Walker Bride (13 page)

“C’mon in,” she said handing them each a
beer.

“Mom, what are you doing here?” Dane asked as
he leaned in and kissed her on the cheek.

“Susan and I are just getting you boys set
up. We’ll be out of here shortly. By the way, I’ve missed you,” she
said with a wink before walking away.

Susan looked at them. “Glad you two are here.
Eric is out back working the grill.”

“You’re letting him cook?” Tyson joked as he
kissed Susan on the cheek.

“We’ve had a few lessons. I can trust him
now.”

“I’ll go say hello.”

Tyson headed through the house and out the
back door. There were Eric and his father standing over the grill.
The sight hit him.

Tyson’s father had been gone for years. He’d
never shared a beer with him. He’d never hovered over a steak on
the grill either.

“Hey,” Eric greeted him. “You made it.”

“I thought bachelor parties were supposed to
be wild bar nights.”

Both Eric and his father laughed. “I’m not
much for that scene. Besides, I think Susan thought if she catered
the party and turned on a football game, we wouldn’t think about
leaving.”

“Works for me,” Tyson agreed as he took a
long pull from his beer.

Everett Walker moved toward Tyson, leaning
against the railing of the porch. “I hear you bought into your
sister’s newest real estate buy.”

“So much for silent partnership,” he
joked.

“Not much is silent around these parts. She
has a good head for business,” he complimented.

“She does. So does my mother.”

Everett nodded. “She does as well. Even
Constance had a good head for business.”

Tyson felt the air whoosh from his lungs as
Eric yelped.

“Jesus, that hurts,” he said pulling his hand
to his mouth.

“Burn yourself?” his father asked.

“Yeah, but I'm all right.”

Everett gave him a nod and left them alone on
the porch, returning to the house through the back door.

Eric watched his father disappear. “He slid
that in there nice and easy didn’t he?”

Tyson lifted his bottle to his lips and drank
down the amber liquid inside. He felt the bubbles hit his stomach
as the alcohol rose to his head. “That was a little awkward.”

“He doesn’t talk about her that much.”

“I think that was for my benefit,” Tyson
admitted, thinking about his birth mother, whom he’d never
known.

“Sure,” Eric nodded as he flipped a steak.
“Do you suppose we will ever see each other and not have to remind
ourselves, in the back of our heads, that we’re brothers?”

Tyson chuckled. “It does feel more natural to
want to punch you in the mouth.”

Eric grinned. “You did that already.”

“Still feels good.”

They shared a laugh, and that felt nice. They
had, in fact, beat the crap out of each other less than a year ago,
and now they were celebrating marriages and businesses. Who would
have ever thought?

“You all are okay that I bought into Pearl
and Lydia’s building, aren’t you?”

“I don’t see a problem,” Eric said as he
turned a steak over the flames.

“I didn’t either until your dad brought it
up. That’s two Morgans to one Walker.”

Eric leaned in over the grill. “And she’s
Byron’s daughter. That’s worse.”

Tyson felt himself wince. He didn’t want to
think that there was a better Walker to be with. There was nothing
about her that made him think she was anything like her father. How
could she be?

There was no reason to talk about business or
Pearl. They’d agreed not to say anything about what had happened
between them.

Tyson ran his hand over the back of his neck,
then wiped it down the leg of his jeans. “I guess they’ll be
putting in the wells soon, over on our land,” he said, changing the
subject from their biological mother and Pearl.

“That’s going to net you a pretty penny.”

“It’s all my grandfather’s. I don’t want
anything to do with that.”

“You’ll get the land, right? In the end, that
is.”

“It goes to Lydia and me, but still. It
doesn’t feel right. The Walkers aren’t the only people my
grandfather screwed over through the years. I can’t even imagine
what he stole along the way to get the land he has now.”

Eric pulled the steaks from the grill.
“You’re not like him, you know. You’re not vindictive.”

He wasn’t sure about that. A year ago he
would have gladly run Eric off the road, had he known who he
was.

“I see my sister and my mother run legitimate
businesses. Nothing under the table or greasing the palms of anyone
to get what they want. They just work for it.”

“Sounds like my father and grandfather. I
don’t know where my uncle got his business sense from.”

“I guess there is one in every family.”

Eric closed the grill and picked up the
platter of steaks. “I suppose there is.”

They had steak, which was what every man in
the room was most excited about. Oh, they’d demolished Susan’s well
planned out trays, but it was Eric’s steaks that won their
hearts.

The small, newly built house was full of
Walker men, Tyson noted as he pulled another beer from the cooler.
All four of Eric’s brothers, his father, his cousins, Bethany’s
fiancé Kent, and even his uncle Byron—Pearl’s father, he reminded
himself.

He could see the resemblance in the eyes, he
thought as he studied him from across the room. Tyson wasn’t sure
he’d ever seen her mother. But they’d both lived in the same town
their whole lives, it was possible.

It was obvious, though, that Byron Walker was
the outcast among his family. Though everyone was cordial, it was
his sons that kept him occupied with conversation.

“How are the cattle out at your place?” A
man’s voice came from behind him.

He turned to see Officer Phillip Smythe
behind him nursing a beer. He looked as uncomfortable as Tyson
felt.

“They’re doing well. It helps when no one is
killing them off.” He referenced Douglas Brant, the fellow officer
that had been killing heads of cattle, poisoning their horses, and
had set fire to Eric’s house.

“I’m embarrassed that he was part of our
department,” Phillip said. “I’m glad everyone is okay.”

Tyson nodded as he sipped from his bottle. He
wasn’t sure why his sister hated the man so much. He wasn’t that
bad. Sure, he had a bad rap with the women in town and two ex-wives
that had made sure no one thought much of him, but Tyson didn’t
mind him.

“I heard you bought into that building your
sister purchased.”

Tyson chuckled. How did that stuff get around
so fast?

“Yeah, she needed an investor.”

“Looks like it’ll be a big wedding
center.”

That had him smiling. “She’s referring to it
as a wedding mecca.”

“Mecca?”

“Yup. Bridal shop. Caterer. Floral. Reception
hall. Anything you need for your wedding.”

Phillip’s brows drew together. “I thought she
had the Garden Room for receptions. She needs two halls?”

Tyson shrugged. “The Garden Room is
technically my mother’s. Lydia won’t be outdone by anyone,
including my mother.”

“Doesn’t surprise me.” He sipped from his
beer. “Can’t believe Eric is finally getting married. I was sure
all of us were washed up.”

Tyson bit down on the inside of his cheek.
Yeah, he’d felt that way until he’d wrapped his arms around Pearl
for the first time. Now he wasn’t so sure.

Phillip looked at him. “Who are you bringing
to the wedding?”

“No plans on a date.”

“Me either. I’d ask your sister, but she
hates me.”

That was a true statement. “She’ll be there,”
he said. “Maybe you can get a dance in.”

Phillip snorted a laugh. “I doubt it. Not
sure I should even ask. No need for a physical brawl at a nice
wedding.”

True enough. The thought then crossed his
mind. He’d want to dance with Pearl. If they were going to keep
their little affair secret how was he going to do that without
letting on? There was no way in hell he could hold her close and
not have his emotions show.

He finished his beer. He was old enough not
to have to worry about what people thought in regards to his love
life, right? Why worry about it?

Then he looked over at Gerald and Ben, who
were deep in conversation in the corner. He had caught Gerald’s eye
before he looked away. More than likely they were having a
conversation about him and how he didn’t belong entwined in the
Walker family.

The thought stung, but he didn’t blame
them—not one bit.

He finished his beer. “I think I’m going to
head out,” he said to Phillip.

“Me too. Not sure I belong here much, but it
was nice they included me.”

Tyson ran his tongue over his teeth and
thought for a moment. “You off duty?”

“Yup.”

“Why don’t we head out to my place at the
barn. I have a fridge full of import. I’m feeling the need to tie
one on.”

Phillip chuckled with a nod. “I could go for
that.”

~*~

Pearl sipped her wine, her legs tucked up
under her, as she turned the pages of the bridal catalog full of
next season's dresses. Oh, the necklines and the beading, she
gushed over the detail. The budget would allow her to buy fewer top
of the line samples this year because of the move. But, the move,
in the end, would be worth it. Next season, she’d have more room,
and a bigger budget, to buy more dresses.

The knock at her door came as quite a
surprise. However, the kicked up thumping of her heart when she
realized that she hoped it was Tyson at the door was more of a
surprise.

She unraveled herself from the couch, stood,
and walked toward the mirror on the wall. Giving herself a quick
primp, she decided it wasn’t much hope, but then again, he’d seen
her tousled and wet with sweat. The thought gave her warmth that
spread throughout her body.

Pearl moved to the door and pulled it open
swiftly. She could feel the smile that formed on her mouth.
Equally, she could feel it fade when she saw Lydia standing on her
front step.

“Lydia, I wasn’t expecting to see you. Is
everything okay?”

Lydia’s grin was large. In one hand she held
up a bottle of champagne and in the other a roll of paper fastened
with a rubber band.

“I have the final drawings from the architect
for the outside of the building for our approval, partner. And some
bubbly to celebrate. Interested in looking at it?”

The smile was back. “I’d love to.” She
stepped back and let Lydia through. Still holding on to that small
shred of hope that Tyson was there too, she looked out the door,
but no one else was around.

Pearl closed the door and walked back to the
living room where Lydia had knelt down in front of the coffee table
and rolled out the plans.

Pearl knelt down next to her and looked at
the plans spread out on her table. “This looks complex.”

“It’s beautiful,” Lydia beamed. “Here’s your
storefront,” she pointed to the cornerstone of the building.
“You’ll have the most windows. Lots of natural light.”

The building was two stories, and the plan
was, in time, to rent out the private offices on the second floor.
Lydia explained the updates that would be made to the building.
There would be parking in the rear of the building, which would
lead to the reception hall. On-street parking would accommodate the
store fronts. She had already signed Gia Gallo to a lease for the
smaller store two doors down from Pearl’s store. Susan had signed a
lease to use the kitchen that was attached to the reception hall.
Next week Lydia would meet with the florist and discuss a possible
lease.

“It’s coming together.” Lydia sat back on her
heels. “Within six months, we will have everything brides need.
They won’t have to go anywhere else.”

“I like it.”

Lydia grinned. “So do I. How about that
champagne?”

Pearl stood, picking up the bottle as she
did. “I have some strawberries we could have with this.”

“Oh, that sounds classy,” Lydia said,
following her into the kitchen.

Pearl pulled down two flutes from the
cupboard and set them on the counter as Lydia began opening the
bottle.

“I think Tyson is going to be impressed with
the designs,” Lydia reached for the kitchen towel and placed it
over the top of the bottle before pulling the cork out. “I think
we’ll be able to buy him out within a year.”

“Buy him out?” Pearl asked as she opened the
refrigerator and pulled out the bowl of strawberries. “Is that the
plan?”

“It is for me. He doesn’t want to be part of
this. He’s got other things to think about. Besides, he’s not an in
town guy. I think it makes him crazy to drive out here.”

Any exciting buzz that might have been
zipping through her had fizzled. “Well, if that’s the plan.”

“Are you taking anyone to Susan and Eric’s
wedding?”

Pearl set the bowl of strawberries on the
table and sat down as Lydia did the same. “I’ll be too busy making
sure all the dresses and tuxes fit just right. The last thing I
need is a date.”

Lydia plucked a strawberry from the bowl and
bit into it. “I figure there will be a wealth of Walker men in
tuxes to choose from. Which of your brothers should I ask to
dance,” she laughed.

Pearl lifted her glass. “You can’t go wrong
with any of them,” she said believing wholeheartedly that the
statement was true.

“That would be a hoot, wouldn’t it? Me and
one of your brothers?”

Lydia laughed, but Pearl drank down her glass
of champagne. It was innocent banter, but did Lydia even hear what
she was saying? Tyson had said she didn’t want him seeing Pearl,
but she was sure Lydia didn’t know anything about them. And, her
brothers weren’t involved in their business. However, she ached to
tell her that just that very morning, Tyson had awakened in her
bed.