my face, thinking about Caroline and the lessons. That woman had gumption, no doubt about it. When she first stepped back into my world, I expected she’d be like she was in high school . . . all book smarts and nervous glances. I wouldn’t have pegged her for someone who could get me thinking of her day and night. Someone who could light me up with just a touch.

But here she was, growing bolder with every lesson, each time her hands found their confidence. And even morethan that, her soul was touching me somewhere I’d long thought had been walled off.

I found myself protective over her. And not just in a broad way, how my mama taught me to be with friends and loved ones. No, I wanted to hunt down anyone who ever hurt her and make them hurt. I wanted to lock out any potential bad force that could sour her mood. I wanted to hold her all night long after a bad day—just hold her, and feel that she was okay.

The other night taking care of Caroline had been one of the best of my life and there wasn’t a single thing sexual about it. And I didn’t understand what that meant, or how to proceed from here.

Truth be told, teaching Caroline was turning out to be something else entirely—a lesson in patience, maybe, or restraint. And wasn’t that the kicker? Me, Walker Anderson, being schooled by the same shy girl from high school who used to blush whenever our eyes met across the hallway. She might have asked me for lessons, but she sure as shit was the one giving the education.

A sudden knock jolted me from my musings, and I pushed off the couch with ease that belied the heaviness of my thoughts. Striding over to the door, I pulled it open, and there she was—Caroline Cressley, standing on my front porch, an impish twist to her lips and a spark in her eyes that could set a haystack ablaze.

“Evening, Walker,” she greeted, that mischievous smile telling me she had plans that stretched way beyond our usual lesson agenda. And hell, if that didn’t send a thrill racing through my veins like a wild stallion taking to the open range.

Without a word of warning or even a polite, “mind if I come in?” Caroline nudged past me with a playful hip check that spoke volumes of her newfound gumption. As she breezed into my living room like a summer storm sweeping across the plains, Icouldn’t help but admire the transformation. The shy girl who once walked the halls of Whittier Falls High had evolved into a force to be reckoned with.

“Hope you’re ready for today’s lesson,” she quipped over her shoulder, her voice laced with a challenge that set my pulse to racing.

“Lesson, huh?” I mused aloud, shutting the door behind us and following her trail of confidence. “You sure you don’t mean ‘showdown’?”

She spun around, her auburn hair catching the light as she flashed a grin brighter than the afternoon sun. “Maybe I do. I figured it was high time I took the reins.”

I chuckled at that—Caroline taking the reins. It was a sight I’d come to look forward to, both literally and figuratively. Leading her into the living room, I motioned towards the worn leather couch.

“Take a seat, darlin’. Don’t want you getting saddle sore before we even start.”

“Oh, I can handle a lot more than you think, Walker Anderson,” she retorted, easing onto the couch with a poise that contrasted the teasing glint in her eyes.

We sat there, side by side, the space between us charged with an energy that was as palpable as the heat from a branding iron. I leaned back as I studied her. She looked different today. Or maybe I was seeing her in a new light. Or maybe I was finally seeing her for who she really was.

“Y’know,” I began, my words slow and deliberate, “I’ve been thinking about this whole . . . arrangement.”

“Have you now?” She arched an eyebrow, inviting me to continue.

I had been, but the moment the words came out of mymouth, I regretted them. If I spoke about my thoughts, it could change everything. She could call the whole thing off. And truth be told, I didn’t even understand my thoughts yet. I decided to veer in a more comfortable direction.

“Yep,” I said, nodding slowly. “It’s one thing to teach you how to ride, but it’s another to see you . . . well, take charge. Makes a man wonder what else you got hiding up those sleeves of yours.”

A laugh bubbled up from her throat, soft and genuine, and it filled the room like morning light spilling through my bedroom window.

“Well, that’s precisely what I was thinking. It’s time for me to take charge a little.”

I rubbed a hand along the stubble on my chin. “Okay then, darlin’,” I said, my voice steady despite the twinge of something stirring deep in my chest. “Let’s see what kind of student you are today.”

“Best be prepared,” she teased, her green eyes sparkling with mischief and promise. “I plan on acing this test.”

Her words hung between us, a playful taunt that tugged at the corners of my mouth. I knew one thing for certain—whether it was the lesson we were about to dive into or the unspoken tension that danced around us, Caroline Cressley was proving to be one hell of a student. And I was starting to suspect I might just learn a thing or two myself.

The air shifted, now charged with something fierce and electric, like a summer storm waiting to break. I could feel the heat of her body near mine, a living pulse that sent my thoughts scattering like startled cattle.

“Enough talk,” Caroline said, her voice low and husky. Her hand reached out, fingers trailing along my jawline with an assuredness that caught me off guard. Then she closed thegap, her lips finding mine in a kiss that was all at once tender and demanding.

I’d kissed plenty before—more than my fair share, if town gossip held any truth—but this was different. This was Caroline, the girl who had grown into a woman while I wasn’t looking, who had come back to Whittier Falls with fire in her eyes and an unwavering determination. The girl who, despite—or maybe because of—her bookish past, kissed like she had been harboring secrets of her own.

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