At this rate, Dad’s going to have to invest in a second one just to store it all.
Julie dismisses my concerns with a wave. “Nonsense, I want to do it. And don’t worry, I’ll make space.”
“Best to let her be,” Briar adds with a chuckle. “She doesn’t know how to take no for an answer.”
“Very true,” Julie agrees as she rinses a bunch of spinach and pats it dry. She tosses it into a blender already filled with strawberries and bananas.
The front door swinging open cuts our conversation short, and moments later, Walker steps into the kitchen. He’s in a pair of Wranglers and a white T-shirt smudged with paint.
“How are my favorite ladies and my favorite nephew doing?” he drawls.
He slides off his work gloves, and tucks them into his back pocket, then strides over to stand beside me. He drapes an arm over my shoulders and kisses my temple.
Mama Julie swats him with a hand towel on her way over to the fridge. “No shoes inside next time.” She points at his boots.“I just vacuumed, and I want the Mattersons’ house to stay clean for more than five minutes.”
Walker ducks his head, a blush creeping up his neck. “Sorry, Ma.”
“Uncle Walker, you’re silly,” Caleb pipes up from the table.
Walker glances over with a raised brow. “How’s that, buddy?”
“You said I was your favorite nephew, but I’m youronlyone!” Caleb exclaims, dropping his work-in-progress origami frog and planting his hands on his hips.
Walker smirks. “All the more reason you’re my favorite.”
Caleb bursts into giggles.
“How are things going outside? I hope no one’s trying to outdo each other with their power tools,” Briar teases Walker.
Heath, Jensen, and our dads are helping build a ramp out front so it’ll be easier for my parents to go on walks around the neighborhood. Mama’s been limited to the house and the backyard for so long and is excited to be able to explore outside instead of looking at the same four walls every day. We’re not letting a moment go to waste, and moving forward, we will fill her days creating as many new memories as possible while she’s still feeling up for it.
Walker rolls his eyes, chuckling. “Heath and Jensen were racing to see who could sink the most screws in sixty seconds. Jensen might have been the underdog, but he’s shockingly fast when bragging rights are on the line.”
“He’s got a competitive streak, that’s for sure,” Briar remarks with a smirk.
Caleb tugs at her sleeve, and when she bends down to check on him, he holds out his origami frog and asks her to fix it. With Briar distracted and Julie busy rummaging through the fridge, I take the opportunity to tell Walker what’s on my mind before he heads back outside.
I rise on my toes, resting a hand on his shoulder.
“Thank you,” I whisper.
He gazes down at me. “For what, sweetheart?”
“For reminding me that I have a whole community behind me, and that I’m not on my own anymore.”
He cups my cheek. “You’ll never be alone again, baby.”
This is the life I’ve always wanted—surrounded by family and friends, sharing laughter in peaceful moments, and offering strength and courage through every challenge. Whatever the future holds, I know with certainty that I’ll have a support system to lean on, and Walker Halstead is at the center of it.
What started as a simple request for some lessons fueled by a few shots of tequila, quickly blossomed into a storybook romance I never saw coming. Little did I know that he believed we belonged together long before I even realized it was a possibility—and that he was prepared to do whatever it took to lasso my heart.
A Lesson In Edging
“Walker, please let me come,” Birdie cries out.
She’s bent over a tool chest, her arms tied above her head to a metal ring bolted to the closest wooden support beam. Her hair clings to her damp forehead and sweat glistens along the curve of her neck. Her pear-shaped ass is lifted in the air as I fuck her from behind.
“Patience, woman.” I give her a light spank on the left cheek. “You’re forgetting who’s in charge right now, and that today’s lesson is one hundred and four: edging. It’s about control, not instant gratification.”
