Page 9 of Fall Back
“You’re a shit liar which is surprising or maybe I just know your tells now. You’ve been biting people’s heads off all day, and I’ve never seen you look at your watch as many times as you have today. It’s like you’re counting down the hours until you can leave, and you never do that. When you’re here, you’re here, but not today.”
“Fuck,” I groan and run a hand over my face. “You’re not going to let this go, are you?”
Walker snorting has me looking at him. The shit eating grin on his face is answer enough, but he still lets me know, “Not a fucking chance.”
“Fine, fuck,” I huff out. “Did you get the chance to meet Carson Burns when she was in town for Fletcher and Eden’s wedding? She’s the only girl of the Burns clan.”
“Yeah,” he holds the word out, skepticism in his tone, “I met her.”
I nod a few times and swallow hard. “This is not public knowledge,” I hiss, and his face turns serious with understanding. “The other morning, I got called out to asuspicious person walking around a house. Turns out it was Carson. She got locked out of her rental. Come to find out she just moved back to Wintervale.” His eyes grow larger and rounder with every word. It’s a completely understandable reaction to the information I’m giving him. “I asked her out and our date is tonight.”
Walker looks at me for a long, silent moment. Then he barks out a laugh, the sound sudden and bright in the quiet of the station. The few people at their desks look our way with curiosity. I shush the man, but he’s not deterred in the least.
His laughter is pissing me off as it turns into a full-blown belly laugh filled with amusement. It’s really nothing to laugh at.
“It’s not funny,” I deadpan.
“Are you shitting me? It’s hilarious,” he gasps out.
I glare at the man, hoping he just walks away. He’s the one who wanted to know what was up with me. I tell him and this is the reaction I get? It’s bullshit.
When he finally gets himself under control, the smile on his face is still in place. I kind of want to slap it off him. Or punch him. Both would be fine with me if I’m being honest.
He holds his hands up in surrender as if he can read my mind and knows how close to bodily harm he is right now. “Let me get this straight,” he begins, “you, the same man who gave me and Morgan so much shit, has asked out the only sister of his best friend? And, apparently, her being in town isn’t public knowledge which makes me wonder if her brothers even know?”
“They don’t know,” I grit out through my teeth.
He chuckles under his breath and shakes his head in admonishment like I’m an idiot. “You really don’t see how this is the best thing I’ve heard in months?”
I flip him off because it’s the only thing I can think of doing. He’s not wrong. I did give him and Morgan a lot of shit for being together. At the time, it felt like it happened behind my back, which pissed me off, but it was more than that too. I didn’t like the idea of Morgan with anyone; let alone someone I know and work with.
It was a dick move, and I’ve gotten over it, for the most part, but I was an epic asshole at the time. Now, it looks like I need to eat crow. I hate it.
“You don’t need to be a dick about it,” I grumble while totally pouting even though I would deny it if anyone called me out on it.
“Aww,” he coos at me, “don’t sound so glum. I’m sure Carson’s brothers won’t be as bad as you were.”
I feel the blood drain from my face. No, they won’t be as bad, they’ll be worse. So much fucking worse.
They were always protective of their sister. I think it’s because there are three of them and only one of her. She never stood a chance, even with Huxley being younger than her and the baby of the family, she was always put on a pedestal.
Does thinking about it like that make me wish I hadn’t asked her out? Not even a little bit.
Her brothers can do whatever they want, it won’t change anything. Because Carson is mine. A determination I’ve only felt when I was in the thick of a shit situation while deployed fills me. If this is the battle I have to wage, I’m ready for it.
“They don’t get a say in who their sister is with,” I try and sound calm and casual, but by the way Walker arches one eyebrow, I know I fall a little flat. “She’s a grown ass woman who is capable of making her own decisions.”
“So was your sister,” he points out very un-fucking-helpfully.
“I know,” I grit out. “And she did,” I shoot him a pointed look, “you.”
“Yes,” he nods sagely, “she did choose me. Not like I gave her much of a choice because I knew she was mine the moment I walked up to her window after I pulled her over.” He studies me for a beat before asking, “If this is just some sort of fling because she’s fresh meat back in town, you’d be better to let it go. Her brothers won’t take kindly to that shit.”
“There’s no doubt in my mind that Carson is mine,” the words are filled with steel, unmovable, unquestionable. “And fuck you for even suggesting otherwise. A fling is the last thing Carson is. She’s the kind of woman you build your entire life around because she’s worth it and you’d be fucking lucky to have her attention, time, and love.”
Walker sits back, his mouth falling open for a moment before he snaps it closed. “Holy shit,” he breathes out. “You really mean it.”
I stand up, my fists hitting the top of my desk as I lean toward him menacingly. “You’re damn right I mean it. I felt it when I saw her at the wedding, but I pushed it down because she was headed back to Denver. It didn’t help since she’s popped up in my mind over and over again in the months since then. When I found her about to climb the windowsill into her rental and found out she moved back, the truth of it all almost knocked me over.”
