Baby It's Cold Outside (38 page)

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Authors: Addison Fox

BOOK: Baby It's Cold Outside
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At least they had beer, mini-hot dog hors d’oeuvres wrapped in puff pastry and a big-screen TV broadcasting football.
“The grandmothers think of everything,” Roman said around a mouthful of food. “They are seasoned women of the world who understand that cocktail weenies really do tame the restless beast.”
“You have a point.”
“Of course, I suspect that’s also what the cow thinks when they load him into the chute and take him to slaughter.”
“Cheerful thought.” And one he’d have shared a mere two weeks ago.
Before everything had changed.
And if he didn’t do something about it soon, Sloan was going to keep her plans to head home at midweek and he’d never see her again.
“Fuck it,” Walker muttered, setting his beer on the counter that held their appetizer feast. He’d wasted enough time by not admitting the truth to Sloan.
“Where are you going?” Roman had another beer in his hand, already extended in his direction.
Unable to keep the broad grin from splitting his face, he waved off the fresh drink. “Climbing into the chute, buddy.”
Without waiting for an answer, Walker ducked out of the room, grateful his grandmother at least had enough sense not to violate fire codes and actually lock them all in the room.
On swift feet, he took the long way around the makeshift stage that had been set up at the far end of the auditorium. Following the path of glowing twinkle lights around the edge of the room, he nearly barreled into his grandmother.
“Grandma!” He grasped her arms while he held both of them upright. “What are you doing back here?”
“I’m hanging out behind the scenes a bit.”
“But back here?”
What
was
she doing back here? This was even too far out of the way for the bachelors to wait to take their turns onstage.
“Are you okay?”
He spotted a set of folding chairs propped against the wall, reached for one and quickly opened it, then turned back to her. Careful to keep his hand on her arm, he drew her toward the chair. “Come on and sit down here for a minute.”
Once he got her settled, she reached for him. “Get a seat for yourself.”
“I’m fine. Do you want anything? I can get you some water.”
“No, no. Just grab a seat my dear.”
Reaching for her hand, he sat there with her, waiting to get her whatever she needed. His impression from earlier in the day—that something really was wrong—rose up to haunt him again.
“Grandmother? Are you feeling sick?”
“No, no, dear.” She patted his arm. “Nothing like that.”
As they sat there in silence, mingled sounds swirled around them from the other side of the stage. The women were doing their level best to outshout each other and, when added to the booming loudspeaker, the room was operating at a dull roar.
“I’m glad you’re not sick, but are you going to tell me what’s gotten into you all of a sudden? It’s the crowning moment of your day and you look like the sky’s falling.”
“Aren’t I entitled to a sad moment now and again?”
“Of course. But what’s gotten in to you today? You look forward to this all year.”
“The same thing Mary and Julia are sad about.”
Walker prayed for patience as he took in the clearly miserable set of his grandmother’s face. Even her shoulders were visibly slumped through the bright fabric of her evening gown. “All three of you are upset? Did something happen?”
“Only that our grandsons have finally found love and they’re all too blind to see it.”
He nearly fell off the chair as he took in her words.
How did she know?
And Mick and Roman, too?
“Grandmother. What are you talking about?”
“You and Sloan. Mick and Grier. And Roman and Avery, although those two are so damned stubborn Julia knows she’ll be well and gone before those two figure themselves out. If they ever do. And now those women are going to go home and we’re far too afraid you’re going to let them. And well, as I said, Julia’s got a whole other set of worries about Roman.”
It was the same thought he’d had as he stomped out of the bachelor cave. And as much as he wanted to reassure his grandmother, he had to speak to Sloan first.
She had a right to know. Even if his grandmother had been waiting for this moment since the day he came into the world, the woman he loved deserved to hear the news first.
He had to get to Sloan.
“Look—”
She held up a hand to cut him off. “If you could only understand where we’re coming from. Where
I’m
coming from.”
What had gotten in to her? “Grandmother. If you’d just wait a bit.”
“I don’t have time to wait, Walker.” She gripped his arm again. “We all see it happening and I just can’t keep quiet on this.”
“Look. For the record, I could give a rat’s ass about Mary and Julia and Mick and Roman. I’m talking to you. And while I appreciate your concern, I’m a grown man. And I need you to trust that I know what I’m doing.”
“But it’s all slipping away. Don’t you see that?”
Walker was about to protest when her next words stopped him cold.
“It’s just like your father.”
Ice filled his veins, running cold fingers down his spine before settling low in his gut. “What about my father?”
“Don’t let him stand in the way of your happiness. That woman is the answer. She’s what you’ve been searching for, Walker.”
“What about my father?”
“I know all of it, Walker.” At what must have been an incredulous stare, she added, “I’ve known for a very long time.”
This wasn’t possible.
It just was
not
possible.
He’d been so careful. Had carried the secret for so fucking long. How could she possibly know?
“But how?”
“He’s my son. And I love him, no matter how awful his behavior. And you of all people know there are no secrets in this town.”
“But they’ve kept it from you. They didn’t want to upset you.”
“Then your father shouldn’t have taken up with every light skirt he could find in Anchorage, Fairbanks and Juneau and every small town in between.”
Walker fought the urge to drop his head into his hands as he tried desperately to process his grandmother’s words through the shouting and merriment echoing toward him from the other side of the stage.
Everything he thought he knew was yet again turned on its ear.
He’d lived with the lies for so long—and the very person he’d thought to protect had known all along. She’d known he was keeping a secret from her and she’d never said anything.
Was anything real?
Anything at all?
Chapter Twenty-three
 
S
loan glanced around the now crowded dance floor and tried to stem her confusion. Most of the town was gathered in the ballroom, dancing and having a great time, but she couldn’t get into any of it.
Where was Walker?
She’d sat through the entire auction, not surprised as bachelor after bachelor came up with no sign of him. With all the fuss Sophie, Julia and Mary had made about getting two of the three grandsons on the auction block, she had every expectation they’d go last.
But the auction had been over for thirty minutes and Walker was nowhere to be found.
She didn’t want to be clingy. She would
not
be clingy. She hated clingy.
But where was he?
Catching sight of Roman, she made eye contact and waved him over, surprised at how quickly he extricated himself from the woman he was in conversation with. He leaned in and pressed his lips to her cheek in a gallant kiss. “I could kiss your feet right now. Thank you.”
“It looks like the viper from Chicago was giving you a run for your money.”
“You’re not kidding. That woman could give a whole parking lot full of rink bunnies a run for their money.”
“Ewww.” Sloan held up a hand.
“I’m just kidding. I’m not nearly as indiscriminate as the tabloids would have you believe. I have absolutely no idea how a parking lot of women would behave.”
She couldn’t resist his infectious smile and despite her anxiousness at finding out where Walker had gone, also couldn’t resist a small dig on Avery’s behalf.“Self-diagnosis, Doctor?”
“Self-preservation, more like it.”
Her gaze roamed the room on the off chance she had somehow missed Walker and wouldn’t have to lower herself to asking after him.
And when another head count around the room turned up no sign of him, she bit the bullet. “Have you seen Walker?”
“Yeah. It’s been a while, though. He was backstage for the auction and then ended up leaving as we were waiting.”
“He just left?”
“Yeah. Said something about a bull chute.”
“I’m sorry?”
The grin got even wider. “Sorry. Inside joke.”
“Okay. Well, if he was there before, do you know where he headed off to?”
“Come to think of it, no.”
“If you see him, let him know I headed back to the hotel.”
“Will do.”
Sloan had already turned to walk away when Roman stopped her with a tap on the shoulder. Turning back to face him, she was intrigued by the lines furrowing his brow and the tight set of his mouth. “Can I tell you something?”
“Of course.”
“It’s not one-sided.”
Sloan ran through the appropriate responses, from playing dumb to genuine outrage on behalf of her friend. In the end, she settled for simple. “Oh?”
“It’s not. I mean, it’s more me than her, but it’s not all me.” He ran a hand through his hair, no evidence of the carefree smile he’d just sported anywhere near his face. “Look. After a while, it’s hard to keep coming back when all you get is your past thrown in your face. That’s all I wanted to say.”
She knew what it was to have your past haunt you repeatedly and for the first time, she actually felt a small measure of sympathy for Roman Forsyth. “That’s the first thing you’ve said that makes me think you’re sort of human instead of some hockey god.”
The smile was back in full force. “Well, I’m a hockey god, too.”
“How could I forget?”
She turned around to leave and realized she had one more thing to say. “You know, sometimes the only way to forget your past is to change your future.”
“Yeah. But you have to want to change.”
On a shrug, she had to admit he had a point. “I guess you’re right. Still, I remain forever amazed that it’s often the easiest answers that are the hardest.”
Five minutes later she entered the Indigo’s lobby wrapped again in her fuzzy boots, her strappy heels dangling from her hand, her own words ringing in her ears.
Simple answers, hard decisions.
That fit her situation with Walker to a T. And maybe it was time to level with him and
tell
him that.
If she could find him.
Mingled voices rumbled through the lobby as she moved toward the elevators. It looked like a few bachelor/bachelorette combinations were on their way to getting to know each other better. She’d seen several heated glances during the bidding and had high hopes for all of them that things would work out.
And wouldn’t that be a lovely ending to her story.
She caught sight of another bachelor in a tuxedo and Sloan imagined what Walker would have looked like had he made it up on the auction stage. She’d had it on good authority from Avery that he was wearing a tux and she had no doubt the man would look damn fine in black and white.
So where was he?
Stabbing the CALL button, she had to admonish herself. Oh, who was she kidding?
The man looked damn fine all the time, regardless of the attire. Or lack thereof, she couldn’t help adding to herself, as the cat-n-cream smile spread across her face.
Stepping from the elevator, she dug into her purse for her keycard and dipped the plastic into the reader. The door swung open and she immediately caught sight of a large form, sprawled on the bed in the muted light coming from a blaring TV. A moment of panic assailed her before recognition dawned.
“Walker?”
A heavy groan reached her from the direction of the bed.
The initial shock of fear evaporated as a different sort of fear replaced it.
What was wrong with him?
And what was he doing in her room? Groaning from the bed?
“Walker. What’s wrong?” The stench of liquor hit her halfway across the room and the reality of why he was sprawled on the bed and not at the auction hit her. Is this what he’d been doing?

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