Page 57 of Needing You

No, notlikea family. We were a family. And I loved being part of the Walker clan almost as much as I loved Will himself.

I waved to Ellie across the room when I caught her eye, and she lifted her beer in a salute, mouthing, “Where’s April?”

“On her way,” I mouthed back.

Ellie nodded in acknowledgment before turning to Jake, so I tuned back into the conversation my son and his grandmother were having. He was telling her all about football and school, as if he hadn’t talked about most of that last night at her house for Sunday dinner. But I could tell she simply couldn’t get enough of chatting with him and hearing about his life, and unlike the usual teenage coolness one might expect, Jackson didn’t seem to mind.

“Excuse me,” a well-dressed man said, leaning toward our table with a smile that reminded me a little of a wolf in sheep’s clothing. “Sorry to interrupt, but are you Kate and Jackson?”

I blinked at Jenna, thinking she might know the man since he hadn’t asked for her name, but she only shrugged. I turned to him with my back straightening. Call it a protective instinct, but I didn’t like the way his mouth curved, appearing friendly enough … but his eyes didn’t seem to match. “That depends. Who are you?”

“Oh, sorry, I’m Jason Cole.” He watched my face with his hand splayed over his chest, as if he expected me to recognize his name immediately. But when I only stared at him, he chuckled. “The guy Will’s been talking to about the job in Denver. It’s a pretty exciting offer, don’t you think?”

I bit back a gasp. Not only because I had no idea what he was talking about, but also because he’d taken it upon himself to sit in the fourth chair at our table. Who the hell did thisJason Coleguy think he was?

“He told you about the football program, right?” Jason asked, this time directing the question to my son.

“I’ll be right back,” Jenna said cordially, flaring her eyes at me as she slipped away from the table and moved through the crowd toward the kitchen. Hopefully, she was headed to find Will. Whatever Jason Cole was selling, I wasn’t buying, and I didn’t like his vibe in the slightest.

I listened carefully while my son asked this smooth-talking joker questions about the football program at some big-deal high school in Denver, marveling at how Jackson didn’t seem to notice or care that they were discussing a job offer neither of us knew anything about. His father—who’d only recently come into his life, I might add—had apparently been arranging this move behind our backs, and he was… what? Happy as a damn clam?

Unless … had Will told Jackson about the job? The potential move? Was that why he was sipping his root beer and talking about a never-ending stream of college scouts and the potential glory under the guidance of award-winning coaches?

And if so, that would mean both my “partner” and my son had some explaining to do.

When what I thought was Will’s tall, dark form caught my eye as he made his way to the table, my head jerked in that direction. But it wasn’t him. Instead, it was his twin. My eyes searched the crowded bar behind Eric, but there was no sign of Will coming out of the kitchen.

“Mr. Cole,” Eric said, looming over the table with his shoulders back and jaw tight, “my brother is dealing with a bit of a kitchen emergency. How can I help you?”

Jason grinned and stood to shake Eric’s hand, not even blinking at the slight pause before their hands clasped. “It’s great to meet you. I’m sure you’re sorry to see your brother move on to bigger and better things, but you know what a talented chef he is. This new restaurant is theperfectfit for him.” Jason dropped back into his chair as if he hadn’t just offended the hell out of the man before him, then gestured to the empty chair where Jenna had been. “Have a seat. I was just chatting with Will’s son and… wife?”

“Nope,” I replied, leaving it at that.

“Will’sfamily,” he amended to Eric without pause. “We were chatting about the world of possibilities that will be open to them when they move to Denver.”

Eric slipped into the seat his mother had vacated and fixed Jason with a hard stare. I searched his face, but I couldn’t find a single trace of knowing in his dark, Walker eyes. Eric was as blindsided by this whole thing as I was.

What the hell was Will thinking? Why would he set up this super-secret move after we’d just gotten so settled?Him—with the bar and his brothers after so much pain and bad blood between them.Us—with this horrible secret of mine finally coming to the surface, only to result in the three of us being happier than I could have ever imagined.

Now he wanted to shred it up like it didn’t matter at all? What about the rest of the family? Was he really so self-centered that he hadn’t thought of any of them—any ofus?

“What’s the deal with this bigger-and-better restaurant?” Eric asked.

Jason broke into a long-winded explanation of how amazing the Denver eatery would be for Will’s career. The way they’d appreciate his talent. The way they’d cater to his creativity. The way he’d have full control over a menu that would be served to a high-quality patronage.

All things this idiot assumedweren’ttrue of Walker’s, and he didn’t give a damn how insulting he sounded. I didn’t know if the murderous look in Eric’s eyes as he patiently listened to this spiel was lost on him or if Will’s determination to take the job gave Jason this confidence, but either way, it made my stomach turn.

“Mom, isn’t this great? I’ve always wanted to play ball at a big school,” Jackson said, a huge smile on his handsome face.

I realized with a start that my son hadn’t smiled at me like this—so open and bright—since before he’d found out about Will. The fact that it was brought on by such a messed-up situation caused a slice of pain to shoot straight into my heart.

Jackson must have seen the wince I’d tried to hold back because his face fell, and coldness returned to his eyes. “Seriously,nowwhat? Dad’s trying to do big things for our family. You can open your bakery in Denver, I can play ball at a big school and maybe even get scouted by a major college, and Dad will get to work at a fancy restaurant again. What the hell could possibly be wrong with that?”

“Jackson,” Eric said in a warning tone.

I shot him a look of gratitude but held up my hand. His uncle instinct was nice, but unnecessary. I could handle this talk with my son.Later.Right now, I just needed to get out of here.

But before I could say as much, Jason Cole pointed at me with a wag of his finger. Something like mischief gleamed in his eyes, like he’d gathered something from my son’s outburst that pleased him. “That’s right. You’re a baker. There’s a spot open a few doors down from the restaurant that would be perfect for you to set up shop.” He paused, rubbing a hand over his jaw as if he were considering his next words. Then he shrugged. “I told Will all about it last time we talked, and he thought it sounded like a great idea.”

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