Page 59 of When You Are Mine

“You sure everything’s okay?”

For a moment, Walsh wanted to spill it all, starting with that first night when he’d seen a tiny angel helping an elderly woman in the parking lot. How his heart had been halfway lost then. To tell him about the kiss in the hospital, and how he’d never known a kiss could be so sweet and hot and perfect until he’d kissed Kerris that day. About their encounter at the gazebo, and how she had taken a portion of his soul hostage that night when she bared her scars, and he wasn’t sure he would ever get it back. He wished he could tell Cam everything, but the time to do that had passed. Nothing would be gained by it now, and it was up to him to do whatever it took to rid his mind and heart of Kerris, at least to the point he could bear to be around them again.

“Everything’s fine.”

Walsh made his way down the steps with dragging feet, unsure when he’d be able to return.

* * *

“Promise we’ll see you again soon.” Kristeene Bennett walked Walsh out to where Jo waited in the car, on the phone.

“Mom, I told you Dad’s got me working on this acquisition.” Walsh set his luggage on the ground, linking his arm through his mother’s.

“You don’t fool me.” She peered up at him, a small, knowing smile playing around her mouth. “Like you’re not enjoying every minute of your work with Bennett.”

Walsh couldn’t suppress the grin that split his face. She did know him after all.

“It’s fantastic.” He laughed, too, shaking his head. “This company really would be much better off under the Bennett umbrella, Mom, and persuading them to our way of seeing things has been incredibly challenging.”

“Just don’t forget you’re not only your father’s son. You’re also your mother’s.”

“Hey, I’m an equal opportunity son.” He held up his hands in defense. “Unc is sending me to Haiti in a couple of months to scope out a potential orphanage. With all the corruption there, we may be better off just building our own, putting our people in place, and starting from scratch. Won’t know until I get there.”

“That’s my boy,” she said, obviously pleased that he wasn’t neglecting his philanthropic responsibilities. A small frown pulled her brows together. “I don’t like what I’ve been hearing, Walsh. I’ve always liked Sofie, but if she’s influencing you to do these things I’ve heard about in the papers…well, I just don’t know about that girl. Although she’s Ernest’s daughter, and he and your father have been arranging your marriage since kindergarten, I—”

“Stop right there.” Walsh couldn’t help but groan, his patience so thin on this subject. “If one more person implies that I’m marrying Sofie, I won’t be responsible for my actions.”

“Well, what are you doing with her?”

“Mom, I honestly don’t know.” He sighed, running a hand over the back of his neck, trying to ease the tension that had gathered there. “I never should have gotten involved with her.”

“Then why did you?”

Walsh looked at the house behind them, looked up at the sky, even at his shoes. Everywhere but into those omniscient eyes.

“It was a mistake, one I wish I could take back. I hate myself for it.”

“Hating yourself never gets you anywhere.” She reached up, pushing a maverick lock of hair back off his forehead. “All you can do is make it right, ask for forgiveness, and move forward. Stringing her along only makes it worse, son.”

“I know. I don’t want to do that, but I don’t want to hurt her. She’s a great girl. Just not the one for me.”

“Well, you have to let her know that. As kindly as you can. And you’ll know the one when you find her.” His mother ran her hand down the side of his face. “Cam did.”

Walsh stiffened, the smile congealing on his face. He turned away, picking up his luggage and stowing it in the back of the luxurious midnight blue Land Rover.

“Is this Jo’s new Rover?”

He hoped to set his mother on a different course. She was too much of a bloodhound not to sniff out the fissure in his friendship with the man she saw as her second son.

“No, it’s actually mine.” Her smug smile cajoled him to smile back. “I told Jo if she loves it so much, she needs to get her own. She drives it more than I do. Cam loves it more than both of us combined.”

“That’s Cam. He loves a good car.”

“Walsh.” She put her hand on his arm to stop him before he climbed into the passenger seat. “It’ll all work out.”

“I don’t know what you mean.” He looked no higher than the patch of ground between them.

“I do know you.” Voice quiet, she lifted his chin and forced him to look into her eyes. “You and Cam are like brothers. Nothing’s worth ruining that, son.”

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