Page 41 of Protecting Her Secrets

“You’ll have to toughen up if you want to become a northerner.”

It hits me—really hits me—that in order to get away from Klutch and start a new life with Walker, I’ll be moving to Culver Springs. Does that also mean I’ll live here with him? He implied he’ll keep me safe on his property, but if there comes a day when there’s no threat, will I have to find a place of my own?

It shouldn’t even be up for debate because of course, I should get my own place. We’re acting like the last fifteen years never happened and just picking up where we left off, which is not the case. We’re both different people now and should spend timegetting to know each other again. Plus, I’m carrying another man’s baby. It’s a weird time to jump into a relationship. Right?

“Earth to Sunny,” Walker says, breaking through my spiraling thoughts. I glance down at his beautiful, glorious body covered in suds. His thick cock is still half-hard, hanging heavy between his legs, and I throw all logic out the window. I’m okay with moving fast if it means I get to enjoy all the orgasms I can handle. “You good?”

“Yeah, why?”

He smirks as he rinses. “No reason.”

After drying off and dressing—me in a pair of Walker’s long johns and another T-shirt, him in a pair of perfectly worn jeans and a navy blue Henley—we go downstairs to greet our unexpected guests. I’m reluctant, because while Walker looks effortlessly sexy, I look unkept and homely.

Without a silk pillowcase or curl cream, my hair resembles a lion’s mane, and since I have no make-up or proper skin care, my complexion looks flat. Plus, I’m getting so used to these comfortable, baggy clothes, I worry I’ll never go back to anything form-fitting. Yet, as he opens the door, Walker wraps an arm around me like I’m something to be proud of.

We find the three men on the porch, each drinking out of a steaming thermos. Walker must leave them waiting on the porch often if they came prepared.

“Good morning,” Rowan says.

“It’s noon,” Walker deadpans.

“Well, good afternoon then.” Rowan’s smile is big and knowing.

“What are you assholes doing here?” Walker asks.

“For the record, I don’t want to be here,” Ridge says. “But they ambushed me.”

“We thought we’d check in and see how you faired during the storm,” Wilder explains, eyeing Walker’s arm around me. “Obviously, you survived.”

“Are you going to invite us in, or are you going to make your poor bride freeze out here?” Rowan asks.

“Shit.” He ushers me back in just as my teeth start to chatter. “Come in, I guess.”

While the three men strip themselves of their winter gear, a process I now know can take the better part of ten minutes, Walker leads me into the living room, where he sits me on the sofa and covers me in a blanket.

“Just tell me if they make you uncomfortable. I’ll kick their asses out into the snow.” He sits next to me, pulling my feet into his lap. The way he has no shame in how quickly we’ve become reacquainted makes my heart do a little flip. He’s not playing it cool in front of his boys the way a lot of guys would, and I love him all the more for it.

“I’m fine. Promise,” I say, even though I am not at all fine. Walker said he wants to tell them about Klutch so they can help keep an eye out, but I fear they’ll think I’m using him to get away from a bad situation. It’s what I would think if I were them.

The guys must spend a lot of time here because they make themselves at home. Ridge darts to the kitchen and rummages through the cupboard until he finds a ceramic mug to pour his coffee into. Wilder props himself up against a wall in the living room, folding his arms over his chest and observing me like I’m a suspect he’s interrogating. Then there’s Rowan, who flops himself into Walker’s ugly leather chair, kicking his feet up.

Apparently, no one knows how to break the ice because the silence is awkward as everyone settles in. Then Rowan opens his mouth. “Now, why would you spend all these years being an adulterous bastard when you had this pretty little thing locked down already?”

Chapter Fifteen

Walker

“You idiot,”I scold, narrowing my eyes on him. “She’s a woman, not a thing, and we were. . .”

“Estranged,” Sky fills in for me. “I had some family issues and thought it was best I not drag Walker into them.”

“And now?” Ridge asks from where he’s perched on the kitchen counter, sipping his coffee.

Skylar and I share a glance. I’m not sure how much she wants me to divulge, but when she nods encouragingly, I dive into it. Giving my friends credit where credit is due, they don’t interject with their bullshit commentary. They allow me to tell them everything, from our Vegas trip where we got married to now, all with nearly blank expressions, even though I’m certain they have a lot to say. However, I do save the biggest bomb for the end because it’s the most likely to earn a reaction.

“And she’s pregnant,” I say, taking Skylar’s hand in a show of support.

Wilder’s the first to speak. “Whoa. That’s a lot.”

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