Birdie: At Briar’s. Please tell me you’re coming to my rescue. Caleb beat me at Candy Land five times straight, and my ego can’t take another loss.
Okay, maybe I stretched the truth a little for dramatic effect. Briar actually sent Caleb upstairs ten minutes ago for his bath, but I couldn’t pass up the chance to use my wounded pride as leverage if it means getting him here sooner.
Walker: We just finished. See you in a bit.
Birdie: Looking forward to it <3
I head out front to wait for him, settling into one of the rocking chairs on the porch. Briar went to put Ziggy away for the night before checking on Caleb, so it’s just me and my thoughts out here.
Keeping my head in the sand has run its course, and I’m forced to face the cold, hard truth: I have feelings for Walker Halstead. The line between what’s real and fake was obliterated the second we kissed, and the intimacy of our first shared orgasm only cemented that. I was just too naive to recognize the significance of those moments until it was too late.
The way I see it, I have two options: end things now before they escalate further, or continue our charade, fully aware there’s a good chance I’ll be heartbroken once this is over.
My first instinct is to break things off with Walker before things get messy. But I’m tired of running. Like Mama said, it’s time I start living my life—which means living in the moment and not letting fear hold me back.
While I wait for Walker, a message pops up in the group chat.
Backroads & Bad Decisions Group Chat
Charlie: Careful, Briar. At this rate, Birdie and Walker are going to beat you and Jensen down the aisle. Shotgun wedding, anyone?
Birdie: Care to enlighten us on how you cooked up this wild theory of yours?
Seriously, she loves gossip more than a sugar-laced red velvet latte. It doesn’t help that her boutique serves as a breeding ground for chatty women who can sniff out rumors faster than a bloodhound.
Briar: Oh boy. Here we go.
Charlie: A little birdie told me you brought Walker lunch today.
Briar: Just to be clear I am not said birdie.
Wren: Things must be getting serious if you’re taking him lunch at work.
Birdie: It’s not a big deal.
Briar: I don’t know… you seemed awfully into him when he was nuzzling his face in your neck.
Birdie: Not said birdie, huh??
Charlie: Don’t hold back now Briar. Proud of you.
Briar: I didn’t even mention how he got all possessive…
Wren: Facetime me later! I need all the details.
Charlie: Count me in, too!
Trying to stop them would be useless. When Briar and Jensen got together, Wren, Charlie, and I spent hours on late-night calls, gossiping about it, so I can’t blame them for doing the same to me. That’s the price of public displays of affection—though I have zero regrets, especially after Walker staked his claim with that possessive kiss still living rent-free in my mind.
The crunch of gravel pulls me from the group chat, and I look up to see a blue pickup with Heath at the wheel and Walker and Jensen riding along.
Walker is the first to climb out, pulling off his hat and wiping the sweat from his forehead.
I push out of the rocking chair and rush down the porch steps to greet him.
“How’d it go?” I ask.
“Pretty boy put those new ranch hands to shame.” He nods to Jensen, getting out of the back seat. “A year on the ranch and we’ve finally made a real cowboy out of him.”
