"Her? I thought it was a he."
"That was a female."
"Oh." I slump against him, my whole body weak. "I don't think I want to go to the pond anymore, Walker."
Just saying it reminds me of why I was going there. It reminds me of what Blaze said earlier. Walker fired Toby Jackson lastnight for…what? Coming to the kitchen? To teach me a lesson? To remind me that he's in charge here?
I still don't know. I still don't know how I'm supposed to feel about it, either. Where I'm from, jobs aren't something to sneeze at, and losing them is a big deal. I don't like knowing that someone lost his just because he spoke to me.
"Come on." Walker rises to his feet, swinging me up in his arms like I'm weightless. "I'll take you back."
"I can walk." I squirm, trying to get him to put me down because this feels dangerous. All of this feels dangerous. One minute, he's firing people because of me. The next, he's saving my life. That's not normal.
Then again, I have the sneaking suspicion that nothing about Walker Jessup is normal. He's in a class of his own, somewhere between cranky enigma and bossy force of nature.
"Just let me," he says, his voice a soft plea as his gaze tangles with mine. "Please? I…" He swallows hard, muttering a curse. "My life just flashed in front of my eyes, Letty. Just let me carry you until I'm convinced you're safe."
There's something in his gaze, something deep and devastating. It wraps around my heart like ivy, working its way into the deepest, darkest corners. And that feels dangerous, too.
"Okay," I whisper anyway, falling still in his arms.
We walk in silence for several long moments. Unlike me, he doesn't trip and stumble his way through the field. He plants his feet like he knows precisely where to step to miss the poop, holes, and roots that I had to dodge every other step. He stares straight ahead, his expression severe. I peek up at him, trying to figure him out.
At first, I thought he was just a misogynistic asshole who didn't want a woman here because, even though he probably thinks we belong in the kitchen, we don't belong on a ranch where manly men do manly men things. Now…well, now I'mbeginning to think it's a lot more than that. I'm just not entirely sure whata lot moreis.
"I should have told you about Toby," he murmurs suddenly.
"You fired him because of me." I hate how small and vulnerable I sound. It's not a feeling I'm used to, not anymore. I've had to take care of myself for a long time.
"No." His jaw works. "I fired him because I saw the way he looked at you last night. Didn't matter if I kicked him out of the kitchen or not, he would have been back, Sunshine." He meets my gaze. "He was halfway to your place when we found him last night."
"W-What?"
"Men like Toby don't hear no," he says. "They don't give up, either. He'd have kept finding reasons to get you alone. Eventually, that wouldn't have been enough for him. I'm not going to have you backed into a corner by anyone here because they don't know when to quit. If having Tanner fire Toby means everyone else thinks twice about fucking with you, it's worth it."
"I can take care of myself," I whisper.
"So you've said," he murmurs, glancing down at me. "But maybe…"
"What?"
"Maybe I like the thought of doing it for you."
My heart thuds against my ribcage so hard I'm sure he probably hears it.
"I've been an asshole," he says. "I can own that. You knocked me on my ass as soon as I set eyes on you. I'm jealous and possessive as hell over you for reasons I can't even explain to myself. I'm also worried as fuck."
"Why are you worried?"
"Because there are twenty other men on this property right now just like me, capable of giving you the same things I can,"he rasps. "And you've got me thinkin' there isn't a single other woman in the world like you."
I stare at him for a long, silent moment. "For a man raised in a barn, you sure do have a way with words, Walker," I finally say.
A rough bark of laughter escapes his lips, along with a smile so goddamn sexy my heart skips a beat. "Does this mean you'll give me a chance, Sunshine?"
"It means I'll consider not enhancing your food anymore," I say carefully. "But…I don't think we should date."
What am I doing? What am I saying? I don't know!
