Page 50 of From the Ashes
“I am. I wasn’t keeping it from you intentionally. It’s just, this trip, you’ve been distracted, and now I know why.”
I brace my hands on the edge of the sink and blow out a breath in preparation for the admission about to leave my lips.
“I’ve been on-edge since you told me you got tickets to the rodeo. I’ve purposely avoided it because I miss it every day and I’ll never be able to ride like I once could. And you’re right. Walker and I have history and it’s not a great one considering he’s the biggest reason I lost everything. I didn’t expect to ever see him again because he usually doesn’t compete here, but this year he did. And now he’s staying in my house…and I’m a complete mess.”
“Oh my God,Phoenix! Why didn’t you say something? If I’d known you intentionally avoided the rodeo, Ineverwould have suggested we go!” Abandoning the dish in her hand, she wraps her arms around me.
I return her hug, pulling her into my chest. The faint smell of her floral shampoo soothes my frayed nerves.
“It’s fine,” I say weakly, tilting her head back to kiss her forehead. “You didn’t know because I don’t talk about it. But enough of that. Tell me more about this chump you’re seeing.”
She pulls away, batting my shoulder as we finish the last of the cleanup duty while the sounds of our friends’ raucous laughter filter in through the back door.
“Miguel isnota chump. Our relationship is wonderful, and healthy, and notnearlyas dramatic as what you guys get into up here. After all the drama over the last year, I’m happy to sayneither Miguel nor I are secretly married, secretly gay, or secretly part of any mafia, cartels, or shady government deals.”
I burst out in laughter. “That you know of. And to be fair, Shannon wasn’tsecretlymarried. Hud was well aware that she wasn’t available.”
Cassie rolls her eyes playfully as she continues to look up at me, her chin on my sternum. “You know what I mean. None of you have exactly taken a conventional route. And Knox, well, I suspect Knox will be stubbornly single for the rest of his life. But anyway, I was thinking about bringing Miguel up next time. Do you think Dylan can handle it?”
“The question, my love, isn’t can Dylan handle Miguel…it’s canMiguelhandle Dylan, Jake, Hud, Knox, and me?”
Before she can respond, we hear a voice behind us.
“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt,” Walker says coming into the kitchen looking uncomfortable. “Uh, Jake asked me to grab him another beer since I’m not playing this round,” he explains unnecessarily.
“I got it,” Cassie says, moving away from me and toward the fridge, giving me a knowing smile before sauntering back outside, leaving me at the sink with Walker. Something settles deep in my chest as I take in his pink, flushed cheeks and the smile on his face. It’s one of the few times I’ve seen him without his cowboy hat on, andfuckif I don’t want to grip his hair and haul him to me.
“Are you drunk?” I ask, my voice laced with concern as I force my fantasies back into their box. “I don’t know if you’re still taking those pain meds, but you gotta be careful.”
He shakes his head. “I only take one at night when the pain seems to intensify with nothing to distract me.” He’s in another pair of athletic shorts and a dark t-shirt, but thankfully this one isn’t as baggy, allowing me the gift of seeing the outline of his body.
“So, you and Cassie…” he trails off.
“Are just friends,” I say immediately.
The look of relief that washes across his features is not good for my mental health.
“Jonas saw her at the bar. Thought she was hot.”
I growl in response becausefuck that guy. “I’ll tear his eyes out of his head next time I see him,” I bite out. “Have you heard from him?”
“Not a word. I don’t expect to either since I fired him.” Walker looks anywhere but at me while he talks.
“I’m sorry. I figured there was some bad blood there, but I didn’t know you called it quits.”
“Yeah, well,” he moves his gaze from the walls to the floor, “it kind of left a bad taste in my mouth when he told me that at least if he went to work with Jackson, he wouldn’t have to worry about, and I quote,walking in on him taking it in the ass.”
“What?Hesaidthat? Wait, he knows you’re gay?” Shit. This isn’t good.
“I sort of let it slip when he said…you know what, never mind. It’s done now,” his eyes flash wide with panic for a brief second as he tries to backpedal.
“Never mindmy ass, Walker. Tell me what he said,” I demand, turning my attention fully on him.
“He just noticed something was up between us. He kept pressing until I admitted we’d met before. He knew the timeline and asked if anythinginappropriatehad happened.” My stomach is in my fucking throat and the room spins so fast I have to reach a hand out to steady myself as Walker continues talking. “Anyway, I told him it was all me. That I was the one who had a crush on you and that you shut me down.”
Before I can stop myself, I grab the front of his shirt andpull him around the corner out of view of the glass door that leads to the backyard, careful of his wrist.
“You outed yourself to protect me?” I whisper in disbelief. “Walker, if he opens his mouth?—”
